It cracks me up GM deemed it necessary to put an ashtray in the rear where predominantly children would sit. They could have saved themselves 50 cents on every one of those wagons. They did the same on the full-size wagons. That would have added up to a lot of money over the many years these were produced.
I can practically smell that blue velour interior. At least one thing GM did right in the 80s and 90s was equip their cars with insanely comfortable seats!
No. I like mine. My car has enough physical controls for everyday stuff, but touch adds a few more features while driving and many many more while parked.
The next stop after a visit to the doctors office , where he confirmed my wife was pregnant with twins, was the Buick dealership. Bought a fully loaded version that did family yeoman service for twenty years and 275k miles. The twins learned to drive in it. After it's tenth birthday it became a semi retired "EXTRA CAR" and dog taxi. Everything still worked including the A/C the day it was rear ended. Never failed to start or left anyone stranded. With regular maintenance problems were few and far between and mostly minor. Only significant issue were shift solenoids.
@@williamegler8771 Apparently writing math problems to figure isn't yours either. Problems listed below: You didn't mention what year your car was...important considering this car was made from 1984 until 1996. You didn't say what year the car was rear ended...kind of important considering that could have been anywhere from 2004 to 2016 depending on the year of your car you never mentioned. To get extra technical, we also don't know how far along your wife was when she found out about the twins or what month of the year that was. So....you could provide all that or just not be a sh**head and answer/not answer a simple question. Just sayin'.
We had a 1987 Buick Century Estate Wagon but unlike the 1984 model in this test, ours had a 3.8 liter V6. It was one of the best cars we’ve ever owned and it brings back some great memories. It should be noted, however, that if you sat in the rear-facing third seat the distorted view from the glass in the tailgate could make you carsick. My son sat back there once and barfed.
As kids we used to fight to sit in these seats. Someone’s parents would always have a wagon with rear facing seats for class trips (when we didn’t take a bus) and it was always a thrill to get to use them.
@@johnmaki3046 not all GM divisions used the same engines. The Cutlass Cruiser, IIRC, used a 3.1 V6 which I heard had a high failure rate. What engine was in yours?
Yes, me too. Just like Mr. Davis said, it's there to fill the gap until the minivan comes along. It wasn't designed to be good or to stay on the road for very long. GM sure hasn't changed or improved very much in that regard since 1984, for sure.
@@2006gtobob you are so right. The interesting thing is, given hindsight and reflection how many cars that once sold in number are no longer on the road. It does make a statement about quality, durability, and planned obsolescence. It isn’t easy to find an Escort, Neon, original J car, Citation, Chevette, and on and on the lists goes….
@@Lucille69caddy in fairness, I am a person who just loves cars from all the companies. I think one can truthfully say, there were a number of automobiles from General Motors in the 1980’s that might not have been of the highest quality. The same can also be said for Chrysler and Ford products of that era too.
A new mid-engined Corvette and an old Taurus wagon lined up across from me at a stoplight. My eyes lit up! "Ooh! A Taurus wagon! Cool!" What's wrong with me?
@Rob Grear: When Europe FINALLY got its version of the Ford Fusion to replace the last Euro Ford Mondeo they got 2 bodystyles that the U.S. never got: a 5 door hatchback with what was basically a bigger trunk opening...AND A STATION WAGON. Yeah, Europe got a Fusion wagon but the U.S. didn't. It even had a few engines with standard manual transmissions.
The Chevy Euro Sport wagon was my favorite of this platform. The odd ball 86 with the 2.8 multiport and spider intake seemed more potent than advertised. There was also a very few VR editions made (I've only seen a red sedan with the VR trim in person)
@@hebrews11vs5 That may be because they made them all the way up to 1996 with very little change. I am a GM guy but IMO when Ford released the Taurus/Sable in ‘86 it made these cars seem very outdated.
These things are still used here in Venezuela by lower income people as their everyday car. The fact they lasted 35+ years and through really says volumes about the engineering GM did put these through.
Back in the day everyone tried as well as things being simpler. That equals reliability . Even Audis and Benzes were reliable at one point . Every company had a rep to build.
My brother has 2 A- bodies a 83 Pontiac 6000 STE and a 1991 Buick century and a friend of ours has 7 Chevrolet celebrity’s he’s missing a 1982 & 1990 celebrity to have every model year celebrity and sells my brother all his A- bodies that GM platform has been a favorite with my family starting with my aunt in 1989 when she brought home a 1988 Pontiac 6000 that’s my oldest brother picked out when he was 4 years old
My mom had a Celebrity wagon with the 2.8 V6. I liked it. Comfortable, fun to drive and not too bad looking either. Definitely better than the crossover garbage that everyone drives today
I always liked the look of the Buick Century wagon. My family had two Century sedans of this model and they were reliable well built cars that were drive to over 250,000 miles.
I was born in 1982 so these things were extremely popular during my early childhood before minivans really took hold. I remember riding in the 3rd row seat which at the time seemed nothing more than "normal and safe". The biggest thing that got my attention nearly 40 years later is the price! 15k in 1984 for a Buick wagon? Hell no! That seems absurdly expensive for that era...
@@cbdoil4082 what you mean they are good cars if you still see them today like I said for years now if they were not good cars they wouldn’t be around today just sucks people traded them in on that cash for clunkers scheme from 2008
Thank you for pulling put these GM classics and sharing them. It was interesting to see the video. I had never seen a Century with digital gauges. That was good to see. GM got a lot of miles out of the platform and its siblings. Who would have thought the Oldsmobile and Buick versions would live until the 1996 model year. Thank you again.
