Ad Break: Buick: What Matters

Comments

1. 

   Buick has always been a great name. After the T-Types of the 80’s, they kind of settled back in to the “Old Folks” mold. They seem to really have come a long way in the past year or so. Great offerings!
   Reply
   1. 

      Dave – you’re right. Something strange happened to Buick around the mid 80s and/or 90s… I think that “something strange” is called Roger Smith — the Chairman and CEO of GM who was responsible for taking autonomy away from the brands. To this day, GM’s brands lack this autonomy — which, in my opinion, is a major necessity to remain competitive. I believe Buick is getting better, but it’s in no way class-leading or the best… quite yet. Until it figures out the (exact) market in which it wants to compete, this will remain the case — and the easiest way for it figure this out is for GM to give independence/autonomy back to the brands.

      I’m not suggesting to scrap platform or powertrain sharing — since that would be silly; but the brands need a lot more independence than they currently enjoy to really hit their stride. Heck, that’s how Toyota made Lexus so great. GM should learn and follow suit.

      Alex
      Founder, GM Authority
      Reply
   2. 

      PS: nice Impala in the pics!
      Reply
2. 

   Thanks for the compliment Alex. You know I love my Impala (even though it is outdated)! I agree with you about autonomy. That’s what gave us the great muscle cars of the late 60’s, early 70’s. Like the 442 and Buick GS. Luxury muscle cars. I think after the debacle of a couple years ago GM is learning. They are getting closer to the edge and starting to offer new cars that people can lust over.
   Reply
3. 

   Just another thought. I just came back to GM. From 1989 until this year, I mostly owned Fords. T-Bird SC, SHO and Fusion. I’m back in with GM now!
   Reply
   1. 

      That’s awesome Dave! Great to hear! Although Ford is making some very good stuff right now. But I tend to think that Chevys, Buicks, and Caddys have more style and more taste. Look at the new Focus compared to the Cruze: two vehicles in the same class. The Ford looks like an amalgamation of angles and curves, while the Cruze looks modern, mature, and beautiful. The same can be said for Buick vs. Lincoln and Caddy vs… well, Ford doesn’t have anything in that space right now.

      Alex
      Founder, GM Authority

      PS: Great to have you here at GM Authority! 🙂
      Reply
4. 

   Buick’s are about PERSONAL LUXURY, weather that is a quiet comfortable cabin or blistering tubo speed and cornering personal luxury is for impressing the person behind the wheel not the neighbors. Cadillac’s are about SWAGER weather a supercharged 6.2 liter or just a stiletto tailighted Escalade, XTS, DTS ecc, Cadillac’s are Edgier It takes more nerve and persumably a fitter physique to wear the tight sexy Cadillac, so it;s not for everyone, Buick is more relaxed more comfortable, less likely to get noticed or commented on good or bad, Buick’s fit more of us than Cadillac’s. As it should be Cadillac is more premium. Folks laugh at me because I drive a CTS, im not ELVIS not even KID ROCK when I get out and my belly falls over my belt people notice that I am not man enough for a Cadillac, this would not happen in a Buick, but I do’nt care, some folks do, it’s nice that GM can show them some Luxury Love with BUICK.
   Reply