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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  Proud Owner! - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By Kim - September 25 - 11:26 am

  We love our Enclave. It is fun to drive and easy to handle. The back up sensors are awesome. A breeze to park in small crowded parking lots. Gets a lot of attention every where we go. The whole family enjoys riding in this car. My Dad liked it so much they bought one of their own!

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  SUV and RUV "Refined Utility Vehicle" - 2004 Buick Rainier
  By GottaBbuick - September 22 - 2:00 am

  Buick is headed in the right direction. A super SUV for "serious achievers" as Buick puts it. We love the Rainier. Quality, comfort and style.

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  Best Kept Secret - 2004 Buick Rendezvous
  By Pat Coles - September 16 - 2:00 am

  Going from a Park Avenue to this was not a disappointment. Roomy and comfortable, love the Navagation System; On-Star; Satellite Radio is great. Fuel mileage is one of its major problems; the other being a heavy rear hatch to open and close. Why not make it auto like everyone elses? Larger engine = more power and probably better fuel mileage. I consistantly use the "heads-up" display and raely look at the dash. But please, I can barely read the clock it is so small. Why not incorportate it with the "heads-up"?

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  Good value for retired folks - 2017 Buick LaCrosse
  By Richard Stewart - September 12 - 3:48 pm

  Being retired, I was looking for a quite comfortable roomy car with easy to use controls and lots of safety features for my wife and me to use for travel. The Lacrosse fit the bill. I was impressed with all the safety features (love the heads up display) and the ease of use of the entertainment and navigation systems. Most luxury cars dont have touch screens, which to me was a distraction. The simpler the better. The trunk on the Lacrosse is huge so no problems getting luggage stowed. On the road the Lacrosse is very quiet and comfortable with plenty of power when you need it. I was impressed with the overall mileage on the first fill up at 29.4 mpg with a 200 mile trip to PA and the rest mixed driving. Some things I found troubling was there was no sunglass holder in the overhead (can use the space under the shifter, but still...), the visibility is not as good as I would have liked out the front when making turns and parking, and the transmission hunts a bit at low speed going up twisty hills. People complain about the electronic shifter, but I found it easy to use once I got used to it. Overall I find the Lacrosse to fit my needs just fine and look forward to many miles of comfortable quite travel.

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  Great SUV - 2004 Buick Rendezvous
  By Leonid - September 12 - 10:00 am

  I have just bought my Rendezvous Ultra and, so far, I have enjoyed driving this vehicle. The engine is very quite, the acceleration is great, and the ride is very smooth. The seats are very comfortable, and there are plenty of toys, like Navigation System, OnStar, memory seats,etc. to play with. I think that Buick has done a great job on Rendezvous. This is a second Rendezvouz in our family. The first one(CX trim) was bought by my son in September 2003, and he liked it. No complaints so far...

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  Very Good Vehicle - 2002 Buick Park Avenue
  By Desrochers - September 11 - 5:16 pm

  Vehicle is very good on icy roads. Very comfortable to ride even on long drives and many hours

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  My Dream Park Avenue - 1999 Buick Park Avenue
  By davidprescottaz - September 9 - 3:13 pm

  Why did GM stray from the Park Avenue and create the Lucerne when they had this car in their line-up? Any idea how hard it is to find a bench seat in a car anymore? I finally decided to hunt for a clean PA and one finally appeared. Low miles and looks like it has been well cared for. Buick is pricing themselves out of the market place and has no entry level cars anymore, that is why I purchased a used Park Avenue. Talk about all the bells and whistles! I wonder if it will wash itself? I spent more for a used PA at a dealership so I could have the security of having an extended warranty for all the electronic items in this car.

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  Road Master - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By Dave - September 2 - 10:46 pm

  I love this SUV. Had it a month now. Very quiet and comfortable. Handles well. Mileage as advertised. Many car reviews complain about the trans not downshifting quickly. These reviewers didnt understand when/how to use the manual shifter. On hilly highways select 5 instead of D. 6th gear is for mostly flat highways. On backroads D is fine. The auto-manual shifter works differently than my other cars. If you select 4 or 5 in manual mode, the trans will auto downshift and upshift to the gear selected. My other cars only downshift auomatically but require you to manually upshift through each gear.

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  REMARKABLE - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By douglasheaslet - August 29 - 11:10 am

  After looking and driving numerous makes and models of SUVs I decided on the Enclave. I drove three of these vechiles that ranged from 36,888 to 46,200. I ended up with a Enclave that listed for 40,625. For my purposes I preferred a FWD. The AWD lists for 2,000 more than the FWD. The ride is great the finish is supurb. I love the Sun/Moon roof. The DVD is a must when you travel with the grandchildren. Cadilac, Acadia and Lexus is in second place compared to this automobile,

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  Best Bang for the Buck - 2000 Buick Park Avenue
  By john stumpf - August 24 - 4:03 am

  You wont find a better car for the money. Its size and safety (crash tests) along with the exceptional fuel economy are unsurpassed. Even the Accord cant provide what this car can. Too bad it has that senior citizen image. But then I bet those seniors driving it, have be around the block a few times and got a nice bank account besides. Do yourself buy this one and keep the other $20k in the bank!