Random Park Avenue observation..

[Robert Hall]

This is kind of late considering the PA is no more, but I was behind one in traffic last night and observed what a nicely designed rear end they have...(it was a dark blue late model version with 'supercharged' badging). I don't see big Buicks around here very often, and following one in an SUV you get an interesting view down on the rear end...the way the rear fenders curve up and then down and inward..definitely a strong family resembalance to the last Riviera. The last PA was a great looking car, IMHO.

[HarleyEarl]

I agree, the Buick Park Avenue is a beautiful car and too overlooked. I think Buick didn't market this car effectively. The only thing they should have done differently is upgraded the interior a bit more.

[Sixty8panther]

with the exception of the porthole motif which is kind of neat the Luscerne looks like ass compared to this:












This car makes the typical new Lexus or Acura look like a 1995 Hyundai.

[Drew Dowdell]

The only thing they should have done differently is upgraded the interior a bit more.

[post="28826"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

Plus the Ultra should have had the 4.0 Northstar from the Aurora instead of the S/C3800.

[zoomtm]

the ultra is very powerful even with the S/C. it was fun beating out this mustang before in it... :-D

Edited October 14, 2005 by zoomtm

[lakefire]

Yes, I wish they continued with the looks of the PA (a la Lacrosse concept). Beautiful car indeed.

[Drew Dowdell]

I'm not saying the S/C 3800 wasn't powerful. Just that the 4.0 NS is more refined and smoother.

[Cory Wolfe]

I agree, the PA is great looking Buick. It's just too big and cushy for me and lacks the details I want.

[Robert Hall]

I think I like the earlier PA grille with the small badge at the top rather than in the center of the grille. The PA would have been great with the Northstar.... One of things I like about the PA design is it is distinctly Buick, from the nose to the roofline to the tail...it held up well for 7 years, IMHO. While the Lucerne is a good looking car, I see nothing distinctly Buick about it...(the roof and tail look like more like the new Passat than any other Buick, IMHO). My favorite GM big cars of the last decade have been the Seville ('92-97, '98-04) and the original Aurora... I like the clean exterior of the Bonneville GXP also.. (I love that the new STS is RWD, but the '98-04 one looks so much better, IMHO). Edited October 15, 2005 by moltar

[Flybrian]

Plus the Ultra should have had the 4.0 Northstar from the Aurora instead of the S/C3800.

[post="28899"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

The 4.0l V8 in the Aurora is the Aurora V8. Not Northstar, Aurora. I know its derived, but still...

Hey, you expected it from me. :P http://www.cheersandgears.com/public/style_emoticons/<#EMO_DIR#>/AH-HA_wink.gif

I love those Park Aves and was at the top of my list with the Aurora when I was car shopping. However, nice, non-white non-landaued Ultras were harder to find at the time.

The biggest problem with the PA was the price. As said, I love 'er, but she wasn't worth MSRP and I'm sure that turned a lot of people off to them.

[ponchoman49]

I think for the absurdly high list prices of the Ultra Buick should have put in something better than a 1996 spec series II 240hp 3800 s/c. At least they could have installed the 260 hp series III or the already mentioned Aurora 4.0. Aside from that I really liked the 04-05 Park Ultra.

[Drew Dowdell]

Isn't it telling how 240hp and 280 ft/lbs of torque isn't nearly enough these days. If it's less then 300hp it's junk. If a 3800lbs car can get to 60 in only 7.1 seconds, it's slow.

[zoomtm]

your are only going to go as fast as the person in front of you so it doesnt really matter to some extent. the 3800 is fine for everyday driving. btw sixty: hell yes to your new sig. Edited October 18, 2005 by zoomtm

[mjdecker]

My dad owned a 94 Park Ave (and still does, my mom drives it now with 280K+ Miles). He loved it so much he was checking out newer models. We were looking at a Silver 2001 Ultra with portholes installed on it (I must say it looked damn sharp). The killer was the $17k price tag.. We probly could have talked them down to $15k but my dad wasn't looking at spending that much. He likes his Impala but misses the roomy interior and smooth ride of the Buick.

[ponchoman49]

Isn't it telling how 240hp and 280 ft/lbs of torque isn't nearly enough these days. If it's less then 300hp it's junk. If a 3800lbs car can get to 60 in only 7.1 seconds, it's slow.

[post="30626"]<{POST_SNAPBACK}>[/post]

7.1 seconds is with a tailwind going downhill. I have driven tons of these and they aren't that fast. Motor Trend and GM & Basher use calculations to get these numbers under ideal, perfect conditions. They published this in an issue a few years back because a disgruntled 3800 owner with a 00 Monte Carlo SS with a 200 hp 3800 took his car to a track and couldn't come anywhere close to the 7.6 second 0-60 time that they got. The best he saw was 8.2 seconds and 8.4 when full temps where reached. This was a fully broken in car with over 10K miles too. I have owned numerous cars with this engine and NEVER broke the 8.0 second mark with any one of them. The s/c Parks are the heaviest G-bodies at nearly 3900 lbs so my recorded 7.8-8.0 second time seems to bear fruit. AT 43K list I would expect more than an an outdated 1996 spec engine and even more outdated 4 speed automatic tranny. This is after all the same drivetrain that my buds 1997 Grand Prix GTP had. A car that at the time he paid a little over 22K for brand new.