14th Jan 2014, 10:39
It's a solid 5000 lbs, possibly heavier. It feels a bit like driving a tank around, and it's pretty lazy in turns and sways a lot.
15th Jan 2014, 17:50
Check published data on the car. The second generation Park Avenue weighed between 3,700 and 3,900 lbs depending on options (that is curb weight). American sedans have not weighed in at 5,000 lbs since the 70s before they were all down-sized. It has all been a steady decline down hill ever since. Just to compare, the last Buick sedan to weigh in at over 5,000 lbs was the '76 Electra that was roughly 5 inches wider and over 2 feet longer than a Park Avenue.
17th Jan 2014, 11:05
Superchargers add a lot of weight to cars. The most recent Buicks to weigh over 5000 lb were the early 2000's Park Avenues with superchargers.
20th Jan 2014, 16:47
Sorry sir, you are very incorrect. The pre-downsized cars of the 70s weighed in at around 5,000 lbs. Park one of them next to a Park Avenue and it will become clear you are way off. As I said before, check the published data on the car. The last generation Park Avenue weighed 3,900 lbs at most, Ultra or no. I have loved these cars for years and know the specs very well. Believe me, these would have been much nicer cars had they been true big 5,000 lb cars. But even as they were, they were extremely comfortable and manageable cars. Most people forget how big cars were 40 years ago, and consider cars like these pretty big today. In my opinion they were just about the perfect size for most Americans. Not too big and not too small; just the right compromise of comfort and economy. That is probably why cars of similar size were such big hits in the mid-late 70s. Too bad all we have to choose from are glorified mid-size cars and smaller today.
13th Jan 2014, 17:44
Why not just buy a low mileage 2005 PA? They are out there, and who cares how old the car is, just take good care of it, they are known to exceed 200,000 miles. My Town Car is 18 years old at 187,000 miles.
I myself always liked Cadillacs too, but steered clear of them in the past 20 years because of the Northstar engine, which can be very costly. I have worked on quite a few of them over the years, and simple components like the starter, alternator, and water pump are not that easy to service. Also if the oil pan gasket leaks, you may as well let it leak because the motor has to come out of the car to replace it, and one more thing; if you overheat the Northstar just once, it is pretty much done.
Years ago I did own a '93 Sedan DeVille with the 4.9 V8, and it was a damn good car with a much better designed engine.