My Buick is a real gem, unfortunately it likes to break down. Quite often. And when it comes time to repair it, my car spends weeks and even months in the shop while they desperately try to order parts. Which is a real inconvenience , for a car that is six years old it has had a lot of repairs, the supercharger belt frayed at 120,000 miles, the transmission has started slipping recently, and the router and brake pads, thru no fault of my own wear out very quickly. But probably the biggest problem is the door mechanics, when I got the car it was two years old, and then the passenger door mechanism didn't always work, now it has completely stopped working. The interior, though nice looking, is very cheaply made, the leather seats tear even with proper maintenance, and the plastic dashboard warps. After five years I had to have the interior of both doors replaced, and the back of the passenger seat.
The car is nice to look at and makes a beautiful show piece, but it is just no meant to be a sturdy car. Also there is no cheap repair on a Buick Riviera, ie the bumper cost $1,400 new, and $800 refurbished. For those prices you could go out and buy a used Toyota that would be more reliable. But as for me I still prefer my 20 mile to the gallon, accident prone, money sucker. Because if it ain't a Buick, I ain't going to drive it.
There is absolutely no difference between the 1996 Riviera, and the 1998 Riviera. Everything remained the same for the life span of that body style, other than a few interior options becoming standard.
Sorry, but I own both a 1998 and a 1996 riv and there are many mechanical differences.
Really? "many mechanical differences" eh? Why don't you name some of them? or even--just one?
Haven't found even one difference yet? Apparently not.
I found one, the stupid power door locks are not interchangeable. I know of several Riviera's with the same passenger door problem, (passenger door power locks don't work) if any one knows of a way to fix it I would greatly appreciate it!
I have had no major problems with this car (97 WITH 192,000 miles), but the interiors are very cheaply made as stated before!
If there is power getting to the door lock actuator and it's not working, then the problem is in the actuator. Replace it.
If power is NOT getting to the actuator, then the problem is either in the switch or the door lock relay, or a fuse has blown. Unless somebody has been mucking about with the wiring, then the problem is not likely to be there.
And the door lock actuators ARE interchangeable between 1996 and 1998 Rivieras. They are not interchangeable from left to right though, but you already knew that. I hope.
Still awaiting a mechanical difference.
For 1998, Minor changes were made for the last full year of production. The Supercharged Engine and Sunroof options became standard, as did heated drivers and passenger seating.
1998 may have been the last full year of production, but there was a 1999 Riviera.
All 1998 and up Rivieras were equipped with the supercharged engine (and bucket seats vs. bench seats) but the moonroof and heated seats were NOT made standard.
In any case, changes in standard equipment are not "mechanical differences" -- don't compound your original incorrect statement with more misinformation.
Um, there were differences. check out buick forums like the one on regalgs.org. 95 had a different engine, is that a big enough difference? Series I as opposed to Series II in every other year. 97 saw a beefier tranny, the 65e opposed to the 60e (can't remember the exact part number, ht65e? hl65e?, doesn't matter) 97 saw beefed up suspension and minor adjustments to suspension and weight were made. 95/96 were more prone to ABS failures and other somewhat expensive failures. There were differences in engine/mechanical, the body stayed the same tho.
Hmm, first of all, the claim was "many mechanical differences" between the 1996 and 1998 models, yet you keep referring to the 1995 model.
True, the 1996 model got the Series II 3800 engine with 15 more hp; but it is still the same basic design 3.8 liter V6. The 1997 got an electronic torque converter clutch.
Your original comment claimed the 1996 was built better, yet now you say the 1995-1996 models had more ABS problems "and other somewhat expensive failures", while the later models had "beefed-up suspension"? You contradict yourself.
The riviera was built on the "G" platform as was the aurora. I own an aurora and have done much research on them. '95 was a poor year for electrical failures on both models. it was also the only year for the OBD-1 engine in both models. each year there were some changes like in '97 the brakes were upgraded. I think the transmission confusion is based on supercharged vs. naturally aspirated. N/A 3800 had the T60-E and the supercharged had a T65-E as far as I know. the aurora had a T80-E same as the cadillac STS. some other changes were the settings in the assisted steering were changed to make the car feel heavier at low speeds for 98 and 99. I don't know if buick bothered to change their settings. my condolences if you own one with the hideous blue interior. yes, auroras came with it too. YUCK!
I really love my 1998 Riv. This is a design that has really stood the test of time like no other US vehicle. The car can compete with new cars on the street look-wise.
The vehicle is 10 years old however, and the looks can be deceiving, so I would absolutely recommend having a mechanic take a good look at any 10 year old car that you want to buy.
The Riv is faster and smoother than I expected. It has a slew of contemporary upgrades like a compass, automatic headlights, automatic temperature controls, power trunk opener, dual temperature controls, air ride suspension. Some of these upgrades may not even be found in contemporary vehicles. The size of the Riv is what impressed me the most. This car has some serious room inside even though the great design makes it look small. It is actually longer than a Bentley coupe and has more back seat room than the Bentley!
The repair cost can be substantial and you can pretty much expect things like ac compressors, air ride compressors, motor mounts, etc. to fail after 10 years so if purchasing a Riv try to find one that has already had most major repairs done even if the mileage is low. If you buy a Riv you may want to get the repair books for the vehicle from Ebay, and do basic stuff yourself to offset dealer repair cost, unless you have access to a reasonably priced mechanic.
Because of the age of the vehicle, I would recommend the Riv as more of a weekend toy than an everyday commuter vehicle i.e. if you are patient enough to wait to drive this outstanding car. I can't wait until the next Riviera comes out.
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