1985 Buick LeSabre Limited Sedan review from North America

A/C barely works.

Front suspension bushings.

Fuel tank.

My Grandma died 6 years ago, and the car sat idle until the summer of 1999.

I had to replace the fuel tank because of catching one of my punk-ass neighbors dumping sugar inside.

The V8 has plenty of power, but I wish it had a 350 or 400 or something. It drinks almost as much gas as the other two anyway. I average about 15 or 16 city, and 21 to 22 highway.

I'm surprised how well the car runs, considering how old it is and how long it sat.

The transmission seems kind of goofy, it has an extra "false shift" at about 45 MPH. GM dealers and mechanics say it's normal (something involving the torque convertor), and I guess it's okay since it lowers engine speed even more for highway driving. I've owned many GM cars, this is the first "false shift" instance I've seen or noticed.

The car has below average rust for Northern Wisconsin, and the frame, floors, and body panels are still very solid. I can't believe how reliable and dependable it is! The only repairs are normal maintence like oil and tires. I may fix the A/C next summer (it's almost September already).

It started on the third try after sitting 5 years, and has no trouble starting at temperatures as low as -40, although when it's really cold the car jerks and surges something ferocious. This clears up after 4 or 5 minutes of warm-up. It also has Positration and Buicks' "Gran Touring Suspension". I can notice a bit of the "sportier" difference in ride and handling form my Dad's floaty '87 Caprice.

The seats are the most comfortable I've ever seen. And there's more than enough room for 4 or 5 adults, even 6 if you sacrifice a bit of comfort in front.

One odd feature I like is a flourescent-looking LeSabre Limited script and ring on the right hand instrument panel that lights up at night. I guess it was unique for Buick in the 80's.

The ORIGINAL stereo, an auto-reverse cassette with 5-band equalizer, still blows many modern systems away.

This creampuff was loaded with just about every option for '85, I still believe it's better than many new cars, even by today's standards.