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| While a Century coupe was available in the U.S. only 4-door sedans and 5-door wagons came to Canada. Pictured is a 1995 Century Special sedan. (Photo: General Motors) |
The Buick Century isn't a car to light the flame of passion in the eyes of any beholder, unless of course getting to and from your destination in relative reliability gets you going. It has two distinct faults that merit attention before buying. The first is its power rack-and-pinion steering system, troublesome on early models. The next is its 3-speed automatic transmission (4-speed in 1996), that should be checked out prior to buying. While wonderfully smooth when working, it can become a costly nightmare if repairs are needed.
In Canada the Century came in two body styles, 4-door sedan and 5-door wagon, the 5th door being the rear liftgate. A 2-door coupe was available in the states so if you find one for sale here keep in mind parts will be in short supply. My dear Mom has a 1992 wagon which has run faithfully since new. The only frequent repairs, excepting an unspecified module in the transmission, are the brakes that seem to need redoing every eighteen months - she feels due to her extremely hilling neighborhood. The driver's seatback is also leaning on an awkward angle, a problem I've noticed on a variety of GM models from this era.
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| While Mum's wagon is a '92 this '96 gives a pretty good idea what it looks like, minus the faux wood paneling. Altogether it has been an incredibly reliable car for her, something as a son I'm grateful for. (Photo: General Motors) |
It's also a good idea to only opt for the 3.3-L V6, replaced in 1994 with a 3.1-L, rather than the base 2.5-L 4-cylinder model. Why? The 4-banger was hardly smooth running and wasn't as reliable as the six. Also its fuel savings are so nominal as to be indistinguishable from the larger and more powerful engine. That said the 2.5-L was replaced in 1993 with a smoother 2.2-L 4-cylinder. Still, in early models go for the six as it will hardly cost more at this stage of the game. The larger engine became standard in 1996, as did a 4-speed automatic replacing the 3-speed gearbox.