My parents had one of these when I was a kid. I always thought they were the slowest drivers this side of the Mississippi. It turns out they probably had the pedal to the floor the whole time. I feel awful.
When I was a kid our parents bought a 1989 Century sedan, powered by a 3300 (no, not 3100 or 3400) and it was a great vehicle. We owned it til about 2005 when the onboard computer began having issues keeping the car running and they were hard to source (OBD-1) ... I miss that car and I remember it well, including the smooth sound the engine made when we got on the highway. Thank you GM workers for a fine automobile.
When I was a kid in the 80's my parent's bought a 1985 Chevrolet Celebrity CL 2.8 V-6 in 1986..it was a "Demonstrator" as they called them back in the day..We already had a 1980 Camaro V-8 305 but at 6 years old and 70K miles it was time for a second car and something better for trips from Tampa,Fl to WVa...My dad never liked big cars or vans/wagons so it was a surprise that he bought the Celebrity..he ended up loving it as he could lay his golf clubs in the back and all his luggage out in the rear..
Bought one of these in the mid 90's, I'd buy one today if I could another like I had. It was my favorite "adult" car! I always swore if NEVER own a car with "wood" on the side. I learned to drive in a Ford LTD Country Squire station wagon. Longest damn car EVER made, especially when I was backing out our super narrow driveway into the one lane "Lane" I grew up on, oh yeah, I also had to go THRU the space with a gate on one side and a post on the other! But I digress. I loved my Buick, I didn't want to part with it and looking back, I wish I hadn't. It was a GREAT car......
I owned many of these Buick, Chevrolet, Olds wagons in my cab Business....they were Great cars and would go 300k ...Dirt Cheap used and Bulletproof back in the days..they were solid vehicles that rode Great and handled lots of cargo...
These were nice cars for the time. Smooth, quiet, plush, roomy, solidly built, and reliable. I've driven and ridden in a few. I'd prefer to buy a brand-new Century wagon over any modern CUV sold today.
Buick made some of the most comfortable cars. I also find the design very aesthetically appealing for a wagon. Engine performance could be better but common for its time.
The more proper question is “who WASN’T sitting back there smoking?” As a smoker, the 80s were the peak of cigarette smoking convenience in vehicles. These days, it’s almost impossible to get a smoker package.
@@haroldbeauchamp3770 GM vehicles it's an extra cost dealer installed accessory, consists of an ashtray that fits into the cupholder and an actual lighter that replaces the 12v power plug. I had a 80 Pontiac Phoenix, and that ashtray could probably hold a whole box of cigars, was huge!
@@haroldbeauchamp3770 True that - in days gone by, there were ashtrays in all doors as well as in the instrument panel. The nice cars also had lighters in each of those locations. Cupholders took their place as the new convenience feature
My Family and myself owned a GM A Body wagon in every single division, all of our wagons were V6s with the 4 speed automatic overdrive transmissions and all of them had a third seat with the flip out windows. I know someone who had one with the 4 cylinder and it had no power and it went through head gaskets.
At 3:41 - those GM multi-function stalks were terrible in those days. Every time you used it it felt like it was gonna break off in your hand, and the sound it made was like snapping a dry twig.
Still have fond memories about my 1993 Olds Cutlass Cruiser. V6 3.3 liter, woody, beige velour interior, as comfortable as a Pullman railway carriage. I wish I had kept it.
I had a 93 Century Limited Sedan for 22 years. Had every option., including the 4 speed automatic. Indestructible. Sold it for $1500 as it only had 115k miles. Wish never sold it.
I use to own one of these & it was very reliable & the only thing I did not like about it was it being a front wheel drive car they didn't have a serpentine belt ! But 4 different belts to change what a pain & the one we owned had the 2.8 & as I stated very reliable & a great ride on long trips & I did like the styling of this Buick & I did consider buying a newer one when they came out with the serpentine belt.
I had the '82 model 4dr. w/the 'iron duke' 2.5-L. 4 cyl. almost 30 yrs ago! A p.o.s. it was, I drove it until Feb. '97 when "Square Deal Auto Savage" took it and demolished it!!
My folks had a 1991 Ciera that they sold to me in 2001. It had a lot of miles on it but it was a great car. My only issue with it was that its handling was sloppy.
In my college years (1989 to 1993) I used to drive a 1984 Los Angeles Olympics Edition Buick Century. It had a 3.0 carbureted v6. Everytime I would buy brakes the parts counter guy would give me the wrong parts. My car used the heavy duty wagon brake pads, not the regular car pads. Overall it was a reliable beater.
My grandma had one of these back in the day (1992 model) she only drove around town after her Chevy Celebrity was stolen out of the driveway. After the Celebrity, the local dealership tried to sell her a used Ford Tempo with a bad transmission. That little Buick wasn’t easy on the eyes but did make it over 200k miles after my stepdad inherited it.
Back when Buick actually made simple, comfortable, and reliable cars. Unlike the modern ugly garbage rebadged Opels that Buick produces today. I see more vintage Buicks than modern ones now.
I own one of those "rebadged Opels". We love our TourX wagon. It's a great family hauler and is actually enjoyable to drive. We get lots of compliments on it and lots of "what kind of car is that" questions. I'm a wagon guy and am glad I got to own the last station wagon offered by a domestic automaker. It's an international car with an American engine, German body, and Japanese drivetrain.
