By Steven D. Gatt, Automotive Editor
I was very surprised by this car. I was expecting a fuddy-duddy, one that only gray haired old men would like. In reality, I like this car a lot and I don't have a bit of gray hair. Buick has turned the corner from near death to premium domestic luxury car. Nowhere on the exterior does Buick mention Park Avenue, badging only shows Ultra and Buick; as if driver's should be embarrassed to drive a Park Avenue.
Buick has incorporated some neat new features into the Park. The seat belts are mounted on the seat, to the headrest; the entire mechanism is power height adjustable. Adding to the seat belt features are anti-twist devices that ensure proper positioning of the belt on the driver or front passenger. On most cars' speedometers, the large numbers on the outside are miles per hour and the smaller ones on the inside are kilometers per hour. On the Buick Park Avenue only one set of numbers exists, and they aren't digital, pushing the English/Metric button automatically switches between the two types of measurements. The speedometer bounces right up to the equivalent kph.
Styling upfront is unmistakably Buick, yet one person actually thought it was a Jaguar. The front fender's headlights and grille are not only shapely but beautiful. The styling is very similar to that of the Riviera coupe. The C-pillar is bold and strong looking, very luxuriant. Long rear doors lead to a spacious rear seat with plenty of room to stretch out. The heavy doors close with a solid resounding thunk!
The gauge package is large and easy to view. The radio controls on the dash are big and the digital radio readout is huge! Yet, without the duplicate radio and ventilation controls on the steering wheel the dash is to far away. The sight line to the trip computer buttons is blocked by the steering wheel. Overall, though, the interior is very comfortable and well laid out
When pushed during hard cornering, the tires squeal like a stuck pig and body roll is significant. These handling characteristics are common in large domestic luxury cars. For normal driving, the suspension wasn't too soft; you could drive for hundreds of miles without becoming fatigued. The Park Avenue is a freeway cruiser; big and comfortable, like a good sofa. The only part of the car with any sporting heritage is the 3800 Series II, V6 supercharged engine. No matter which shelf of GM's part bin you pull it off it is a wonderful engine. The 3800, V6 is in countless GM products including the Grand Prix and Riviera.
The Park Avenue Ultra base price is $34,995. Optional equipment on the evaluated sedan was automatic electrochromatic mirror, $70; chrome plated 16" wheels, $695; upgraded stereo with in-dash CD player, $100; trunk mounted 12 CD changer, $595; grand touring package, $105. Destination cost was $665, bringing the total price-as-tested to $37,225. During our week long test drive, we averaged 22 mpg. According to the EPA you should be able to achieve 18 mpg city and 27 mpg highway.
Based on the solid Oldsmobile Aurora platform, the new Park Avenue is an outstanding car; one that I surprisingly enjoyed. Yes, this, the largest of all Buick behemoths is a wonderful car. The competition in this market is domestic only; others to be considered would be Lincoln Continental or Chrysler LHS. I recommend that consumers in the market for a domestic full-size luxury sedan take a test drive of their own in the new Buick Park Avenue Ultra.