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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  Best value for the buck - 2004 Buick Century
  By sudzy34 - January 2 - 2:00 am

  This is the smoothest riding vehicle Ive ever owned. Very comfortable. Some reviews knock the cars acceleration and I do not understand this. I feel the pick up is fine but Im not a speedster.

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  2003 LASABRE - 2003 Buick LeSabre
  By Fred Lucas - January 2 - 2:00 am

  Im dissapointed some in the ride on rough road.. Transmission being replaced @ 24000 miles. Tires wearing pretty fast. worry about the engine since tranny went out so soon..

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  Never buy used again - 2000 Buick Century
  By jujube - December 31 - 2:00 am

  I just purchased this vehicle a month ago with a little over 53,000 miles on it. Since then, the HI/LOW beam dimmer switch went bad ($400), and the Intake Manifold Gasket broke (another $300) and the ascending unit (gas gauge) went bad ($250 w/labor). This has overall been a headache. And a lot of it is the fault of the dealerships. NEVER BY FROM INTERSTATE 99 AUTO IN ERIE, PA***They are crooks

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  Love My LeSabre - 2004 Buick LeSabre
  By LFG - December 30 - 2:00 am

  My experiences with the car were great from the start. The dealership was a pleasure. The price was great, and they were very business-like with no hassles. The car was delivered about a month after I placed the order. It arrived with zero problems. This is my second LeSabre. I bought this one because I had such a good experience with the first one. I was not disappointed. I bought it with the Celebration package, Grand Touring Suspension, Power Susnroof and XM radio. The Celebration package has a great set of options including Stabilitrak, Heads-up display on windshield, and turn signals on the mirrors. Everything works great!

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  Good Car - 1995 Buick Skylark
  By JDon - December 29 - 2:00 am

  Very Dependable...easy to lock yourself out of this car. Not easy to get in or out of...short doors. Extremely dependable little car.

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  Excellent Reliability - 2002 Buick LeSabre
  By danieltiger - December 28 - 2:00 am

  Our LeSabre Limited has performed perfectly and hasnt been back to the dealer for anything other than routine maintenance. We have the extra handling package and the car handles great and maneuvers easily in parking lots.

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  Buick LeSabre - 2004 Buick LeSabre
  By P. Weiss - December 27 - 2:00 am

  The smooth ride is great, and power from the 6 cylinder is all you need. I have had no problems with the car since I bought it in September. The car has over 7,000 miles on it!

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  great ride - 2002 Buick Park Avenue
  By cleopuppy - December 25 - 10:00 am

  Simply an excellent value.

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  best car ever! - 1992 Buick Skylark
  By Robson - December 24 - 2:00 am

  I bought it with 90K miles and I added now over 105K WITHOUT SINGLE PROBLEM! Never broke, never failed, not even oil leaks, just perfect reliable car. Its sad that the newer cars is the worse are they. 92 skylark is just the best.

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  Alot of car for the money - 1998 Buick Century
  By MYBUICK - December 24 - 2:00 am

  This Buick is the most trouble free car Ive ever owned. I purchased it new in 98 and sold it Oct. 03. Not because there was any major problem because my wife wanted another car. It has a nice ride is quiet and has very good acceleration. The only problem I had was with the heater fan switch. It wouldnt work in the first position. $100 to replace The only thing I would suggest is a somewhat firmer suspension to improve the handling.