1990 Buick Park Avenue Ultra | Retro Review
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- เผยแพร่เมื่อ 10 พ.ค. 2023
- Can you believe 20-way adjustable power seats in 1990!?! I wonder how many buyers actually considered Lexus LS400 before driving the Buick Park Avenue Ultra?
Show 915 | Original Airdate 01-06-1990
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Still to this day the 3800 V6 is one of the best six cylinder engines ever produced💯
It's simple, and durable, but it is very much the opposite of powerful. It cannot hold a candle to six-cylinder engines that are contemporary with it from Honda and Toyota. On top of that it is 90° which is just wrong for a V6
GM 3.8 & 4.3, Ford's 300 I6, Toyota's 2JZ, BMW's I6, hell, even Honda's 3.5 is pretty damn bulletproof too!
Has a great name here in Australia.
@@kevinbarry71 Not sure what you're talking about. Honda's only V6s in 1990 was the exotic aluminum/titanium 32 valve twin cam in the exotic NSX or the C-series which was only in the Acura Legend, and that was rated at 161 hp at the time (the 3800 was 165), and Toyota's V6 at the time was mainly reserved for their trucks at the time and had maybe 140 hp. The 3800 was VERY powerful for the era. Also, it used counter balance shafts so there was nothing wrong with it being a 90 degree motor.
@@cigarsgunsandgasoline8032 Toyota's 2JZ was an in-line twin cam, not a pushrod V. Honda's 3.5 (J35A) was not even in production in 1990, only their C-Series 2.7L in the Acura Legend.
I love watching these older MotorWeek videos, the cars were so unique 😎
Back when cars were cars.
It's the perfect time capsule.
@Paul Lunsford You're a man of fine tastes Paul.
I'm a Turk living all across Turan (aka, Eurasia, aka Land of the Turks)
and I love old cars. :)
This was the pinnacle of semi-modern Buick comfort. Pillow top seats, whisper quiet ride, floating suspension that soaks up imperfections. Why does GM now insist on rock hard seats with no cushioning?
Because GM makes junk now.
The engine 3800 V6 is best of every times. Solid engine
and that's why the Chinese love Buicks
Had a used one as a winter beater. The flip over hood was the best feature on the car. Except for sloppy shifting , this was a really comfortable car.
This car was so packed with features... but the noise the door made when it shut just made me wince.
Probably cause the window was down. Most cars still make that sound if you close the door like that
The Power driver seat adjuster is really weird looking it’s like a remote control instead of being on the seat.
Loved this platform from GM- I was a teen when these came out. My dad had several DeVilles ('86, '88' 90) and they were always a little... boring. This Buick seems much flashier with that chrome rocker panel. One thing I see missing on a car that should have everything- a sunroof. Not sure why GM was so frugal in not putting them on their sedans- maybe that wasn't a big thing with that generation of car buyers? My dad's last DeVille had one- GM called it an Astro Roof, or something like that.
As I recall, you could not get a moonroof if you chose the padded vinyl roof (as this car had) - you had to choose one or the other.
I was 16 in 1990, and remember my high school English teacher having an ‘87 Sedan deVille. I absolutely loved it. The ride was surprisingly soft and quiet. Love this generation of GM luxury cars. I’ve owned an ‘86 Regency Brougham, and an ‘88 Park Avenue. Both were immensely nice to drive, though I always preferred the Sedan deVille of this era.
Very true. My family owned a GM dealer in Louisiana when I was in high school and I noticed this back then. T-Top sports cars aside, just a normal sunroof on their products was nearly impossible to find. Unfortunately, my grandfather, who owned the dealer has passed. I’d have love to have asked him why he didn’t order sunroofs on his inventory. Maybe GM didn’t fulfill those orders or something.
The interesting thing is, in my hometown there were a number of attorneys who drove Buicks as opposed to Cadillacs. That thought was that a Cadillac was just a bit too flashy.
