Buick LeSabre

Price Paid:  $28000.00 from DeRussy Motors+BSL<

Year / Model Reviewed:
2003 LeSabre

Strengths:
Good looking.

Weaknesses:
Tires are sub-standard

Summary:
Vibrates at 55 MPH, had in to dealership on 5 different occasions, finally replaced one rear tire. Informed by local independent tire dealer that the tires, General tire, are sub standard. Suggested they be replaced for smoother ride and eliminate vibration. Tried to get GM to listen to my complaint, not satisfied to date, won't return my call or e-mail. Poor customer relations., Dealer service manager informs me to lower tire pressure to 30 pounds, did this but mileage dropped almost 1 1/2 miles per gallon. Also local tire dealer said tires would wear out faster. Third GMC product purchased in last 8 years; never again.

Similar Products Used:
None

Overall Rating
 5 of 5

Value Rating
 5 of 5

Used product for
More than 1 year

Visitors rate this review
5.00 of 5, 1.00 votes

Price Paid:  $26000.00 from Kelly Buick Allentow

Year / Model Reviewed:
2003 LeSabre Ltd

Strengths:
good acceleration, reasonable gas mileage, excellent stereo/XM radio, cold AC, heated leather seats, large trunk, QUIET, good handling, good value for the money.

Weaknesses:
Hood release is clumsy to reach - there are some sharp areas under the hood and it is easy to scrape/cut yourself to get the hood open. Exterior adn interior are monochromatic - no crome and no contrasting colors. The outside is totally white and the inside is totally gray = BORING. The sill you have to step over to get in car seems unusually high.

Summary:
I traded in my 1990 LeSabre Limited for this one in July 2003. The 1990 was an excellent car and this one is even better. Nothing has been replaced and nothing has malfunctioned and I am VERY pleased with it.

Similar Products Used:
1990 Buick LeSabre Ltd - white exterior, red cloth velour interior, black exterior moldings - SHARP!

Price Paid:  $18000.00 from Enterprise Car Sales

Year / Model Reviewed:
2001 LeSabre

Strengths:
Very comfortable. Effortless cruising and passing. Gas mileage is better than EPA ratings. Very quiet. Handles very well. Lots of passenger and trunk room.

Weaknesses:
Original equipment General) tires on car could be better. I replaced tires and "trued" them; now, the car rides like it is on glass - VERY SMOOTH!

Summary:
This is a TERRIFIC road car. It cruises effortlessly and quietly, and is very, very comfortable on long trips. We've been across country twice, and made three other long trips, and this car cannot be beat. Not one rattle or squeak in 46,000 miles, and no problems mechanically. My wife loves this car too.

Similar Products Used:
Dodge, Chevrolet, and Cadillac.

Price Paid:  $29000.00 from Capitol Motors

Year / Model Reviewed:
2001 Buick LeSabre Limited

Strengths:
This car has a lot of automatic features most of which have worked well. It is a great long distance cruiser, quiet and gets good gas mileage.

Weaknesses:
Leaking plastic intake manifold as described in the summary. Anyone owning one of these Series 11 3.8L engines should check for coolant loss on a weekly basis to head off potential serious trouble. This problem does not occur on the supercharged version of this engine because it still has the aluminum upper intake manifold. Also I have had to have 2 of the electrical secondary network modules replaced when some of the automatic stuff started doing strange things.

Summary:
Primary reason for buying this vehicle was the 3.8L engine which I had in my previous car, a 90 Pontiac Bonneville. Never had any major problems with this vehicle in 11 years and 130K miles. I decided to get a new vehicle for my retirement years. Little did I know that this newer Series 11 engine had been "cost improved" by GM and was not the reliable workhorse that was in my Pontiac. When the car was 18 months old and had 18K miles I noticed the coolant level was down in the recovery tank. Furthur checking I found a slow coolant leak at the front of the engine near the intake manifold. Went to the dealer and they replaced the upper composite intake manifold and gasket under the warranty. I then went on the Internet and looked at various car repair/complaint sites and found that this leaking intake manifold problem has occurred to a lot of people since GM came out with this Series 11 in 1995. One of the changes made to the engine was to replace the aluminum upper intake manifold with a much cheaper plastic composite version. Now this new version is being degraded by exhaust gas heat and coolant leaks develop. If the leak is internal, serious engine damage can occur. Also outside the warrenty period it costs about $800 to replace the manifold and probably $1000s to repair/replace a damaged engine. GM has taken an item that used to last the life of the car and made it a maintenance item. The whole GM organization seems to be pretending that this problem does not exist for obvious reasons. I will probably get rid of this vehicle after the warrenty period and try to find something more reliable.

Similar Products Used:
1990 Pontiac with the 3.8L engine

Price Paid:  $22000.00 from Budget Auto

Year / Model Reviewed:
2001 Buick LeSabre

Strengths:
The engine is smooth and the accessories are convient.

Weaknesses:
The Brakes were not covered under the 36,000 mile warranty? I had to pay $180.00 to get the front brakes replaced at 20,000 miles. The Tire Alignment seemed to be wrong from the begining,the tires were rotated And I was told by the Buick Dealership that the car was with-in spiecificaisns.The tires were ruined and I had to replace all four at 25,000 miles.I also had the car re-aligned by a tire dealer and now the car handles better and the tires are wearing even.

Summary:
I like the ride and the room in the car.

Similar Products Used:
Pontiac Transport, Pontiac STE