Just a small note: the same exact turning circle was quoted in the test of an 84 Chevy Caprice, there the tester derided it as being not too bad. My point? As often happened with MotorWeek, the " objective opinions " were changeable.
I always thought the Century and Ciera wagons in particularly were really attractive. That 3.0 V6 motor was a hunk of junk however. My first car (don’t ask) was an ‘84 Pontiac 6000 LE with the 2.8. Loved that thing.
The 2.8 was a much better engine than the Buick carbureted V6 in these years. When we sold used cars during the 90's we saw many blown 3 liter engines and rarely ever a 2.8
The 60 degree is a better engine, period. The only reason why the Buick V6 has a reputation of longevity is because of who drove them. Performance enthusiasts (Grand National, GNX, Regal GS, Grand Am GTP) and old folks who only drove their garage kept, perfectly maintained Le Sabre or Park Avenue on Sundays. The 60 degree was the bread and butter of middle class America that was moving from one income to two, one car to two, and hours of driving to and from work, school, big box stores, kids activities, and back out to a house in the suburbs. From the very first Citation in 1979 to the very last Impala in 2011… almost all of these engines were rode hard and put away wet as family haulers, sales vehicles, taxi cabs, and rental rockets.
My mom had 84 and 89 century wagons. Pretty good cars, especially the 89. They were quite comfortable with lots of interior comfort for the compact exterior size. They were quite quiet on the highway too. Downsides included sketchy brakes both in terms of performance and durability. At least rotors and pads were very cheap to replace. The 84 V6 was a bit sluggish but the 3.3 V6 (destroked 3800) was downright quick. Nice cars overall
I like these station wagons used to couldn't stand the looks of the Century sedan around that era now love them to death love the boxy style of the 84-88 sedan versions the station wagons were good looking as well like the woodgrain on them.
"At first glance, there's nothing radical about the styling of this Century wagon." Narrator: "That is correct, there is nothing radical about the styling of the Century wagon."
0-60 in 14.5 sec. is, according to Motor Week, "no major performance shortcoming". Wow, even in the Malaise Era that was sad for a V6 in a relatively light car. Aside from that, these A-Body wagons were actually pretty handsome vehicles and the cars in A-Body line-up were - mostly - decent overall. They inherited the fantastic space efficiency of the ill-fated X-Bodies they were based on, while ironing out - or at least diminishing - the problems that caused the X-Body's downfall. Still, the build quality was middle-of-the-road and reliability and durability displayed the typical 1970s-1990s GM inconsistency. Although surprisingly, some of these are still puttering around with astronomical mileage...
My family never owned a station wagon, and as such I was robbed of the opportunity to ride in the “back-back” - a sacred rite of childhood! Someday I’m going to buy one and make my son drive me around town in it just so I can say I’ve had the experience…….😂
They still use a few of these in Baltimore (and the Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera version) as cabs for Green Sedan lol. They're dirty and the cab driver is probably high, but they're still in existence lol. Basic, but solid.
The "cleverly angled rear window" got a spoiler above it in '86 m.y. as while it did handle rain well we bupkins on dirt roads found it collected surface dust extremely easily. '85 6000LE maroon woody driver in Lapeer county.
I think they got it backwards with the Buick carbed 3.0 liter V-6 versus the Chevy 2.8 regarding smoothness. The Buick V6's were a 90 degree split pin crank design being based on a V8 that traced it's roots to the 1960's and the Chevy 2.8 was a new fresh designed 60 degree V6 from 1980 onwards that is inherently smoother running. Just watch either engine idling under the hood and you will see the Buick engine with a throb and the Chevy motor sits smooth. The mileage ratings prior to 1985 were also comical when it came to highway numbers. There is no way a heavier wagon body with numerically higher 2.97 gearing and a 3 speed with no over drive got 33 on the open road. My uncle's 1985 Ciera wagon with this same engine and the 4 speed trans struggled to get 30 so it's very doubtful a 3 speed would do better!
Yes, Had a Chevy 2.8 V6 w/2bbl carb. (Which was actually a 2 stage carb that fed both banks, NOT a single stage with a separate venturi feeding each bank like I believe Buick was.) It was very smooth. Had a basic '84 Celeb. Stock 13" tires, 2.84 axle ratio. Lacking a bit on low end torque. Even with the widely spaced ratios of the THM125C trans it still didn't really start to go till it hit about 25mph and once you were just beyond the kickdown point for 1st gear you had a definite lag in 2nd because you were too low in the powerband at that point. But for the average driver an acceptable combination. But definitely smooth & quiet. In 3rd gear up to about 55mph you weren't even sure there was an engine up there. And beyond 55 it wasn't even "noise" it was just that there was some sense of mechanical activity going on somewhere. Fuel mileage wasn't spectacular, about 27/28 tops & about 23 for a 30 mile mixed city/highway commute. Had a later 3.8 litre Taurus, fuel inj. & AXOD trans that was only about one mpg worse & still later Mercury Villager van (aka Nissan Quest), fuel inj. & Nissan made 4spd auto that could make about 27 highway but amazingly about 25 on the commute. (Figure average speed on the commute was just low enough that wind drag wasn't a serious issue even with the higher profile, but just high enough to run 4th gear w/converter clutch locked at less than 2000 RPM about 90% of the trip.)
