I really liked this car when it came out - I remember in particular being amazed by the “dual zone” climate control (something in many economy cars nowadays!). Great styling and the bulletproof 3800 V6. Sadly the Park Ave evolved into a more bloated car later in the decade (drove a 2000 model briefly) with cheaper interior materials. Notably, the seat controls would fall right out of their base on my low mileage car. At least the 3800 continued to get better.
I had 2 PA’s. My first one was a 95 and my second one was a 91. The 91 was MINT. easily in my top 3 favorite cars of all time. if I can get my hands on another one I won’t let it go.
I'm from Croatia. A long time ago GM used to sell cars here (real american cars, I'm not talking Opel). The only Buick model offered was this gen Park Avenue. A few years ago I bought one as I like them and this one was dirt cheap. I love it :) Navigating one of these through the streets of a small old european town is quite an experience. Mine has the "Gran Touring suspension" and it's still a wallowy boat, can't imagine what it's like with the regular one. What sucks is having to get all the parts from the US. And the interior is absolutely shit quality. And it rusts everywhere. Still love it ;)
I like understated cars! I was a newly licensed driver, 19 years old when this car was new, so it was not on my radar or in my price range. But if I had been my current age back then, I'd probably have taken a serious look at it. I've always liked bench seats, column shifters and a smooth, comfortable floaty ride. I think this car hit the mark for American luxury with good performance (for the era) and understated looks.
for an american car, the PA actually can be found a lot here in Belgium. I've personally driven the NA model and you can tell that it was at the very least an attempt of GM to retain a higher standard of quality and ride. It's got a ride quality comparable to french executive sedans of the early ninetees, which is not a bad thing at all. Ofcourse it isn't a car recommended for those who want a tight and direct feel, but for those who want a good mixture of comfort and decent baseline quality...it's actually a standout of those days.
To judge a American car you really need to drive it in the usa. It would be like comparing a zebra to a dolphin if you took the dolphin to put it in the Serengeti you'd be like this animal stupid it makes no sense or if you took the zebra to the ocean. That nice squishy soft suspension that Europeans make fun of come drive down a Detroit or Canadian freeway with our harsh Winters and our chug hole filled roads. I know somebody who had a jaguar and he had to get rid of it because it was sprung so tight that would literally make his back hurt when he got to work. That Jaguar on nice smooth European backroads would leave that wallowing Buick in its dust. Are roads are bigger and wider so our cars can be as well. European might look at that 3.8 Buick motor and think that it's inefficient and old-fashioned unsophisticated. We're an American season as simple and inexpensive way to make power just a large displacement lump with low-tech to keep the price down. Plus because our cars tend to be bigger we need the extra displacement to get it going. To be honest with you a BMW 5 series even though we'll hold the road in the handling as much more sophisticated feels exactly the same driving down in American freeway that goes straight for hundreds of miles as a Ford F-150 pickup truck. Matter of fact the pickup truck because it's got softer suspension probably ride a little better.
@@robertstone9988 Agree with you. For a few years, we drove a Mercedes Benz w204 c-class and the suspension was great when cornering twisting roads but it was too harsh for everyday driving. We are now driving an Explorer and although it is a completely different vehicle is a lot smoother and confortable, - although I miss the Benz when taking on the same highways curves.
