1983 Buick Park Avenue Sedan review from North America

Fuel pump at 169,000.

Timing chain replaced with water pump at 202,000.

Control Arm/Tie rod bent and replaced at 156,000 after running over a deer.

Headliner starting to sag.

Power windows are deathly slow, but at least they work.

Heater core at 232000 miles.

Crank sensor at 188,000 miles.

The car has been rustproofed every year since new.

Transmission Pan leaks.

I bought this car for comfort on long commutes and it has served me well. Besides the things you would normally replace on a car, the repairs are few and infrequent. It may be old, boxy, and stodgy, but it still can average over 22 MPG on a highway trip. Performance is still very snappy for only having 140 horsepower when new, and the car burns or leaks less than a pint of oil every 5000 miles. It weighs over 4000 lbs, so it won't be winning any drag races. Sort of a "gutless wonder." The motor is so smooth that I sometimes mistakenly think it stalls on me. It can seat 6 people comfortably and make potholes seems nonexistent. Parallel parking is skill that takes some practice with a 18 foot long car.

The interior materials and fabrics have held up great over time. I bought a 1993 Le Sabre two years ago to replace this car. After dealing with windows coming off their tracks, cheap plastic interior parts, electronics nightmares, and a plastic intake manifold that failed and nearly destroyed my engine, I sent it packing (the 1993) for $1500. Pretty sad that GM build quality has gotten worse since the early 80's. My 1983 Park Ave has a beautiful dark blue cloth interior. Why must all new cars come in shades of gray? I test drove a 2003 le Sabre last week. FORGET IT. It's pretty sad that a 24 year old car has more road feel and better build quality than relatively new one.

I know Detroit will never build a car like this again, but if their reliability even came close to my car, Imports wouldn't stand a chance.