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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  Thats not a Buick - 2011 Buick Enclave
  By Tzer - June 21 - 6:08 am

  when Im driving this Buick Enclave, its like Im setting in my living room so comfortable and quite.

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  great car! - 2004 Buick Rendezvous
  By bill58 - June 18 - 10:00 am

  I am satisfied with car in all areas. A pleasure to drive

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  See the USA in a Buick today. - 2017 Buick Encore
  By John Faubert - June 18 - 7:09 am

  Great car ,good price, looks great and it Handels better than any car I have ever owned. (PS) gas mileage is super.

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  OWNER - 2005 Buick Rendezvous
  By FLTENG812 - June 12 - 10:00 am

  EASY TO HANDLE, MAKES MY SORE BACK WELL. I DONOT HAVE TO SHAKE MY LEGGS AFTER A COUPLE HIURS OF RIDING. IAM 75 YEARS OLD

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  Excellent car....not ur grandmas Buick - 2001 Buick Park Avenue
  By Jake - June 2 - 8:46 am

  From the gorgeous, classy, yet timeless exterior of my silver park avenue ultra, to its sumptuous leather interior, Buick has put an eye to details in this car. Doesnt simply have memory seats. Its has memory seats, mirrors, radio, and climate control that is link to your individual key fob. The supercharged 3800 model 6 cylinder gasoline engine is known to be one of GMs best small engines, and mine happens to be supercharged. Effortless acceleration and highway passing power sum up this engine, and reliability is excellent as long as you maintain it. SEATS AREA SIMPLY AMAZING. My only complaint is possibly more thigh support, but i have very very long legs. Sound system is 2nd to none.

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  Buick Did It Right - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By RICHARD W. - May 30 - 6:50 am

  I was waiting for this unit for two years.now I have it.Thanks Buick... love my Enclave CXL FWD..

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  Best Buy - 2001 Buick Park Avenue
  By Ken Posson - May 29 - 10:00 am

  I like the car for its ride and plenty of inside and trunk room. I think the seats need more attention, although there are plenty of adjustments. I have owned two Buick Ultras and have had transmission problems with both. The warenty took care of it but GM needs to put more quality into their parts. I have compared them all and I have found that dollar for dollar, I cant beat the value of the Buick. I should also mention, that the Buick that I now have has all of the bells and whistles available and I love them all.

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  Positive 1st Impression - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By Lee - May 21 - 7:36 pm

  My wife had her heart set on the new X5 but ultimately selected the Enclave due to the 50 extra cubic feet of cargo capacity and 3rd row seats suited for real people. It didnt hurt that the Enclave is quieter than the X5 and offers comparable features for $18K less. I drive a 5 series BMW so I was kind of rooting for the X5 but I find myself enjoying the Enclave more than I imagined. It does everything in a smooth and refined way. The brakes are very linear and the steering is quite responsive for a vehicle of such substantial proportion.

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  An awesome, upscale joy to own! - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By Dan - May 19 - 9:33 am

  Lots of research went into our choice of the Enclave. We have not been disappointed! It is a joy to drive, offering super quiet interior and ride, plush CXL leather seating, Bose speaker system, handles fantastic on the road. We towed our boat this weekend, and it handled it better than my previous SUV, hands down. A lot of thought went into this vehicle. Were getting better than stated gas mileage, which is a nice surprise!

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  How much more do you need? - 2016 Buick Envision
  By Gary - May 7 - 8:23 pm

  I am 75 years old. I have had 6 Buick’s, as well as many other brands over the years. All of the Buick’s have had all the options available at the time. This care outshines the others cars by a lot. Have owned the car now 20 months. Have not had a single problem at all. I have the premium 1 model no moonroof. Sticker price 43k. This car was cheaper than the Audi with almost all of the same options. The stop start is not a bother at all. The engine restart in less than a second after your foot off the brake. Merging power and highway passing acceleration is more than enough. Cruising at 75 mph is no strain. The best thing of all is how quiet the interior is. There are active white noise speaker on the base of the exit handles on the ceiling. They nullify almost all of the road noise at ear level. Seats are comfortable. All controls easy to reach. Front and side vision better than the Audi. Gas mileage is dead on to what Buick says.