@@robertstone9988 you do realize I just said that I liked the fact that the Buick was reminiscent of french cars, which you guys probably don't know because you either had the small renaults of the eighties or just never had them in the US at all (apart from the citroen DS, which I reckon we all can agree just outclasses everything when it comes to cushiony comfort). Anyway, I was praising the buick PA for being a good alternative to europe's typical softer suspension cars like the french brands and jaguars that AREN't the sport models of their range (also check that out, most likely that friend drove a sport model). As for the roadholding though...no, that may be true for current models, but most eighties and ninetees (not to mention anything before that) if it wasn't a sportmodel or a proper muscle car, it was unlikely that an american car would have equal roadholding to a european car. I have driven american cars and european cars in america and in europe, considering I usually travel at least twice a year to the US for the concours d'elegance, I will admit american cars are usually at their best in the US and visa versa, but my entire point was that the buick PA was one that was perfect for both sides of the pond (not to mention a lot cheaper than its size and comfort equivalents)
@@TheChill001 I got what you were saying my comment wasn't necessarily directed to you. I was just tacking on my own opinion. And his Jaguar was a performance Jaguar this is a S-Type with the supercharger. Actually comparably numbers wise very close to a Buick at the same era. 3.9 L supercharged V8 versus 3.8 L supercharged v6 both of them relatively the same size four-door sedans leather power everything sunroof. The Jaguar was much faster and like I said probably held the road a thousand times better and it was all right as long as you got it on the freeway but driving around these Urban streets with the choke holes and the speed bumps and the curbs a Jaguar I did not like the way it wrote it beat the hell out of you. And at some point you have to come to the realization that we're not going race car driving we're just driving from one side of town to the other so why would I value road handling over a nice comfortable ride? I'm not putting you in the same group as I put most Europeans and if you feel like I put you in that group I'm sorry it was not my intent. I have a Dutch friend named Remy who loves American cars and catches shit for all the time. He drives a Corvette in Holland he sticks out like a sore thumb. A joke with him about how hard is it to rev match with wooden shoes. He jokes to the Americans don't like European cars because we're too fat to fit in them. I really do think it comes down to the right car for the right element. If you had to do a big Cross country tour like in United States and drive from New York to California when you left New York in your lotus Elise he's a big shooting grit on your face and you'd be like I love this car. By the time you got to Ohio and the highway is beating you to death and you're all cramped up from being in a little tight cockpit and you have nowhere to put your big gulp you be wishing that you were in a big Chevy suburban or Cadillac. But if you go to a track day you'll be the most miserable person in the world if you're out there in a Mercury Montego.
I had this one. It was really really really great. I loved everything about it. Gorgeous, super comfy, fully opted. I disagree with u saying it missed the mark it really didn't. It remains my favorite car ever. There is only one thing I didn't like. The steering wheel was terrible. The horn buttons were fd up and the airbag was waaaaay to big. It also had a major water leak in the cabin which ended up killing the electrical system sending the seats all the way up and forward permanently! I sold it to a girl who was 5 ft tall. She was the only person I think could drive it at that point!
Hey Jon. Enjoyed the video. It does have a timeless, classy and elegant design. I actually just purchased a 95 Buick Park Ave last year. It's not the Ultra. Only 133,000 miles. Super clean. It just glides over the road. Best riding car I have ever driven. I have driven a few luxury makes. Very reliable. No major issues just basic maintenance I had to replace the alternator, crank sensor and oil pressure sensor. I'm getting 29 to 30 mpg on the hwy. About 20 mpg in town. The Buick 3800 engine is bulletproof. A lot of mechanics recommend it. Clean examples are hard to find but if you can find one. Go for it!
I love Buick, I had a 1988 Buick Electra T-type and it was the best car I ever had! The 3800 engine was indestructible. I made a mistake and bought a Ford Transit Connect. I drive 5000 miles a year so I’m well below average yearly mileage. I take very good care of my vehicles because if I take care of my vehicle, it will take care of me. The Ford Transit Connect proved me wrong! New brakes and rotors every 1500 miles, gear shift stuck in park, transmission continuously slipping, doors would fill with water and I would have to drain them after a rain shower. I could go on! Lol, I went and bought me a new 2020 Chevrolet Malibu and I’ve never been happier!
I had 1996 Park I had park-ave @2006 and Now I drive a 1992 Buick lesabre , will still with me and I use it in daily basis and never change it, those cars are great
I always loved the styling of this generation Park Avenue. The 3800 V6 supercharged or not was the best pushrod V6 ever made. It's legendary for it's dependability and ease of service. I had one as a company car and I thought the overall quality was excellent. The LS 400 is frankly one of the best cars ever made but it was several thousand dollars more than the Park Avenue and remember we are talking almost 30 years ago. Several thousand dollars was a lot of money. Buick had a real problem because there clientele was aging. Younger buyers would never consider a Buick. Especially at that time. Buick had a monumental task changing the perception of their vehicles. They were well known for their dependability but only old people seem to buy them. Of course thanks to the success of Buick in China the marque is still with us. It's ironic that Buick doesn't even build a passenger car today. Everything is a crossover or SUV. With the exception of the Enclave the rest of the product line up is built overseas. It appears Buick has been successful in attracting younger buyers with their crossovers but it's a shame that they got out of the car business. The last full size Buick sedan was then Lacrosse. It had great styling, a tasteful interior, a 307 HP V6, and you could get AWD. Sadly it was a poor seller, not because the car was bad but because crossovers and SUV's have taken over the world. If Buick was going to survive they had to change. You got to fish where the fish are. Cheers!!!
