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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  First Try! - 2004 Buick LeSabre
  By Harlean Nutt - October 23 - 10:12 am

  Reliable. Worth considering.

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  Love my Enclave! - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By Matt - October 21 - 5:48 pm

  In June 2014, I purchased a 2008 Buick Enclave CXL at around 80,000 miles. It has been a great car. I got it in great condition. Right now it is at around 115,000, and Ive only had to replace the spark plugs(due at around 100,000 miles, but got extra out of them), brake pads, and headlamp bulbs. This car was a great buy!

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  I love my baby Buick! - 2015 Buick Verano
  By Jfinch - October 21 - 12:28 pm

  I went into the dealership planning on buying an impala. Unfortunately I couldnt really justify to myself why I needed that large of a car. So they showed me this Buick and I fell in love! Truthfully at first I didnt think I was going to fit in it. Im 64 so I get very skeptical over vehicle size. I pushed the seat all the way back and was shocked! I couldnt touch the pedals! So on with the test drive. I was averaging 40mpg on the test drive and I was ready to sign the papers before we got back! Now, Ive owned the car for 3 months now and Ive put 12,300 miles on it so let me tell you what its like living with it. I took it on a trip (360 mile round trip) and I only used 8.5 gallons. Thats 42 mpg! And it was so comfortable and quiet! The interior is holding up well, however if you have the black and gray interior, expect some frustration. Anything on the black materials you touch with turn white. Its like some sort of chemical reaction happens and suddenly you have white spots everywhere. Make sure you dont have an older style iPhone (I have a 4s with THOUSANDS OF PICTURES) as plugging it in will freeze your radio, causing it to stick where it is for about 10 minutes before restarting just fine. Not a big deal, it just gets annoying because youll never know when its going to happen. The back seat is just about unusable. Really. Unless you have someone up front who is willing to compromise on a little leg room, its really too tight back there. I really dont know how the engineers didnt notice this. Once I meet someone with three inch thick legs, maybe Ill understand. You cannot get fast food and expect both the driver and passenger to get soft drinks as they both wont fit into the cup holder at once. This is a pain too. They can, but its just in the way and they have to be at an awkward angle. Lighted glovebox is something I havent seen on a car in 20 years, and its very nice. The car is quick, although it doesnt feel like it. It will get you into trouble because youll think youre doing 60 when youre really doing 90. But all in all I really do love this car. Its comfortable, economical, powerful, smooth, beautiful (especially in the dark gray I have) and just all around nice! Also I got $7,000 off on the price which swayed my decision a little bit too.

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  Euro Car Snob Goes Domestic - 2011 Buick Regal
  By ajkiniowa - October 19 - 10:28 pm

  This car is really an amazing value and design. My Buick was made in Germany. In the rest of the world it is an Opel Insignia which has been a European Car of the Year several times. I also drive a Volvo, which in my opinion, has the best seats of any car maker - hence I cant laud the Buicks seats. They are comfortable and I can drive for hours without any discomfort. The technology takes a bit of time to learn. If you can read a manual, watch a DVD and Google you can learn these electronics easily. I DO NOT like the electric parking brake! Call me old school, but I would be happy to have a mechanical interface return. In emergency maneuvers, the car rivals any vehicle I have owned - BMW, Volvo, Audi, Saab, etc.... In some ways it is even better with the Stabilitrak stepping in to direct the car accordingly and allow one to avoid potential accidents without relying on anti-lock braking. The brakes are also stellar. The interior is exceedingly quiet. I have found myself speeding more in this vehicle then probably any other I have owned. It handles well and in Sport mode is very tuned in and fast. The headlights are also incredible - almost like daylight. I also want to praise the Harman Kardon sound system, quite amazing. I think driving the car will speak for itself. As a certified vehicle there have been no maintenance or out of pocket costs and my local dealer is super.

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  Old Reliable! - 1996 Buick Century
  By BuickLover - October 14 - 3:47 pm

  Great starter car! Bought mine used when I was 17 and it had 115,000 miles on it and several dings on the exterior. Got me every where and it now has 155,000 miles on it. Motor/transmission runs great and gas mileage is great at a whopping 28 mpg and thats in the country and city. Only bad thing about this car is window motor easily goes out and so do the automatic locks. Ive put many miles on my car and driven it through snow, ice, mud, potholes and it never let me down!

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  First Impression - 2014 Buick Encore
  By KJ - October 13 - 2:52 pm

  Just bought this used at 23k miles. Im 62" and theres plenty of room for me, front or back. For a 4 cylinder, acceleration was okay except for a slight lag. Handling is nimble with good steering response. Visibility is a problem out the back, especially with back seat passengers so learn to use the camera and side mirrors. Plenty of controls for the driver seat position, even lumbar support, but the seat was feeling a little hard after only an hour of highway driving. The main screen is bright and clear with intuitive controls. Only the driver gets an arm rest. Its odd, but there are only three vent configurations: foot, dash, and windshield. The interior has a refined appearance with a leather wrapped steering wheel and soft-touch dash. An auxiliary jack and USB are easily accessible. Plenty of storage bins and cubbies. The back seat has no air vents, but it does have pull-down drink holders. First impression: a nimble, fun-to-drive SUV that is unexpectedly roomy.

