My ownership of my current car began with my brother. He lives out in the sticks and I asked him to see if he could find a fairly inexpensive ride to replace my inoperable 93 Geo Storm. The premise being that cars there tend to be highway-driven rather than city stop-n-go. I gave him a criteria that it has to be a sedan, preferably six cylinders and handle the mean streets of NYC. It's suppose to be my interim vehicle so that I can stash more cash for a newer one but I needed a car right away. After searching several picks like a 1994 VW Jetta Turbo and a 1998 Mitsubishi Galant GS, after numerous test drives and checks on Carfax, we finally arrived our decision towards the 1996 Buick Skylark Custom.

Styling

The compact Skylark has an elegant and aerodynamic profile. The previous iteration had a nose that resembled a beak of sorts to complement its name; however, in my humble opinion, looked downright ugly. We now have a smooth, rounded fascia lined with a argent "waterfall" grill well known for Buicks. The large front headlamps wrap around the corners to meet the fluid lines of the fenders. The lines leads back, without any creases towards the trunk and tailights. Exhibiting a high roofline, the Skylark echos The Green Hornet's Chrysler Imperial of the 1966 television fame. Painted Dark Forest Green, the paint holds very well. I am fully aware of other GM vehicles in the late '80's/early '90's where the paint literally were worn away to the primer or beyond. I can fully attest after each washing, it still shines clean.

styling upgrade: the best styling upgrade on this the optional 15" wheels with the 3-shield Buick emblem with whitewall tires, not blackwalls. Most of the folks remarked that the former makes the car more handsome.

Performance

Powered by GM's 3100 V-6 engine found in the Olds Achieva, Chevy Corsica, Pontiac Grand Am as examples, The car maxes at 155 HP @ 5200 RPM with a torque rating of 185 lb-ft @ 4000. That last figure is something you can feel. Well matched with at that time, GM's new 4-speed electronically controlled automatic transmission. Frankly, this is the Skylark's highlight where I can easily merge in and out of traffic and leave a few people in more expensive cars in the dust.

Remember, this is the Custom, the most basic car offered then. According to the Carfax report I ordered, the vehicle was a rental in the South Carolina. It later became a program car (off-rental/lease) and we bought from a PA dealer who took it in as a trade-in. Back then, you can get the top-of-the-line GS with the performance suspension and larger rims. I gathered rental companies try to get the most out of their fleet where they outfit strong engines with limited options.

Handling

The suspension is firmer than one conventionally thinks of Buicks. The car hardly dives under hard braking with help of its front vented discs/rear drums w/ ABS standard. The car also features ETS (enhanced traction system) which allows better handling control especially in slippery road conditions. Steering is power-assisted with precision bordering on European makes. Don't laugh. Try negotiating through Eighth Avenue and 42nd Street during rush hour, dodging taxi cabs and buses feeding through the Port Authority bus terminal. This compact threads through traffic like a millipede in an ant farm.

Bells and Whistles

The interior controls are an improvement from traditional GM controls that literally date back when Jimmy Carter was still President. Adopting dial and switch models from GM's European partners like Saab and Opel, Buick's dashboard is devoid of chrome and easy to operate. Dark palettes and subtle hues make for a pleasant driving experience. Couple of hitches are the old-style ashtray and cigarette lighter keeps falling off its tracks and there's no decent cup holders. Hey, I need to keep my frappes in play while I'm rolling.

The AM/FM radio cassette deck is the poor spot of the Skylark. I was considering upgrading the unit with a multi-CD changer but settled for it's mediocre output until I change vehicles. It offers four channels with the usual fade, left and right balance. The Interior noise is quiet due to multitude of damping material as I found out while tampering with the speaker system and checked for any previous flood damage.

Funny, with the exception of power locks, the car wasn't installed with power windows nor mirrors. No vanity mirror, power seats, power trunk release nor a full-size tire. It would have been nice but could have posed problems if they did break down. The upside is the lack of these features saves in space, give better mileage and improves acceleration.

Standard safety features are dual air-bags, three-point seat belts, childproof rear doorlocks, Anti-lock brakes and the optional traction control system.

Ownership

Right off the bat, I didn't have the owner's manual so I went to the local Buick dealer. The parts manager says I could pay nearly twenty dollars for a original one or download one for free. The manual is in Acrobat's PDF form so it's the genuine article. I just need to register my Skylark on Buick.com and, viola, all my information could be stored there like service history and recall history. He offered though to have my VIN run on their system to see if there were outstanding recalls or TSB's (technical service bulletins). None were notable except already taken care of by the rental car agency. Sweet! I felt like a C-list celebrity with A-list needs, well - almost.

Repairs I had so far are:

New front brakes and rotors = $205.00

New battery, starter and installation = $85.00 + $227.00

No car payments = priceless


The Skylark gets about 28mpg in highway driving, 21 mpg in the city. The car takes unleaded gas and takes a full tank at 15.1 gallons. I do change the oil every 6000-7500 miles and have the tires rotated about the same rate. Parts are readily available and, comparatively, inexpensive. I bought the car with 110,000 miles with currently having about 122,000.

Overall

I'm actually pleasantly surprised with not only the experience of ownership but compliments from family and friends who remark, "When your done with your car, will you sell it to me?' or "Wow, this is a Buick? It drives pretty sweet!" It's also notable that other websites like Edmunds.com, CarTalk.com and, lastly, Epinions.com have pretty much favorable reviews. Mechanic friends of mine say I picked a good choice and, frankly, I may look into a LaCrosse or Lucerne as part of my new car search. The downsides are the questionable future of GM and its Buick franchise.

www.buick.com

© 2006 javajoop
Amount Paid (US$): 2200
Model and Options: Custom, 5-seater, automatic, a/c, traction control