Great comment, thank you! After the late 80's and early 90's, Buick lost it's way. Even in the 2010's when they were producing some really good cars, they had this 'stink' about them. There cars weren't as upscale or "sharp" looking as the imports like Acura or Lexus. They were stylish, comfortable, and powerful enough... but they never successfully made the transition to "near-luxury". Too much old-school and just "old". their new products are good (the Regal was great), but I wonder truly how many buyers looking at an Acura or Lexus add "Buick" to their list.
@@AllCarswithJon Buick was never meant to challenge BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, or Infiniti. Even Genesis is well above Buick. Buick was meant to challenge Acura, Audi, Mercury, and Chrysler. In other words, near-luxury brands. Not true luxury brands that Cadillac is there to challenge. What Lincoln used to be.
Another great review, heck I prefer watching these retro shows with your comments. Thanks for the editing work that I know goes into creating this content. Next year I turn 55 now I'm old enough to purchase a Buick 🤣🤣🤣
Just bought a 1996 Park Avenue Ultra with the 240 HP 3.8 last week. The extra 35 HP make 0-60 MPH in 7 seconds. One other benefit not mentioned about these cars are the excellent seats. Mine has had 2 previous owners & only 21000 miles. Just spectacular condition & still smells & drives like new. Previous owner's in their 70's always garaged ,babied it & was never winter driven. Even has unchecked original 'Gold Seal" Whitewall tires. I will keep it & as I have 3 other cars & will continue to drive it for pleasure & cherish it. It's like having a New Buick but unfortunately now all they build are SUV's : (.
As for the Jaguar-like styling: I own a Park Avenue in Europe where it's less known than in the US and I get a lot of comments of people who say that it looks like a jaguar or who say that they mistook it for a jaguar. I think it is comparable to the XJ 40, especially the euro version with the smaller tail lights.
Buicks at the time were for older buyers. Those older buyers preferred a front bench seat instead of front bucket seats. Once those older buyers died off, bucket seats became the norm.
A person trading in an 8 year old car would be very happy with all the numbers. Although they would drive at 50 mph on the interstate and slow down for the smoothest train tracks.
You still more of these on the road than many vehicles of its age, likely due to the legendary reliability of the 3800 BUICK V6. As far as your comment on the HP: that 205 HP was pretty impressive out of a V6 for the time. You gotta remember the 350 5.7 V8 in the Chevy trucks of the same era only had 210 hp.
In my neck of the woods these cars are like unicorns - fabled beauties of yesteryear, but finding one for sale in good shape without a million miles on it is like asking for the moon. Those who have em know what they got. I look for em every now & again but I doubt I will ever spy one for sale by me, reasonable.
I had a 2004 Buick Park Avenue Ultra that I really enjoyed. It was a great highway cruiser and navigated the mountains between Tennessee and Virginia without having to downshift. It had a cavernous trunk that handled all the packages on holiday trips back home. The Supercharger required premium gasoline but it had plenty of horsepower. The big issue I had was with the overhead control box that fell out with broken plastic fasteners. Another example of GM being cheap with what should have been a higher quality product. Ended up trading it in for a Ford Edge SUV.
@@AllCarswithJon Ford Edge hit the sweet spot for us as they were compact enough without being too small. We ended up with 2 of them, still having one of them. The other one we just traded in for an Acadia SLT. Only issues we had with the Edges were Master Cylinders that went bad on both of them. Overall we have had no issues with the normally aspirated V6s.
