I always think of an old man car when I hear Buick but the last few car shows I've been to, they've been showing a lot of great, sleek new things. I'm not sure of their safety rating or anything like that though.
I have a Buick Enclave. I love it! It is my favorite car I have ever owned. I had a Toyota Sienna mini van for only 2 yrs before I traded in for the Enclave (not a mm decision, but I hated the Sienna). It has tons of space - as much as any of the mini vans I have had and it is a semi luxury car as well. I have the captains chairs in the second row which makes it easy to get to the back row. Gas mileage is about 17 city - that is mostly what I drive. I highly recommend it!!!!
I always think of an old man car when I hear Buick but the last few car shows I've been to, they've been showing a lot of great, sleek new things. I'm not sure of their safety rating or anything like that though.
This is was my thought as well. They are looking a lot sleeker and less old-person lately.
I have a Buick Enclave. I love it! It is my favorite car I have ever owned. I had a Toyota Sienna mini van for only 2 yrs before I traded in for the Enclave (not a mm decision, but I hated the Sienna). It has tons of space - as much as any of the mini vans I have had and it is a semi luxury car as well. I have the captains chairs in the second row which makes it easy to get to the back row. Gas mileage is about 17 city - that is mostly what I drive. I highly recommend it!!!!
Great to hear. We were thinking of getting one mini van for me and the Enclave for DH..... it will be for towing around 3 kiddos under 5 years... do you find it hard to get the kids in/out of the car seats in the Enclave b/c the doors don't slide? Why didn't you like the Sienna? I was thinking of the Chrysler Town & Country with the 2 captain chairs for a van purchase..
They are well made cars. I know people feel they are sorta old person cars, but my first car was a buick, might not have looked fantastic, but it was built to last. Last models out over the years look very modern. I really wanted a lacrosse if we went with a car.
Extremely smooth ride. I always thought of old person car until we got one as a rental on a long drive. It was great. My best friend also drives an enclave and I really like it.
Old people car. My ILs bought one a year ago and they have actually had issues dealing with Buick in getting service in different states. (They have a house in FL and in NC)
Note: my in-laws (who are 70, but very old and frumpy for 70, if you're wondering about demographics) have a Buick sedan that is just a few years old and it has had a ton of problems.
They are well made cars. I know people feel they are sorta old person cars, but my first car was a buick, might not have looked fantastic, but it was built to last. Last models out over the years look very modern. I really wanted a lacrosse if we went with a car.
Yup. My first car was also a Buick. I called it Big Blue. It was a Park Avenue with blue vinyl seats.
I have a Buick Enclave. I love it! It is my favorite car I have ever owned. I had a Toyota Sienna mini van for only 2 yrs before I traded in for the Enclave (not a mm decision, but I hated the Sienna). It has tons of space - as much as any of the mini vans I have had and it is a semi luxury car as well. I have the captains chairs in the second row which makes it easy to get to the back row. Gas mileage is about 17 city - that is mostly what I drive. I highly recommend it!!!!
Great to hear. We were thinking of getting one mini van for me and the Enclave for DH..... it will be for towing around 3 kiddos under 5 years... do you find it hard to get the kids in/out of the car seats in the Enclave b/c the doors don't slide? Why didn't you like the Sienna? I was thinking of the Chrysler Town & Country with the 2 captain chairs for a van purchase..
For me the Toyota was just cheaply made. So many little things that were annoying. Uncomfortable seats, only one pocket on the passenger seat, not the driver, no auto lights, crappy windshield wipers, floor didn't lay completely flat when seats were stowed. The tires also wore out after only 20k miles. The sliding doors were good, but the regular doors are not a problem. I have one 5 yr old though not 3 kids!
The Enclave = Chevy Traverse = GMC Acadia, just in case you were considered about the "stigma" of the Buick line. I'm pretty sure our next SUV will be one of those three, depending on the best deal at the time. I'm sure you could get an Acadia or Traverse with all of the luxury upgrades of the Enclave.
