1993 Buick Park Avenue Ultra 3.8 supercharged from North America

Summary:

Great car, to a point

Faults:

Nothing ever went wrong with this car until it had 101,000 miles on it.

At 101,000 miles I was driving on the freeway, going about 75 mph, and a car pulled out in front of me, I slammed on my brakes, then my car stalled. It restarted and seemed fine, until the next day I noticed the engine was knocking bad.

I replaced the engine for nearly four grand, and I just kick myself to this day, I should said my good byes to the Park Avenue then.

I had the Buick dealer replace the engine, and that is where my nightmares began. I picked the car up, the car checked out fine, or so they said, but all was not well, the rear main seal was not installed right, and it leaked massive oil, which I did not know about until it was too late. I had the engine replaced again, at the dealers cost this time. I picked my car up and for the next 20,000 miles this car leaked oil until I got so mad I went out and bought a new Honda Prelude, I made a huge scene when I went and dropped my Park Avenue for the last time to have the oil leak fixed. I love GM cars, and will purchase one again in the future. I have never recieved such horrible service from any car dealship in my 57 years of driving. I think they saw an old lady coming and thought they had a fool. GM and the zone area manager were not at all helpful. New engines are not supposed to leak oil, or use oil.

This car was very well built, as all Buicks are.

General Comments:

This was a stunning car! Black on black. It held up very well, even the paint, which had been a problem on past GM cars.

This car handled very well, and was very, very fast.

This car always got around 525 miles to tank of gas, which is very good when to take into account the cars size. I wish my Honda got as good mileage.

I truly miss the size, comfort, and power the Park Avenue had.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 19th October, 2004

18th Jan 2007, 22:31

I think it's great to see another American car fan not turned away by bad dealer service or turned off by a brand because of one car.

Chevy told me to replace my distributor in my 94 z28, then another told me to replace my water pump, which I did, then 25 miles later the head gasket blew after new tires, brakes, alternator, coil and wires and plugs were put on!

I now own a 97 supercharged Riviera and couldn't be happier! At 155k miles it has its issues, but it was highly maintained and I won't ever buy anything other than a Buick, Chevy or Pontiac.

Compliments on the review and not Buick bashing the Park Avenue (which, in Ultra form, are awesome sleepers) because the dealers were heartless, caniving, half-ass working, and lazy.

Wouldn't you really rather have a Buick?

26th Sep 2009, 19:07

Love my 95 Ultra. Lets ride baby.

20th Nov 2009, 13:18

Several years ago I bought a (used) 1994 Buick Park Avenue Ultra. It was very clean inside and out. I had a PSE supercharger installed. (GM does not make a supercharger) I had the car professionally detailed and it was returned to me in new condition other than for the miles. I still drive the car and see no need to buy a new vehicle. It now has 155,000 miles on the clock. The car is very fast when you need it to be. The leather seats are immaculate as is the rest of the interior. Mileage is around 28 MPG on a long drive. It's a very comfortable ride.

11th Feb 2010, 00:12

Yep, about to get one tomorrow; a 1993 Buick Park Avenue Ultra 3800 engine. It's as clean as a whistle.

1993 Buick Park Avenue 3.8 from North America

Summary:

Great reliable, low cost, safe, and comfortable commuter car!

Faults:

I have not had any problems with this car in the last 1,000 miles. The only complaint would be the poor material used on the headliner. In particular, the inside panels on the C-pillar are easily prone to sun damage.

General Comments:

This is an excellent 2nd or 3rd car for commuting back and forth to work - especially if you drive long distances in heavy traffic. The base car comes with numerous creature comforts standard. The front wheel drive is very good in the snow.

Purchase price for a used car is low since the car depreciates rapidly. The car depreciates rapidly because the resale market for this type car is small, not because of poor mechanical or electrical systems or body integrity.

I average about 23 MPG in mixed driving. The operating costs, such as insurance and taxes, are very low. The drive train is a bullet proof setup that is good for 150,000 to 200,000 if you take care of the maintenance.

Safety is good since it is a full size car. Anti-lock Brake System and a driver side airbag are standard.

This is not going to be a car that corners on rails. The handling is safe and predictable.

Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? Yes

Review Date: 24th March, 2004

26th Sep 2008, 13:21

1993 Buick Park Ave, 60,000 miles, Bought from original owner one year ago. Always garaged, faithfully maintained. Still like new inside and out. City mpg 20. Outstanding comfort and ride.

Only complaint is problem with front power door locks. Have had same problem on my 1993 Buick Regal and 1995 Buick Le Sabre. All three Buicks have been very reliable, economical, and otherwise trouble-free.

2nd Oct 2017, 10:08

City 20 MPG? Really? That's quite good! And do you get 31-32 MPG highway, as many owners have communicated?