Driving Impressions

If any single element of the Century can be said to define Buick's marketing goals and intentions for this car, it's a stint behind the wheel. From this position, you are unlikely to mistake this for anything but a Buick. Ride quality is the Century's outstanding feature. Over any surface one might reasonably drive on, it is soft. Bumps, dips or ridges on the pavement are seldom heard or felt; instead, there are smooth up-and-down movements that tell the driver the Century has been driven over something, with little indication as to the nature or size of the obstruction. Road and suspension noise are both absent. For some drivers, the Dyna-Ride Century will be too soft, and it must be said that we found some of its reactions--especially body roll in corners and the rocking motions that occurred as the suspension settled down after hitting dips and bumps--a little dated by contemporary ride and handling standards. We suggest that slightly firmer shock absorber settings could be employed without upsetting the Century's cloud-like ride in the least. The magnetic variable-assist power steering as supplied with our Limited tester was effortless, but somewhat short on feel and feedback. We've experienced other examples of this new Magnasteer system that respond a little better in this regard. Once again, however, it must be emphasized that this car has been designed with a keen sense of what its market wants. Few, if any, owners will ever drive Centurys down a canyon road at anything above a modest speed, and fewer still will care if the car's steering has sports-car precision and road feel. Beyond those small cavils, the Century is quite pleasant to drive. The 3.1-liter V6 engine and four-speed automatic transmission combination (the only Century choice) delivers adequate power to meet market demands, and is better than average when judged for smoothness and silence. Fuel economy is good as well. So are the brakes, though we felt the ABS system coming into play earlier than expected during hard stops on some surfaces.

Final Word

It was certainly time for Buick to renovate the Century. The pleasant surprise is that the makeover was done so well. The new Century is a vast improvement over the old in every respect, whether judged on the basis of performance, ride quality, style, fit and finish or comfort. Century has the ability to appeal to buyers who might not have had the previous version on their shopping lists, while being a more than satisfactory replacement for established --and exceptionally loyal--Century owners who are ready for a change. Thanks to a goodly list of standard features, the value quotient is above average, and if serene, unhurried motoring is your priority, the Century is tough to beat.