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:

• 

  Good but I would wait till GM gets it right. - 2017 Buick LaCrosse
  By Pat - June 14 - 3:30 am

  I had turned in my 2015 Impala and was looking for another sedan. I had driven the Chrysler 300 and the Lexus ES 350. My local Buick dealer let me take the Lacrosse for the weekend to give it a thorough test drive. While the car has many positive attributes, there are few major issues that kept me from buying it. First the good: The engine and transmission are a dream and provide smooth, quick, fuel efficient operation. The engine has strong exceleration and utilizes cylinder deactivation on the highway. I achieved an incredible 31 mpg highway which is very good for this size of car. The 8 speed transmission is the best I have ever driven and unlike other 8 speeds, it doesnt hunt back and forth for the right gear. It shifts so imperceptibly, there were many times I had no idea what gear I was in. Very Nice! Lastly, you can order Adaptive Cruise with an 18", 19" or 20" tire so you can get a comfortable, bump absorbing tire without having to be pushed into a package of options that includes hard riding 20" tires. Now the bad: I dont know who they are designing these front seats for but Im a small guy, 175 lbs and the seat was too narrow for my legs and thighs. Ive seen this in Cadillacs as well. Hello GM! Side seat bolsters are for THIGH SUPPORT, not to SIT ON or increase pressure on driver/front passenger legs! The bucket seat width narrows towards the seat back so much that my uppers legs were sitting directly ON the side bolsters. After 20 miles, the backs of my upper legs were hurting from the pressure. This absolutely killed the car for me which is too bad. The seat cushion itself was pretty comfy but the side bolsters were unbearable and my salesman said he had heard the same complaint from other potential customers as well. The next issue was overall quality with the car having a "cheap feel" to it. The rear, fold down seat back would not latch and lock in the upright position. The exposed, stationary latch mechanism attached to the back trunk wall (with grease all over it) was locked in the closed position so it couldnt engage with the seat back. I looked at it for several minutes trying to figure it out but could not get it to release. Looking into the trunk from the rear I saw polyester white foam stuffed in behind the trunk wall and the seat back that was coming loose and falling out. I have no idea where this foam was supposed to go or what its purpose was. The morning I was supposed to return it, the battery died and I had to charge it. Then an error light came on referring to a transmission problem. This car had only 700 miles on it and cost $43,000 +, you just shouldnt have these kinds of problems! My 15 Impala was perfect and trouble free for the duration of my 24 month lease. Its seats were wide, supportive and comfortable. The car was quiet, and had great build quality and materials. I wish I could take this advanced engine and transmission and put it in the 2017 model I ended up purchasing. The bad thing about the Impala (again, Hello GM!) is I got pushed into a 20" tire to get my adaptive cruise which I will be quickly trading out for more comfortable riding 18" tires. The 20" tires transmit every road imperfection and make for a very hard, uncomfortable ride. I know, they look very cool but to me, its not worth the sacrifice in comfort. Ive researched how the adaptive cruise works and talked to my engineering friends in the auto industry and contrary to popular belief, you can change tire sizes without any problems.

• 

  Really nice vehicle ... but - 2016 Buick Encore
  By Kent - June 9 - 1:44 am

  I came real close to buying a Buick Encore. I really like the styling and trim. And, the size is perfect for me. I do question the 1.4L engine. Turbo chargers do not favorably impress me. Just something else to go wrong. I finally took one for a test drive. Did not seem to be as spunky as my 2.0L 2000 Tracker but maybe I could get used to it. The Tracker is 17 years old now. I bought it new in November of 1999. I really do need a new vehicle now. Sadly, I had to walk away from the Encore because of the dark tinted glass. I am older now, dont see as well as when I was young. Always have had some trouble seeing at night. It gets worse when you get older. You will understand that later. Tinted glass is a real pain for me. I dont care if people can see in. I need to be able to see out, in every direction, front, back, and sides. That is what is important and the Encore fails in that respect. The Encore does not seem to be available without the dark tinted glass in the back. That seems to be the case with most of the new SUVs. Even the front glass is a bit dark for me. I guess I am going to have to keep on driving my 1994 and 2000 4WD Trackers. They go in the deep snow and on the ice. And they can pull your boat and trailer out of the water at the lake shore. The Encore cant even pull a small trailer. And they call it a SUV. I dont know that AWD would be as good. My Trackers do have very light tinted glass. Dont even need that but it is tolerable. Clear glass would be better. I know the dark tinted glass is only in the rear but it reduces the available light throughout the interior of the vehicle. I really need a new car but I cant find anything acceptable to me. Everything has dark tinted glass and they all seem to have way too many buttons on the dash. I cant drive and read the operators manual at the same time. I dont text and drive. I like to be able to find the controls by touch. I dont want to have to look for them. I have to keep my mind on the road. I dont want distractions. This is all insane. Aftermarket tint is readily available for all car windows. Why do the automobile manufacturers have to force tinted glass on all of us? It definitely is a serious safety hazard.

