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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  Bad Timing - 2011 Buick Enclave
  By Rich Hand - December 13 - 1:25 pm

  Why would all 3 timing chains need replacing at only 36000 miles?

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  Sweet car - 1997 Buick Skylark
  By fatchuckyd - December 13 - 2:00 am

  Great fuel economy. Very fun to drive. Mine has a 2.4l twin cam. Very fast, it beat my friends 14,9 sec. focus with just an intake and muffler. Love it

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  Great SUV - 2006 Buick Rendezvous
  By Sam - December 9 - 10:38 pm

  I have been really happy with this car. It gets around 23-25 mpg on the highway at speeds of 70-80 mph. The around town mileage has been 21.5 mpg. It rides great and the seats are really nice. It is a CXL with sunroof and every other option minus DVD and navigation but the Garmin nuvi 550 takes care of that. Ive just travelled 7,000 miles in the last 3 months across the country, no problems at all. I highly recommend this car.

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  The Buick Enclave is Fantastic! - 2009 Buick Enclave
  By Enclave Fan - December 8 - 8:56 pm

  Bought my 09 Buick Enclave a few months ago and I am very pleased. The styling is gorgeous, the build quality is tight and sharp, and the ride is very comfortable even for a big guy like me. I tried the Acura MDX which is so overrated, the Lexus 330 is another wildly overrated SUV, the Audi, BMW, and Mercedes comparable SUVs cost 25-30K more and arent any better. The Buick Enclave has great interior space, just hauled a Christmas tree and wreath to the house with room to spare, and the mileage has been averaging 17mpg with AWD! The engine is strongly reactive and the steering is tight and responsive. The interior noise is practically zero! Ive owned a lot of vehicles and this Buick rocks!

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  rendevouz review - 2002 Buick Rendezvous
  By dorene1 - December 8 - 10:00 am

  This is a very comfortable and utilitarian vehicle. It is both smart and friendly, and goes very well with daily family hauling. It is not powerful, but does what it needs to do in most situations. It has eliminated the tired feeling I used to have after a day of driving our other, larger SUV, and gives the impression of a car-like drive. Although the design is not as rugged as many SUVs, the high ceiling allows a feeling or roominess not felt in other midsize SUV vehicles.

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  Awesome Ride - 2005 Buick Rainier
  By Dustin - December 7 - 11:44 am

  This car is really amazing. You cant expect more for your dollar from an American made SUV. From the powerful responsive engine, to the smooth, silent ride, to the Bose speaker system, I absolutely love this car. I have always loved the ride quality of Buicks, but the Rainier is by far the best it gets (except for the new Enclave which has replaced the Rainier).

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  Buick Lucerne - 2008 Buick Lucerne
  By Ted Strickland - December 6 - 10:12 am

  This car is far & away the best car I have ever owned, so far so good! The only fault is the speedometer is hard to read in daylight, and the visors have no extensions and Im told none are available. Its too bad GM had to wait this long to build this type of quality in a car.

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  Great Car - 1999 Buick Park Avenue
  By RevRFT - December 3 - 6:23 am

  Got 33.9 mpg on interstate 21.8 avg in town. Smooth ride, feels like Im sitting in my living room. No problems, best car Ive ever owned.

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  2000 Buick Park Avenue - 2000 Buick Park Avenue
  By Duke007 - December 1 - 10:00 am

  Outstanding Automoble. Great features, and gas mileage. Fantastic comfort ay an economic price.

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  This Aint Your Grand Pas Buick - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By j graham - November 25 - 10:40 pm

  I was a little unsure going from a Lexus RX 300, but now I can tell you I have surely traded up! It felt a little big at first, but I have come to love the looks, driveablity and functionality. It has plenty of power. I got very concerned during the high gas prices recently, but my mileage has actually improved. I have put on 10000 miles in 5 months. I get about 19 in my combo city/interstate work commute driving and about 27, yes 27 on the open highway. Also recently during the hurricane damage and recovery it has come in very handy making trips to Lowes and Home Depot. We got it fully loaded with AWD. We love all the features - lots of luxury and a sport drive.