1996 Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon 5.7l Mfi Ho Lt1 Engine 4l60e Transmission on 2040-cars

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2017 Buick Encore freshens up for New York debut

Buick has rolled in to the New York Auto Show this year with a revised version of the Encore, bringing with it a series of revisions to what's billed as "America's most popular small SUV." Most obvious is the new front end that adopts the brand's latest design language with a fresh grille and headlamps – full LEDs on top-spec models. The taillights are also new, the exhaust tips are now chromed, the door mirrors color-keyed to the bodywork, and of course it all rides on a new set of wheels. The updates continue inside, where you'll find new trim, new gauges, and an eight-inch color touchscreen display to run the IntelliLink system that now supports Apple CarPlay and Android Auto as well as OnStar 4G LTE with on-board wifi. Buyers will be able to choose between five trim levels and between front- or all-wheel drive. There are three new exterior paint choices as well. The Encore is based closely on the European-market Opel Mokka, which was similarly revealed in updated form at the Geneva Motor Show just last month. In Buick guise, the Encore has only been on the market now for three years, but already stands as the brand's top seller. Last year it alone accounted for nearly one in every three vehicles Buick sold, and has risen 34 percent so far this year as well. Subtle though they may be, these updates ought to keep the Encore at the top of its game for another few years to come. View 5 Photos Related Video: 2017 Buick Encore Gets Latest Tech, Sculpted Design New LED headlights, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto for Buick's best-seller 2016-03-22 NEW YORK – Buick today introduced the new 2017 Encore, strengthening the appeal of America's most popular small SUV with more refined styling and new connectivity technology – including available Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. A new front-end appearance and a new premium interior highlight the visual refinements, while Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are supported by a next-generation IntelliLink system featuring an 8-inch-diagonal color touch screen. Push-button start, keyless unlock via the exterior door handles and an 8-inch color touchscreen highlight the Encore's roster of new standard features. "The Buick Encore created the premium small SUV segment and remains the top choice for customers seeking premium features and dependability coupled with timeless design," said Duncan Aldred, vice president of Buick Sales, Service and Marketing.

Why Buick's future lies in China

Back in the last half of 2008 and into 2009, when General Motors was looking at too much capacity for too few customers, when it was running out of money and needing to go to the governments of the US and Canada and to the UAW for financial support, its management team was pretty much instructed by the feds to focus resources on what would create the best likelihood for a return on the investments and guarantees that it was getting. Things needed to be cut, and not just the corporate air fleet. This led to the elimination of Saturn, Hummer and Pontiac and the sale of Saab to Spyker. What remained of GM's North American brand portfolio was Chevrolet, Buick, Cadillac, and GMC. (Oldsmobile had been shuttered in 2004.) There were a variety of opinions regarding which brands GM should keep/lose during the midst of the Great Recession. Some thought GMC should be axed, but then it was pointed out that GMC essentially produced high-content Chevys, which resulted in fantastic transaction costs. Lots of money in the back of those pickups. Others thought Buick should be eliminated. The rationale was: Chevy was the mass-market brand, Cadillac was the luxury brand, and GMC helped leverage the company's investment in trucks. (Yes, even back then the F-Series was winning the pickup sales race, so it was always a matter of adding Silverado and Sierra sales to show that GM was solidly in the game.) So what was Buick? Better than Chevy but not as good as a Cadillac? Somehow that doesn't seem to be a particularly aspirational position to hold. But Buick's identity didn't need to be worked out in 2008-09 because there was a single compelling reason to keep it: China. According to official GM history, Pu Yi, the last emperor of China, Dr. Sun Yat-sen, the first provisional president of China, and Zhou Enlai, a Chinese premier, "Either owned, drove or were driven in Buick automobiles." What's more: "According to statistics from the Shanghai government, in 1930 one out of every six cars on the city's roads was a Buick." Which is to say that Buick got to China early and has a major presence in that market. When the Regal Sportback and Regal TourX were being unveiled at the GM Design Dome the first week of April, Duncan Aldred, vice president of Global Buick, gave a briefing of Buick's place on the automotive landscape.

GM announces six new recalls, covering 3.5 million vehicles

General Motors has just initiated another crushingly large recall, this time affecting some 3.36 million vehicles built between 2000 and 2014 and sold in the US, Canada and Mexico. Once again, the issue surrounds the cars' ignition switches, which can be kicked out of the run position if they're carrying extra weight or if they experience a "jarring" event. In this particular case, though, GM will modify the keys, rather than the ignition itself.
A four-by-six-millimeter hole will be drilled into the key, which will more safely accommodate the weight of the key ring. As is usually the case, the work will be done free of charge. The recalled vehicles include the 2000 to 2005 Cadillac Deville, 2004 to 2005 Buick Regal LS and GS, 2004 to 2011 Cadillac DTS, 2005 to 2009 Buick Lacrosse, 2006 to 2008 Chevrolet Monte Carlo, 2006 to 2011 Buick Lucerne and 2006 to 2014 Chevrolet Impala. Only the Impala is still in production, and even then, it's only sold to fleet companies.
According to an official statement from GM, there have been eight crashes and six injuries due to this latest issue. As if this isn't a dire enough blow for GM, the company has announced five smaller recalls, covering 165,000 vehicles.