This thing could be made into a serious sleeper! I would love to see the GM 3.8L V6 aka the 6 cylinder LS being twincharged not just with a supercharger!
Too much power on these barges will lead to eventual transmission replacement. No one should be racing American barges. They only need enough power for swiftly passing on the highway and that's about it. I myself seldom get the RPMs above 2000 in my 2001 park avenue . Don't want to pay $3500 to replace a car which is valued at $2000 😊
I would still prefer the Roadmaster over the Park Avenue! It's bigger and has more room inside! The V8 engine is a better performer! No one buys cars this big for fuel economy! The Roadmaster was also cheaper!
Actually, both the LeSabre and park avenue are faster due to the 3800 fine tuning and lighter weight . There's actually a video here on UA-cam where they race the lesabre against the Roadmaster and the LeSabre won. Cheers 🍻
@@Crippledinvegas I'm sure you're right. However, I would still get the Roadmaster(at least the 1994-1996 versions). They were still cheaper than the Park Avenue.
Buicks were for older buyers at the time. GM was not interested in alienating their best customers back then. They had Cadillac for technological breakthroughs.
I've been a big fan of Park Avenues and LeSabres for many years . I owned a 98 LeSabre Custom with all options and I currently own a 2001 Park Ave Base with every option except the supercharger.. solid car & cheap to maintain . However, I never agreed with GM that these cars will persuade European Luxury cars. I is a full size American sendan at a good price and with great gas milage compared to it's American barge competition like the Grand Marquis, Crown Victoria etc. sadly these cars have all gone the way of the wooly mammoth as car companies abandoned comfort in exchange for bells and whistles like touch screen controls, lane departure warnings , blind spot warnings and alarms to let you know that you forgot your baby in the back seat. All features that us older drivers have no need for . Enjoy your tacky features kids 😂 I'll still enjoy the comfort of sitting on a sofa while driving my car .
The front end does look similar to the Jaguar XJ6(?) with the square headlights. So for the time…its kinda true. Early 90’s Buick and Oldsmobile was pretty good from GM.
Remember, the Series 2 3800 V6 made 205hp in 1995 and was normally aspirated. The supercharged Series 2 made 240hp. I would prefer that supercharged V6.
Great video, I agree with your thoughts on this car. Thanks! I do think the price at the time was dizzying. Was it 20 for the roadmaster, and 30g for this? To save 10g I would put up with a cheap interior of a road master.
Lindo, acá en Ecuador existen pero muy pocos y en este momento hay un dealer que vende uno flamante, perese nuevo, me preocupan los repuestos. Todavía hay repuestos? El vehículo que venden es del año 1993. Mi Papá tuvo uno de estos maravillosos de su época. Saludos Atentamente: Jaime
I hav had a very similar car, a 1989 Cadillac Sedan de Ville, for 8 years as dayly driver in Germany. Loved and still missing that smooth ride and cushy seats. (And don't miss that crappy interior materials and poor build-quality).
@@Wasabi9111 I never have done more than about 80mph. It's not scary, but the Cad is telling you, that it's not about that. I love and miss that special classic american way of riding. Even with my current car (a Hyundai that can go over 125mph) I don't go much faster than I did with the Cad.
IMO...the supercharged aspect is not needed, and does not really make much difference in acceleration, etc. My 1993 Park Ave does well enough, with the normal 3800V6. Only 35more hp? Why bother?
I think the styling is gorgeous. The best part in my opinion are those classy push buttons door handles.
I really liked this car when it came out - I remember in particular being amazed by the “dual zone” climate control (something in many economy cars nowadays!).
Great styling and the bulletproof 3800 V6.
Sadly the Park Ave evolved into a more bloated car later in the decade (drove a 2000 model briefly) with cheaper interior materials. Notably, the seat controls would fall right out of their base on my low mileage car. At least the 3800 continued to get better.
I had 2 PA’s. My first one was a 95 and my second one was a 91. The 91 was MINT. easily in my top 3 favorite cars of all time. if I can get my hands on another one I won’t let it go.
