24th Aug 2002, 20:06
I don't think think this guy is being fair, he paid very little for a car that was by his own admission not well looked after. It'd probably been left sit for long periods and what happens people? Seals degrade hence the leaking, brake rotors were probably warped hence the wearing out.
6th Jun 2007, 22:48
I had a 1983 Citation about 15 years ago I bought it for $500.00..I tell you what It was probably one of the most reliable cars I have ever had.. Granted she was a little rusty and it took all your strength to turn the steering wheel. But I tell you what I went through hell and back with her.. I sold her about 2 years later with 233,000 miles on her. I put just under 100,000 on her... very reliable transportation...
9th May 2008, 21:34
I live in Salt Lake City and have found a 1983 Citation hatchback for sale locally. It has been garage kept and is a one owner. The actual mileage is 15,000 It looks like it just rolled off the showroom floor. What do you think a fair price would be for this car? He wants $3900.00 Isn't that what they were new 25 years ago?
24th Jun 2010, 12:26
It is a kind of truism that American cars which are the butt of criticism from the herd are in fact the cheapest to operate.
I had an '84 Buick Skylark, which is extremely similar to a Citation, with the 2.8 engine.
It was comfortable, adequately powerful, never broke once in the 2 years I owned it in the late 90s, and it made me money - it had been given to me free by an old lady and after two years of free motoring I sold it to a teen for $300.
24th Sep 2010, 09:33
My father warned me about these cars when they were popular in the 80s. His company bought a whole fleet of these Citations and and had horrible problems with them. Don't ever dare buy one.
24th Sep 2010, 18:19
Your father's work probably bought some bad ones (which was the case with most of GMs lineup at the time). We leased an '83, and besides a few minor problems, it was a really good car, with comfort, and good fuel economy. On cold mornings, you could start it, and with no stalling or hesitation. For a 4 cylinder model, it did not feel underpowered, and could cruise quietly on the highway. In hindsight, I wished the lease would have been worked differently for option to buy.
24th Oct 2010, 11:04
True Story:
My neighbor bought a new Chevy Citation in 1983 and it literally burnt to the ground before leaving the dealer lot, that's NO JOKE. GM/Chevy bought the car back and they paid the difference for a 1983 Impala. A much better choice, 305 V8, 300,000+ miles, and it is still one of their daily drivers.
24th Oct 2010, 18:24
Awful car. GMC made excellent cars in the 80's; this was one of the rare lemons.
17th Mar 2014, 09:58
I have to agree with you. I bought a new 1980 in September of 1979 and put on about 180K miles with no major issues. I bought a new one in 1984 and put on almost 100K miles.
14th Mar 2022, 13:31
First years were pretty bad, GM did a series of redesigns halfway and they became pretty good runners. They were always well designed and simple, but not always well put together.
15th Mar 2022, 15:43
Also the FWD "A" body cars in 1982 (Celebrity, Ciera, 6000, Century) were basically a stretched version of these "X" body cars. They were proven to be reliable. Two of the models lasting up til 1996.
16th Mar 2022, 20:34
The Oldsmobile ended in 1996 while the Century went till 2005 I believe. The 6000 and Celebrity 1990 or 1991.
16th Mar 2022, 21:19
No, the Celebrity lasted until 1990. The two models that carried on until 1996 were the Ciera and Century. Though the Century nameplate would go on a different platform in 1997.
17th Mar 2022, 15:12
1990 was the Celebrity's departure. The Cutlass Ciera & Buick Century were 1996.
2nd Nov 2001, 08:17
It looks like the Citations on average ARE quite reliable, even when people don't maintain them. Mine had 323,000 miles on it when I finally gave it to a friend who needed reliable basic transportation...
Not only would I recommend one as basic transportation, I'd own another one (like the X11 version, with the SCCA SSB suspension and chassis)