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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  So close, and yet, so very terribly terribly slow. - 2016 Buick Encore
  By J - August 26 - 1:55 pm

  The size/shape and features of this vehicle are great. The price is right. Its one of the few cars that might convince me to buy American again (its been more than 20 years). Its surprisingly well-featured, quite comfortable, and fairly agile. And then GM goes and put an absolutely anemic engine in it. Zero-to-Sixty? Maybe in 15 seconds with a tailwind -- which is going to cause problems getting on Californias freeways and squirting in and out of traffic -- perhaps its enough for states where they drive slower and more lawfully, but not here. And this is on the increased-horsepower sport/touring model. The base model is almost undriveable. I know that GM has better engines in its lineup. Theres no excuse for not having the option to put 200-250 horses under the hood (look at the VW Tiguan and BMW X1 to see this done well). That change would make all the difference, and its an absolute shame how much the current powerplants completely ruin the car. (Im also one of the tiny minority of people who would prefer all cars to at least be available with a manual transmission... but for vehicles in this class, I know that will never happen)

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  Disappointed - 2002 Buick Rendezvous
  By Robbie - August 24 - 10:00 am

  This is a new vehicle which I test drove on smooth city streets. When I drove it home via hill country, it turned into a struggling,noisy wimp. The all wheel drive feature makes the noise factor unacceptable. I cant believe they make a trailer package for this s.u.v. What could it possibly pull?

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  Does it all - 2002 Buick Rendezvous
  By Stergeye - August 24 - 10:00 am

  Ive got two small kids,a wife, and a dog. So far, Rondezvous handles it all with ease. On trips to the mountains, the AWD worked great. Step-in height is good, and the Rondezvous spaces are easy to access. Ride quality is very good. No complaints thus far. We are pleased beyond our expectations.

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  review - 1990 Buick Century
  By dd013943 - August 24 - 2:00 am

  great car that i have had for a while. rust was a factor--but the seats were comfortable.

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  love a buick - 2002 Buick Regal
  By im a queen - August 23 - 2:00 am

  This car is the ultimate in road driving and great in the city. I love the clean lines,the interior is a dream - friends who own BMWs, Lexus, Bentley and cadillacs are surprised how this car is so "smooth" in its ride both inner city with holes and on the road. My auto is fully loaded withe heated leather seats, roof, automatic lights, etc. No one believes this car was less than $30,000. I wont make the mistake again by leaving buicks.

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  Rendez Vous - 2003 Buick Rendezvous
  By Brian Eidson - August 23 - 2:00 am

  Overall, I like driving the 2003 Rendez- vous. Its comfortable and typically enjoyable to drive.

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  Seems great to me - 2003 Buick Rendezvous
  By KrisB55 - August 23 - 2:00 am

  For the size of the vehicle, it handles really well and is quite comfortable. I have had several SUVs and find this one to have the least truck-like ride. Great vehicle.

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  good, very good - 2004 Buick Rendezvous
  By steamer - August 23 - 2:00 am

  Have owned it for just over a year now and have driven it on daily errands as well as long (4 hour +) drives and everyone driver and passengers are comfortable. Terrific pack out, love the optional third row seating (but this kills the pack out). Handles well and gets good mileage. Wife loves the rear assist feature that pings hen she is colse to an object behind her. Leather interior is holding up very well with two kids and a dog frequent riders. Great alternative to the standard mini van.

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  Smooth, roomy cruiser, hit-or-miss reliability - 2011 Buick Enclave
  By LMR - August 21 - 3:36 am

  After test driving leading competitors (Mazda CL-7/9, Ford Flex, Audi Q/7, etc.) we settled on the Buick for its superior ride quality and capacious size. Im a car aficionado and this is the nicest riding vehicle Ive owned or driven in. We purchased a 1-yr old 2011 CPO vehicle and until late summer 2017 all was well. The only previous issue was a leaky engine gasket covered under warranty. At our 100k mile check we found: broken engine mount, leaky strut, and HVAC stopped cooling turned out to be a cracked rear AC evap core. Online forums show this was a common issue into 2013 models, and repair costs $1,000 - $1,300 for either front or rear. So at 100k miles weve a $3,500 repair tab. The car has been great to date, but as it ages Im questioning whether or not we too will begin to experience the transmission problems reported on the forums. PROS: Exceptional ride quality, excellent interior room (more actually than my Tahoe), good safety rating, outstanding traction in wet/snowy conditions, great dealer support CONS: adequate but not exceptional power, GM leather seating quickly shows wear compared to other brands (same happened in my Tahoe & those of friends), weight keeps mileage middle of the pack, tight power train packaging complicates maintenance/repairs (over $300 for spark plug change!?!). Time will tell on continued reliability and eventually resale value of our Buick. Its a great family or road trip vehicle, and overall a positive experience. It might not be the type of vehicle you keep beyond 100k miles

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  2004 Buick Century - 2004 Buick Century
  By Luvinlaughs - August 21 - 2:00 am

  Ive owned my new Century for 2 months, and true to Buicks form, its a great car! It handles well, is comfortable, and not too bad on fuel mileage either. My old car was a 1992 Buick Regal that had 320,000 miles on it when I traded it off. . . it was a great car! I expect the Century to be equally great. When I trade . .I trade for a Buick!