Overview & Reviews

Owned by General Motors, Buick is one of this country's oldest brands, with a rich tradition of innovation that dates back more than a century. Though long known for catering to retirement-age customers with its full-size sedans, the automaker's lineup now includes SUVs and sport sedans designed to bring younger buyers into the showrooms of Buick dealers.

The company was founded in 1903 by David Dunbar Buick, a Scottish industrialist. He built his first car in 1904; called the Model B, it had a two-cylinder engine with an advanced-for-its-time overhead-valve cylinder head design. In 1907, Buick unveiled its first four-cylinder production car, dubbed the Model D. The following year, the Flint, Michigan-based Buick Motor Company was bought by William C. Durant as part of a new company called General Motors. By 1914, all Buicks were built with six-cylinder engines and purchased primarily by upper-class professionals, thus earning the nickname "doctor's cars."

The manufacturer proved itself a trailblazer in the early 1920s when it introduced four-wheel brakes. This technology had been seen before on custom-built cars, but Buick was the first to figure out how to successfully apply it to mass-produced vehicles. Eight-cylinder Buick cars emerged in the 1930s and became immensely popular; these advanced engines received steady improvements for several years. The '30s also saw Buick's introduction of the industry's first rear turn signal to use a flasher.

Models such as the Estate Wagon and the ever-popular Roadmaster kept Buicks happily ensconced in driveways all across the nation in the 1940s. In 1948, Buick introduced Dynaflow, the first torque converter-type automatic transmission offered in U.S. passenger cars. The 1950s and 1960s witnessed Buick continuing to zoom ahead of the curve; it was among the first to offer vehicles with power brakes and steering, and 12-volt electrical systems. The marque was also behind the introduction of the first American V6 passenger car engine and introduced the Riviera personal luxury coupe in the early '60s.

On the whole, though, Buick had made its name as a manufacturer of stately land yachts such as the Electra 225. To meet the changing times, the automaker downsized its full- and midsize models during the 1970s and began offering compact and midsize sedans for the 1980s. During the latter period and into the '90s, Buick changed things up by introducing the Regal Grand National muscle car and Reatta luxury coupe and convertible. But its core product continued to be luxury sedans aimed at an older audience.

Today, Buick specializes in sedans and crossover SUVs and is modifying its philosophy in the hopes of attracting younger buyers. Luxury and class are still common themes, but newer models have European influences in their handling and ride dynamics. As such, many modern Buicks, such as the compact Verano sedan provide a more entertaining drive and more contemporary styling than people might expect from this "old" nameplate.

User Reviews:

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  Extremely impressed with the GS - 2012 Buick Regal
  By regal_gs - November 28 - 1:15 pm

  We just picked up our GS last week and we have already put about 600 miles on it. So far the performance, comfort, driving fun and fuel mileage is everything we hoped it would be. The sport modes work extremely well at giving you a choice at how harsh and responsive the car is, the manual transmission is great (one of the main reasons for getting this car), and it looks fantastic. We were actually getting 31-32 mpg on the freeway and I averaged 28 mpg with the first tank (mostly highway). Its just nice to actually get what the epa says it will do.

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  One of the BEST cars Ive owned- out of 42!!! - 1993 Buick LeSabre
  By blackbird82 - November 10 - 10:17 pm

  This is a downgrade from a 92 Park Ave. ULTRA (supercharged) I owned but was taken by ex. But, its ride is almost identical (my LeSabre doesnt have air ride), and reliability is superb. I bought it with 122,000 mi, but it ran very rough due to extremely POOR maintenance and lack of regular oil changes. I then had to replace engine at 127,000 mi as a result of a camshaft counter-balance shaft bearing failure, due to the neglect of the woman who owned it before me. Now my used engine has 170,000+ on it, and is somewhat tired, but runs smooth and without issues. looking right now into water/alcohol vapor as well as hydrogen kits to improve economy, as well as real ram-air scoop to boost power.

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  The Most Awesome Vehicle We Have Ever Owned! - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By bob_w - November 1 - 3:52 pm

  We bought our Enclave in August of 2007. We have had only 1 problem. The GPS unit just did stop working. Other than that it has been extremely reliable. It rides like a dream and is very versatile. We keep a car for a long while, therefore we spend a lot of time in selection. We drove all vehicles in this class before making our decision. My wife just knew that she wanted the Volvo before we started. 13 vehicle test drives later we are picking the options and color of our new Enclave. If I had to replace it today, I would probably get it again!