I'm from Croatia. A long time ago GM used to sell cars here (real american cars, I'm not talking Opel). The only Buick model offered was this gen Park Avenue. A few years ago I bought one as I like them and this one was dirt cheap. I love it :)
Navigating one of these through the streets of a small old european town is quite an experience. Mine has the "Gran Touring suspension" and it's still a wallowy boat, can't imagine what it's like with the regular one.
What sucks is having to get all the parts from the US. And the interior is absolutely shit quality. And it rusts everywhere. Still love it ;)
Cool! Thanks for the comment! :)
I like understated cars! I was a newly licensed driver, 19 years old when this car was new, so it was not on my radar or in my price range. But if I had been my current age back then, I'd probably have taken a serious look at it. I've always liked bench seats, column shifters and a smooth, comfortable floaty ride. I think this car hit the mark for American luxury with good performance (for the era) and understated looks.
for an american car, the PA actually can be found a lot here in Belgium. I've personally driven the NA model and you can tell that it was at the very least an attempt of GM to retain a higher standard of quality and ride. It's got a ride quality comparable to french executive sedans of the early ninetees, which is not a bad thing at all. Ofcourse it isn't a car recommended for those who want a tight and direct feel, but for those who want a good mixture of comfort and decent baseline quality...it's actually a standout of those days.
To judge a American car you really need to drive it in the usa. It would be like comparing a zebra to a dolphin if you took the dolphin to put it in the Serengeti you'd be like this animal stupid it makes no sense or if you took the zebra to the ocean. That nice squishy soft suspension that Europeans make fun of come drive down a Detroit or Canadian freeway with our harsh Winters and our chug hole filled roads. I know somebody who had a jaguar and he had to get rid of it because it was sprung so tight that would literally make his back hurt when he got to work. That Jaguar on nice smooth European backroads would leave that wallowing Buick in its dust. Are roads are bigger and wider so our cars can be as well. European might look at that 3.8 Buick motor and think that it's inefficient and old-fashioned unsophisticated. We're an American season as simple and inexpensive way to make power just a large displacement lump with low-tech to keep the price down. Plus because our cars tend to be bigger we need the extra displacement to get it going. To be honest with you a BMW 5 series even though we'll hold the road in the handling as much more sophisticated feels exactly the same driving down in American freeway that goes straight for hundreds of miles as a Ford F-150 pickup truck. Matter of fact the pickup truck because it's got softer suspension probably ride a little better.
@@robertstone9988 Agree with you. For a few years, we drove a Mercedes Benz w204 c-class and the suspension was great when cornering twisting roads but it was too harsh for everyday driving. We are now driving an Explorer and although it is a completely different vehicle is a lot smoother and confortable, - although I miss the Benz when taking on the same highways curves.
@@hdsalinas it's a great white shark is a deadly predator but can be out done by a squirrel if they're fighting in an oak tree.
@@robertstone9988 you do realize I just said that I liked the fact that the Buick was reminiscent of french cars, which you guys probably don't know because you either had the small renaults of the eighties or just never had them in the US at all (apart from the citroen DS, which I reckon we all can agree just outclasses everything when it comes to cushiony comfort). Anyway, I was praising the buick PA for being a good alternative to europe's typical softer suspension cars like the french brands and jaguars that AREN't the sport models of their range (also check that out, most likely that friend drove a sport model).
As for the roadholding though...no, that may be true for current models, but most eighties and ninetees (not to mention anything before that) if it wasn't a sportmodel or a proper muscle car, it was unlikely that an american car would have equal roadholding to a european car.