To think, decades later they continued the same formula Buick Terraza, Saturn Relay, Pontiac Montana SV6, and Chevy Uplander. At the end of the day, the overlap at GM was insane.
The ashtrays were a nice touch. You know how messy kids can be with their cigarettes.
I started smoking at 13 and was somewhat careless with the ashes. You know how kids are.
The bragging cup holder count of today has replaced the highly styled ashtrays back in the day, right?
@@tpolerex7282 In this era of morbid obesity a giant cup holder for your sugary high carb beverage is a must have lol
@@WinterInTheForest I get diet!
It cracks me up GM deemed it necessary to put an ashtray in the rear where predominantly children would sit. They could have saved themselves 50 cents on every one of those wagons. They did the same on the full-size wagons. That would have added up to a lot of money over the many years these were produced.
I can practically smell that blue velour interior.
At least one thing GM did right in the 80s and 90s was equip their cars with insanely comfortable seats!
The seats in a Bonneville SSEI were magic.
I do recall how comfortable those seats were in GM cars!
I don’t see how with no support and the so called headrest square in the middle of your back. Volvo make the best seats then as they do now.
@@MercOne I don't think anyone here didn't realize Volvo made a decent seat.
@@R.J.1 If you think GM seats from the 80s are great I’d have to think you didn’t know anything about Volvo.
“A lot of effort for nothing” pretty much summarizes our life with touch screen dashboards
Seriously, touchscreens are nice for somethings, but not ALL things
No. I like mine.
My car has enough physical controls for everyday stuff, but touch adds a few more features while driving and many many more while parked.
Your comment is so on point. You win my unofficial Comment of the Month Award 🏆
Just more CRAP to fail as it gets older!
True, my new car has a touchscreen and it does no good while you're driving. Thankfully the steering wheel controls do most of the work
It's amazing this wagon's basic design lasted til 1996
It was a great design!
The next stop after a visit to the doctors office , where he confirmed my wife was pregnant with twins, was the Buick dealership.
Bought a fully loaded version that did family yeoman service for twenty years and 275k miles.
The twins learned to drive in it.
After it's tenth birthday it became a semi retired "EXTRA CAR" and dog taxi.
Everything still worked including the A/C the day it was rear ended.
Never failed to start or left anyone stranded.
With regular maintenance problems were few and far between and mostly minor.
Only significant issue were shift solenoids.
That's good it served you well. What a shame it was rear ended.
How old are your kids now?
@@Patrick3183 Apparently mathematics isn't one of your strong suits...
@@williamegler8771 Apparently writing math problems to figure isn't yours either. Problems listed below:
You didn't mention what year your car was...important considering this car was made from 1984 until 1996.
You didn't say what year the car was rear ended...kind of important considering that could have been anywhere from 2004 to 2016 depending on the year of your car you never mentioned.
To get extra technical, we also don't know how far along your wife was when she found out about the twins or what month of the year that was.
So....you could provide all that or just not be a sh**head and answer/not answer a simple question. Just sayin'.
@@MattMntk Apparently inferring that the model year is the same as what's mentioned in this video is too hard for some people
We had a 1987 Buick Century Estate Wagon but unlike the 1984 model in this test, ours had a 3.8 liter V6. It was one of the best cars we’ve ever owned and it brings back some great memories. It should be noted, however, that if you sat in the rear-facing third seat the distorted view from the glass in the tailgate could make you carsick. My son sat back there once and barfed.
As kids we used to fight to sit in these seats. Someone’s parents would always have a wagon with rear facing seats for class trips (when we didn’t take a bus) and it was always a thrill to get to use them.
I wish I could say as much about my '87 Cutlass Cruiser...WORST CAR EVER!
@@johnmaki3046 not all GM divisions used the same engines. The Cutlass Cruiser, IIRC, used a 3.1 V6 which I heard had a high failure rate. What engine was in yours?
@@sambethune I had the 3.8.
We had some Volvo wagons and had the same issue!
I remember a time when so many of these roamed the roads.
Yes, me too. Just like Mr. Davis said, it's there to fill the gap until the minivan comes along. It wasn't designed to be good or to stay on the road for very long. GM sure hasn't changed or improved very much in that regard since 1984, for sure.
@@2006gtobob gm is better but their entry kevek cars arent the greatest
@@2006gtobob Sure, that’s why my ‘02 GTP Grand Prix is @ 207,000 + miles and still going strong. Runs like new.
@@2006gtobob you are so right. The interesting thing is, given hindsight and reflection how many cars that once sold in number are no longer on the road. It does make a statement about quality, durability, and planned obsolescence. It isn’t easy to find an Escort, Neon, original J car, Citation, Chevette, and on and on the lists goes….
@@Lucille69caddy in fairness, I am a person who just loves cars from all the companies. I think one can truthfully say, there were a number of automobiles from General Motors in the 1980’s that might not have been of the highest quality. The same can also be said for Chrysler and Ford products of that era too.
I wish ANY manufacturer would make wagons like this again. We did
not know how lucky we were in the 1980’s and 1990’s.
A new mid-engined Corvette and an old Taurus wagon lined up across from me at a stoplight. My eyes lit up!
"Ooh! A Taurus wagon! Cool!"
What's wrong with me?
