2002 Buick Century Custom Sedan 6k Original Miles 1 Owner Florida Car! Mint!! on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Is Buick America's most daring mainstream car brand?

Considering Buick as an adventurous automaker seems a little odd at first thought. But with little fanfare over the last several years, the marque is transforming itself from a brand often associated with elderly drivers to a nameplate willing to take chances in niche segments. The gamble is already paying off with 2014 sales up 11.4 percent in the US to 228,963 cars. Given recent product launches, this experimentation is only likely to continue. The key to the transformation at Buick is its willingness to explore the so-called white space, according to Automotive News; the term refers to niches in the market without rivals as a challenge. In addition, the brand's position in the near-luxury space means that its products are cross-shopped by a large swath of customers. Without having a specific competitor, Buick has more room to experiment within its segment. "Designers love designing Buicks because it's not a paint-by-numbers brand," said Andrew Smith, director of design at Buick and Cadillac, to Automotive News. The company's strategy of going where others haven't is best exemplified by the Encore. The subcompact, luxury crossover came to market early, and Buick found serious success with it. The tiny CUV was the automaker's fastest growing model last year with a 53 percent gain and 48,892 units sold. With the test a triumph, the Encore recently got a sibling in the US in the form of the Chevrolet Trax. The upcoming Cascada is taking a similar approach. The non-sporty convertible segment is practically empty in the US, and this slightly redesigned product from Opel has the opportunity to become a leader in its niche. Of course, Buick's biggest recent surprise was the Avenir concept at the 2015 Detroit Auto Show. The car's swooping shape and use of materials earned it two EyesOn Design Awards against some tough competition. While the company's intentions for this flagship sedan aren't entirely clear yet, the vehicle does "test some of the future design language that will come on the next generation of Buicks," according to brand boss Duncan Aldred to Automotive News, which is definitely something to look forward to. Featured Gallery Buick Avenir Concept: Detroit 2015 View 12 Photos Related Gallery Buick Avenir Concept View 23 Photos News Source: Automotive News - sub. req.Image Credit: Live photos copyright 2015 Drew Phillips / AOL Design/Style Buick Convertible Crossover Luxury buick encore buick cascada buick avenir

2020 Buick Encore GX is a really attractive middle child

The 2020 Buick Encore GX is officially a thing in North America. The compact crossover slips into the space between the slightly smaller Encore and the larger Envision, adding extra room behind the rear seats to pack in a lot more than the Encore, and only a little less than in Envision. Beyond the additional room, every trim of the Encore GX comes with safety tech that — for the moment, at least — can only be had as an optional extra on the standard Encore, if it's available at all on the smaller model. The six included features are automatic emergency braking, following distance indicator, forward collision alert, front pedestrian braking, IntelliBeam headlamps with automatically-adjusting high/low beams, and lane-keeping assist with lane departure warning. IntelliBeam, for instance, isn't available on the Encore, and doesn't come standard on the Envision until maxing out at the AWD Premium II trim. What's more, the new bigger Encore brother puts a list of substantial safety features on the options sheet, such as Automatic Parking Assist with Braking, a heads-up display, camera-based adaptive cruise control, high-definition Surround Vision camera system, rear park assist, rear cross traffic alert, and a hands-free power liftgate with logo projection. Convenience touches in the cabin are found in wireless charging, Bluetooth pairing for two phones simultaneously, and Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, and Sirius XM with 360L compatibility. The 360L version of Sirius XM combines satellite services with streaming to provide more channels and access to live and on-demand shows. Buyers can luxe it up inside with optional perks like leather-appointed seats, a heated steering wheel, and an ionizing air filter. Buick says the Encore GX swallows 25.3 cubic feet of goods behind the second row. According to the dimension stats on the Buick site, that's 6.5 cubic feet more than the load space in an Encore and a measly 1.6 cubic feet less than the available volume in an Envision. The carmaker wants buyers to get the most flexibility out of the Encore GX area as well, serving up an adjustable load floor in every trim that can be raised to lie level with the folded rear seats and provide extra under-floor storage.

2018 Buick Enclave slims down for spy shots

Most vehicles are refreshed every five years or so. New technology and styling is required to keep up with the latest trends. Although this cycle is common, there are some vehicles, like the Buick Enclave, that seem to stick around far past their expiration date. We now have spy shots of what appears to be the nine-year old Enclave's replacement. Although the vehicle in the photos is completely covered in camouflage, we can make out the new Buick family grill. There are a set of LED running lights up front and what appear to be a location for foglights toward the bottom. The camo covering is cut in places to allow gaps for sensors, presumably for parking and other driver aids. Out back, the rectangular taillights don't appear to be production ready. The whole rear, especially the glass, looks smaller than the outgoing model, though it is difficult to properly tell through the camouflage. The rear bumper has wide cuts for the dual exhaust pipes, and again the camo has cutouts for sensors. The side profile reveals the biggest change with the new Enclave. The current version shares a platform with the Chevrolet Traverse and the original GMC Acadia, some of the largest vehicles on the market. The all-new 2017 Acadia scaled down in order to compete against midsize crossovers and now has more in common with the smaller, Chinese-built Buick Envision. That doesn't mean the Enclave and Acadia are entirely separate. Both the Enclave and upcoming Traverse will ride on a stretched version of the Acadia platform. The general profile remains the same, but it's apparent that the vehicle in these photos is longer than the new GMC. Most other details are speculation. The Enclave will most likely arrive with GM's 3.6 liter V6. With the introduction of the Envision, the Enclave is expected to move upmarket to compete against the Acura MDX and Volvo XC90. Because of the slightly narrower shape, passenger seating is expected to fall to seven. The new crossover will probably lose a bit of weight with the redesign. The new Buick is expected to debut next year as a 2018 model. Look for the reveal of the Chevrolet Traverse replacement as well. Related Video: Featured Gallery Buick Enclave Spy Shots View 20 Photos Spy Photos Buick Crossover