Faults:

Occasional rough shifting, but always clears up when the engine is off for 15 minutes or so.

Strange noise under dash when weather is warm, I believe related to the ventilation system. No problem yet, but hate that the battery is under the rear seat.

General Comments:

We had a 98 LeSabre which we traded just after getting the intake manifold repaired. Probably should have kept it. Bought an 05 Dodge Grand Caravan, which has had a few minor but annoying problems. Still have it, but no longer the primary.

We've wanted to get another LeSabre since about 6 months after trading the other one, and preferably the latest one, which is 05 since there are no more. We were able to find and buy one in 2014, and I am really glad we did (sold a 95 Buick Century wagon to pay for this one, and had a 92 Century before, but unsure we would buy a new Buick). Don't have actual service records, and the dealer is no longer in business, but from evidence in the car we think the intake manifold has been replaced, so there are really no other issues for this model. Well, except for the transmission fluid pressure solenoid problem, which we apparently have, intermittently.

Seats are not as cushy as the 98, and the suspension not as mushy (which is a good thing). Overall just so much nicer than the 98. Better mileage for the 05 too. I'm 68 and my wife is 66, so we have the perfect geezer car. We plan to see which lasts longer, us or the car (I'm betting on the car).

Faults:

I've had frequent oil / ATF leaks, but they only started after I was in a minor fender bender several years ago.

General Comments:

I was able to get this car cheap, because big sedans have gone a bit out of style in the last few years or so. Good news for me, since the last of the LeSabres is basically the perfect car (they couldn't improve on perfection, so they had to start making something else instead... or at least that's what I tell my friends).

Seriously, though: this is a big, old school family car with a tried-and-true V6 engine, that still somehow gets good gas mileage in spite of all that (check it out on Wikipedia sometime - this engine has a pretty ironclad reputation). It's got plenty of pedal power and internal room to spare... that 90% of its drivers will never even use, because - let's face it - this is the classic grandpa car. It floats like a boat over bumps and potholes, gives you big, soft seats... and actually has a pretty awesome stock sound system. I'm a 29 year old musician - that means a lot to me. On that note, I can just barely fit my full-size keyboard right on the back seat, door to door. And it's actually pretty easy to pack a full drum set inside this beast.

I think the reason LeSabres have become so inexpensive, is just from changing public tastes and that "grandpa car" image. But the later models like this don't even look much like the grandpa car we know and love. Or even if they do, it just means the cops won't look twice at you.

Can you tell I still like this thing?

Faults:

Both horns have had to be replaced on the car 3 times, since my grandma has owned it. It is very inexpensive part and not a big deal. They rust and stop honking.

General Comments:

The car is very good in the performance department (not anywhere near grandma's '96 Aurora) but it is still very good. Acceleration is VERY good for such a big car. The transmission shifts flawlessly. I don't think the seats are very comfortable; they sit to low for me, grandma agrees. The leg room in the Lesabre could be better, my Aunt's Impala has better room in the rear. I will say the material the seats are made out of is very nice and durable. On a recent trip, we got 30.1MPG at 70MPH all day long. The radio has a really nice sound, Bass is adequate. The CD player displays track information, and FM radio station information. The car has independent suspension, which gives the car a smooth ride. I like the light feeling of the steering wheel in my hands, it is light and responsive.