@Rob Grear:
When Europe FINALLY got its version of the Ford Fusion to replace the last Euro Ford Mondeo they got 2 bodystyles that the U.S. never got: a 5 door hatchback with what was basically a bigger trunk opening...AND A STATION WAGON. Yeah, Europe got a Fusion wagon but the U.S. didn't. It even had a few engines with standard manual transmissions.
The official "don't make me turn this car around" wagon
Back to Winnipeg!!
"I'll slap you so hard your head will spin" Was my favorite for the family road trip lol.
Dad: " can't stop now, we're making good time".
@@cutroc350 - "I'll shake you so hard, your kids will be born dizzy"
I like the look of these old station wagons, never grew up with them but still like their look.
Yeah, these still look nice to me. They look newer than 1984.
Agree this 80s american starting to look good now!
The Chevy Euro Sport wagon was my favorite of this platform. The odd ball 86 with the 2.8 multiport and spider intake seemed more potent than advertised. There was also a very few VR editions made (I've only seen a red sedan with the VR trim in person)
@@hebrews11vs5 That may be because they made them all the way up to 1996 with very little change. I am a GM guy but IMO when Ford released the Taurus/Sable in ‘86 it made these cars seem very outdated.
Ah yes, the early ‘80s, when your vehicle’s hauling ability was measured not by 4x8’ sheets of plywood, but by 4x8’ sheets of paneling . . .
That was more in the 70's
These things are still used here in Venezuela by lower income people as their everyday car. The fact they lasted 35+ years and through really says volumes about the engineering GM did put these through.
I believe it Andres. Of course here in the northern USA where they put salt on the road every winter, most of these were rusted through by 1989 :)
They are still all over in USA. A decent car for a low income family. I had the 2 door version and loved it!
Back in the day everyone tried as well as things being simpler.
That equals reliability .
Even Audis and Benzes were reliable at one point .
Every company had a rep to build.
Mind me asking how much it may cost to import one to canada, and if youd consider them good Newfoundland winter driving cars?
Considering Venezuela will implode soon, they should drive north...
The GM A platform was like America's Camry. You still see quite a few of them on the roads today, decades after its cancellation.
My brother has 2 A- bodies a 83 Pontiac 6000 STE and a 1991 Buick century and a friend of ours has 7 Chevrolet celebrity’s he’s missing a 1982 & 1990 celebrity to have every model year celebrity and sells my brother all his A- bodies that GM platform has been a favorite with my family starting with my aunt in 1989 when she brought home a 1988 Pontiac 6000 that’s my oldest brother picked out when he was 4 years old
Still got mine ! But sedan 1995 Buick century
It was a great car, but they kept it way too long and didn't have an equally good replacement.
I've seen many more older Camrys on the road than this thing.
@@dave_riots I still see plenty of As where I live in Connecticut. Mostly Centurys and Cutlass Cieras.
My parents had one of these when I was a little kid. Brings back memories I forgot I had!
My mom had a Celebrity wagon with the 2.8 V6. I liked it. Comfortable, fun to drive and not too bad looking either. Definitely better than the crossover garbage that everyone drives today
John has always been so eloquent when reviewing vehicles
I always liked the look of the Buick Century wagon. My family had two Century sedans of this model and they were reliable well built cars that were drive to over 250,000 miles.
I was born in 1982 so these things were extremely popular during my early childhood before minivans really took hold. I remember riding in the 3rd row seat which at the time seemed nothing more than "normal and safe". The biggest thing that got my attention nearly 40 years later is the price! 15k in 1984 for a Buick wagon? Hell no! That seems absurdly expensive for that era...
my parents had an oldsmobile ciera wagon, dark blue with the wood (and the flag emblem along the front side fenders)
I’m so sorry. Do you need therapy?
@@cbdoil4082 lol how about some cbd oil
Nice! My dad had a oldmobile cierra cutlass. Ive been wanting one too. Something about old cars.
My brother had 2 century wagon’s a 89 & 90 and loved both of them but Pennsylvania Winter’s didn’t love them so much
@@cbdoil4082 what you mean they are good cars if you still see them today like I said for years now if they were not good cars they wouldn’t be around today just sucks people traded them in on that cash for clunkers scheme from 2008
Thank you for pulling put these GM classics and sharing them. It was interesting to see the video. I had never seen a Century with digital gauges. That was good to see. GM got a lot of miles out of the platform and its siblings. Who would have thought the Oldsmobile and Buick versions would live until the 1996 model year. Thank you again.
A car like this would be actually useful, unlike so many overwrought crossovers.
That music at the end!🔥🔥🔥🔥 I love the older days of motorweek, They ALWAYS had the BEST music!
Good looking, well engineered and sensibly-sized wagon.
My parents had one of these when I was a kid. I always thought they were the slowest drivers this side of the Mississippi. It turns out they probably had the pedal to the floor the whole time. I feel awful.
Lol
It's amazing the current minivans do 0-60mph in half the time.
@@csh000 LOL
When I was a kid our parents bought a 1989 Century sedan, powered by a 3300 (no, not 3100 or 3400) and it was a great vehicle. We owned it til about 2005 when the onboard computer began having issues keeping the car running and they were hard to source (OBD-1) ... I miss that car and I remember it well, including the smooth sound the engine made when we got on the highway. Thank you GM workers for a fine automobile.
My 93 Ciera had that same 3300. Loved it! Ran it out to 215K miles and sold it. Power, smoothness, good fuel economy...
