Becoming a Buick Family

[DweezilAZ]

Buick never used that phrase in their ads.

Even by the late 60s, when a Motor Trend writer made the same claim in a comparison test of mid priced cars the letters column a couple of months later was filled with commentary that the guy got it wrong.

That quote and the association with Packard was way too strong even years after they ceased manufacture

 

[Smokescreen]

I have a 2005 LeSabre and also a Toyota.

I agree the 3.8L Buicks are a very reliable and are capable of surprisingly good fuel economy.

 

[Benzadmiral]

[["Ask the man who owns one", was a Buick slogan]]

Originally, it was a Packard slogan about the turn of the 20th century. Wasn't aware that Buick had taken it too.

"When better cars are built, Buick will build them" was not that long ago.

Some years back, my brother had an early generation Toyota Avalon, which he said felt like a Buick of the day, i.e., roomy, quiet, but floaty ride and numb steering...and indestructible.

I commented to him that "When better Buicks are built, Toyota will build them".

That's not a slam on either make.

The most famous Buick slogan, from the late Sixties, was "Wouldn't you really rather have a Buick?"

To which I now reply emphatically, "YES!!!!"

 

[PimTac]

你真的不想要别克吗？

 

[Benzadmiral]

. . .

A few pics below.

Nice color! I see also the chrome fender trim bits. When I was considering a 2006 LaCrosse like this in 2007, it didn't have that chrome trim. I asked the dealer about getting them added, since I knew they existed -- they were on the cars in the sales brochure.

After "checking the parts database," they said the part wasn't in there. Yet I saw them all the time on LaCrosses of that generation. One more reason why I declined to buy that LaCrosse or anything else at that dealer.

I wish my father had bought me a used car for my college commute when I lived at home. A Buick? I'd have been happier than the proverbial porcine in the fecal matter.

 

[MCompact]

I had a 1966 Riviera(bought for $5; long story) and my wife drove a 1984 Skylark T Type when we got married. Nice cars.

 

[SatinSilver]

Fun fact, the 1983 Riviera t type could be had with the 3.8 V6 turbo.

 

[Soggydoggy]

The first car I ever drove was my dad's 77 2 door lesabre. Baby blue with a white landau top and white seats with blue carpeting. As a hot rod magazine subscribing teen I hoped one day it would be mine. The transmission died and he had it hauled off while I was at school one day. I was sick

 

[92saturnsl2]

Perfect car for a younger kid who's not buying it himself. Not too flashy, reliable enough, inexpensive to repair, cheap to insure, big enough to be reasonably safe. Good choice!

 

[twouvakind]

A neighbor who, ironically, is beyond being the most mechanically disinclined person in the world (he actively and relentlessly destroys ALL things) has had nothing but Buicks for years.
I helped him sell his previous one by listing it on craigslist.
I pulled the car out of a shallow, grassy grave and took pictures after a test drive. It felt so solid I couldn't believe it.
Surprisingly, many people contacted him but a neighbor down the street saw the FOR SALE sign and bought it quick.

That his Buicks last several years each is scientific proof they're good. He has a white one now.

"Ask the man who owns one", was a Buick slogan. "Buick, the better buy!", was another.

 

[Dinoburner]

Had a Buick Century T Type and then a Lesabre which was trouble free after installing HD rotors and pads. The Century had a problem which would take a couple pages to describe.

 

[AutoMechanic]

Never had good experience with modern Buick lol when I was in shop class in high school we would always be fixing Buick’s lol. Especially the early 2000s ones. But if it is something someone else likes no judgement to them.

 

[KCJeep]

Buick has long been associated as an "old man's" car BUT I see an awful lot of young 20 somethings rolling around in little Buick SUV's. So they have apparently shed the image somewhat.

 

[csandste]

Sedans are out. Buicks are out. Therefore you get a good price. Looks good. Great car for a kid. What's not to like.

 

[Ihatetochangeoil]

I've owned nothing except Buicks for almost 30 years. GM quit making the trusty 3800 so as not to manufacture themselves out of business. To give one an idea of how bulletproof these engines are, they used to be modified and raced in FWD class. ZZPerformance put twin turbochargers on a 3800 powered Gran Prix and set world records in their FWD class. The bottom end will withstand supercharging without any modifications. If the rods and pistons are upgraded, the stock crankshaft will withstand in excess of 500 HP. https://zzperformance.com/collections/3800

 

[Benzadmiral]

I've owned nothing except Buicks for almost 30 years. . . .

I'm beginning to wonder if I was missing out before I got my first Buick in '07. That model of Park Avenue came on the market in '97; I probably could have picked one up in '99 for reasonable money. (Of course I'd have missed out on my much-loved MB W126, which I bought that year.) Or gotten a PA in '04 instead of the MB W202 C-Class, which was fine until its transmission suddenly began to misbehave and nobody could say for sure how much it would take to fix it.

The PA that followed it was a tremendous car, and the current LaCrosse is dynamite.

 

[Benzadmiral]

Buick has long been associated as an "old man's" car BUT I see an awful lot of young 20 somethings rolling around in little Buick SUV's. So they have apparently shed the image somewhat.

There was a period, maybe in the '40s through the '60s -- when doctors still made house calls -- where Buicks were thought of as "a doctor's car." The idea being, an MD wanted to seem prosperous, so no Chevrolet, but he didn't want to give the impression he was getting rich off his patients, so no Cadillac. The Buick was perfect.

GM/Buick's ad campaigns for Buick have been so inept, you'd think they wanted to get rid of the brand. Stupid music with Granny squeaking, "That's not a Buick"? Millennials bleating, "I don't see a Buick"? Pffft. Show the Regal GS carving up a twisty road; show happy families, and emphasize how safe they are, in LaCrosse or in Enclave; do some product placement in hot TV shows (they did have Reese Witherspoon driving an Enclave in Big Little Lies, though). Create a larger convertible model, the "Wildcat by LaCrosse," say, and get a good-looking character on a hot Netflix series to drive it.

Lots of things they could have done, and could still do.

 

[4WD]

Just back from early voting across from K-8 school …
Teacher parking had more Buick Enclave’s than our dealer stocks

 

[NormanBuntz]

Not exactly a chick magnet car, but it will serve its purpose. Did you give Junior any input as to make or model? BTW kudos to him for his academic prowess.