I’ve heard more than once before that Buicks are doctors and lawyers cars. That’s a much better way to put it than your grandparents’ car!
Like some Canadian politicians!
Driving a Buick shows you’re doing well and are good at your job, so it goes. Driving a Cadillac probably means you’re “doing too well” (ripping off your customers).
@@jst7714 that is always what my Dad said, and he does still practice law in that community.
There were a lot of people with MORE THAN "Cadillac money" that bought high-end Buicks. They wanted Cadillac luxury and features without seeming to be 1, Ostentatious or 2, "Nouveau riche". Such people today buy GMC Yukons instead of Cadillac Escalades. Rappers buy 'Slades, Stockbrokers buy Yukons. This has been true since the 1930s. GM once did an internal study that showed some of their wealthiest customers were Buick buyers!
This was my grandma's new car back then. (In non-ultra trim.) It was a very nice car. For everyone that bashes American cars, they made some great ones like this. I'd much rather road-trip in this, instead of the imports of the time. And because someone will say, "LS400!!!, this was half the cost and small town America had Buick dealers for warranty work. (And you likely wouldn't get a WW2 vet to buy a Lexus.)
Love those seats! Fantastic! And that 3800 V6 was SO MUCH BETTER than the current GM 3.6 V6. Miss big, quiet, roomy, comfortable cars with soft seats and tons of glass area.
I love this Buick park Avenue Ultra. Confortable, great space interior. Solid and beautiful car. Best engine V6 3800, 165hp, 210 Lb-FT torque
Yes I miss the 3800 V6
I never let go of a car once i have it, it always goes in for a big custom job and into the cruising collection once daily driver duty is done. Seeing this Park Avenue Ultra after already having my eye on the 1992 Park Avenue Ultra might just complicate the next practical car daily once the '92 DeVille goes in for her makeover.
This is a nice car to have but very hard to find. I haven't seen a 1990 Electra, Electra T-Type, Park Avenue, or Park Avenue Ultra in years. I would love to have one of these cars eventually, especially with antilock brakes already on the car.
There's a mint Park Ave close to me. I see it once a week
Having a pull-out Alpine 7385 cassette deck and some 15 inch Stillwater Designs subwoofers in the trunk back then.
John, you forgot to mention ultra garish. Amazing that this thing was made to compete against an LS400.
Ultra boxy, too.
Ultra garish by Japanese standards but ultra reserved for an American luxury car. When I put my American eyeglasses on, the Park Avenue feels rather clean and tight against some of the other Detroit iron at the time lol.
This whole model came out of years before the Lexus LS
Thank you for sharing another GM video. Thank you for making the effort to share the older GM and Lincoln/Mercury footage. It is interesting how this led to the 1991-2005 Buick Park Avenue Ultra and the upgrades they made over time like a supercharged 3800 V6, bucket seats, and more. They got rid of the chrome and padded vinyl top. Oldsmobile countered this with the Ninety Eight Touring Sedan around the same time (1987). Cadillac had Deville Touring Sedan which became DTS. Thank again.
I loved these at the time, but the epitome for Buick,to me,was the 92-96 Roadmaster! What’s funny is I was a teen back then and got put down by my peers saying these cars were for old people. Only old people like luxury and power? Now at 48,I’m considering a new Enclave Avenir!
Yeah because it’s power and luxury were a joke next to imports at the time. Power, but with no brakes and a lifeless chassis. Seats that were as flat as an ironing board. Cheap build quality and solid rear axle out back. Hardly luxury.
@Steven g Yeah if you've never been in other cars and don't know any better. These seats were joke, puffy with no support, like sitting on an old couch.
There are better choices than the Enclave Avenir at that price point.
@Steven g No you don’t understand what basic competence is. You then jump to the “track” because you don’t get that there is a middle ground. You all defend this junk because you don’t know any better. The cars that came along and ran these heaps off the market were not track cars. You guys are so out of it and clueless it hurts.