There's still one of these hanging out at Bard College in upstate NY. Always wished I met the owner while I was at school there.
Hudson Valleyyyy!
When I was a kid in the 80's my parent's bought a 1985 Chevrolet Celebrity CL 2.8 V-6 in 1986..it was a "Demonstrator" as they called them back in the day..We already had a 1980 Camaro V-8 305 but at 6 years old and 70K miles it was time for a second car and something better for trips from Tampa,Fl to WVa...My dad never liked big cars or vans/wagons so it was a surprise that he bought the Celebrity..he ended up loving it as he could lay his golf clubs in the back and all his luggage out in the rear..
And unlike it's predecessor, the back windows actually roll down. They should have pointed that out LOL.
I forgot about that and I even have one! (79 Cutlass wagon.)
An ash tray in the kiddie seat? Love it!
That is great gas mileage for a V6 midsize wagon! Seeing these vehicles takes me back to a simpler time of life.
Keep in mind the buying power of $8k in 1984. Still cars were a lot more reasonable then and you got more for your money.
Bought one of these in the mid 90's, I'd buy one today if I could another like I had. It was my favorite "adult" car! I always swore if NEVER own a car with "wood" on the side. I learned to drive in a Ford LTD Country Squire station wagon. Longest damn car EVER made, especially when I was backing out our super narrow driveway into the one lane "Lane" I grew up on, oh yeah, I also had to go THRU the space with a gate on one side and a post on the other! But I digress. I loved my Buick, I didn't want to part with it and looking back, I wish I hadn't.
It was a GREAT car......
I miss the blue colored interiors and velour seats that some cars had offered.
Cars would sell better today, if they had more to offer than just charcoal.
The 2021 Corvette, Genesis GV70, and Acura MDX all offer blue interiors. I'm excited to see it coming back.
I get tickled every time I see a new Retro Review!
I have driven this car when it was somewhat new..... it's better than you would think after the way its described in this review
Love station wagons... Wish they would make a comback
You can now have anykind of vehicle you want......
As long as it's an Crossover.
Or (dare I say this?) a Kammback? 😜
I miss the days when MW reviews had no music in the background (or foreground, as the case sometimes is).
My family still owns 3 Chevy celebrity wagons. Great video thank you for uploading this!
Early 80,s styling, combined with traditional Buick, Chevrolet, Oldsmobile, and Pontiac comfort and convenience or elegant, and luxo type Blvd ride.❤❤
I owned many of these Buick, Chevrolet, Olds wagons in my cab Business....they were Great cars and would go 300k ...Dirt Cheap used and Bulletproof back in the days..they were solid vehicles that rode Great and handled lots of cargo...
The ashtray in the rear jump seats have me dying 😂
Safety first. You wouldn’t want your kids to burn themselves.
These were nice cars for the time. Smooth, quiet, plush, roomy, solidly built, and reliable. I've driven and ridden in a few. I'd prefer to buy a brand-new Century wagon over any modern CUV sold today.
Buick made some of the most comfortable cars. I also find the design very aesthetically appealing for a wagon. Engine performance could be better but common for its time.
These were so popular during the 80s
These station wagons are awesome from the 80s very well in the past gotta love it
I went to prom in my dad's 1984 Buick Century wagon V6 3-speed auto, silver with blue interior and bench front seat. I loved that car.
Nothing like an ashtray in seats intended for children
Incase they wanna smoke? It's the 80s dude :v
Yes... Priorities!
They needed a place to ash their bubble gum cigarettes 😆🙃
Yeah kids knew how to act right back then
@@furrys.1304
They were much cleaner smokers compared to the smokers we have now!
Love the ashtray back near the rumble seat. Who's sitting back there smoking?
The more proper question is “who WASN’T sitting back there smoking?” As a smoker, the 80s were the peak of cigarette smoking convenience in vehicles. These days, it’s almost impossible to get a smoker package.
@@haroldbeauchamp3770 GM vehicles it's an extra cost dealer installed accessory, consists of an ashtray that fits into the cupholder and an actual lighter that replaces the 12v power plug. I had a 80 Pontiac Phoenix, and that ashtray could probably hold a whole box of cigars, was huge!
@@haroldbeauchamp3770 True that - in days gone by, there were ashtrays in all doors as well as in the instrument panel. The nice cars also had lighters in each of those locations. Cupholders took their place as the new convenience feature
@@1983jblack some cars had them on the back of the seats too.
Gramps had a Lincoln with four ashtrays and four lighters. So four people could light up in unison and not have to wait to share a lighter.
My Family and myself owned a GM A Body wagon in every single division, all of our wagons were V6s with the 4 speed automatic overdrive transmissions and all of them had a third seat with the flip out windows. I know someone who had one with the 4 cylinder and it had no power and it went through head gaskets.
mom had a 85 olds cutlass cruiser . great times
"Filling in the gap until GM's minivan made its appearance." Little did they know that this thing would be made for 15 years basically unchanged.
i used to ride in the backwards rear seat as a kid and loved it.. My mothers friend had one ..
You know it's an 80's car when there's an ash tray for the kids in the 3rd row seat.
At 3:41 - those GM multi-function stalks were terrible in those days. Every time you used it it felt like it was gonna break off in your hand, and the sound it made was like snapping a dry twig.
I'm in love! Makes me love my 86 Century T Type even more.
Great car that you don't see many these days. It's a shame so many gave up on them.