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  functionality plus - 2011 Buick Regal
  By gatonegro - November 1 - 9:26 am

  Good car for young professional woman with family. I have had black w/ black interior for a few days and so far very comfortable commute and lots of compliments. I feel very safe and enjoying standard features. I almost bought turbo, as a little more fun to drive and attracted to ability for alternative corn based fuel, however my lifestyle is prohibitive and not anticipating drag racing :) Non-turbo provides enough zippy power for day 2 day and better MPG. Back seat is roomy for as small a car this is, which is good for family with older kids, but my 62 husband has to stoop head. I will transition this to tween-age son, who also really liked, when old enough to drive in a few years.

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  2000 Buick Century - 2000 Buick Century
  By thagentleman22 - October 3 - 2:01 am

  PROS: -A cheap luxury car. Gets you from point A to B. -Smooth ride, good MPG. Low maintenance car. -Comfortable, roomy seating. Bang for your $. CONS: -Can take a while to get up to faster speeds. -Battery went out after 1 month. Windows went out also. Both minor problems, though. -Rims are ugly (Not a problem with the car). I bought this Buick in August for $5,000 from an elderly man in the desert, Palm Springs, California area. This car has close to 95,000 miles on it. Overall, it has been good to me, and after I get a new battery, I should be a happy owner for another 5 years. Very happy, so far.

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  Very happy with this car. - 2002 Buick Rendezvous
  By ssarason - October 2 - 5:25 pm

  We bought this car new in Dec 2001. We have done regular maintanence. The car now have over 195,000 miles and is still great to drive. There were a few early repairs done under warrenty, but we have had few problems with the car. Just the unual, tires, brakes, shocks, regular oil changes, etc. I love driving the car. It is very comfortable. Even though the car in nearly 10 years old, many people thing is is still fairly new. They are always surprised to find out it is a 2002. So far the car has been very reliable. I was hoping to see more positive reviews of the car. I can only think that those cars that have been a problem were not properly maintained. We are very happy with ours.

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  Shhhh! This is not Grandpas Buick! - 2011 Buick LaCrosse
  By lurker7 - September 20 - 11:37 pm

  14k miles....The ride, handling & acceleration are great! Ive previously owned German, Japanese, Ford & Chrysler...returning to try GM. Cadillac, Lincoln and Lexus do not compare in ride, handling & price in this category. I test drove them. Driver comfort is great! The AWD is sweet in Winter, but drops the MPG all year. Large blind spots side & rear, so you need the rear camera. Camera only comes with antiquated GM Navigation system with old maps. No DC plugs in dash for phones or GPS. Fuel filler is on passenger side. Fuel tank is too small.

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  Enclave Seats Poorly Designed for Booster Seats - 2011 Buick Enclave
  By lbardel - September 16 - 1:44 pm

  2nd & 3rd row seats are almost impossible to buckle using backless &"with-backs" toddler booster seats (infant car seats w/5-point harness are ok). The latch at bottom of the seat does not budge & presses against the booster so tightly, youll rub your knuckles raw trying to get the buckle in....also, the buckle is slightly angled making things even more difficult. I transport four 5-year-olds to Kndgarten & not one of them can buckle in......I bought 3 different brands of boosters, & nothing helps. Theres just not enough room on the seat for the booster to fit against the latch. Buick suggested a belt extender Buick later said NOT to use extender they are perplexed for solution.

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  This is a Buick? - 2011 Buick Regal
  By newbuckeye - September 16 - 7:21 am

  Traded in 2005 M-B C320 4-Matic for the Regal Turbo. Sick of excessive maintenance costs and local dealer trying to sell unneeded maintenance. Great salesman and price on the Buick from a great dealer. The old GM is dead and good riddance. This car handles better than my M-B, gets better mileage and is much quieter plus corners better. Have 600 miles on it and 25 mpg for 60-40 highway/city mileage. Drove Altima, Focus, Optima and Sonata. Only the Altima V-6 is comparable in the refinement department, but has harsher ride. Buick and Opel got this one right!

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  My second Buick is small and has half the cylinders - 2011 Buick Regal
  By my2ndbuick - September 11 - 4:00 pm

  I loved my Buick Lucerne with the 8-cylinder engine, it was huge, the ride was like sitting on a sofa, really comfortable, the back seats had space for two huge football players. I sold it after 4 1/2 years being a really reliable car. So I bought another Buick. But the Lucerne was rather big for my garage and I am usually driving alone or with my wife, so I do not need the huge legroom the back. I wanted a smaller car and lthe Regal looked nicer than the LaCrosse. I also liked that it had firmer seats. And I got a great deal, so I bought it now. I choose the non-turbo version as it is fast enough (my wife has the same engine in her Chevy SUV) and it is more economical.