The Enclave is the ONLY new Buick made in the USA.
Nobody has commented on that f’n crazy-azz seat adjustment panel?! Oh the insanity… GM was so far up their own, that something this ridiculous-let alone the whole car itself-was passed off as viable in 1990. It’s staggering to recall how out of touch they were then (and in the surrounding decades, honestly).
It looks terrible. It's like a repurposed ground sheet.
While ergonomics have improved slightly over the years, General Motors has made quite a few mistakes in their modern products. Seat comfort has dramatically decreased over the years. Going from pillow-top, remarkably comfortable to flat, hard, and downright painful. What’s even more striking is that there’s been zero movement or outrage in regards to this. Another thing is that if you were to look at the carpet in a 1990 GM vehicle, you’d find deep pile, soft, and thick carpet. Today you’ll find, more of a turf-like, short and wirery carpet with very little padding underneath.
Well they knew their customers and they didn’t want Japanese card
The Buick was no better or worse than anything else that was made in 1990.
@@ce9345 LOL. Okay.
The last Buick to feel like a bank vault. Always loved that large greenhouse.
I had a '90 PA Ultra - it was the most comfortable car I've ever driven! Friends always laughed about the 20-way power adjustable seats - especially the head rests. It's one car I wish I hadn't sold.
I always wanted one of these large, full sized sedans and now that I’m at the age and stage in my life to buy one, no one is selling them. I really hope big comfy sedans come back.
I loved my 1990 Bonneville SSE. I would love to have this Ultra if I can find one.
I love how sloppy the ride looks. Ultra comfort indeed! I really liked the GM C-Body cars (and H-Bodies too). The big Cadillac Brougham models are getting popular as collector cars, but these FWD counterparts offer the same ride, with often a lower price point in the market right now. These cars don't provide the same vibes or style as the prestige GM classic RWD offerings, but I still think they deserve appreciation.
Bro I'm addicted to GM RWD sedans.
I love those cushy, shiny, square 80s and 90s interiors
I love GM cars 1980s and 1990s. Beautiful, comfortable and solid car this Buick Park Avenue Ultra. The engine 3800 V6 is resistent and solid
Greetings from southern Ontario Canada I really enjoyed the video my dad had this vehicle brand new and kept it for 15 years b4 selling it for an import and easy to drive and maintain thanks for the presentation
I've never seen a seat control panel quite like that one- looks like something you'd see on the time machine from back to the future!
Wow...those power seats adjustment buttons were nuts!
I sure miss these beautiful Buick’s.
I would consider the full-sized Chevrolet Caprice Classic Brougham or the Cadillac Brougham RWD sedan but those FWD Buick and Oldsmobile were pretty good cars as well .
That seating adjustment panel is not only hideous but also likely to fail quite easily. Sliders and switches made so much more sense.
Peak 80s design to drive into the 90s with.
80s squareness into the 90s!
I remember seeing these cars in bad neighborhoods back in the 2000s haha
Its weird to see them new and clean
1:57 John: SO ARE THE DIGITAL GAUGES! LOL
I miss plush, floaty American cars with split-bench seating and a column shifter. Everything feels so samey and European-inspired nowadays.
I can't remember last time I seen one of these.
7:20 that door closing sounded so cheap
There is no 7:20 in the vid!
Legend has it that he still hasn’t found a comfortable seat position
Interesting power seat controls. I want to play with the buttons!
I really hope that this style of car makes a comeback. Not everyone wants a "sporty" ride and bucket seats that came out of a race car. No, I do not want to "feel" the road. Especially those of us who take long trips. This looks much more inviting to spend a long time.
Me too! When I need to be "one with the road" I ride my Honda CB-750. As to CARS, to me comfort is king! American big car comfort!
The ultimate trim level of one of my all-time favorites!!!! I must confess that I have always had a borderline obsession with the front drive GM C/H bodies.......this is where GM REALLY got their crap together & produced, at least in the case of the Buicks, the most trouble-free American car ever!!!!!
