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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  Cheap Plastic - 2013 Buick Enclave
  By mrkj1 - July 10 - 11:14 am

  Traded my 2011 Cadillac SRX Performance model Seats were to hard and harsh ride. Found seats and ride in Buick put Cadillac to shame. Much more solid on road. Handling is excellent. But for $53,000 list price. The cheap plastic decor inside this car makes it really look cheap and poor quality I am not sure I would purchase it again.

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  A lot of Fun - 2014 Buick Regal
  By sabres69 - July 9 - 3:04 pm

  This car has great pick up. I love the fact when in manual mode the car downshifts on its own. I had a stick shift for 10yrs prior to this and like using the manual mode when driving. Just feels really good on the road. Waited a long time for the AWD in either the Buick Regal and Honda Accord. Looks like Buick beat them to the punch. The OnStar app is awesome. Love being able to start car from my desk so interior is warm or cold before I get in. Only had for 1 month so I will have to update after a year. So far I look forward to driving in my GS!

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  2008 Buick Super - 2008 Buick LaCrosse
  By stuoliaberomon - May 30 - 2:48 pm

  The car is great but has poor reliability. All the engine gaskets had to be replaced due to oil leaks, the oil pump failed which scored the the crankshaft, the key FOBs fail about every year or so (I am on #5 right now) and now the air bag warning light is on. It is in the shop now to find out what the problem is. The day/night dashboard lighting has not working properly for the last few years. The front wheel bearing failed a year ago. The CD changer does not work at times and the radio changes stations without warning at times. I have 55000 miles on it. I bought it new.

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  I grade it a B+ - 2012 Buick Regal
  By grandcentral - May 30 - 12:45 pm

  Im about to wrap up my 24-month lease. For the most part, Im happy. What they say about this Regal (nee Opel Insignia) being unlike Buicks of lore is true. Handling is precise, ride is firm (in a good way), interior design is clean, all very European. And it looks fantastic, especially with the 18" or 19" rims. Content is good too, for the price. Now, the issues: first, the mileage for the eAssist hybrid I have is WAY overstated - I drive 70% highway and never get more than 24 MPGs. Lack of power and harshness in non-Turbo engines is noticable. Quality control still has a way to go, e.g. paint flaws & loose trim. If I had gotten the turbo or GS, Id rate it a solid A. With the hybrid, B+.

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  Excellent car, pass on the navigation - 2014 Buick Encore
  By blindqu2285 - May 28 - 11:47 am

  We have had our encore for a bit over a month. We are pleased with everything except the navigation. Worst GPS routing I have ever used. On a five hour trip -- using side by side with our portable TomTom the buick system routed us 30 miles farther and 1 hour longer. We do not trust the navigation at all. It can not find addresses our TomTom has and it routinely routes a longer distance or time. We will not use it for anything other than finding an address in town -- if it even can find the address. Do not waste your money on the navigation system. Spend $100 on a portable instead of $800 for the car system.

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  $ 48,000.00 Mistake - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By jasongr - May 19 - 10:46 am

  We purchased our 2008 Buick Enclave in late 2007. It was My wifes dream vehicle until the problems began i.e. Sunroof leaking,trans slipping,rattlle in rear drivers side,liftgate opens on its own,service airbags light on twice, traction contol light on twice, reduced power on the highway three times,steering wheel rubbing noise,service stability light on,left front stabilizer is loose,air conditioning has been serviced twice for leaking and noise,front shocks replaced,brake rubbing noise,power steering pump leaking,front timing cover gasket leaking,right rear door weather stripping coming loose,noise while driving 50-60 mph on highway.washer heater causes fires, Dont buy this vehicle!

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  Power, Great Value, Ive owned 5 of Them - 1996 Buick Roadmaster
  By roadmaster5 - March 23 - 12:58 pm

  I echo what the other reviewers said, but the car does have its faults: the roof windows leak, not a lot, but they all do it enough to make the interior foggy on cold mornings. I park mine facing uphill and drill drain holes in the spare tire well and storage bin. The side rubber moldings come off after a dozen years, but dont throw them away. 3M exterior mounting tape puts them back as good as new, same for the interior door trim pieces whose tabs always break. The rear vent windows come off their hinges. Cynoacrylate gel does a decent job of putting them back. Rear windows go cockeyed after a plastic piece breaks--every car eventually. Its a $1 part and removing the door panel.

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  Just OK - 2011 Buick Regal
  By nydogboy - March 21 - 10:17 pm

  The ladies love the sporty look, but, if you are more than 58" youll be challenged to enter this car. Its quieter than my 2006 Malibu Maxx, which I kinda miss, but the transmission is very busy and you can hear every move it makes. Its hard to keep the RPMs under 2200 because it keeps shifting arpumd town. It is a pleasure to drive on the highway. I was hoping the 6-speed, 4 cylinder Regal would get better mileage than my v-6, 210 hpw Malibu Maxx...wrong. Its about the same. I like the car and hope to have it for 5 or more years, which I typically do.

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  A good effort but flawed - 2012 Buick Regal
  By smerdyakov - March 19 - 10:31 am

  I traded a 2011 Audi A4 for this car. At first I liked the Buick much better, but, as time went on, problems made themselves evident. The engine was quite powerful but, in spite of the much-hyped HyPer strut front suspension, torque steer was very pronounced under hard acceleration. In addition, the drivers seat, although comfortable on short jaunts, became a source of torture on long highway runs. The bottom bolsters seemed to be too tight, causing intense hip pain. In addition, the three driving modes (normal, Sport and GS) seemed to have little effect on performance, although the letter did stiffen the suspension significantly. The controls also feature a plethora of pushbuttons.

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  Love/Hate Relationship 97 Buick Riviera - 1997 Buick Riviera
  By holmslice88 - March 11 - 10:18 pm

  I purchased the vehicle with 147,000 miles on it for $3,500 and thought it was the best car ever. I loved the leather interior with the single heated seat(only available on the drivers side.) It was such a smooth ride at first but once I hit 165,000 it went downhill. The Transmission blew and had to drop $2,500 unexpectedly to fix it. The door handle broke 3 times on the drivers side, keep in mind that the factory one is around $250. Issues with the crankshaft sensor and suspension happened around 190k miles. I managed to get it up to 220k miles....Im honestly going to miss the ride and comfort but I am not going to miss the headache.