GS3Tek

iTrader: (8)

not bad at all

here you go......"quote"

mmarshall

That's only partly true. It's true that Grandpas/Grandmas are dying off, but, with the largest generation in history (the Baby Boomers) now retiring (and I'm one of them), they will soon be replaced by a lot of NEW Grandpas/Grandmas. Yes, some Boomers, having owned imports for decades, may stay with them when they retire, but for those who DO decide they want something big, plush, and soft, and American, like Grandma and Grandpa drove, Buick had BETTER have some cars ready for them.....not just mid-sized LaCrosses or rebadged Euro-Opels like the new Regal.

That is something that deeply, and seriously, concerns me at both Cadillac and Buick.....and also, to an extent, Lincoln. All three companies, in recent years, have virtually ignored their loyal, traditional, big-car customers. It probably won't affect me, since I'm pretty much a convert to Subaru, but I really feel sorry for the older folks who can't get the new cars they love any more.

IS-SV

It doesn't concern me deeply and seriously that Buick is recognizing the fact that their declining business of geezer-pleasers needs attention quickly. It's about time, since the purpose of an automotive company is to make a profit. I give them credit for moving ahead instead of just looking back.

I don't buy into the notion that when somebody gets old, they want a car like their grandpa and grandma had, lol.

"Our customers are dying off. We have to carve a new image.", shows they are paying attention. Not only does this old client base tend to die, they buy fewer cars per decade, driver fewer miles per year, and tend to live on relatively fixed (no growth) incomes.

Sadly it took a bankruptcy before Buick took corrective action.

Back to the topic at hand, I like Buick's bold move with a flagship coupe.

LexFather

Guys remember a "flagship" for Buick and a "flagship" for Lexus is two different things. I don't think any Buick hits $50,000 or so which means their flagship is something like a IS-c/SC blend.

chrisyano

That's funny. I like to think most of my friends liked me anyhow too, but couldn't pass up on making fun of my car. A few of them have commented over the years since that they missed my old Buick.

I have always liked the styling of this Riviera. Don't know that I'd enjoy driving something with those dimensions though.

Good point. What price point do you see this flagship being introduced at?

JessePS

If the couple looked like that I'd really want Lexus to try and fix the hideous IS-C and start working on the 3SC.

MrIan

Was anyone else hoping this thread would be about a GNX rebirth based on the vette?

amoney805

iTrader: (1)

Looks promising. Although Im generally not a fan of convertibles.

chrisyano

Although I'd love to see a new Grand National (as long as it wasn't neutered or watered down beyond recognition), I'm not so sure that it's "flagship" level. If it comes out though, I'd be psyched.

TripleL

I think a flagship coupe for Buick is a very good idea. I like the car in the picture too and I think if marketed correctly they may have a good sporty car that doesn't (nor should it) scream Sports Car.

(Cj)

The car pictured looks like a Buick version of the Saturn Sky/Pontiac Solstice...

94lex83457

Anyone else see SC430 in that concept, particularly in the front fascia and fenders?

MMarshall, all the baby boomers who are retiring have only known to be the car that the grandparents drove. As they retire the last thing they want is to drive something that makes them feel old. And if Buicks remind people of their grandparents what do you think that is going to do to their self image. Not to mention that baby boomers have only known buick to make absolute, and utter crap (for the most part). And just because it was pillow-y soft doesn't make the ride comfortable. Look at a Rolls Royce or a Bently - they waft, they don't bobble around as if they were on a mechanized water bed.

Say you are right and older folks want something soft....what forum are we on again? Oh, yes, a Lexus forum home to the very unsporty and soft ES. Buick is changing attitudes because NO ONE WANTS TO BUY THEIR CARS! Of course, the new models are miles ahead of what they use to make and they are even decent looking. But Buick of old will be gone for good.

mmarshall

Let's be realistic, though. Sure, those big old Electras, Wildcats, and Rivieras had a lot of power, rode like a cloud, had sofa-soft seats, and silky-smooth transmissions, but don't forget, 60's vintage cars were a PITA to own and service..........carburators, breaker-point ignition, weak batteries, drum brakes, constant oil changes/chassis lubes, etc.....

Compare cold-engine starts/warm-up, for example, on those cars to today's computer-engine-management systems, and the difference is simply amazing.


Don't worry....you won't. Even if the Riviera nameplate does come back, it won't be anywhere near the size of the early-70's boattail version. Buick hasn't done anything near that size since the early-mid 90's Roadmaster......and even that was not as big as the 60's-70's full-size Buicks.


My guess is around 40K to start.

mmarshall

Well, Boomers are all over the road when it comes to auto opinions. That's because most of us are old enough to remember back before cars were essentially designed and regulated by the Government.....and when Detroit dominated the industry and was miles ahead of most imports. That all changed over the years, of course, and some Boomers left the American makes; others didn't.

Buick indeed built some junk in the 80s and early 90's, but, unlike some other American makes, steadily improved in reliability after that, developing a reputation for cheapness in interiors but, unlike many other GM products, generally good overall reliability.

But the idea that no Boomers are going to want traditional big Buicks anymore; only BMW-type sport sedans, just isn't so. I see people my age (late 50s) all the time in LeSabres, Park Avenues, and Lucernes. Sure, there are those who shun this type of car.......but, not enough, IMO, to just give up on this type of car and do only BMW-like sport sedans.

That's what the CAR CHAT forum is about..............talk about ANY vehicle from ANY manufacturer. And, as I see it, this thread topic (a possible new Buick coupe/flagship) ties in with most of what we have been discussing here about what new Buicks should be like and who may (?) end up buying them.

I've driven (and even owned one) of a number of big, soft-riding Buicks with pillow-soft seats in them....even with the old bench seats before they got twin-front buckets. I know that some people consider that type of ride like getting seasick, but, IMO, those cars were C-O-M-F-O-R-T-A-B-L-E, any way you look at it. After a long, hard day at work on the job dealing with the inevitable daily hassles, those big Buicks really relaxed and refreshed you on the way back home. It's no wonder so many older people, with sore backs and legs, like them so much.

94lex83457

Granted the west coast is much more import friendly than the rest of the country I have only seen a handful of Lesabres, one Park Avenue and no one wants to buy a Lucerne because it is a brand of dairy products out here.

The ES, HS, LS and to an extent all fulfill the desires of a luxury car without the BMW sports sedan "stigma." And whether it's fair or not let's not forget that prestige plays a roll especially in luxury/sports cars and Buick has close to zero.