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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  Evaluation from a layman - 2004 Buick Rendezvous
  By m103280 - July 18 - 2:00 am

  This is the first GM product I have purchased in 48 years. The price, comfort, and options were all persuaders in the transition from Toyota, Honda, and Nissan. My only criticism is that Buick consider a larger powertrain (and apparently they did in the new Ultra version). The leather appointed heated seats are extremely comfortable on a New England winter day.

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  LUV my RENDEZVOUS!!!! - 2004 Buick Rendezvous
  By BriNChatt - July 18 - 2:00 am

  When the Rendezvous first came out, I thought it was the most butt-ugly SUV I ever saw!! Until I drove one! Then I noticed that it is a uniquely designed SUV and has the ride of a luxury car! I absolutely LOVE it!!

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  2005 Buick Rendezvous - 2005 Buick Rendezvous
  By jmn4 - July 2 - 10:00 am

  I do a considerable amount of highway driving and this vehicle is just great. You sit up just high enough to provide good visibility and the interior is spacious and comfortable. Fun to drive, easy to part and I love the XM radio option.

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  An Encore Explanation - 2017 Buick Encore
  By Phil Ershler - June 24 - 2:07 pm

  This car is a well priced entry into the Luxury SUV family of vehicles. Our car was fully loaded and had lots of safety equipment for a lease cost of under $290/Mo including the tax, with only $2400 Cash at signing.

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  Love Park Avenues - 1999 Buick Park Avenue
  By keeda - June 18 - 10:00 am

  This is my fourth Park Avenue and the last two have been supercharged. I love having the power when needed in high altitude areas as well as on freeways. I love not being tired after driving for 8 to 10 hours. I love not feeling like I am crowded inside.

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  2003 Ultra, an excellent buy - 2003 Buick Park Avenue
  By Timbo - June 6 - 3:40 pm

  This 2003 Park Avenue Ultra is my second Ultra. I also own a 1992 (which has lived up to its 4s and 5s for long-term reliability and quality). This is an exceptional vehicle. Excellent for the buyer (not for the seller - very low resale), which enabled me to purchase the car well under what its worth in my eyes. I have now owned it for a little over a year and its been fantastic. Mine is fully optioned (I bought it in Hawaii and it has heated seats). There is nothing about this vehicle that I would change (save putting an LS2 into it). It is granite in color, with the chrome accent option and a tastefully done leather interior. The Supercharged 3800 V6 is spectacular.

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  More than pleased - 2004 Buick Rendezvous
  By rwall5194 - June 1 - 10:00 am

  Ive bought a lot of new cars and this is by far the best one. It rides like a dream - such an improvement over my last SUV (Ford Explorer). Sits on a van chassis and that makes the difference. Great price, great gas mileage. Im more than pleased. rwall5194

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  Groovy - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By sweet_joe - May 31 - 1:56 pm

  We also looked at MDX, CX-9 and Veracruz. Nothing compares to Enclave. We were attracted to the stylish exterior initially but we were surprised to see how good the build quality was. This is the best bargain in the market if you are looking to get a quality SUV/CUV. We have the White Diamond which they no longer produce. Worth a 12 weeks wait.

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  I cant believe we own a Buick - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By rich - May 31 - 10:13 am

  We looked at the Acadia, Outlook, SRX and Mazda cx9 and ended up with the enclave...much nicer (classier) interior than all but the SRX, and it has a 4 year warranty too...took a 1200 mile trip on day 4 and the car ran perfectly...very smooth and quiet ride, in fact one of the most quiet cars I’ve driven...the front seats are very comfortable and I didnt get out of the car after 3 or 4 hours all tired and stiff...no complaints so far

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  Great car - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By Ed - May 29 - 1:40 am

  Just returned from a 1360 mi. trip thru the Colorado Rockies. The Enclave was a joy to drive, and performed very well. The trip gave us a chance to try all the bells and whistles. The car is loaded with everything (more than we orignally wanted) but with limited dealship inventory, we took what was available. Trip included multiple mtn. passes with elevation over 10k ft., and as high as 12k. We got 24.6 MPG overall, which I thought was great considering the terrain driven. Often when we returned from a hike or train ride we found people gathered around the car in the parking lot admiring it. We researched a lot of cross-over models, and we think we made the right choice.