- The 2008 Buick Enclave is one of the most historically awful Buicks ever made
- The 2002 Buick Rendezvous was pretty awful and didn’t get any better
- The 2005-2007 Buick Terraza was a short-lived minivan
- The redesign of the 1992 Buick Skylark gave us one of the most historically awful Buicks ever
- The 2014 Buick Encore wasn’t an SUV to write home about
Buick has made some of the most iconic cars in history. The GTO during the muscle car era and the GNX in the 1980s come immediately to mind as two of the best. Unfortunately, this brand has also had its share of terrible vehicles. With that in mind, here are five of the worst and most historically awful Buicks that shouldn’t have ever made it to the market.
The 2008 Buick Enclave is one of the most historically awful Buicks ever made
2008 Buick Enclave | Wiki Commons
The Buick Enclave is one of the most popular vehicles from this brand. Today, Buick sells more Enclave SUVs than any other model. The current version is a useful three-row SUV that delivers a full package of desired qualities. Unfortunately, the 2008 version wasn’t quite up to snuff. This was one of the worst Buicks ever made, with a slew of faults that required repairs and recalls.
To be fair, 2008 was the first year for this SUV. However, this Enclave received the most complaints, which included:
- Transmission failure
- Power steering malfunction
- Engine difficulties
- Broken internal motor parts
- Blown head gaskets
These problems made this one of the Buicks we wouldn’t want to drive, even if you gave us this vehicle for free.
The 2002 Buick Rendezvous was pretty awful and didn’t get any better
2002 Buick Rendezvous | Wiki Commons
If ever there was a flaw in the Buick lineup, the 2002 Rendezvous had it. This was one of the most undeniably awful vehicles in the market, and it didn’t get better with its looks. The dreadful appearance, outdated tech, and strange build made it problematic before drivers took it home.
Was there a saving grace for the 2002 Buick Rendezvous? Nope, not at all. The 3.4-liter pushrod V6 engine only offered 185 horsepower, which wasn’t even good twenty years before this model came out. This was one of the most historically awful Buicks to hit the market.
The 2005-2007 Buick Terraza was a short-lived minivan
Buick Terraza | Wiki Commons
With the Terraza, Buick tried something different. Instead of offering a premium vehicle at a premium price, the Terraza was made to be more affordable than most other minivans in the market. This translated to a vehicle that lagged behind others and gave very little. The Terraza lacked:
- Driving refinement
- Acceleration
- Engine power
- Safety features
These omissions meant families would be riding around in a vehicle that didn’t make family driving pleasant at all. The Terraza was viewed as ugly with its high stance and long snout. The only positive was that this SUV offered 200 horsepower from the 3.5-liter V6 and a larger 3.9-liter model later, but that wasn’t enough to make it a good Buick.
The redesign of the 1992 Buick Skylark gave us one of the most historically awful Buicks ever
1992 Buick Skylark | Wiki Commons
The Buick Skylark name had a strong and impressive name until it was redesigned in 1992. This version was supposed to bring younger buyers into the fold, but it was awful and became why we didn’t see the Skylark after this new build.
Neither of the two engines offered the power to entice any driver. The 2.3-liter 4-cylinder engine made 120 horsepower, and the 3.3-liter V6 delivered only 160 horsepower. The pointed grille was supposed to be a reminder of the 1930s Buick Special but ended up being a ridiculous feature.
The 2014 Buick Encore wasn’t an SUV to write home about
2014 Buick Encore | Wiki Commons
Of all the Buick Encore models we’ve seen, the 2014 version lacked the most qualities we associate with this subcompact crossover SUV. This was one of the most disappointing and lackluster vehicles ever created. This SUV lacked:
- Style
- Build quality
- Driving power
- Engine power
Add to the problems for this SUV was the lack of fuel mileage and a prematurely dying battery. Consumers that thought they were getting a cheap and easy-to-drive SUV were duped and should have left this Encore at the lot. This was another one of the historically awful Buicks we wouldn’t want to drive for free.
Keyword: 5 Historically Awful Buicks We Wouldn’t Want for Free