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:

• 

  Great car! - 2003 Buick Regal
  By Tennessee Bulldog - October 31 - 6:43 pm

  I have had my Regal for over 4 years, and I love it. It has given me reliable service, and has had very few problems. I now have 140,000 miles on it, and it still looks and runs great. I highly rcommend this car.

• 

  Used Riv - 1993 Buick Riviera
  By Ken - October 31 - 3:38 pm

  Reliable and handles well . It always starts and runs well . The ride is terrible (rides like a hay wagon) compared to my 93 OLDS 88 . The body has very little rust except for the rear subframe which Im replacing with a nice rust free piece from Arizona . I bought this car because I love its great looks .

• 

  great everyday cruiser - 1993 Buick Regal
  By Imani - October 31 - 12:06 pm

  Just a super nice car, very solid, excellent build quailty,I really enjoy driving it to work, gym around town, basically everywhere. Would hesitate to take it out of town. Just a nice all around car. My only complaint is more power,the car would be a perfect 10 with 50 more horses under the hood. would by another one in a heart beat!

• 

  Once satisfied! - 2005 Buick Park Avenue
  By Ron Stein - October 31 - 2:10 am

  Purchased a Park Avenue in 1991, traded in 1995 and again in 1998. Last year I purchased a Chrysler Pacifica. Wow, what a change. I think it is time for Buick to make a body style change. Been using this mold since 1991. Just my opinion.

• 

  Truly useful - 2006 Buick Rainier
  By Bill - October 30 - 2:05 pm

  I purchased this former short-term rental vehicle with 13k miles on it in Dec 06. Now with 65k miles on it, the only thing that has malfunctioned was a headlight relay, quickly replaced under warranty. Its dead reliable, smooth, comfortable, great in snow and good at towing a 4k lbs, 26ft sailboat. Milage average is 19 mpg with mostly highway driving. Quality of materials and assembly is very high - the leather upholstery is actually better than that in my 04 Mercedes.

• 

  Great engine, reliable car - 1995 Buick Regal
  By Christine - October 25 - 12:58 am

  I bought the car with 18,000 miles on it and have driven it for 100000 miles. It has been the most reliable car I have ever owned. The only problem I had was with the air conditioner clutch. This car sure blows the myth about foreign vehicles being more reliable than American cars.

• 

  The Down Side of Safety Equipment - 2009 Buick Lucerne
  By Mike - October 21 - 8:40 pm

  In general, we like the car. It has good safety ratings, but some of this safety comes from thicker roof pillars and side and curtain air bags. The side and rear window size has also been reduced compared to older cars, probably for styling purposes. The result is reduction in safety due to big blind spots, especially at both the front and back of the door pillars. Unlke the car we replaced, the front mirrors dont have adequate range of motion to see into the side blind spots . Buick has side blind zone alert avaialble as an option. We dont have it, but would not buy this car again without it. The design of this and other modern cars makes this type of system almost a necessity.

• 

  Never had a better vehicle - 1996 Buick Riviera
  By jrwjr61 - October 19 - 3:08 pm

  I puchased my 1996 Riviera in 1998 and still own it today. I stopped driving it full time in 2005. It currently has 164,000 on the odometer. It had 39,000 miles on it at purchase I averaged about 19,000 miles a year when using it as an everyday driver. I couldnt see trading or selling this car for the "book value" when it is still in fantastic mechanical and cosmetic shape. I now take to car shows and believe it or not a lot of people dont even recognize the car as a GM or Buick. They havent made the Riviera since 1999 so there just isnt that many left driving around. I have trophyed in numerous shows and will probably never get rid of this car.

• 

  Still Going Strong - 2001 Buick Regal
  By Dan - October 13 - 3:25 pm

  I bought my used 2001 Regal GS one year ago with 113K miles for $4K and could not be happier with my purchase. I dont know of any other used car that can be had for $4K that would be nearly as nice as this one. The supercharged engine, the Monsoon audio system, the cushy leather seats, overall balance of sport/comfort/reliability. Only fixes needed after 1 year are a couple of worn out wheel bearings and my ABS sensor acts up now and then. Other than that, this car still feels very strong and believe it will last another 100K if kept up properly. Ive owned 9 cars in my lifetime and this one is faster and more comfortable than any of them, not to mention by far the most inexpensive!

• 

  CITY GAS MILAGE - 2009 Buick Enclave
  By JWL - October 12 - 8:15 pm

  Buick claims a city gas milage of 17 mpg on the EPA sticker. In straight city driving under the most conservative starts and stops my Enclave gets an averave of 11.7 MPG. I have provided the dealership the gas receipts and milage. The fact is that the 6 speed electrocic transmission holds the car in 2nd gear at 30 miles an hour causing the engine to Tach at a steady 1900 RPM. When the car passes 40 MPH the Tach drops to 1200 RPM. I was contacted by GMs Division Manager who told me that is how the transmission is calibrated and there is nothing they can do about it. I bought this car based on the fuel estimates and I feel that they should be able to produce what they advertise. 31% less.