Those 3.8 V6 engines were bulletproof. 😇
were? that sounds like they werent hahahha
@@LOGICNREALITY you know what I mean smartass!!!
The car your grandparents would roll up in on Christmas.
I love that car! If they still make them I buy 3. Thanks for posting! My Best, M.L.
I love how this popped up in my notifs just as I was watching the 1992 Park Avenue Ultra Supercharged vid :))
That car has more elegance than the entire lineup of what Buick sells in America today.
I’m a 1982 baby and I remember seeing this car and its platform-mates when I was a kid. It definitely was a different era and I just feel like people were more honest with what they needed then.
I hope at least ONE elegantly designed sedan and coupe make a return… and at least one rebel (think: Grand National 😈😉).
My dad has this exact car in light bluish grey with 70k miles is absolutely perfect shape!
I had it in white with blue interior , it had amazing quality and full leather interior , even the door panels were in leather ,
Brought our newborn son home in it , awesome car
those seats look so comfy!
I have mixed feelings. These remind me of my childhood, I grew up in the middle of the country and a lot of people still drove these. But knowing how badly GM bungled their launch and how they didn't sell nearly as well as its predecessors, it makes me sad.
Really like this one! Gonna go to the dealership and put down the payment for one
Coming soon to the handicap parking spot at a supermarket near you.
My brother had one back in the 90's. Drove like a Cadillac!
Grandma's favorite car.
"Doesnt have to look like a soap bubble" Oh John. John John John. 1991 says "HI"
I'm not a big fan of front wheel drive cars. But I would love to have one of those right now
And then the Park Avenue was redesigned for 1991!
I had a 89 ultra 3x blue it was Buick's Grand Blvd cruisers.❤❤❤❤❤
I own a 1990 P/A Ultra sinds early 2002, 3 rd owner!
Excellent car!
So much driving pleasure!
In 2009 custom fitted everything with a series 2 1995 P/A touring Europe export only!!
With electronics communicating with the older architecture!
Even more faster fuel efficient and super short breaking distance!
And it all looks like it’s from the factory!
It do need a paint job.
Last 20 years in the storage/garage.
A supercharged engine series was first choice!
But impossible to find a donor in Europe at that time!
The Buick Park Avenue Ultra had evolved as the best version on the last year of production of the first front wheel drive car. Whew ! The 1991 was completely redesigned and the Ultra for 1992 got our first supercharger. The 1978 models were first to use Turbocharging. But that created heat over time and two benefits of supercharging was no added heat and no Lag time.
ye bu t u needed premium gas
Beautiful
I didn't know the Ultra came in that body style.
1:46 Holy cow 140ft!- 😢
1980's all-season tires
@@lfsracer79 1990*
@@Jpw824 The episode was aired on January 6th, 1990 and filmed sometime earlier but whatever
That was one helluva long stop!!!
Did that hood hinge in the front?
Would buy something like this new today
Based on my own experience with Buick cars, definitely it's a much better luxury car to purchase, especially Buick Park Avenue. In my opinion, Buick Park Avenue has spacious interior, smooth ride, luxurious and elegant design. My gallery on TH-cam shows this. Pictures worth a thousand words!
I had one!! And I'll be damned if I don't regret selling it!
Not a big fan of Detroit iron luxury but this is one seriously beautiful car.
This was the car learned how to drive in, My dad had one.
Not sure why Buick was ahead of their time compared to other parts of GM. Think they went to distributorless ignition and sequential fuel injection by 1986 on the 3.8. GM used kept distributors until about 2000 on their V8s and maybe 2008 on the 4.3. The trucks kept throttle body injection until 1995, Ford was multiport injection on their trucks by the late 80s.