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  gm marketing for ya - 1992 Buick LeSabre
  By Derek Bilodeaux - October 10 - 2:47 pm

  When I replaced the water pump, gm put the motor mount directly over the pump. Had to jack up the motor and axel at the same time (to keep the axel from slipping out). Nice marketing strategy, build the car so you have to take it into the dealer to spend more money to have it worked on. Cha-ching$$. You Cant get this country boy fixed it and considering sell this hunk [non-permissible content removed]! For another 70s ford truck.

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  Love It - 2002 Buick Century
  By Bob - October 8 - 11:34 pm

  I have had it for 12 years and have put about 100,000 on it. As far as reliability, the car has failed to start only one time-when the original battery gave out after six years. It has never been in a shop for repairs. A few things have gone wrong such as power windows, a blower resistor, led resistor in gauge cluster, and a/c clutch coil. I fixed all those things myself. The cost and level of difficulty were low, though. I have done all of the regular maintenance such as oils, filters, brake pads,coolant, tune up, -again cheap and easy. This year (2015), the car was showing some signs of wear, and since it ran and drove quite well still, I decided to do a semi restoration. I repaired the rusted rocker panels. New tires, brakes, struts, motor/tranny mounts, tires, headlights,exhaust system, wheel bearings, paint touch up, a few other piddly things. It runs and drives like brand new no issues at all. In 12 years time I have spent under 4000 on maintenance and 2500 of it was on the semi restoration this year. It has spent most of its life outside, but the paint still looks very good. It has been a great car for 12 years and it will most definitely last another 12. Good solid reliable car.

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  Most trouble prone car Ive ever owned - 2005 Buick Terraza
  By Mike I - October 7 - 7:49 pm

  Let me start by saying that I have owned some of the most unreliable makes on the road. Fiats, Alfas, Jaguars, etc. The Buicke Terraza, which we purchased new in 2005, has been the worst by far. It now has 145k miles on it. I would have unloaded it years ago but after each expensive repair you think, "what else can go wrong?" The Terraza never fails to answer that question. In the years since we have owned it, lets see. It has had the transmission fail twice. It has used about a quart of oil every 1,000 miles since it was new. GM says that is is within normal usage parameters. Hmm, I have had other vehicles with 300k on the odometer that use essentially nothing every 3k miles. Have replaced every single suspension component, front and rear, at least once. Front brake rotors are essentially an annual replacement. Dow not matter what brand rotor or pads, the rotors eventually warp. Lets look at the components driven by the serpentine belt. Water pump, AC compressor, alternator, power steering pump. Yup, every one of those has been replaced. All sorts of electrical issues almost since new. CV axles. Yes. This as well. Exhaust. Ok, that lasted a long time so not too bad. Heater core leak. Been there, done that. Leather cracking at front seats and arm rests. Yes, also a crack in the dash. Steering rack. Yes. Last month as a matter of fact. Engine mounts. If your Terraza has lots of noise and harshness, these arprobanpy shot. I maintain all my vehicles extremely well and they tend to last a very long time. Frequent fluid changes, interior / exterior detailing, etc. Who knows what other problems this lemon would have if not maintained It is reaonably quiet. Engine is harsh and could use a few more HP. Highway mileage is decent, around town about the same as my V8 SUV. Front seats are comfortable, rear seats have terrible leg room, third row is difficult to access. Front cup holders fall apart, few poor outlets poorly located. Even though we now have a "new GM" my experience with the Terraza has left me saying, never again.

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  I finally had to let her go.... - 2005 Buick LeSabre
  By PJ DAY - October 5 - 10:45 pm

  I bought this 2005 LeSabre in Oct. 2013 from a dealer in Blue Ridge, GA. She was a 1 owner who was no longer able to drive so her husband traded the car in. I named her Betty Buick. She had just under 92,000 miles on her and was in absolutely pristine condition. Had always been garaged and I thought & was told, well maintained. Literally driven by a "little ole lady". I paid just over $8,500 for her and was glad to find her. Back in 2013 these 05 LeSabre model cars were at a premium and hard to find. Us baby boomers wanted the wide front seat instead of cramped buckets and the ride and weight of a hearse. This Buick provided that and more. Talk about a hwy driving car, this baby was built to take long trips ! However, my husband passed away and trips never happened. She was not driven too much. I had to replace the battery and then the problems with the transmission began....Just a little slip here and there and then it was any time she was asked to climb a slight incline...skip, skip, skip and it was getting worse. The engine was terrific and gas mileage out of this world but the tranny must not have been well maintained and it was going out....I also began to suspect the crankcase filter issue that is well documented on this model was a possible problem for erratic stalls that fell into no particular driving pattern. She would eventually crank back up but she could stall out at 65 mps....total loss of power....I began not to trust her even for short trips into town. So even though she looked just like she came straight off the show room floor, she needed to find a good home and I had to let her go. She only brought $3,000 on trade with 94,500 miles in on a 2014 GMC Terrain. I will miss her ride. Smooth as silk and quiet, quiet, quiet ! They do not make em like this any more unfortunately. Id have replaced the crank case filter but the transmission was just too expensive. All things being equal a fabulous car !