1994 Buick Park Avenue Ultra review from North America
"Affordable Luxury, the Cadillac of Buicks!"
What things have gone wrong with the car?
When I bought it, I knew the exhaust had to be replaced. The harmonics for the supercharged needed to be replaced. The back right air strut went about 1 year after owning it.
Some of the electronics started acting up towards the end of the my ownership.
General comments?
I read many of the reviews on this site when I first was looking at used cars. It was down to a Buick Park Ave and a Mitsubishi Eclipse. The Park Ave is definitely a grandpa car, but that also means that they can be gotten cheaply and without much wear. This car is the most comfortable car I've ever ridden in. People who buy brand new Volkswagen Passats that you wouldn't even want to sit in the back seat of on your way to the grocery store should sit in the sofa that is the Park Ave. It handles very nicely, accelerates flawlessly, absorbs road bumps, and turns tightly. I actually think its turning radius (due to the Gran Touring suspension) is smaller than some compact / imports I've driven.
Sure, it's a big car. Sometimes it feels like backing up the queen mary. But it's survived three small collisions with no scratches or dents... and left Hondas and Toyotas wishing they had paid better attention.
Overall, I've been pleased with the maintenance costs. I know it's an old car with lots of bells and whistles to maintain, but I probably average about $100 a month in repairs over the life of the car (the exhaust was the big one, which was why I was able to get it so cheap in the first place).
Recommended reviews
| This car is a dream |
| 1993 - Park Avenue Ultra 3.8 supercharged Great car, to a point |
| Would you buy another car from this manufacturer? | Yes |
| Model year | 1994 |
| Year of manufacture | 1993 |
| First year of ownership | 2004 |
| Most recent year of ownership | 2008 |
| Engine and transmission | V6 3.8L Supercharged Automatic |
| Performance marks | 10 / 10 |
| Reliability marks | 8 / 10 |
| Comfort marks | 10 / 10 |
| Dealer Service marks | |
| Running Costs (higher is cheaper) | 8 / 10 |
| Overall marks (average of all marks) | |
| Distance when acquired | 128000 miles |
| Most recent distance | 177000 miles |
| Previous car | Dodge Shadow |
| Date of Entry | 26th January, 2008 |