I have driven american cars and european cars in america and in europe, considering I usually travel at least twice a year to the US for the concours d'elegance, I will admit american cars are usually at their best in the US and visa versa, but my entire point was that the buick PA was one that was perfect for both sides of the pond (not to mention a lot cheaper than its size and comfort equivalents)
@@TheChill001 I got what you were saying my comment wasn't necessarily directed to you. I was just tacking on my own opinion. And his Jaguar was a performance Jaguar this is a S-Type with the supercharger. Actually comparably numbers wise very close to a Buick at the same era. 3.9 L supercharged V8 versus 3.8 L supercharged v6 both of them relatively the same size four-door sedans leather power everything sunroof. The Jaguar was much faster and like I said probably held the road a thousand times better and it was all right as long as you got it on the freeway but driving around these Urban streets with the choke holes and the speed bumps and the curbs a Jaguar I did not like the way it wrote it beat the hell out of you. And at some point you have to come to the realization that we're not going race car driving we're just driving from one side of town to the other so why would I value road handling over a nice comfortable ride? I'm not putting you in the same group as I put most Europeans and if you feel like I put you in that group I'm sorry it was not my intent. I have a Dutch friend named Remy who loves American cars and catches shit for all the time. He drives a Corvette in Holland he sticks out like a sore thumb. A joke with him about how hard is it to rev match with wooden shoes. He jokes to the Americans don't like European cars because we're too fat to fit in them. I really do think it comes down to the right car for the right element. If you had to do a big Cross country tour like in United States and drive from New York to California when you left New York in your lotus Elise he's a big shooting grit on your face and you'd be like I love this car. By the time you got to Ohio and the highway is beating you to death and you're all cramped up from being in a little tight cockpit and you have nowhere to put your big gulp you be wishing that you were in a big Chevy suburban or Cadillac. But if you go to a track day you'll be the most miserable person in the world if you're out there in a Mercury Montego.
I had this one. It was really really really great. I loved everything about it. Gorgeous, super comfy, fully opted. I disagree with u saying it missed the mark it really didn't. It remains my favorite car ever. There is only one thing I didn't like. The steering wheel was terrible. The horn buttons were fd up and the airbag was waaaaay to big. It also had a major water leak in the cabin which ended up killing the electrical system sending the seats all the way up and forward permanently! I sold it to a girl who was 5 ft tall. She was the only person I think could drive it at that point!
Hey Jon. Enjoyed the video. It does have a timeless, classy and elegant design. I actually just purchased a 95 Buick Park Ave last year. It's not the Ultra. Only 133,000 miles. Super clean. It just glides over the road. Best riding car I have ever driven. I have driven a few luxury makes. Very reliable. No major issues just basic maintenance I had to replace the alternator, crank sensor and oil pressure sensor. I'm getting 29 to 30 mpg on the hwy. About 20 mpg in town. The Buick 3800 engine is bulletproof. A lot of mechanics recommend it. Clean examples are hard to find but if you can find one. Go for it!
I love Buick, I had a 1988 Buick Electra T-type and it was the best car I ever had! The 3800 engine was indestructible. I made a mistake and bought a Ford Transit Connect. I drive 5000 miles a year so I’m well below average yearly mileage. I take very good care of my vehicles because if I take care of my vehicle, it will take care of me. The Ford Transit Connect proved me wrong! New brakes and rotors every 1500 miles, gear shift stuck in park, transmission continuously slipping, doors would fill with water and I would have to drain them after a rain shower. I could go on! Lol, I went and bought me a new 2020 Chevrolet Malibu and I’ve never been happier!
I had 1996 Park I had park-ave @2006 and Now I drive a 1992 Buick lesabre , will still with me and I use it in daily basis and never change it, those cars are great
I always loved the styling of this generation Park Avenue. The 3800 V6 supercharged or not was the best pushrod V6 ever made. It's legendary for it's dependability and ease of service. I had one as a company car and I thought the overall quality was excellent. The LS 400 is frankly one of the best cars ever made but it was several thousand dollars more than the Park Avenue and remember we are talking almost 30 years ago. Several thousand dollars was a lot of money. Buick had a real problem because there clientele was aging. Younger buyers would never consider a Buick. Especially at that time. Buick had a monumental task changing the perception of their vehicles. They were well known for their dependability but only old people seem to buy them. Of course thanks to the success of Buick in China the marque is still with us. It's ironic that Buick doesn't even build a passenger car today. Everything is a crossover or SUV. With the exception of the Enclave the rest of the product line up is built overseas. It appears Buick has been successful in attracting younger buyers with their crossovers but it's a shame that they got out of the car business. The last full size Buick sedan was then Lacrosse. It had great styling, a tasteful interior, a 307 HP V6, and you could get AWD. Sadly it was a poor seller, not because the car was bad but because crossovers and SUV's have taken over the world. If Buick was going to survive they had to change. You got to fish where the fish are. Cheers!!!
