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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  Keeps me broke - 2002 Buick Rendezvous
  By DJ - September 13 - 2:36 pm

  This car is the fanciest I have ever owned. Plus the costliest. I like the ride and comfort, leather, heated seats and all the bells and whistles but when things go wrong, its expensive. In the almost three years Ive owned this car, Ive put a crankshaft sensor, O2 sensor, 6 tires, brakes all around, 2 wheel bearings, and now I need the AC fixed - condensor, two rear "knuckles", and the motor for the AWD. A recall on the wheel bearings was a joke. The mileage perimeter was 65,000. miles and I purchased it with 64,000. so six months later, the recall was toast. Now I hope it lasts til I can pay it down enough to get another car. I was offered $2500 trade and I still owe $9700 on it

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  Multiple Issues since purchase - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By Melissa - September 6 - 9:40 pm

  I have had this auto for over 1 year now and have had the following issues: 1. Gas gauge working intermittently 2. Gear shift works intermittently (doesnt lock into place). 3. Drivers side window often sticks and wont open. 4. Windshield wipers stopped working this morning, but can still hear the motor mechanism working, but they wont move. 5. Traction light comes on when driving on the highway. I really love the way this auto drives when it was new. Now that I have 19K+ miles on it, it seems to be exposing flaws and the dealership is worthless to fix things. They cant even do a decent oil change without letting all the air out of the tires (they stated the air gauge was not calibrate

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  It grew on me - 2006 Buick Rendezvous
  By Eddie - September 6 - 4:07 am

  When I first saw this vehicle I wasnt quite sure what to make of it. Was it a minivan or an SUV and it screamed soccor mom. Im a 43 year old single dad and like to think Im still a little cool. However after driving it, I was sold! Handles well, good pick up, loaded with interior compartments, decent stock stereo, lots of room and very comfortable. The end result, I love it!

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  American Tough - 1999 Buick Century
  By Jason - August 30 - 5:16 pm

  This was a great little car for an on the go family. Very basic, not a lot of frills. Can fit 3 carseats in the back. We were in a head on collision with a BMW. We won. The amount of body damage we sustained was minimal compared to the other car. Real metal hoods make a difference. Before the wreck, power items were a problem, i.e. windows, mirrors.

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  Problems with my 2008 Enclave - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By stan phillips - August 29 - 7:44 am

  Had car in shop twice for accelaration problems. Still has not been solved. Also noise in fan motor which they have on order to replace. Mileage in city is 15 at best and on a trip 19. The trip was 1300 miles and never got above 19.

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  Faulty Transmission - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By Frustrated Owner TX - August 28 - 2:18 pm

  Bought the Enlcave as it was half the price of the Lexus and MB. After 15,000 miles, the transmission has gone out! The stabilitrac and ABS are creating problems. The exterior "chrome" around the rear lights is coming off. The A/C temp button coloring is wearing off. Extremely frustrated.

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  Bad acceleration - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By Disappointed - August 26 - 12:39 pm

  We have been driving our Enclave for the last few months. We love the looks and many of the features. The transmission definitely has some problems. It drags and has hesitation to switch gears from 50-70 mph. Took to the dealership a couple of times and they upgraded the software but still has the same problem. Looking at internet, it appears GM knows this problem for some time! They upgraded their transmission softwares few times! But the problem is still there. Drive on the highway if you are considering buying this car. I wish we had done that!

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  A/C problems - 1997 Buick Century
  By Brad - August 19 - 11:01 pm

  Ive owned a Century for 4 years. A year after purchasing it, through the present day, Ive spend more than $1K trying to fix the A/C for good. I need A/C, because I live in south TX. Other than that, the car has been good to me. It glides over any surface of road like you were driving on clouds. It gets decent gas mileage for a 3.1 V6. The low fuel light likes to come on when there is still more than 6 gallons of gas in the tank.

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  Love This Car - 2003 Buick Century
  By Scott C. - August 19 - 10:52 pm

  I agree with some comments about the air vents. I hate how they only rotate on one axis. I had my Buick for almost 3 years now, and I havent done anything to it except changing the tires, brakes, and oil. This car has never let me down! Id recommend it to anyone.

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  Outstanding Vehicle - 2001 Buick Park Avenue
  By J. Lott - August 19 - 10:26 am

  Most comfortable & reliable vehicle we have owned. Quality is outstanding.