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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  Sporty attention getting workhorse - 2011 Buick Regal
  By jcg6878 - May 25 - 11:31 pm

  I bought my 2011 Regal new. Great experience with the sales staff and VIP style service department. The car is beautiful. Even two years later I still get compliments and questions about it. Its a fun to drive comfortable sporty and luxurious. Fully loaded, money well-spent. Ive driven the car from California to New York and back made many road trips to Vegas. I punish the car daily in heavy L.A. traffic on extremely hot days, too. Very solid. Low maintenance. Only issue has been with the brakes. Pads were glazed and rotors warped at 8,000 miles. Replaced under warranty. Brakes and rotors again at 29,000--warranty will not cover this time. Car is fantastic otherwise.

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  I am pretty happy with owning this Buick - 2006 Buick Rendezvous
  By la312 - May 25 - 2:41 pm

  We bought this Buick from our friend and owned it for almost 3 years. It did happen to visit mechanic, but which car didnt? regularly change brakes, oil, and fluids, etc. there is no major issue. however, the interior is not meeting my exception of the luxury SUV.

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  Great on long or short trips. - 2006 Buick LaCrosse
  By nkusigep - May 20 - 10:42 am

  It rolls a bit through turns and across lanes during lane changes but its suspension is a little looser which is great for bad roads. It has tons of head and leg room for big and tall people and the seats are very comfortable. Amenities are on-par for the class. Its much more stylish compared to Buicks of the past and you can tell their trying to capture the attention of younger generations, not just the 55+ crowd (no offense). I do mostly highway driving and combined mileage is about 24 mpg - not great but not terrible for a V6. Acceleration is good.

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  GM missed the boat - 1994 Buick Skylark
  By budeth - May 16 - 2:59 am

  I keep up with regular maintenance such as fluid changes on time and tune ups. Its a decent riding car when everything is working at the same time, but unfotunately, that is hardly ever the case. Brakes pads, and rotors wear out super fast, tcc solenoid for trans is always failing and is a nightmare to change, poors weather seals leave car flooded during hard rain, ignotion coil covers failed about every 2 months(sometimes more), electical issues all the time, window motors and regulators fail often, headlight/turn switch issues constantly. Just a poor excuse for a car. Nothing is easy to work on with this beast. Only plus is the comfortable front seats and soft touch interior. Never again!

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  window regulators - 2002 Buick LeSabre
  By hmcculloch - May 15 - 12:02 pm

  I bought my buick used,in 2006 and it only had 22,000 kms on it.while ive been satisfied with the overall performance of the vehicle.I ran into problems the last two years with the window regulators.First the two rear windows went and I had them repaired at $450 each one.These windows were never used very much so they could not have worn out.This yeat the front passenger one malfunctioned and that too cost excess on $450.00.The pats alone was $278.00.For Buick to state they have had no complaints is a bald face lie.It wouldnt be so bad if they had at least reimbursed part of the repair. That will be my last buick I buy.

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  Great Lease Deal - 2012 Buick Enclave
  By lasvegasrph - May 4 - 7:30 pm

  Took delivery of a 2012 Buick Enclave Convenience FWD in Cyber Grey/Ebony Cloth interior in Oct. 2012. The lease deal was way to good to pass up. Paying $333/mo for a $39,200 SUV with free Onstar, free maint, free XM radio for the whole 24mo lease! The Enclave is BIG, it drives BIG, goes down the road BIG. Power is ample for a heavy SUV and the 6sp automatic shifts very well to get you moving. Its got style, function, and looks. Very QUIET and chews up miles with ease. The MPG could be better (I am getting 17 city and only 20-21 HWY) but its only got 5,000 miles on it. Driver and passenger comfort are great, love the middle captains chairs, and 3rd row is fine for 2 adults or 3 kids.

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  Love Love Love my 2013 Enclave - 2013 Buick Enclave
  By enclave3 - May 4 - 4:22 pm

  I have had my 2013 Enclave for one month. We just returned from a 3,000 mile trip to the mountains and the Enclave performed flawlessly. It was so comfortable, quiet and efficient. I had a 2010 Enclave I thought was great, but this car is much improved. The transmission responds immediatly instead of hesitating and searching for gears. I look forward to driving this car. Kudos to Buick!!!!!!

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  Great...but very frustrating navigation system. - 2013 Buick Enclave
  By davidgi - May 3 - 8:15 am

  This car was primarily for my wife. She had been driving a Chevy Suburban. It was doing a fine job hauling our family around (three children and two large dogs) on vacation or around town. However, when it came time to replace the Suburban after 150+K miles, we switched to the Enclave. Its one of the finest SUV for the money. I highly recommend the Enclave, but the buyer should evaluate the touch screen and especially the Navigation system before they decide which vehicle to buy. My wife has no confidence in the Navigation system and often resorts to using her smart phone Maps App to find her way around.

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  This is my new Jaguar! - 2013 Buick LaCrosse
  By toymover - May 2 - 4:26 pm

  We have owned 5 Jaguars in the last 13 years. Our last one was the worst car we have ever owned so we made sure we checked out the new car we were replacing the Jag with carefully. This car rides and handles just as good as the Jag XF (a tad slower when you punch it) but the interior is roomier and the electronics actually work! So far this has been a real surprise and very reliable.

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  An excellent design by Buick - 2013 Buick Verano
  By benboy73 - April 28 - 2:56 pm

  I have a Verano with the Convenience package, which hits the sweet spot between features and affordability. This car gives you a lot of content for the money. I am very pleased after four months of ownership, and highly recommend it. The only downside I notice is that the base engine (which I have) is underpowered, and the turbo engine increases the price too much. The ride quality is very good for a car of this size, but not quite up to "big car" comfort standards. Wind noise is almost non-existent. Onstar is very beneficial, and almost, but not quite, replaces the convenience of an in-dash GPS navigation system. The vinyl/cloth seats are excellent.