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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  sweet 3800 engine - 1994 Buick Regal
  By granter - June 2 - 2:00 am

  best car I ever owned. good gas milage. plentyof power. smooth . easy todrive and feel safe and comfortable

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  Great Rental Car - 2002 Buick Century
  By edavis - June 2 - 2:00 am

  Rented this car for 12 days and drove all over Washington, Oregon, and Montanas winding mountain roads at the typical traffic speeds. Very good handling touring car. Good comfort. We own a beloved LeSabre and were favorably impressed with the Century.

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  GREAT CAR - 1999 Buick Century
  By DJAY4 - June 1 - 2:00 am

  LOVE CAR...NOTHING MAJOR WRONG SINCE I GOT THE CAR..JUST LITTLE THINGS LIKE THE HORN STOPPED WORKING. OTHERWISE GREAT WORKING CAR.AFTER I DROVE IT 20,000 MILES BRAKES WERE LOW.

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  high quality excellent value - 2002 Buick Century
  By warren p - June 1 - 2:00 am

  purchased the 2002 in february to replace a 2000 century purchased new in feb. 2000. I planned to keep the 2000 a long time but my son needed a newer car so we sold him the 2000 and replaced it with an identical 2002. The 2000 had 34000 trouble free miles. My wife loves the car. Its comfortable on long trips (3 to 8 hours) you arrive relaxed and not worn out.

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  GM finally has a real winner - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By Mike - May 31 - 11:06 pm

  My wife and I are both very picky when it comes to cars and we usually only stick with imports that have high reliability ratings. A little over two years ago, we wouldnt have even considered Buick (or any GM for that matter) when we wanted to look for a new SUV, but when I saw the Enclave revealed at the Detroit Auto Show back in 06, I immediately liked its styling. My biggest complaint with U.S. auto makers over the last 20 years or so is primarily not build quality (although it has been relatively poor), but design. The Enclaves design is what did it for me. We absolutely love the Enclave. I donÂ’t regret it for one second.

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  Like it so much, we bought a second one! - 2003 Buick Rendezvous
  By scuba1n - May 31 - 10:00 am

  As a new family with an infant, we needed a car to replace my wifes VW GTI VR6. After much research, we decided on the Rendezvous. Dropped by Avery Greene Motors and were very well taken care of by Bruce Rodger and Juan Mancha. The entire team was terrific and met our needs and our budget. I liked the vehicle so much,I just bought one for myself to replace my SAAB 900. Feels god to support the U.S. economy and get a quality product too! Keep up the good work.

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  1996 Buick Century - 1996 Buick Century
  By RKS - May 31 - 2:00 am

  Replaced warped brake rotor to fix brake surging. Intake manifold gasket leaked coolant into crankcase. Interior design is clumsy and not well thought out. Paint finish on hood has rust pits that developed under paint.

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  2000 Buick Custom - 2000 Buick LeSabre
  By Charlie R - May 31 - 2:00 am

  Brakes shimmy when applied, dash rattles a little bit.

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  Jimmys Buick - 1996 Buick Regal
  By Jimmy Goolsby - May 30 - 2:00 am

  This has been an excellent vehicle and gets great fuel mileage. Does not use any oil and AC works great. In Very Good condition mechanically and physically.

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  Love this old Car - 1990 Buick LeSabre
  By Hank W - May 29 - 2:00 am

  I admit this is definitely not a babe- magnet, but I love this car. The thing is just plain comfy. It has plenty of room and still gets just about 30 MPG on the highway. My car is up to 140,000 miles and still doesnt burn oil. A GM mechanic I know told me this wasnt uncommon with this car. When I have to show off, I ride in my wifes Mustang GT. But when I want to take a trip and drive in plush comfort, give me my Buick.