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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  Fully loaded, looks like a bargain - 2016 Buick Envision
  By FloridaMatt - October 10 - 7:24 pm

  We drove, and just ordered, a Premium II with the Driver Confidence package to get the Full-range Adaptive Cruise Control. With the panoramic room, the 49k msrp may look steep. But if youre shopping for a medium-sized luxury SUV/CUV, its unbeatable for what you get. We shopped for Suv/Cuv vehicles in its size range that met our requirements of having full-range acc, blis/cross-traffic, and ventilated or cooled seats. That eliminated Audi & BMW because you cant get one equipped that way. And ran a similarly equipped GLC300 up to over 55k. Compared to the NX, GLC and Discovery Sport, we found: Actually Cooled seats (also on the Discovery), rear seat climate controls, auto-dimming outside mirrors, rain sense wipers that can automatically turn on headlights (which is required in some states; also on Discovery Sport), head-up display (also on NX, $995 on GLC, part of $1800 package on Discovery Sport), passive locking, tire monitor shows actual tire pressures, blind spot detection includes turn signal warning (also on GLC) and closing-vehicle detection (also on Discovery Sport). Topped off with GMs safety alert seat so things like lane departure and parking sensors can rumble the seat instead of beeping.

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  My first SUV - 2003 Buick Rendezvous
  By JDB1 - October 10 - 10:00 am

  The ride and handling is very near to excellent. Ive bought other vehicles, but I never had so may people ask me how I like my Rendezvous.

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  Not another Buick - 2005 Buick LaCrosse
  By Grandpapaul - October 9 - 5:37 am

  My wife wanted a Lacrosse and bought this car 3 years ago with 28K on it. Three months later she bought a Honda Accord and couldnt sell this piece of junk. I had a recall on my Grand Prix and got an email from Buick suggesting I consider a Buick for my next purchase. I replied that I I have an 05 Lacrosse and it junk. After a year of back and forth emails they quit responding. 1. Climate control utilizes air conditioning 100% of the time. I turn it off every time I start it to save gas but it as it comes back on when restarted. 2. Replaced hood struts. 3. Replaced rear window regulator which is rarely used. 4. Drivers mirror quit working. 5. Head lights dont turn off until driving in daylight for an hour. 6. Outside temp takes a couple of miles before going to correct temp. 7. On occasion the engine runs rough. Shut it off and restart and its fine. 8. Dash cracked four times in the first year and looks like varicose veins. 9. Wipers quit so I replace the motor. Poor design as the entire mechanism must come out. 10. When there are riders in the back I can hear the wheel bearings grind. Lots of road noise so I believe most of them need replaced. 11. Rear suspension squeaks. 12. Piece of plastic broke in power seat mechanism. Six ways power seat is now four way. All these problems in the first two years of ownership. I drive it on occasion and now has 49K. Putting miles on my 01 Grand Prix then will put an estimated $1500 in it when I retire. I am not the type to pass on junk to others so will keep it since it is paid off. IF I EVER BUY ANOTHER CAR, IT WONT BE A "BUICK". Bring back Pontiac Grand Prixs! I do like the 3.8L engine. Not sure why they changed. It shifts sooner and RPMs are lower that my older Grand Prix for better gas mileage.

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  New Owner - 2002 Buick Rendezvous
  By Harry Liebergot - October 7 - 10:36 am

  Thus far (2500 mi) flawless. Styling similar to Lexus. Feels luxurious. Spacious inside with very flexible easy to maneuver seating for 7. Seats fold easily. Low step in make it easy to get in and out of. Hnadles and rides like a car. I tend to keep it in Drive 3 in the city to keep shifting to a minimum (only 185 HP). Acceleration is adequate. Ride is quiet at all speeds. Great gas mileage (avgng 22) for a vehicle of its size.

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  Big Value in Luxury X-overs - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By Willie Wonka - October 6 - 8:20 am

  My wife is a die hard Lexus RX 330 fan, but fell in love with the Buick Enclave. Its roomy, beautiful,and loaded with all the features anyone could want and you dont need to take out a mortgage to own it! My neighbor commented that the interior is just like a cockpit of a small jet (and he didnt read the promotional add!). For performance, styling and handling,this car is at the head of its class. I love it.

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  is the new Lacrosse just a Chevy Impala? - 2017 Buick LaCrosse
  By D Kay - September 26 - 8:52 am

  Went to see the and drive the new Lacrosse and was impressed with the cabin and the engine BUT, the sheet metal looks like a Impala with those ugly lines over the rear wheels/quarter panels and the front looks like a 2003 LeSabre; dont get why they would do this, should have been an eye popping wonderfully upscale looking car, What happened to that awesome looking concept?; I absolutely do not like the styling and will not buy a car that looks like it is 10 years old right when it comes out. Wheres your creativity Buick?

