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:

• 

  Great - 2006 Buick Rainier
  By Elizabeth - November 17 - 7:39 pm

  Me and my family of two boys decide to buy this car it had a very reasonable price for the amount of luxury that was provided. The seats are very comfortable the ride is extremley quite and comfortable. The power is okay but could be more. I love the look of the car. I would recomend it anyday. But the cup holders up front need improvment.

• 

  Nice Solid Car - 1994 Buick Century
  By MAZZ - November 17 - 11:57 am

  Bought this car for my son. He loves it. Nice ride, smooth, handling is great. He was lucky to get a 4 cylinder with gas prices the way there are. Great on gas. If you can find one, buy it. Safe for young and old. Solid....

• 

  Good everyday car - 1996 Buick Regal
  By Ann - November 16 - 7:49 pm

  Purchased car with 25,000 now have 75,000. No major problems, but did have fairly costly replacement of tail light because dampness in tail light assembly caused light to short out often. Interior switch to automatically unlock doors does not always work. Brakes are noisy they work but I think that the pedal feels soft as compared to other brands of rental cars I often drive. Otherwise just routine maintenance. Roomy interior and trunk.

• 

  Good looks arent everything - 1998 Buick Regal
  By Jay - November 16 - 10:42 am

  Great looking car, but every winter my heater turns my lights off. Major electrical problems, plus the Dexcool builds up an oily residue in my coolant system and I have to flush every year, not every 5 like they state. Try to stay away from this car.

• 

  Disappointed - 2003 Buick Rendezvous
  By RebeccaD - November 14 - 10:53 pm

  Love at first sight. Problems after manufacturer warranty expired have included failure & replacement of both front tire hubs (one of them replaced twice), Power steering pump replaced three times, Heater control unit shorted out. I have filed a safety complaint w/NHTSA lots more there, please read. Buick Rendezvous has had a lot of problems. Through persistant investigation on my part, Ive found that the tire hub appears to be defective, GM is now getting this part from a new supplier. At first we loved this car but will never buy another Rendezvous maybe never another Buick at all. The dealership has been good & has made all repairs at no cost to us even though we are past the mileage warranty.

• 

  2005 LaCrosse CXL - 2005 Buick LaCrosse
  By freeh - November 13 - 8:13 pm

  Nice car. Good ride and handling. Excellent on the highway. Only drawbacks are fairly poor mileage in town and somewhat tight rear seat. Much better car than my previous Buick, a Regal.

• 

  OK Car - 1998 Buick LeSabre
  By dave - November 11 - 11:10 pm

  This vehicle has bullet proof GM 3800 engine. But the accessory drive components are so so. After I fixed all problems, this vehicle runs great. I am expecting no major repair untill it reachs 200,000 miles (at least engine and transmission)

• 

  One of the best Ive owned - 2005 Buick Rendezvous
  By jimbo - November 10 - 9:34 am

  I have owned many GM vehicles, and have found this to be the most comfortable and trouble free of them all. I was in a van last car, and decided to downsize. I love this size as I have room for anything I want to haul, but small enough to feel like Im not in too big a vehicle. I got the 3.6 V6 and find it to be quiet and responsive, but cant get the mileage over 19 mpg on the highway. I also find the liftgate to be heavy, and will get the automatic one next time.

• 

  Bad Choice - 2005 Buick LaCrosse
  By Big Ed - November 8 - 11:36 pm

  Never owned a Buick before and after reviewing other cars in this class,I thought this was a good choice. Initially I liked this car very much. I noticed the problem on the first trip of about 150 miles. At highway speeds of 50-65 MPH and trying to maintain a safe distance from the car in front of me. The accelerator pedal seems to have a dead zone. It doesnt respond under normal foot pressure to maintain the speed that traffic flow allowes. As I apply a slight pressure on the gas pedal, nothing happens. As I increase the pressure, a sudden burst of acceleration is felt with the teck jumping 500-750RPM. This unusual condition is very strenuous on long trips of this constant awareness.

• 

  One owner 1997 Buick LeSabre - 1997 Buick LeSabre
  By Christian Valin - November 1 - 6:36 pm

  The 3.8liter engine has been GMs best kept secret. Who would have known that such a large car would give such great car mileage on the highway? City mileage is average for a car this size. This Buick has been among the most reliable GM vehicles Ive ever owned. Its too bad that this old fashioned technology is going by the wayside as Buick tries to attract a younger crowd. Im in my forties but I guess my taste is more conservative and dont look for fast cornering cars but very comfortable and always it always feels like a safe car.