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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  Great crossover! - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By Matt Kahn - November 23 - 7:56 am

  This is the best crossover out in the market. We looked at every one and found the Buick was the best priced and had the most options standard. Our Buick has every option available. With GMs OnStar you can do without the navigation. I will only buy cars that have OnStar. Hopefully this will be the start of good things to come from GM.

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  A Lexus for a Buick - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By Karen - November 20 - 3:16 am

  I traded my 2003 Lexus GX for the Enclave and so far so good. The ride is very smooth. Comparable to the Lexus. Drives like a car, which I like since I also traded my Accord on this vehicle. Figured I only needed one car and the Enclave was the combination of the two I was looking for. Granted its not a Lexus but so far its pretty close. I would say its lacking on acceleration but so far it hasnt been that big of a deal. Gas mileage varies from 14 to 22 and I check it myself, I dont rely on what the info center tells me. Visibility trying to back up is limited and yes I have the back up camera but it makes me dizzy and its hard to see it in the daytime when its sunny. Overall a winner

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  Best Crossover Out There - 2003 Buick Rendezvous
  By EDonn - November 16 - 10:00 am

  Buick has done there homework. With so many new SUVs on the market what is one to think. My wife and I researched long and hard and when it came down to what suits our needs Buick won hands down. This vehicle rides better than any other vehicle we have owned. The room alone is a welcome feature and it has as much room as its larger competitors. Being the new breed of crossover vehicles Buick is leading the way. Plenty of power and features and at a fraction of the cost of others. Please test drive and then you will understand. We are very pleased.

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  The Avalon Killer! - 2006 Buick Lucerne
  By Papa - November 6 - 2:10 am

  Looked at many full sized cars including Avalon, Amanti and Monteray. The Lucerne trumped them all for ride quality, off the line torque, quietness, trunk space when compared to the Avalon, price and appearance. Every seam and panal is very precise and nothing is out of place. The seats are far superior to the Toyotas and on an even keel with the Amanti. The Buick also has a better warrenty than Toyota and Mercury, 6 passenger room which none of the others have and better reliabilty. Love the port holes, chrome doo moldings, grille and flashy appearance too. Have seen nearly 30 mpg on the open road too. This is Buicks and GMs best kept secret.

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  Vibrations - 2003 Buick Park Avenue
  By B Belcher - October 24 - 10:00 am

  I traded a 1998 Park Avenue, which I loved. I have been very disappointed with this 2003. The ride is extremely rough. Vibration is terrible. My dealer has replace all four tires, drives a little bit better, but still does not have the ride & drive that my old one had. I am looking to trade and it probably will not be for another Buick!

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  Your friends will be envious! - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By CarNut - October 23 - 9:43 pm

  My wife wanted to upgrade for a more luxurious ride and wanted to look at the Buick. I thougt she was crazy or having disillusions. Boy was she right and I was wrong. The car blows Infiniti, Lincoln, and Lexus away (Europeans are too much money for what you get). Not sure why people knock the interior quality, its as nice as anything out there and better layout. It drives like a car and luxuries are there to make you feel like youre escaping the world. Ultra silent ride, smooth, and handles very well (remember, its not a sports car). All in all, a must drive.

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  1997 Disaster - 1997 Buick Park Avenue
  By Judd - October 18 - 2:00 am

  I purchased this low milage car just recently from a person I know well. He took painstaking care of it. It looks brand new inside and out. Within two months the door lock button popped inside the door. The transmission failed and cost $1975 to rebuild. The ash tray broke and wont stay closed. The volume button on the steering wheel functions some of the time. The self- leveling feature has failed and I shudder to think what that will cost to fix. This could be a wonderful car if it was better built. I have had many GM cars over the years most of them purchased new (I still have my 84 El Camino) but this is the last one.

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  Better than Asian cars - 2013 Buick Verano
  By young professional - October 17 - 6:07 am

  Purchased certified pre-owned 2013 Buick Verano with 30K miles on it exactly 1 yr ago in August 2016 and I am still happy with it for the MOST part. People complain about the grill but I think it looks expensive and unique. My younger brother thought it was a Bentley at first glance. In my opinion, the grills on the Asian cars all look the same. The size of this car makes it easy to maneuver and park. Smooth quiet ride that Buick is known for. However, the acceleration is lackluster. I preferred the 2013 Regal Turbo but I couldnt afford it. The Verano is just fine otherwise, but if you have an extra 3K to spend, get the Regal Turbo. After 1 yr of ownership ive put an additional 11k miles on the car, ive had to change the front driver tire twice. And the fake leather seats on the convenience trim stain really easily, not very convenient. One day, the car died on me and i jumped it. One hour later it died again and i had to jump it again. It didnt die on me again after that but i took it to the dealership the very next day. And they said they couldnt find anything wrong with it and there was nothing wrong with the battery. Those were the only bad things to happen so far. I do enjoy the service i receive for scheduled maintenance at the dealership.

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  My Last Buick - 2010 Buick LaCrosse
  By Austin - October 17 - 6:06 am

  I had rave reviews for this car when I first bought it. That has changed after a month of ownership. I will start off by saying that this car would be owned by Buick right now, if I was not pressured into taking $500 to waive the 60 day buy back program. Two days after I bought the car it started pulling to the left. The dealership in Delaware OH) said they didnt have the equipment and told me to try back in a few weeks. The dealership then refused to return any calls. Another dealership tried to fix the pulling and have not been successful. Now the Sunroof doesnt work and the sun shade works when it feels like it. And they wont buy it back! Thanks GM-you lost 1 more.

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  I wish we had gotten another mini-van! - 2004 Buick Rendezvous
  By dana angell - October 12 - 2:00 am

  -There is no light that shines directly on driver or front passenger seat. - NO leg room in the back. -With back seat in use there is NO room for luggage at all. -"removable" second row seats are HEAVY!, I can not remove them by myself. -The headrest are dangerous! -Rear vent for heating & cooling is terrible, there is only one it is located on back of center console. -Doors are heavy, plenty of wind noise. -The back bumper scars easily when brushed by bags, luggage etc. -If you run the AC engine power cuts dramatically when accelerating. -No smooth transition to overdrive, vehicle runs great 70-80, unfortunately 50-70 causes constant shifting.