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 first Car You Could Ask For - 1997 Buick Century
  By aimerj - August 17 - 12:34 am

  My first car and because of it, the only car I am ever willing to buy would be a buick! Owned for 4 years only went from 169,000 miles to 192,000. But worked no matter what! Had to replace battery when first buying, but nbd, previous owners treated car like crap. And my vehicle still held like a champ. When I bought it, no interior lights, and eventually then window motor went out so I sold it to a buddy, didnt feel like fixing it up. Had brakes replaced (my fault) Gas leak (hit something, my fault) and broke muffler (my fault.) otherwise no mechanical repairs needed, Most reliable. Oh and AC did work for first 3 years, but finally died out.

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  Good car but expect problems - 2000 Buick Century
  By linnylovescars - August 16 - 2:10 pm

  I am 21 years old and my Buick Century is the first car that Ive ever owned. I inherited from my dad, and its been on the road for over a year now. We bought it in 2002, when it was retiring from being a rental car with 14,000 miles. Its been in the family since then and so have 2 other Buick Centurys. In recent years, the Buick had been sitting in the yard for over 3 years. That was not good!. When first having the car in my possession, all the sparkplugs stopped working when I was in the middle of the city. Everytime I drive the engine does not want to speed enough, or does not speed up at Its a good car, although I wish it had a more modern look.

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  Self Accelerates - 2011 Buick Regal
  By furys - August 15 - 3:16 pm

  In spite of my Regal being a German made car, I am not a troll, competitor, or foreigner. I actually drive this 2011 Buick Regal Turbo in Denver. We paid a whopping $28K with a sticker price of $33K in July 2011. The dealership we purchased this car from, GO Buick Park Meadows, refuses to repair it. GM sent a third party specialist to verify the problem last month and we have yet to hear back from Buick. Yes, I put my right foot on the brake when starting the car. It randomly self accelerates when in park, reverse or drive. The dangerous acceleration problem persists. Sadly, my family just cant continue driving this dangerous car. Post if you have the same issue with your new Buick Regal.

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  Cant honestly recommend this car - 2012 Buick LaCrosse
  By gerin1 - August 14 - 11:12 am

  Although it rides nice and is a beautiful car, I had several people ask if I would recommend it and my answer is NO I have the Blind Alert Package, but it still is not enough when you are pulling out onto a hwy and I also had a person standing on a curb where it was really hard to see him because he was right where the thick post was. To me that post is a serious problem Then there is 1st gear....you got to be kidding me the car hardly moves surely cant pull out on the hwy fast

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  Love it so far! - 2008 Buick LaCrosse
  By spinmytires - August 7 - 2:16 pm

  I just bought an 08 LaCrosse Super, and so far, I love it. It is roomy, and the heated seats feel great after a long day at work. I like how it isnt over the top with gizmos and gadgets on the dash, but has enough to make me feel I am getting what I paid for. The ride is smooth, and it isnt jumpy when accelerating. I like the shorter stopping distances. I have seen a lot of reviews elsewhere that seem to think this is a sports car. No, this is a luxury sedan. Im not in my 80s Im in my 20s, and enjoy all of the comfort, and all of the horsepower. I dont intend on using this car to run the Daytona 500, so, who cares about RWD vs FWD? Its big, comfy and should be great in snow

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  Miss it. - 1995 Buick LeSabre
  By agastonguay13 - August 6 - 3:50 pm

  Was given my Lesabre third(fourth, fifth?) hand by my mother who wanted me to have a safe first car to take to college. It took me some time to get used to such a big car after learning on a Chevy Cavalier, but soon enough I loved it. Gas mileage wasnt terrible for such a big car and it was great in the snow. It had 155,000 miles on it when I hit a frost heave and tore out a coolant hose. Stupidly decided to try and drive it home. Made it, but the gaskets blew on the way there. Couldnt afford to fix it so I sold it (along with a would-be replacement that turned out to be junk) to another patron of my mechanic. He fixed it and I see it around town from time to time. Looking to buy another.

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  Love My New Car - 2012 Buick Enclave
  By bigbird77429 - August 3 - 5:57 pm

  I purchased this car after 4 years of research on crossovers and SUVs. It was worth all the time and energy. This vehicle is easy to drive, loaded with extras, very comfortable and doesnt drive like an SUV at all. With the rear camera and parking assist, there are no worries backing out of my driveway or parking spots. The A/C cools rapidly in our very hot summers with very high humidity. It has a very tight turning radius and when this is combined with the variable speed steering - she is a breeze to manuever. I have received so many compliments when people see my new vehicle that I have lost count. I have fully enjoyed the first 6 weeks and look forward to many years of enjoyment.

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  Couldnt Be Happier - 2012 Buick Regal
  By kmw8770 - July 30 - 7:15 pm

  First new vehicle. I have been watching this vehicle from the point it was in the prototype stage, and when they entered production I knew I had to get one. White Diamond, 6-Manual, 20s, Brembos, LED/HID Headlamps, Intellilink System, Sunroof. Car is loaded. Has an unbelievable amount of power for a 2.0L and the six speed manual makes it a joy to drive. Not to mention the car handles incredibly and even with the 20s and low profile tires it rides very smooth. Personally I have had a slew of GM cars and those manufactured in Oshawa, ON Canada have always had the nicest paint and most solid build quality this Regal certainly holds up to that standard. Love this car. Take it for a test!

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  Surprised by Buick! - 2011 Buick Regal
  By dap0922 - July 30 - 3:38 pm

  I didnt seek out a Buick when I started my search mainly based on the memories of the Buicks that my grandpa drove. Those were respectable cars at the time, but I was not interested in driving a "big boat". As a young professional, Buick seemed dated. I was looking for 3 things, 1)good gas mileage , 2) comfortable and high tech interior, 3) "head-turning" exterior styling - all at an good price of course. After looking at other cars for a few months, I came across the Regal. I hesitated at the thought of buying a Buick, but was blown away at the "reimagined" Brand. I was impressed at the styling and handling. This definitely isnt my grandpas Buick!

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  Nice Car, But One BIG Issue People Need To Know About - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By falconeddy - July 27 - 8:03 pm

  There is a part in the transmission known as the 3-5-R clutch wave plate, or just the wave plate. It has been discussed in depth on many forums for those of us that own an earlier GM, Lambda-designed based vehicle. Outlook, Acadia, Enclave, Traverse not all model years are affected. The wave plate has an exceptionally high rate of failure, and weve speculated the possibly of reverse installation (its a large toothed ring). Theyre covered under warranty up until 100,000 miles or 5 years. After that, you get to pay the $3000.00 (or more) bill yourself. So far, GM has refused to acknowledge the problem, but were still trying to get them to do something about it. BEWARE OF THIS ISSUE!!!