Great comment, thank you!
After the late 80's and early 90's, Buick lost it's way. Even in the 2010's when they were producing some really good cars, they had this 'stink' about them. There cars weren't as upscale or "sharp" looking as the imports like Acura or Lexus. They were stylish, comfortable, and powerful enough... but they never successfully made the transition to "near-luxury". Too much old-school and just "old".
their new products are good (the Regal was great), but I wonder truly how many buyers looking at an Acura or Lexus add "Buick" to their list.
@@AllCarswithJon Buick was never meant to challenge BMW, Mercedes-Benz, Lexus, or Infiniti. Even Genesis is well above Buick. Buick was meant to challenge Acura, Audi, Mercury, and Chrysler. In other words, near-luxury brands. Not true luxury brands that Cadillac is there to challenge. What Lincoln used to be.
Well said...all of it.
Another great review, heck I prefer watching these retro shows with your comments. Thanks for the editing work that I know goes into creating this content. Next year I turn 55 now I'm old enough to purchase a Buick 🤣🤣🤣
Much appreciated! Ahhh, you've finally made it to "Buick Age". :) LOL!
LOL, I made it to Buick age at 24! I’m 56 now.
Just bought a 1996 Park Avenue Ultra with the 240 HP 3.8 last week. The extra 35 HP make 0-60 MPH in 7 seconds. One other benefit not mentioned about these cars are the excellent seats. Mine has had 2 previous owners & only 21000 miles. Just spectacular condition & still smells & drives like new. Previous owner's in their 70's always garaged ,babied it & was never winter driven. Even has unchecked original 'Gold Seal" Whitewall tires. I will keep it & as I have 3 other cars & will continue to drive it for pleasure & cherish it. It's like having a New Buick but unfortunately now all they build are SUV's : (.
Awesome find!!!
As for the Jaguar-like styling: I own a Park Avenue in Europe where it's less known than in the US and I get a lot of comments of people who say that it looks like a jaguar or who say that they mistook it for a jaguar. I think it is comparable to the XJ 40, especially the euro version with the smaller tail lights.
Buicks at the time were for older buyers. Those older buyers preferred a front bench seat instead of front bucket seats. Once those older buyers died off, bucket seats became the norm.
A person trading in an 8 year old car would be very happy with all the numbers. Although they would drive at 50 mph on the interstate and slow down for the smoothest train tracks.
You still more of these on the road than many vehicles of its age, likely due to the legendary reliability of the 3800 BUICK V6.
As far as your comment on the HP: that 205 HP was pretty impressive out of a V6 for the time. You gotta remember the 350 5.7 V8 in the Chevy trucks of the same era only had 210 hp.
In my neck of the woods these cars are like unicorns - fabled beauties of yesteryear, but finding one for sale in good shape without a million miles on it is like asking for the moon. Those who have em know what they got. I look for em every now & again but I doubt I will ever spy one for sale by me, reasonable.
I had a 2004 Buick Park Avenue Ultra that I really enjoyed. It was a great highway cruiser and navigated the mountains between Tennessee and Virginia without having to downshift. It had a cavernous trunk that handled all the packages on holiday trips back home.
The Supercharger required premium gasoline but it had plenty of horsepower. The big issue I had was with the overhead control box that fell out with broken plastic fasteners. Another example of GM being cheap with what should have been a higher quality product. Ended up trading it in for a Ford Edge SUV.
how has the Edge held up for you?
@@AllCarswithJon Ford Edge hit the sweet spot for us as they were compact enough without being too small. We ended up with 2 of them, still having one of them. The other one we just traded in for an Acadia SLT. Only issues we had with the Edges were Master Cylinders that went bad on both of them. Overall we have had no issues with the normally aspirated V6s.
This thing could be made into a serious sleeper! I would love to see the GM 3.8L V6 aka the 6 cylinder LS being twincharged not just with a supercharger!