The Enclave = Chevy Traverse = GMC Acadia, just in case you were considered about the "stigma" of the Buick line. I'm pretty sure our next SUV will be one of those three, depending on the best deal at the time. I'm sure you could get an Acadia or Traverse with all of the luxury upgrades of the Enclave.
We actually looked at all of them and the Enclave was just about the same price - only about $1 k more and much nicer than the other two. I also like the exterior look myself.
Post by morningmania on Dec 6, 2012 8:27:47 GMT -5
I had a Buick right before my current car. We loved it, and I would definitely go back to them. I loved the storage options that I had in mine. It was just one cut above what I had been looking for at the time. I think that most people think old person car, but they are really coming out of their shell on that aspect.
I used to own a Buick and it was a great car, but it also had the famed 3800 engine, which is one of the best engines ever made. Unfortunately I know nothing about the engines GM has been producing since 2008.
They do get really great ratings on Consumer Reports. I've bought a lot of cars and CR has never failed me. At this point they are getting ratings as good as Honda and Toyota. Both GM and Ford have really stepped it up the past few years to compete foreign brands.
I rented a chevy traverse this summer, which is the same car as the enclave, and our model had the captians chairs in the middle row. I really liked the car.
Depending on the size you're looking for, they're coming out with a new SUV/Crossover, just a little smaller than the Enclave - more similar to the Chevy Equinox - called the Encore. I'm looking at getting one next year.
Granted, my dad worked for GM for 30+ years, so I'm a little biased, but I think their styling has definitely taken a turn for the better in the past few years.
BF has a Buick Regal GS, and while I tease him about it being an old man car, it's really nice. He loves it and has had 3-4 Buicks as cars, all with great track records. My dad also drives one, and has really enjoyed it as well.
My family has driven mostly Oldsmobiles until they were discontinued and then switched to Buick. I love them. I've had friends mock me for driving a granny car since I got my first one, but as soon as they ride in one, they change their tune. They are so comfy, rude so smoothly, and are quite reliable. I also loved plowing through snowy roads in my badass beast of a sedan, passing SUVs that were spinning out and stuck.
MrBAMF seriously considered a Buick Regal GS - its technically an Opel in Europe = A bad ass car. Turbo charged. Crap for gas mileage. A hoss.
I had an old Buick Regal GS with the supercharger, it was more luxurious and had more get up and speed than my Mustang. I LOVED that car, old people car or not. I drove it for about 3 hours per day commuting for years and it was a great and comfy ride.
Ditto the old person car stigma, but yes, they've made some big steps forward in terms of styling and comfort. We have a friend, 30 years old, who has already decided that his next vehicle will be a Buick.
I have the Buick Rendezvous; it's been the most comfortable car I've ever had. And bonus points for heated seats.
My 2nd row is bench style (bucket seat?); which pretty much sucks for me when I actually use the 3rd row and my DD has not figured out how to fold the 2nd row seat appropriately so that she isn't stepping/climbing all over it to get into the 3rd row.
I don't know what the Enclave's rear storage is like; but if you're looking for baby/kid friendly, I'd take the stroller along and see how it fits back there and keep in mind what in all you will need to stash in the rear. My only regret is I cannot fit anything else in the rear if I'm using the 3rd row and bringing the umbrella stroller. My jogger does NOT fit in the rear when 3rd row is in use.
It has been on our list for a while but we think of the old people stigma. The regal and Lacrosse are gorgeous. My coworker has an old one and it runs like a gem. He is older.
We have a Rendezvous, too. I love it. It's super comfy, drives really well and feels much, much more solid then the other SUVs we looked at. We really don't use the 3rd row (only one kid), but I like having it - occasionally we need to be able to transport 4 adults + a convertible car seat, so it's nice having the option of the extra row. Storage when the 3rd row is up is the only downside - there's really none. But it's been a great car, and we would absolutely consider another Buick when we look at replacing this one.
This is from working at a GM dealership for 2 years that offered Chevy, GMC, Buick, and Cadillac. Often buyers who wanted a Cadillac but couldn't afford it drove away in a Buick.