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  Greatest car Ive ever driven! - 1998 Buick Park Avenue
  By hardfire454 - September 25 - 12:07 am

  I have driven a series of cars, but none can compare to the Park Avenue. THis car is comfortable, efficient, and most importantly comfortable. I think thats enough to be said, it is reliable, but just like any car, it has one or two flaws... But overall, if youre looking for a luxury car, this is it.

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  Out of the Park! - 2002 Buick Rendezvous
  By loveRDV - September 22 - 2:00 am

  Owned our 2002 Rendezvous CXL for a year and haven’t been happier with a new car; a magnificent combination of sedan and van. We have limited “off road needs”. We have comfortable, spacious transportation needs, and the Rendezvous excels in that. We often carry 7 grown people in comfort. My wife would almost rather drive it than our 2000 LeSabre. Some say it is underpowerd, I say, “Balderdash!” I have safely, quickly, and smoothly accelerated to 85 mph when passing. Versatrak got a workout this winter. It’s great Buick has hit a home run with this. A magnificent design and it is reasonably priced!

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  Among The Best In Its Class - 2016 Buick Verano
  By Neward Thelman - September 18 - 11:08 am

  The Verano is based off the same GM platform as the Chevy Cruze Limited, yet it feels like a completely different car. Driving it you feel greater power right off the bat. No, its not sports-car-Camaro power, but I disagree with the Edmunds review that accelerations merely adequate. The Verano feels more powerful than either the Cruze Limited or the new Cruze for 2016, possibly because the entire car feel much more solid, thus dissipating less energy in parasitic vibrations. The Verano gives you a sure, solid feeling on the road. An important contributor toward that end is the stark difference in streering and handling between any of the Cruze models and the Verano. The short of it is that the Cruze - particularly the newly redesigned 2016 Cruze - feels incredibly insecure and unstable during fast accelaration or highway speeds, while the Verano is almost the opposite of that. Its steering and handling feel stable and secure, with only a mere trace of lost of control to clue you into the fact that its built with electronic - rather than traditional mechanical - steering. To take the point further, compared to any of the [now many] Cruzes, the Verano is rock solid. With the handling nicely under control, the suspension provides and excellent combination of road feel balanced against absorbtive comformt. In other words, it handles beautifully, without turning you into scrambled eggs while doing so. The interior is, as youd expect, at or near luxury car levels. Its quiet and plush. Some might object to the two-tone white-on-black color scheme [Buick calls the interior grey - but its pretty much white], but that seems to be the thing with luxury cars. The designers of the Verano did, however, make one major mistake. The steering wheel blocks your view of the instrument gauge cluster. No matter how far you tilt it up or down, youre just not going to see the speedometer, nor much else of your guages. Having taken such apparent care with the design of the car, howd they screw that up? Good luck with speed cops on the road. A more minor issues one of personal taste. I found the front grill to be almost aggresively tasteless, with Buick taking its vertical design a bit too far. The grill extends upwards and folds into the hood, and its made of plastic. So, you get a lot of plastic grill in your face everytime you approach your car. Overall, I thought the Verano was very nice small vehicle, that - at least as far as driving impressions go - leaves its stablemate Cruze well behind and makes the Corolla and the 2016 Civic almost non-competative [especially the almost shockingly crude, cheap-feeling, and sounding Corolla]. The other question is, of course, reliability, and its only on that measure that the latter two may [or may not - who knows?] have an edge.

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  Smooth ride, solid inside and out. - 2016 Buick Envision
  By NormT - September 8 - 5:24 am

  Update: We are seeing 32 mpg @65 mph for hours on end. Fully loaded the fuel economy drops to a respectable 30 mpg at the same speed. Very impressive in this segment to see a 2.0T 4,000 lbs SUV with AWD get into the 30s. My wife finally got to drive it out of town for business. She doesnt like all the elctrical nannys but boy does it move on the highway. Next up...wintertime driving. Coming from a 2013 and 2014 Cadillac, both of which I still have, the Buick is refreshingly solid and comforting in both riding and driving. We got a used 2016 Premium ll with roof and Driver Confidence. Plenty of head room with the sun roof in all seating positions. The Adaptive Cruise Control along with the self parking feature and lane assist are really neat features. The parking is neat show off feature that this car is very easy to park and see out of. The lane assist will have you bouncing off each side of the lane for miles, which is a little scary at first. The ride quality is refined compared to the stiffer, performance oriented Cadillac. The handling does not take a back seat to the softer suspension that this tracks and takes input better than a rental 2017 Escape we drove 6 hours to pick up the Buick.