Too much power on these barges will lead to eventual transmission replacement. No one should be racing American barges. They only need enough power for swiftly passing on the highway and that's about it. I myself seldom get the RPMs above 2000 in my 2001 park avenue . Don't want to pay $3500 to replace a car which is valued at $2000 😊
I would still prefer the Roadmaster over the Park Avenue! It's bigger and has more room inside! The V8 engine is a better performer! No one buys cars this big for fuel economy! The Roadmaster was also cheaper!
Actually, both the LeSabre and park avenue are faster due to the 3800 fine tuning and lighter weight . There's actually a video here on UA-cam where they race the lesabre against the Roadmaster and the LeSabre won. Cheers 🍻
@@Crippledinvegas I'm sure you're right. However, I would still get the Roadmaster(at least the 1994-1996 versions). They were still cheaper than the Park Avenue.
@@johnnymason3265 Roadmaster is a great car. No doubt about it.
Buicks were for older buyers at the time. GM was not interested in alienating their best customers back then. They had Cadillac for technological breakthroughs.
I've been a big fan of Park Avenues and LeSabres for many years . I owned a 98 LeSabre Custom with all options and I currently own a 2001 Park Ave Base with every option except the supercharger.. solid car & cheap to maintain . However, I never agreed with GM that these cars will persuade European Luxury cars. I is a full size American sendan at a good price and with great gas milage compared to it's American barge competition like the Grand Marquis, Crown Victoria etc. sadly these cars have all gone the way of the wooly mammoth as car companies abandoned comfort in exchange for bells and whistles like touch screen controls, lane departure warnings , blind spot warnings and alarms to let you know that you forgot your baby in the back seat. All features that us older drivers have no need for . Enjoy your tacky features kids 😂 I'll still enjoy the comfort of sitting on a sofa while driving my car .
I regret selling my 93 Park Ave😭
I loved that car, but everyone else i know hated it.....till they come for a ride🤣
The front end does look similar to the Jaguar XJ6(?) with the square headlights. So for the time…its kinda true. Early 90’s Buick and Oldsmobile was pretty good from GM.
I kinda see the Jaguar comparison but to me it always looked like a slightly curvier/less boxy 80's Caprice. Same lines.
@@Andrija_12345 I definitely agree with it looking like the less boxy 80's Caprice
I always thought these looked great, like an Americanize xj6.
Remember, the Series 2 3800 V6 made 205hp in 1995 and was normally aspirated. The supercharged Series 2 made 240hp. I would prefer that supercharged V6.
Great video, I agree with your thoughts on this car. Thanks! I do think the price at the time was dizzying. Was it 20 for the roadmaster, and 30g for this? To save 10g I would put up with a cheap interior of a road master.
The PA was a better, more modern car in almost every way, especially in the interior... but the price was a bit high. :)
I have one with only 80 k miles love the car so does everyone else I get stopped all the time
Lindo, acá en Ecuador existen pero muy pocos y en este momento hay un dealer que vende uno flamante, perese nuevo, me preocupan los repuestos. Todavía hay repuestos? El vehículo que venden es del año 1993. Mi Papá tuvo uno de estos maravillosos de su época. Saludos
Atentamente: Jaime
I hav had a very similar car, a 1989 Cadillac Sedan de Ville, for 8 years as dayly driver in Germany. Loved and still missing that smooth ride and cushy seats. (And don't miss that crappy interior materials and poor build-quality).
Thanks for sharing!
How were these on the autobahn? I figure the floaty ride would be scary at such high speed.
@@Wasabi9111 I never have done more than about 80mph. It's not scary, but the Cad is telling you, that it's not about that. I love and miss that special classic american way of riding. Even with my current car (a Hyundai that can go over 125mph) I don't go much faster than I did with the Cad.
LOL he said Nuremberg ring! 🤣😂🤣 That would be Nurburgring! Nuremberg is where the Nazis had trials to convict the Nazis after the war.
8:57
Exponential...
IMO...the supercharged aspect is not needed, and does not really make much difference in acceleration, etc. My 1993 Park Ave does well enough, with the normal 3800V6. Only 35more hp? Why bother?
Because you can never have too much power. That is simply not possible.