Still have fond memories about my 1993 Olds Cutlass Cruiser. V6 3.3 liter, woody, beige velour interior, as comfortable as a Pullman railway carriage. I wish I had kept it.
I had a 93 Century Limited Sedan for 22 years. Had every option., including the 4 speed automatic. Indestructible. Sold it for $1500 as it only had 115k miles. Wish never sold it.
Whatever happened to the days of whitewalls and wire wheel hubcaps
I use to own one of these & it was very reliable & the only thing I did not like about it was it being a front wheel drive car they didn't have a serpentine belt ! But 4 different belts to change what a pain & the one we owned had the 2.8 & as I stated very reliable & a great ride on long trips & I did like the styling of this Buick & I did consider buying a newer one when they came out with the serpentine belt.
Imagine this alongside the Grand National in the showroom.
Had a ‘87 Grand National…not the GNX though…best car of the 80’s
Ahhh sure miss those station wagon days...
My teacher had a1986 Cutlets Ciara SL with the woodgrain panal.
I still see these old Buick wagons once in while on the street where I live in Toronto, Canada.
THANK YOU SO MUCH!!!! I LOVE OLD STATION WAGONS!!!!! SO MUCH FUN!!!! THANKS FOR SHARING!!!
I had the '82 model 4dr. w/the 'iron duke' 2.5-L. 4 cyl. almost 30 yrs ago! A p.o.s. it was, I drove it until Feb. '97 when "Square Deal Auto Savage" took it and demolished it!!
My grandpa had a cutlass Cierra that went to over 450,000 miles before he sold it. Maybe not the most stylish or fast cars, but damn reliable!!
My folks had a 1991 Ciera that they sold to me in 2001. It had a lot of miles on it but it was a great car. My only issue with it was that its handling was sloppy.
Gotta love the ashtrays in the third row for the kiddos
I think every teacher parking lot had at least one version of these in the '80s.
YOU got that right these GM A body cars were extremely popular back in the day .
In my college years (1989 to 1993) I used to drive a 1984 Los Angeles Olympics Edition Buick Century. It had a 3.0 carbureted v6. Everytime I would buy brakes the parts counter guy would give me the wrong parts. My car used the heavy duty wagon brake pads, not the regular car pads. Overall it was a reliable beater.
I would buy one of these today only because of the rear seat. Man..soooo many memories riding in the back of 80's station wagons. ❤️
The Buick had the nicest and quietest of all the divisions.
We had the Pontiac 6000 Wagon, roof rack, 2.8 V6 and loaded nicely. Drove that car over 200,000 miles with No problems.
My grandma had one of these back in the day (1992 model) she only drove around town after her Chevy Celebrity was stolen out of the driveway. After the Celebrity, the local dealership tried to sell her a used Ford Tempo with a bad transmission. That little Buick wasn’t easy on the eyes but did make it over 200k miles after my stepdad inherited it.
Back when Buick actually made simple, comfortable, and reliable cars. Unlike the modern ugly garbage rebadged Opels that Buick produces today. I see more vintage Buicks than modern ones now.
YES I’m glad I’m not the only one that been says this 🤠
You should go to China.
I own one of those "rebadged Opels". We love our TourX wagon. It's a great family hauler and is actually enjoyable to drive. We get lots of compliments on it and lots of "what kind of car is that" questions. I'm a wagon guy and am glad I got to own the last station wagon offered by a domestic automaker. It's an international car with an American engine, German body, and Japanese drivetrain.
Now that Buick has stopped selling sedans in the U.S. NONE of the vehicles are re-badged Opels.
@@howardkerr8174 ALL of them are rebadged Opels except for the Enclave.
Just a small note: the same exact turning circle was quoted in the test of an 84 Chevy Caprice, there the tester derided it as being not too bad. My point? As often happened with MotorWeek, the " objective opinions " were changeable.
I always thought the Century and Ciera wagons in particularly were really attractive. That 3.0 V6 motor was a hunk of junk however. My first car (don’t ask) was an ‘84 Pontiac 6000 LE with the 2.8. Loved that thing.
The 2.8 was a much better engine than the Buick carbureted V6 in these years. When we sold used cars during the 90's we saw many blown 3 liter engines and rarely ever a 2.8
The 60 degree is a better engine, period.
The only reason why the Buick V6 has a reputation of longevity is because of who drove them. Performance enthusiasts (Grand National, GNX, Regal GS, Grand Am GTP) and old folks who only drove their garage kept, perfectly maintained Le Sabre or Park Avenue on Sundays.
The 60 degree was the bread and butter of middle class America that was moving from one income to two, one car to two, and hours of driving to and from work, school, big box stores, kids activities, and back out to a house in the suburbs.
From the very first Citation in 1979 to the very last Impala in 2011… almost all of these engines were rode hard and put away wet as family haulers, sales vehicles, taxi cabs, and rental rockets.
@@Bartonovich52 WRONG. The 3800 platform is highly regarded in the car guy’s circle. It will outlast the body.
My mom had 84 and 89 century wagons. Pretty good cars, especially the 89. They were quite comfortable with lots of interior comfort for the compact exterior size. They were quite quiet on the highway too.
Downsides included sketchy brakes both in terms of performance and durability. At least rotors and pads were very cheap to replace.
