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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  Dannys review of an overated car - 2000 Buick Century
  By danny1 - February 17 - 2:00 am

  Well, I have 44000 miles and my transmission I believe needs to be replaced. My power motor window is ready to poop out. I replaced a tie rod end already....My wiper blade stopped in the middle of the window so I had to have that replaced. The cars motor sounds like a coffee pot purking in the morning. Very noisy. The glove compartment has no room to speak of. The head rest is to high and restricts my view. Car is terrible over the bumps. New tired helped a lot. The radio reception is just terrible.

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  Fun to Drive - 2013 Buick Verano
  By James Bruno - February 16 - 3:10 pm

  This is a great little car. Enough room for two passengers and plenty of trunk space. No problem on a long drive. The seats are comfortable and it is a solid car and quite

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  Best Buick Ever - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By Bob - February 16 - 1:26 am

  Beyond a doubt this is the nicest vehicle I have ever owned.I drove it from Rochester NY to Florida and enjoyed it very much. It has met all my expectations

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  Beautiful Buick - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By Mario - February 15 - 9:13 am

  We look at almost every crossover model available on the market, but when we saw the Enclave, we fell in love. My wife still cant believe its a Buick. Talking about a private jet, the inside is more like a first class section of a jumbo jet. Way to go Buick, keep it up because you already beat every foreign crossover in your class. My Enclave moved me so much that I personalized the license plate on it with my own name.

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  One of GMs best in many years - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By Bert - February 15 - 12:53 am

  This Enclave is the 27th vehicle I have owned, the great majority being GM brands. I had about given up on GM for my next vehicle until I saw the Enclave at the Phoenix Auto Show. I purchased one two weeks later and love it. The quality is exceptional and the styling and performance leave nothing to be desired.

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  Buy American - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By Buick owner - February 13 - 5:50 am

  This car is a thrust towards a more modern and up to date fun car to drive. I drove it to south Florida and it drives great. It doesnt have a lot of unecessary componenets to drive up the cost, and has all that is needed in a quality car. It is comfortable, responsive, large truck, and is fun to drive. It has OnStar,which no other car has other then GM cars. To me, OnStar is a must, especially for any senior driver. Everybody who has riden in the car with me has complimented it.

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  Decent - 1999 Buick Century
  By foff667 - February 13 - 2:00 am

  Have had very few problems with the car which include a failed front pass. side wheel bearing which was about $500 to fix but other than that its been a good buy at around 7 grand. Gas mileage has been ok at about 25 highway but 13 or so around town and since i only have a 2 mile commute that kinda hurts but the car isnt even warmed up yet by the time i pull into work so i cant complain much.

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  From BMW to Buick and happy. - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By Mario - February 12 - 3:03 pm

  As a BMW owner for the last 10 years this is my first purchase of a Buick ever. To be honest there hasnt been a Buick model that ever looked worthy of owning, untill now. I have only had it for 3 weeks and so far this looks like it will be a winner for GM. The ride and interior are both very comfortable and the value received for the money spent is incredible. Every option that you could want at about $300 a month less in a lease versus BMW. Of course this large vehicle does not accelerate nor corner like an X5 but it wasnt built for that. Nevertheless, it does what it was built to do and very well I may add. A great vehicle for mid to long road trips. I highly recommend it.

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  Solid sedan but questionable reliability - 2000 Buick Regal
  By CIT - February 12 - 2:00 am

  The Supercharged engine is wonderful when you need it, without sacrifcing fuel economy. I dislike buying the premium gas that it requires though. I use it for business and it has a professional and classy look. It doesnt corner well, although the quiet and smooth ride is a plus. Two repairs in 33 months: driver heated seat($1,000) and temperature sensor totalling ($700) leaves me questioning its reliability.

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  In its own league - 2016 Buick Cascada
  By Bobw - February 11 - 6:13 pm

  Bought this car for my wife (she loves it), and to be fair we have not had it but for a few weeks. I was looking for the great American convertible, something like a 1960s Buick LeSabre or Pontiac Catalina, but alas the big, roomy American verts are long gone. I was going to get a 2 series BMW (tiny back seat) or a CPO E350 (same price, 4 years old) convertible, but I went to see this car, too. Glad I did. This car has a comfortable, adult-sized back seat, big trunk for a vert, drives well, has wonderful front seats, and looks great (blue with the cream interior). It feels solid. Despite some of the pundits reviews, the car feels plenty quick if not sports car quick (this car is not a sports car but a cruiser, which is what I wanted). The top works like a dream and the car is very quiet with the top up. Bose stereo is solid. The few negatives are no memory drivers seat; the low profile 20 inch tires can be jarring on rough pavement; rearward view with the top up is poor; and it is not really an American car, despite the nameplate. Some others have complained about the gadgets in the car like nav and lane change assist, but I have an I-phone for nav (although the Buicks nav works okay) and I can drive without some electronic nanny steering my car. As far as they go, these gadgets work okay, but I do not need them or want them on this or any other car. If you want a relatively affordable convertible that looks great and makes you smile, this could be your car. Update: Have had the car for about six months and we have loved every minute of it. Great car.