Great value, great ride!
Pros:
Elegant and classy appearance
Lots of power. Easy to maintain.
Cons:
Have to keep the gas tank fairly full. Hard to park anywhere. Eats brakes.
The Bottom Line:
If you are looking for an affordable luxury on a budget, buy a used Buick Park Avenue from a reputable dealer.
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Overall Rating:
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Author's Review
I don't know if anyone else like me is still buying cars 8-10 years old, but my experience with our Park Avenue has been heavenly. I bought this car 2 1/2 years ago, this is our second used Park Avenue (hubby is still driving the '95 at around 130k total mileage) and the 1st one convinced me to buy the 2nd one. I have never bought a totally new car, so this review is geared towards those who buy used also.
We obtained the car for $6500 flat, it retails I understand for over $30k new and this was a one-owner estate car. The prior owner fit the PawPaw stereotype I am sure and kept excellent records. The car is roomy and handles exceedingly well on the interstate, which is what this car is geared for...traveling a lot in comfort.
Now that the car is pushing 10 yrs old, the leather seat divider is beginning to wear out/split and the control panel on the d/s door has the paint chipping off slightly. These are the only two cosmetic issues I have noticed with the car. Very well made, the leather seats hold up well. The interior is still excellent and if you use Armor All and good floormats, will last the life of the car.
Ok, the downside. The car does have a design flaw I was advised about during a repair. The fuel pumps on some late 90's Buicks (happened on BOTH of ours) will fail if the tank is not kept at least 1/4 to 1/2 full at all times! Back when gas was 99 cent a gallon, not a problem, but we have been challenged to keep this thing full but if you don't, plan to spend $400 parts & Labor to install a new one.
It also eats brakes. Like a champion. It's a mildly annoying habit, and to be expected in larger cars. My prior car was an 89 Caddy and it ate brakes and pads constantly too. I have now expected this expense to be a regular maintenance issue with all larger v6/v8 cars and you should too.
Otherwise, the car is fantastic to this day. Gas mileage is about 15 in city, 22-24 on highway, still good for a behemoth V6. She is the best drive ever on long trips and will hold 5 people and 4 trunks of luggage no problem.
My husband mentions its a bear to parallel park the thing, which it is, but I just park and walk. It's worth it for the pleasure of owning this car. Keep it full of gas, change the oil every 3k miles and it will hopefully last forever.
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