The 84 V6 was a bit sluggish but the 3.3 V6 (destroked 3800) was downright quick. Nice cars overall
I love the A- bodies I’m glad too see the century wagon video now I just want every year Pontiac 6000 STE video from 83-89 can we get that please
Especially the rare 89 AWD STE....Those and the Le Sabre T-Type in black always looked good back in the day.
14.5 sec to 60mph! Now I know why my 1984 700cc motorcycle seemed so fast compared to most vehicles back then.
I had an '84 Honda nighthawk 700s. 0-60 in just over 3 seconds stock. That is fast.
Had 2 celebrity wagons. One 4 cyl , one 2.8 v6. Both were very practical with enough power . I do miss them
I like these station wagons used to couldn't stand the looks of the Century sedan around that era now love them to death love the boxy style of the 84-88 sedan versions the station wagons were good looking as well like the woodgrain on them.
Pretty sure Lee Press on Nails came standard with these. Or was that the Chevy Celebrity?
Yes, and a carton of Virginia Slims and probably a L'eggs egg rolling around in the floorboard.
"At first glance, there's nothing radical about the styling of this Century wagon."
Narrator: "That is correct, there is nothing radical about the styling of the Century wagon."
LOL, the ashtray for the kids in the rumble seat! Ah, the old days.
Imagine two adults sitting backwards facing traffic , smoking & drinking beer
Lived it good times
The back ashtrays are the best. I always love to smoke when I'm in the way way back.
0-60 in 14.5 sec. is, according to Motor Week, "no major performance shortcoming". Wow, even in the Malaise Era that was sad for a V6 in a relatively light car. Aside from that, these A-Body wagons were actually pretty handsome vehicles and the cars in A-Body line-up were - mostly - decent overall. They inherited the fantastic space efficiency of the ill-fated X-Bodies they were based on, while ironing out - or at least diminishing - the problems that caused the X-Body's downfall. Still, the build quality was middle-of-the-road and reliability and durability displayed the typical 1970s-1990s GM inconsistency. Although surprisingly, some of these are still puttering around with astronomical mileage...
19mpg city driving too.
My family never owned a station wagon, and as such I was robbed of the opportunity to ride in the “back-back” - a sacred rite of childhood! Someday I’m going to buy one and make my son drive me around town in it just so I can say I’ve had the experience…….😂
Were there seat belts for the 3rd row?
Always loved those wagon's never knew they had a third row seating. But looks very dangerous. Lol
They still use a few of these in Baltimore (and the Oldsmobile Cutlass Ciera version) as cabs for Green Sedan lol. They're dirty and the cab driver is probably high, but they're still in existence lol. Basic, but solid.
The "cleverly angled rear window" got a spoiler above it in '86 m.y. as while it did handle rain well we bupkins on dirt roads found it collected surface dust extremely easily. '85 6000LE maroon woody driver in Lapeer county.
Ironically, these A-body wagons were actually more spacier than the rear-drive G-body wagons they replaced after the summer of 1983.
Elegant, stylish appearance and powerful class.
0:52
Uhh the Buick hood ornament is on backwards!
One of my all time favorite cars
Gotta love the 3rd row ashtrays LOL
I think they got it backwards with the Buick carbed 3.0 liter V-6 versus the Chevy 2.8 regarding smoothness. The Buick V6's were a 90 degree split pin crank design being based on a V8 that traced it's roots to the 1960's and the Chevy 2.8 was a new fresh designed 60 degree V6 from 1980 onwards that is inherently smoother running. Just watch either engine idling under the hood and you will see the Buick engine with a throb and the Chevy motor sits smooth. The mileage ratings prior to 1985 were also comical when it came to highway numbers. There is no way a heavier wagon body with numerically higher 2.97 gearing and a 3 speed with no over drive got 33 on the open road. My uncle's 1985 Ciera wagon with this same engine and the 4 speed trans struggled to get 30 so it's very doubtful a 3 speed would do better!
Yes, Had a Chevy 2.8 V6 w/2bbl carb. (Which was actually a 2 stage carb that fed both banks, NOT a single stage with a separate venturi feeding each bank like I believe Buick was.) It was very smooth. Had a basic '84 Celeb. Stock 13" tires, 2.84 axle ratio. Lacking a bit on low end torque. Even with the widely spaced ratios of the THM125C trans it still didn't really start to go till it hit about 25mph and once you were just beyond the kickdown point for 1st gear you had a definite lag in 2nd because you were too low in the powerband at that point. But for the average driver an acceptable combination. But definitely smooth & quiet. In 3rd gear up to about 55mph you weren't even sure there was an engine up there. And beyond 55 it wasn't even "noise" it was just that there was some sense of mechanical activity going on somewhere. Fuel mileage wasn't spectacular, about 27/28 tops & about 23 for a 30 mile mixed city/highway commute. Had a later 3.8 litre Taurus, fuel inj. & AXOD trans that was only about one mpg worse & still later Mercury Villager van (aka Nissan Quest), fuel inj. & Nissan made 4spd auto that could make about 27 highway but amazingly about 25 on the commute. (Figure average speed on the commute was just low enough that wind drag wasn't a serious issue even with the higher profile, but just high enough to run 4th gear w/converter clutch locked at less than 2000 RPM about 90% of the trip.)
To think, decades later they continued the same formula Buick Terraza, Saturn Relay, Pontiac Montana SV6, and Chevy Uplander. At the end of the day, the overlap at GM was insane.
I also remember these
Please bring back the moose and turning diameter tests