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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  Close to very good - 2004 Buick Rendezvous
  By hlstavn - June 20 - 10:00 am

  Comfortable to drive. Great handling. As comfortable as as sedan but corners well. Utilitarian space design. Good looks.

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  Lacking features. - 2016 Buick Cascada
  By eugene koenig - June 14 - 11:56 pm

  Does not have blind spot monitoring sensors - a must when driving with top up. Where is the Home Link system for opening garage doors? Navigation screen is tiny and very hard to read. My Garmin is better. Gas mileage sucks. But it is a fun car.

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  Fun to drive, expensive to own! - 1995 Buick Riviera
  By Paul - June 14 - 12:20 pm

  I bought my 1995 Riviera with 26,000 on it. It was pretty much trouble free until about 45,000 miles. Between 45,000 and 70,000 miles I spent about $5,000 on repairs. I really love the styling of this car, its fast, ride is great, and I got 25-27 mpg on the highway. If you really want one, be prepared to spend a lot of money with your mechanic. Youll also need to be meticulous about scheduled maintenance. I sold mine in July of 2003. Fortunately if youre in the market for one, theyre very reasonably priced.

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  Like the Rainer - 2006 Buick Rainier
  By bob - June 9 - 1:53 pm

  I have had my Rainer for 2 weeks. I bought a program car with 8600 miles on it. Love the ride, comfort quiet and handling. This replaced my 2000 Jimmy, wow what a difference. So far, the mileage has been about 20 to 21 mpg 70% hwy and 30% town driving. I am real pleased with this. I will be looking a purchasing the 100K GM extended warranty, and deals on this?

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  Im a 45 year old Buick owner - 2005 Buick LaCrosse
  By Joe S. - June 6 - 11:29 pm

  I have had this car for 2 months. Purchased w/15K miles on it. CXL model rides very smooth on the highway. More comfortable than my Saturn L. This car is rated 20/29 mpg but I cannot understand why I only average about 14 mpg in city driving. Highway mpg is great..lives up to its 30 mpg. Steering is a little balky. You can feel it roll and dip on sharp turns. All and all this a comfortable sedan. Looks a little like the Lexus LS330 until you look at the grille. The grille and layout of the front is the thing only way you know it is a Buick. Also, for some reason, every time I turn on the air vents the AC is on. I think if the in city gas mileage was better I would enjoy this car more.

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  Works for me -tailgates, trips, runabout - 2005 Buick Rainier
  By howdydooit - June 5 - 4:15 pm

  12 months old - replaced an aging minivan & sedan. That said, we needed a vehicle for tailgating and trips. It holds all our gear (flag pole, folding table, chairs, grill, cooler, etc & 2 or 3 people, depending on how judiciously we pack - we can get away with only folding down one back seat). The sound system is awesome, the climate controls are individualized (plus rear controls for climate/audio), and its extemely quiet and smooth. Fuel economy is 22 - 23 hwy, 15-18 around town.

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  Happy with the old mans car - 1999 Buick LeSabre
  By rob - June 2 - 4:08 pm

  We purchased our 99 LeSabre after enjoying our 94. After 7 years the car is still smooth, comfortable and quiet. Yes, the 3.8 V6 does get 20+ in local driving and 30 on the road, which is helpful with gas prices today. Friends with newer cars may tease me about the "old mans" car,but they like the smooth ride and the comfortable seats. The only problem has been the battery. Im on the third one. Its best driven easy, but does have good power for a big car.

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  Buick Rendezvous - 2004 Buick Rendezvous
  By Cletus Gagne - May 29 - 5:03 pm

  The vehicle drives and handles great. The inside dash is rather plain and the rear view for backing is not good. It is difficult to see when backing. The rear lift gate does not lift well during cold weather. The lift shocks were replaced by the dealer but there is not differenc. During warm weather the tail gate lifts up all the way with no extra effort but in cold weather you have to push it up to open. The heating and cooling is marginal. The dealer could not find the problem with not enough heat in cold weather. I found the problem was with the control knob, you have to flick it back and forth to get it to work for more heat. The dealer has not fixed this problem.

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  Ultra - 2004 Buick Rendezvous
  By Cal - May 19 - 5:53 pm

  The Ultra comes with a 3.6 VVT with provides plenty of power 245 hp to be exact. I have put 5 people in it and drove it to the mountains and it pulled just fine. I would say I am pleased with it thus far.

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  Gas Poor - 2005 Buick LaCrosse
  By Gary - May 17 - 5:04 pm

  Have had for 1 year and 9,500 miles. Just minor irritances i.e. squeak in dash, wind noise. Car handles well on curves and accelerates without hestitation. (and wife) dont like consoles so are trading car in new Buick Lucerne with split front seats for eatra room and longer arm rest.