Some cars are born to greatness, others have greatness thrust upon them. And then there are cars that are just plain... blah.

This is the story of a car that is just plain... blah. In fact, the specific car I rented was so blah that it was gray, inside and out. I don't know whether it started out gray -- who knows, GM may have tried to spice it up as a cherry red or (shudder) an Xterra yellow; but whatever color it was when it rolled off the line in Detroit, that Buick Century Custom eventually settled into a nice, unobtrusive, boring gray.

Anybody 'round here old enough to remember Buick's signature portholes? you know, that line of three oval holes high up on the front fenders, back in the fifties -- they didn't serve any particular purpose, they just were. If this 2002 Century had ever had portholes, they sourely would have healed like unused piercings in your ear (or whatever body part)!

This car is dull. More boring than Camry. A bigger yawner than Galant. Duller than dirt! It's Taurus dull... So what was I doing driving it? It's all Enterprise had that (except a Grand Cherokee or two), so I went ahead and took it.


Living With A 2002 Century Custom

This is an ordinary-looking automobile. Nothing flashy, no spoilers, no hood scoops, no interesting detail on the body, either inside or out. You get a five-seat sedan -- it seats six if you crowd the front bench seat -- that offers a few creature comforts and amenities, but is otherwise indistinguishable from the competition. A slightly higher-level trim line (Century Limited) luxury upgrades like OnStar and leather seats, and both times offer a package with bucket seats, but the Custom is your basic mid-sized family sedan.

My Custom -- a pretty standard package -- came equipped with power doors/windows, remote keyless entry/trunk control, tilt wheel, the optional cruise control, dual-zone climate-control, and AM/FM/Cassette. Safety features include daytime running lamps, dual airbags, ABS, traction control, and the usual Child Safety Locks and LATCH child-seat hookups. A driver's side airbag is available in the Limited trim line, not the Custom.


Amenities

The Custom comes with one of those infernal fold-down arms (a la Taurus) that provide cup holders and a little console storage. This arm also had some slots molded into it suitable for maps or a cell phone. The downside is that the slots and cupholder are staring the center rear-seat passenger in the face when folded. Rear-seat passengers have two fold-out cupholders. There is a single power-port/cigarette lighter located in the front ash tray.

Front-seat storage is limited to a small compartment (non-locking) in the console "arm" and an astonishingly small glove compartment (your gloves had better be very thin!), plus the usual door-side map pockets. The driver's side seat had optional six-way power controls. Seat support was unremarkable, as I found it too soft; a three-hour drive was all the "seat" could endure; lumbar support is negligible. Rear seat room is average, the seating is (like the front) quite soft. Rear seats in this trim line do not fold, although a folding split seat that allows additional cargo space is available in the Limited trim.

The trunk appears somewhat small for this class of car; equivalent in size to that of my Honda Accord. The lid is heavy and stiff, and merely unlatches when the remote is used as opposed to opening slightly. The passenger compartment remote release is inside the glove compartment. A compact spare (full-size unavailable) stores beneath the trunk floor. A cargo net is standard equipment.


Driving, and the Driver/Car Interface

The fuel-injected 3.1L V6 produces a nominal 175 hp; it is mated in both trim lines with a four-speed automatic overdrive transmission (column-mounted shift). The engine, like the car, is dull. Acceleration is poor to fair throughout the entire normal speed range. Maximum horsepower is reached at 5200 rpm, maximum torque at 4000 rpm; both somewhat above normal street-driving range. For such a mild-mannered engine, the Buick gets mediocre mileage: EPA estimates are 20 / 29, my 450-mile trip (mainly highway) yielded 24.7 MPG. The transmission shifts smoothly through the gears, even under heavy acceleration -- or as heavy as the engine can get.

The ride is much akin to that of larger, more "luxurious" (you may, if you wish, read that as "land yacht") Buick models like the LeSabre: road irregularities are smoothed by a soft suspension that yields the boat-like swaying found in large US-made cars from the fifties well into the nineties (and still found on the Lincoln Town Car). The Custom's ride tends to insulate the driver from direct contact with the road, reducing responsiveness in steering and general handling. Overall, the Custom's handling is mushy and unimpressive; the vehicle's suspension can be overwhelmed by particularly irregular surfaces.

Buick has installed a blah instrument panel; a speedo/odometer combination flanked by the usual fuel and temperature displays. Two "bullseye" displays out on the edges of the display act as "message centers," with clusters of idiot lights.

A stalk at the left side of the steering wheel controls turn signals, wiper/washer, dimmer, and cruise control. A headlight switch (to augment or override the DRL system) is set on the left side of the wheel. Window, power mirror, and power lock controls are found on the door armrests; they are lighted when the headlamps are "turned on." Climate-contols are in the usual position below the sound system -- the dual-zone controls consist of separate sliders for front/rear; the AM/FM/Cassette (Cassette and CD are both options) is located high in the dash center. The stock sound system features auto tone settings and speed-volume control; both fairly standard on GM cars. Buttons on the steering wheel control the sound system source/volume; these (lighted) buttons grow disturbingly hot after an hour or two.


The Good, the Bad, and the Indifferent

Here are my notes on the Buick Century Custom, with attention to specific features:

The Good -- this is a short list:
+ smooth transmission
+ a nice little indentation in the dashboard to keep things from rolling into the vents
+ acceptable, though unremarkable, build quality
+ climate control

The Indifferent -- this list pretty much sums up my view of this car:
= fair fuel economy
= seat comfort and support
= trunk room, interior storage and amenities
= exterior design
= average safety equipment
= strangely hot radio control buttons on steering wheel
= road noise, wind noise

The Bad -- another short list; but some important stuff is on it:
- sloppy, mushy ride and handling
- weak acceleration
- engine noise
- that front-seat console makes my teeth hurt
- high trunk sill, unwieldy trunk lid


Recommendations

There are other vehicles out there that have a more reliable, responsive ride and get better gas mileage -- try the Camry; heck even try the Mercury Sable. This one's a dog; and much of it's 'cause the engineering principles are a decade or so out of date (oddly enough, the current design dates only to the '97 model year). Heck, even the Malibu is an improvement over this one!

For those of you who might want a more "interesting" mid-size car and are bound and determined to stick with Buick, you might check out the Buick Regal. I haven't driven one, but they're allegedly targeted at a younger audience. I assume this means better performance and a less stultifying ride.

Not particularly recommended. -- sorry, Buick...

Amount Paid (US$): 38/day
Condition: New
Model Year: 2002
Model and Options: Century Custom