Mid '90s Buicks

[JonnyHotcakes]

Well, long story short my Ranger is dead.

I'm very low on cash right now so my only real option is a local used car lot run by a family friend. Not a huge deal, as I just need a winter rat, as come spring I'll be working out of the US. He's willing to let me drive off with a car in exchange for my Ranger and some cash.

The catch? I have a choice between a '96 Buick Lesabre or Regal, or a '97 Skylark.

They all have similar mileage (about 100k), very good bodies, ect. Not a huge Buick fan so I'm not sure what to look for.... they're all equally ugly to me!

Any thoughts?

 

[VK56VD]

They are strong cars. The Regal may be more sporty than the Lesabre depending on the options. I'd stay away from a Skylark.

 

[OVERKILL]

A buddy of mine's LeSabre had the K-frame fall out of it when turning a corner..... A day earlier, I saw a Bonneville SSE with the same problem.... happen DIRECTLY in front of one of our local GM dealers. Great advertising

Don't know if it's a common problem, or just coincidence, so just throwing it out there.

 

[simple_gifts]

Generally the LeSabre is a solid car. I had a 92 and a woman @ work had a 94 that she got rid of @ 245K miles. Problems with the 3800 are few, but well documented. Probably get 28-30mpg highway. Engines are strong. If you can stand the cushhy ride, you will find out they are transportation gems.

 

[aquariuscsm]

Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
Generally the LeSabre is a solid car. I had a 92 and a woman @ work had a 94 that she got rid of @ 245K miles. Problems with the 3800 are few, but well documented. Probably get 28-30mpg highway. Engines are strong. If you can stand the cushhy ride, you will find out they are transportation gems.


^^2nd. EXCELLENT cars!

 

[JHZR2]

id go for the regal

 

[Cutehumor]

Originally Posted By: simple_gifts
Generally the LeSabre is a solid car. I had a 92 and a woman @ work had a 94 that she got rid of @ 245K miles. Problems with the 3800 are few, but well documented. Probably get 28-30mpg highway. Engines are strong. If you can stand the cushhy ride, you will find out they are transportation gems.


I vote LeSabre too.

 

[BuickGN]

Can't go wrong with the 3.8.

 

[scoobie]

the skylark should be a very quiet running car with excellent fuel economy. i don't like the floaty ride of the le sabre, it will burn more fuel, and check for any corrosion, get it oil sprayed. definitely a vote for skylark here. try all of them out, examine under a hoist for corrosion, then make up your mind.

 

[MGregoir]

Regal if it's got the 3.8. I had a '94 with that motor and it was pleasant to drive. Mine was the previous engine with 170 horsepower, in 1996 they went up to 205. Great driveability, lots of torque, good space between gear ratios, soft ride/light steering (not great but no fatigue from driving long distances) and fairly comfortable.

Definitely ugly, but I liked it.

 

[bretfraz]

If you just need it for a couple of months, take whichever is in the best condition. Drive all of them, check their tires, brakes, heater, wipers, etc. Your goal should be to take the best car that will need the least amount of work while you own it.

Generally, the larger and more conservative the car, the better it was probably taken care of. I can't imagine a thrashed Lesabre but with an older used car, who knows. Best to look at them with an open mind and take the nicest one. You don't need to love it or pour $$ into it. You just need it for 90 days or so. Get the best car you can find.

 

[eljefino]

Regal W-body will likely have bum rear disc brakes, check the e-brake for working/ not hanging up and the pedal for warpage. Make sure all rotors scrape clean of rust after a short drive.

Skylark= grand am. OK if owned by little old lady, shady otherwise.

I like the lesabre out of all the choices too.

 

[mrsilv04]

Skylark? - Out.

LeSabre or Regal? Go with the one that is in the better overall condition, and gives you a better overall gut feel. Make sure whichever one you pick has good tires. That's something the you don't want to have to buy, for the period of time that you're going to own it. If you have to buy tires, you're only going to be buying them for someone else, as you'll not get your money back out of them before you get rid of it.

We've had a '95 LeSabre in the family, that was a good car.

 

[Benzadmiral]

I have a Buick now, the larger Park Avenue, and love it. Mine has 58K on it and I've had not a single problem in over a year.

In 2000, I came back to NO for a visit from Denver and rented a 2000 or 2001 LeSabre. A smooth and comfortable car, esp. on the cart tracks we have around here masquerading as roads.

After 4-5 days in the Buick, I had a moment of shock when I climbed back into my Mercedes 420SEL. The Benz's steering was much heavier and the suspension somewhat stiffer . . . but the two cars were otherwise a lot alike.

 

[addyguy]

Go with the LeSabre or Regal. You'll have lots more problems with the smaller Skylark - they just had a lot of 'small problems' that will irritate and nickle and dime you to death. No used car guide ever really recommends them.....

 

[sciphi]

Check to see which one has less Dex-sludge in the cooling system. Likely that one will be in better shape in general.

The engine is really easy to access on the LeSabre since all the mounts are located down low.

The LeSabre will probably get better economy on the highway because of a more conservative final drive ratio.

 

[simple_gifts]

Quote:

The LeSabre will probably get better economy on the highway because of a more conservative final drive ratio


Probably, driving 55 gets you a lot of downshifts on slight inclines; real encouragement to keep it above 70mph.

 

[addyguy]

JohnnyHotcakes:

Any update on this? Which one (if any) did you get?

 

[MarginCalled]

I have a friend who is an ex-90s-LeSabre owner. That car had electrical issues galore, and got horrible gas mileage. Turn signals and horn didn't work, power windows had issues, 18mpg in daily usage, and starting to accumulate rust.

Smooth ride though.

 

[T-Keith]

Our 98 Lesabre got 30+ mpg consistantly, no drivetrain problems exept for lower intake gaskets. The only trouble we had was warped rotors.

Most reliable car you'll ever own. Best gas mileage for a full size car.