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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  2002 Buick Century Custom - 2002 Buick Century
  By lykasoap - February 24 - 2:00 am

  Comfortable (Im 62"), smooth, quiet, and economical(25.6mpg.for in town driving). Good ergonomics and thoughtful electronics without excessive gimmicks and gadgets. An excellent car for todays real driving experience, i.e. stuck in traffic, stop- and-go, congested conditions, and interstate travel.

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  Limited 1995 Buick Century Review - 1995 Buick Century
  By Simon24262 - February 22 - 2:00 am

  At of the 3 cars I have owned within the past 2 years, this by far has been the best. It hasnt had any major problems and has always started. the only problem I have had is I ran out of gas while drving down the road. Not that big of a problem, also I have a bad ground in the engine somewhere which Ive been meaning to get fixed but it doesnt really affect the performance of the car that much. So on a scale of 1-10 I would rate this car a 9. If you are looking for affordable luxury, youll love this car.

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  Excellent Value - 2004 Buick Rendezvous
  By yru - February 17 - 10:00 am

  This car is a a fantastic value. For the sizable savings, one can get a beautiful SUV that is the equal of up- market models such as the Lexus RX300 and other competitors such as the Acura MDX. There is not a single feature available on up-market models that is not available on the Rendez-vous, including DVD player and HIGHLY intuitve and highly adaptive navigation system. In styling the Rendez-vous outstrips the aformentioned in the elegantly simple and intuitive layout. Like the layout the numerous luxury amenties are likewise simple to use. Having never used it before, I learned how to use all its numerous functions in 4 minutes flat.

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  Another Regal Please! - 2001 Buick Regal
  By Gardatek - February 17 - 2:00 am

  This is a great car. 200hp gives respectable acceleration for a four- door sedan. Rental car companies consider it a full-size and manufacturers call it a mid-size. I especially appreciate the 35 to 36 mpg on the highway, excellent styling, comfortable and reliability. I drive this car from Washington State to Nevada and back about once a month from March through October. When its time for a new one, Ill get a Regal again - maybe the supercharged one! Sure, you can get more in a car - but NOT for this price! This is the right balance of price/performance.

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  Best Buick Ever - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By Bob - February 16 - 1:26 am

  Beyond a doubt this is the nicest vehicle I have ever owned.I drove it from Rochester NY to Florida and enjoyed it very much. It has met all my expectations

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  Beautiful Buick - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By Mario - February 15 - 9:13 am

  We look at almost every crossover model available on the market, but when we saw the Enclave, we fell in love. My wife still cant believe its a Buick. Talking about a private jet, the inside is more like a first class section of a jumbo jet. Way to go Buick, keep it up because you already beat every foreign crossover in your class. My Enclave moved me so much that I personalized the license plate on it with my own name.

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  One of GMs best in many years - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By Bert - February 15 - 12:53 am

  This Enclave is the 27th vehicle I have owned, the great majority being GM brands. I had about given up on GM for my next vehicle until I saw the Enclave at the Phoenix Auto Show. I purchased one two weeks later and love it. The quality is exceptional and the styling and performance leave nothing to be desired.

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  Buy American - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By Buick owner - February 13 - 5:50 am

  This car is a thrust towards a more modern and up to date fun car to drive. I drove it to south Florida and it drives great. It doesnt have a lot of unecessary componenets to drive up the cost, and has all that is needed in a quality car. It is comfortable, responsive, large truck, and is fun to drive. It has OnStar,which no other car has other then GM cars. To me, OnStar is a must, especially for any senior driver. Everybody who has riden in the car with me has complimented it.

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  From BMW to Buick and happy. - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By Mario - February 12 - 3:03 pm

  As a BMW owner for the last 10 years this is my first purchase of a Buick ever. To be honest there hasnt been a Buick model that ever looked worthy of owning, untill now. I have only had it for 3 weeks and so far this looks like it will be a winner for GM. The ride and interior are both very comfortable and the value received for the money spent is incredible. Every option that you could want at about $300 a month less in a lease versus BMW. Of course this large vehicle does not accelerate nor corner like an X5 but it wasnt built for that. Nevertheless, it does what it was built to do and very well I may add. A great vehicle for mid to long road trips. I highly recommend it.

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  1998 Buick regal GS - 1998 Buick Regal
  By Bill Crump - February 11 - 2:00 am

  Having owned several high-end cars - Mercedes Benz, Volvo, 3 BMWs, Park Avenues - I find this car to be as good as any, and a lot cheaper to maintain and service. I bought it quickly for convenience and economy, but will keep it for the long haul. It looks great and runs with spirit and efficiency.