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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  Buick Rendezvous - 2005 Buick Rendezvous
  By Bernie Hartmann - December 8 - 6:07 pm

  I own a 2002 Model and had no problems with the CXL Model. I believe some of your ratings on some Models does not jive with the real performance of these vehicles. We do not find the interior of the Rendezvous that cheap, did you ever try to maintain the wood paneling on a Beamer or Mercedes, it can be a nightmare. And if you have it all scratched up or damaged by any other way, its ugly.So, I like the plain gray interior which willtake a few Kids and a DOg in good stride.

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  Buick Scores well - 2005 Buick Rainier
  By J. Mazza - December 7 - 2:35 pm

  Great highway performance. Quiet/solid feel. V8 runs well with reasonable gas milage. Has all the bells one requires for an SUV. excellent radio/Cd sound system. Confortable seats.

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  my new buick - 2005 Buick LeSabre
  By jerome graham - December 7 - 1:02 pm

  very comfortable seating. driver sits up quite high giving good frontal visibility. not as quiet as a century but not excessive noise. quite peppy for a car this size and limited horsepower. syling is a bit old but fit and finish is excellent. a very good family sedan with a soft quiet ride.

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  by - 2005 Buick Rendezvous
  By ben - December 7 - 12:39 pm

  this is a good van it is a bit small if you get a seven seater you want have the room for there things.

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  Classy Ride - 2005 Buick Rainier
  By Bob Stack - December 7 - 10:53 am

  Very quiet and smooth car like ride.Lots of city driving so its difficult to judge mileage.V-6 is just OK.

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  The best short term lease subcompact crossover! - 2016 Buick Encore
  By Sanjay - December 7 - 1:00 am

  Ive leased the electric blue base model of this car after test driving Mazda CX-3, Fiat 500X and Honda HRV. I wanted a compact car where I can sit slightly above the road and getting in and out would be easy on my lower back. I am a recent graduate and due to less credit history, most dealers rejected lease but the folks at Buick were great - they offered a 2-year lease at a decent price. The car is extremely comfortable and the driver seat comes with electronic adjustments and excellent lumbar support. I cannot find words to stress on how comfortable the driving experience is! Its interiors are great for a base model with leather accented seats, generously sized dashboard buttons and good leg room in rear seats. It also has OnStar care and satellite radio. Its modestly powered by a 1.4L turbo engine which does the job for a FWD. Major concerns about this car is external noise, horrendous bluetooth music playback(the rep told me that bluetooth is for voice only) and flat, muffled sounding speakers.Due to the external noise, i need to turn up the music volume and the speakers just sound bad (remember, this is a base model without the Bose active noise-cancellation setup). Music playback via AUX, radio and CD sound better. I didnt realize that the speakers were bad during the test drive but Ive leased it for 2 years only. Overall, I highly recommend this car in the subcompact crossover segment if youre not too particular about brands or you dont mind a less sporty car. This car scores over all others for driving comfort which mattered the most. If youre thinking about leasing this for 2-3 years, id say it is a definite go, but get the higher end model with sunroof and bose speakers as its so much more fun and exciting to step into your car!

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  The Best Vehicle I ve ever Owned - 2004 Buick Rendezvous
  By hamedankookie - December 6 - 4:11 am

  My husband bought this vehicle for me for our anniversary. I love the comfort and space. i have two children and they have plenty of room for them, I also love the fact that the seats will come all the way out. We helped my mom move and took the seats out and we loaded more things into the back of our vehicle than my Uncle did in the back of his Dodge Ram. The gas mileage is awesome for an SUV. I am satisifed with our investement..no doubt..

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  Good car except - 2005 Buick LeSabre
  By blue chip - December 5 - 7:41 pm

  This would be one of the best buicks I have owned except for the transmission. The delay between coast and reacceleration for the trans to engage is maddening especially in traffic.Dealer says it is within spec.and doesnt know how to fix it. Same story from Buick. This will be my last buick.

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  1993 Buick Century - 1993 Buick Century
  By Beegee - December 4 - 7:26 pm

  This car was great for the first 50,000 miles but after that, it seemed to require a great deal of expensive repairs. Too bad, as its a comfortable, heavy-duty vehicle.

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  Buick tradition - 1994 Buick Regal
  By Fendo - December 4 - 3:02 am

  Buick has been buiding great American cars since 1903. The 1994 GS is another one in a long line of comfortable and sporty coupes. The engine is responsive and gets surprising mileage. Even with passengers and the A/C running we avg. 26.5 on the open road. Of course we Buick buyers like our power options(seats, locks, windows, mirrors, antenna) and comfy leather seats. Car is ultra reliable!