I would totally buy a car like this car today, Come on Buick get your act together and build something desirable
It was also economical/fuel efficient. The 3800 is a gem… I miss true American luxury cars that didn’t try to be German. Just soft smooth ride and seats you sink into. Come on Cadillac bring back the brougham
Sad that Buick (and all car makers) have now stopped making luxury cars like this.
vinyl roofs lives matter hahahaha
Such a nice car but its interesting to see how much car design changed in the 90s, went from this boxy stuff to postmodern blobs in like 3 years
For American cars, yes. But for the Japanese, the square edges had curved up quite bit by the late 80s. And by the early 90s those were rounded curvy things. Germans were slim and sleek in the 80s but not edgy and square even then!
Still a lot of these on the road.
Farm tractors now move through the cones faster and better than that. The 20 way seat is impressive.
There were a lot of people with MORE THAN "Cadillac money" that bought high-end Buicks. They wanted Cadillac luxury and features without seeming to be 1, Ostentatious or 2, "Nouveau riche". Such people today buy GMC Yukons instead of Cadillac Escalades. Rappers buy 'Slades, Stockbrokers buy Yukons. This has been true since the 1930s. GM once did an internal study that showed some of their wealthiest customers were Buick buyers!
That's about a $60,000 car adjusted for inflation. Wow!
I will take this car , over almost any car on the road today!! It was comfortable, smooth and unapologetic American!!🇺🇸🚘
Take a shot every time he says “ultra”
If La-Z-Boy made a vehicle, this would be it.
Had a 1986 buick park avenue and a 1989 olds 98. I liked the olds better.
I had a 86 Park Avenue, and several Olds 88's over the years, All very good cars.
27k in 90' 😮
Ah yes, the Willard Willard
For that generation, buy a loaded LeSABRE and save some money. Slightly different roofline but dang if it's not the same wheelbase and track!
1:32 I burst out laughing at this contraption. Who designed this abomination?!
Insane amount of bouncing 1:42 after panic stop
Lts be real: The Buick 3800 is the BEST thing General Motors came up with out of the 1980's!!!!!!!
That seat adjustment control was kind of weird.
Those are seats!
A Quick Look
Of the 3 generations of front wheel drive luxury Buicks, only the first and 2nd generation park Ave were the best,3rd Gen had the most powerful and sophisticated drivetrain but not the best styling and ride quality.
1:38 Typical old GM, the headrests come up just high enough to make whiplash worse.
2:26 Most buyers of this car - in other words Senior Citizens who in the 1990s fled to Toyota Camry’s.
Buick made the mistake of breaking it out in 89, instead of 88, trying make the89 ultras seem new, bad idea
It's mind boggling that among the world's most reliable daily drivable engines that Buick is responsible for one, especially from this era of mediocre, or less, GM engines. Is it powerful? No, but it's powerful enough. Is it efficient? Efficient enough. Is it smooth? Definitely smooth enough. Is it reliable? Oooohhhhh yes.
Did I like this car in 1990 at age 18? Kinda. Do I like this car in 2023 at 51... OH YES. After 33 years of sports cars, coupes, some trucks, and sporty sedans that handled relatively well, but rode in a less than stellar fashion, I find peace of mind in a car like this. That's why the Lexus ES350 is my daily of choice since Buick no longer manufactures sedans for Americans.
My grand mother had an 87 (I believe) version of this car in white with a red velour interior.
👋🤣👉Damn! That car’s price was the equivalent of paying $60,011 in today’s dollars!! I remember those I never liked them! To me the quality wasn’t worth that money you spent on a GM product then! The only good thing in that car was it’s engine thats it!
Still no full-size Cadillac with V8...
BUICK is the most reliable American make
I lost my virginity in this car
Gosh, the Park Avenue is bigger than some garages? It isn't even a big car. Luckurgious, perhaps, but not big.
I hate it when ignoramus criticize my favorite Buick, concidering an 89 in 2012 I love driving it, and I am not some old geezer with one foot on a banana peel and the other in the grave, ultra happy 😊 I am.
I still want one of these or a T-Type version of this Park Avenue