1st Aug 2014, 03:35

Buick an old person's car?

Before foreign cars became popular, Buicks of the 50s were branded to their generation as sporty luxury cars just like Acuras, Lexus', and the Benz are today to its generation. Let enough time go by and these names too will become an old person's car. It's just a matter of brand name loyalty.

BTW, a Buick Grand National was never notorious for being an old person's car. Nothing could pass it back in the day. It sure made a lot of sport car owners mad and belittled. The 68 through 72 Skylarks were also appealing to younger buyers.

3rd Aug 2014, 19:19

Yes, Buick has long been viewed as a geriatric mobile. However, that is starting to slowly change. Buick has shaved several years off of the average age of its buyers in the last 10 years. I think the average was around 69 in 2004, and now it is like 60-61. I think in a few years Lexus will be viewed as an older persons car; their average buyer is aging (something like 57). I miss the days when Buick made true traditional American cars. So what if they attracted old people like bees to honey. They sold a lot more cars back in those days. I am only 29 and I would give anything to have the line-up from 10 years ago back on the showroom floors. There is not a single Buick I would give a second look except the Enclave today.

Cadillac was long the standard of the world, and then it was viewed as a stodgy car for decades until just recently. If you ask me, there is not a lot of difference in cars today. More and more the styling seems to blend together, and now that cars are getting ever smaller, you don't even have a lot of difference there. It seems we lose more buying options every year as every car becomes more like the next one. As this continues, I think the middle class will be less motivated to buy expensive luxury makes. Where's the benefit if your Cadillac or Lexus looks just like a Chevy or Hyundai, and doesn't ride any more comfortably or have a roomier interior?? Electronic gizmos can only make up for so much.