• 

  Disappointed - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By fred - May 21 - 3:19 pm

  We have had a lot of problems with our Lucerne. Bad battery after 5 months. Fuel problems that required over two months to fix. Steering problems and lots of rattles. Very poor gas mileage. I would trade back for my 2003 Park Avenue, straight across.

• 

  Buick...I thought they had better quality - 2004 Buick Rainier
  By ???? - April 27 - 5:52 pm

  My Buick Rainer has 57,000 miles. Every three or four months since I purchased the SUV I have had major problems. The drive train, the driver side seat, and major problems with the four wheel drive mechanism. I am very luckly that I purchased the extended warranty. I would not recommend purchasing this SUV. Just recently one dealship that I brought it to because it was making a very loud banging noise said, "You must have purchased a Friday afternoon car," after they saw the long list of things that I have already had to fix. Basically agreeing that there are and has been some major problems with my SUV. Buyer beware. I would not recommend this SUV

• 

  Dont buy a Terraza - give me my Chrysler - 2006 Buick Terraza
  By taylor72 - April 25 - 6:24 pm

  I was impressed by the name Buick and the incentives but after driving it for a few months and comparing it to my previous Dodge Grand Caravan, it isnt as roomy, its more difficult to get in and out of the back seat, it just isnt as nice inside and theres not as much room behind the 3rd seat. I just want my Chrysler minivan back.

• 

  Ill never buy another - 1997 Buick Park Avenue
  By mrmark - April 21 - 10:00 am

  This is the third Buick I have owned. The two previous ones were LeSabres. I have just spent $5100 on a new engine because the plastic manifold plenum used by GM caused my engine to fill up with water and caused major damage. The window switch has broken, the car gets water inside the passenger area when in a car wash or in the rain. The rotors have been replaced because of warpage, the water pump was replaced, the air compressor was replaced, the sensing wipers have not worked properly, the ash tray broke and will not close, the seat control panel snapped off.

• 

  Known Problems Cost Money - 2002 Buick Rendezvous
  By ldig - April 11 - 7:56 pm

  Ive owned my 2002 Rendezvous since the summer of 2001. I absolutely loved my Rendezvous up until last year. Once I reached about 50K, its been problem after problem. The A/C condenser went, engine antifreeze gasket leaks, and we had to replace the transmission and the cars computer. In addition, there were other costly repairs, like excessive tire wearing (never in an accident). Weve had to get two wheel alignments and four new tires twice in the past 18 months. Also had the AWD light come on, and of course that was broken. Another major hassle is a blockage in the igintion. Insert the key, and it hits an obstruction which is a metal piece which is suppose to retract, but doesnt.

• 

  2004 not what I read in research - 2004 Buick Rendezvous
  By notagain - April 6 - 1:34 pm

  I am not the first to experience this and only with this car, but around 60,000 miles the bearings go. Starts off not bad, then gets increasingly annoying. Then the O2 sensors both go and fuel injection not doing well around 90,000. My avg. mileage mostly hywy during the spring and fall around 20. Winter and Summer 18 maybe a little worse, not anywhere close to 24. Also makes a lot of wind noise when wind is hitting from passanger side of car. I do like the interior space and fact that seats are like van seats and can be taken out.

• 

  Wheres the Power - 2003 Buick Rendezvous
  By Bigjoneeee - April 2 - 10:00 am

  With most MFGs installing engines of well over 200 HP in there vehicles. the Buick is horribly under powered. Shame on GM.

• 

  Never Again - 2002 Buick Rendezvous
  By JC - March 30 - 5:38 pm

  The car was great until 45K. The spare tire housing became corroded so the tire could not be removed, we had to replace. The intake value went out at only 50K. After that major work, the head gasket went out at 55K. In between there were problems with the electrical system, the door panel controls falling into the door, and the drivers side window keeps slipping.