you could get a Buick with the 3800 supercharged engine and since the average buick driver was a senior citizen you know they never went above 3500 Rpms so they are CHERRY......
Instead of a last year built 05’ lasabre or lasabre limited…grab the 05’Buick park avenue ultra with the supercharger on that 3.8 nice car and bigger than the lasabre
FUN FACT : The person who designed the over the shoulder safety restraints for cars, made the patent free to use for anybody. Because he wasn't trying to make money, he was trying to save lives.
@@Maximus20778 OK, I never once even mentioned any car brand whatsoever. I was just saying that the dude who designed them made it free for everybody to use
I had a 2005 lesabre custom when I was a university student. So much space, decent gas mileage, great for road trips, as a French student at the time it had the perfect blend of american style (the elongated taillights, the leather interior) and european styling (the front is very jaguar-esque). It made me love American landyacht, and I got a Deville right after, and to this day, 10 years later, I still own a Town Car - I fell in love with v8s. The Deville was great too but less reliable. The Lesabre was a tank.
I'm a Ford guy at heart, but have always loved the Park Avenue, particularly the Ultra. It was only slightly smaller (at least in appearance) than the Deville or Town Car but I can imagine it was much less expensive.
GM's biggest mistake was to quit making these vehicles. Among the most reliable cars on the road with the most interior and trunk room white having better fuel economy than some compact cars. I would love to have seen what could have been if GM would have chosen to add variable valve timing and gasoline direct injection to the 3800 along with a six-speed transmission in a platform like this.
bigger mistake was killinng the 3.8 . gm could have tooled the gm sedans into a small suv . the 3.8 was stout . the 3.6 that replaced it was a poor replacement
@@Dankcatvacsagreed, the 3.6 with gdi, VVT, and a 6 speed receives worse fuel economy and much lower reliability. On top of this, the lower end torque of the 3800 would have been better suited for SUVs and crossovers.
I would love to see how great a 3800 would be with GDI and port injection to keep the valves clean! I bet they’d run amazing! The GDI would really help keep the cylinders cool and help with knock retard! And having a 6 speed auto would be nice too!! Although I doubt they’d build it to handle the output… so it would end up with 4T65-E problems still…
@@confusedcoco5947 Place I worked had a 92 cargo ASTRO that made it to 572K before an oil cooler line blew and the guy driving didn't notice. We gave it a funeral 😂
I have a 1999 Buick Lesabre, jet black purchased with 6,700 original miles. I have had to use but still only have 38,000 miles. That description of a couch on wheels describes the highway experience 100%
I had a 2001 LeSabre that had 241,000 trouble free miles on it when I traded. It had the famous bullet proof 3800 V6 that GM should still be running in all its cars.
They accidentally made too good of a motor and needed to replace it with absolute garbage (the 3.6). I mean the 3800 may have had issues with drowning in it's own coolant, but the 3.6 seems to have every severe mechanical problem imaginable. One of the best of all time replaced with an absolutely terrible motor...
you can prevent that by swapping to a series 3 intake manifold and that wouldnt even lock the engine you just would have poor perfomance and engine coolant leaking the 3800 is bulletproof
Yet another fun, informative episode. Never a fan of Buicks myself, I’ve known quite a few LeSabre owners over the years,including the boxy 80’s estate wagon. It was also good as a rental, providing a comfortable trip for 5 persons.
The survival of Buick as a brand is singularly based upon the Chinese market for Buicks. Way more Buicks are sold in China than the US. Without the odd demand for Buicks in China, the division would have been buried next to Oldsmobile & Pontiac a long time ago. I too liked the LeSabre, along with the Olds 88; I suspect the end of the LeSabre is somehow due to the Chinese market.
It’s because mao got chauffeured around in a Buick during the Great Leap Forward into famine.... But hey that’s communism because at the end of the day everyone wants a yacht.....
In 2002 I rented a LeSabre for a cross country drive. Very roomy & comfortable and good fuel ⛽️ economy. Never much of a GM guy, i remember thinking, “GM got this car right.” Of course, GM cancelled it.
Had a 2000 Lasabre it was a good car the engine was bulletproof it had a smooth ride and there was a ton of room inside the car and trunk. Did have issues with the air ride but wasn't a fortune to fix it.
I co-oped (high school) at Buick-Olds-Cadillac Group in the early 80's (before it became Buick City), then worked full time there in the mid-late 90's. I was there the day the last vehicle rolled off the assembly line in 1999!
I remember seeing LeSabres all over the place when I was a kid in the 80s and 90s and once I graduated high school after the turn of the century. The 7th gen was a very nicely designed car and was very popular. It had a nice contemporary design. The 5th gen has the perfect size, design, platform, and layout to make into a street car or drag racer by replacing the engine. I still see 7th and 8th gen LeSabres almost every day.
I'm younger so I never lived in a time where Buicks were held in high regard so the cult following was a bit of a surprise. But I do remember the LaSabre being one of the OG hoodmobiles. They were reliable, comfortable, and they depreciated quickly so poor people owned them in droves. Seeing one in the 2000s and 2010s had the same vibe as seeing someone in a used Altima now. You just knew that was the nicest thing they could still afford and over the time they own it they're going drive it into the ground because maintaining a car is just too expensive. So if you say "LaSabre" to me I'm going to imagine a big blue sedan with peeling clearcoat, a taped up window, blown rear suspension, and a busted headlight that makes a very troubling rattling sound when it starts up.
This! When I was growing up (I'm almost thirty, by the way) my grandpa owned both a Buick Roadmaster and later on a Buick Park Avenue and those two sedans (along with other models such as the LeSabre, Century, Regal, Lucerne, and LaCrosse) had a winning combination of low-profile luxury and effortless highway cruising allowed Buick to crush their domestic competition (Oldsmobile, Mercury and Chrysler) and trounce the import crowd.
@@kerriwilson7732 The 3800 was a completely new engine, but still 3.8L. The fuel injected 3.8 before it was a very good and reliable engine as well, but the 3800 3.8 was FAR superior. It was redesigned again for the Series 2 version, but the Series 3 was just a Series 2 with several improvements; it was the best and final version.
I got a 2001 Buick La Sabre and i love it. Almost 2 years already just rolled over to 100K a week or so ago.Gray on gray. A Grandpa/Senior Citizen's car of Which i'm a Senior Citizen over 60 crowd.
The Regal video was really good. You did really well with this one too. I never understood the LeSabre but I'm now at the age where if one were available, I would probably consider it.
In 2002, I bought an 87 LeSabre with the 3.8L, and I had it for winter in North Dakota/Minnesota, and for entire month of January, I was living in hotel in MN without ability to plug in the engine block heater, but it started every morning, despite the bitter cold. I had to sell it when I moved for work, and it "failed" safety inspection over some small nonsense.
I can say this the Buick lesabre is a very good and reliable car I had a 2004 limited for a first car I bought it for 350 bucks an it ran and drove really good I still miss that car every day
I had a 95 LeSabre. It was ugly with actual gorilla glue tape to keep the fiberglass fnders together. But it never broke down. It always got me from point a to point b. And the interior was SO good. Edit: also, thank you doing a little bit on the b bodies!
2000 Mercury Grand Marquis here that I saved for years and purchased in 2015... I loved this video. It reminded me of that engine and the cars that I appreciated when I was a young father of 4... Thank you
In some ways GM is still a mystery to me. Ive had 2 GM cars. A 95 N body Achieva with the quad4 and a 94 w body regal with the 3800. The Regal was the best car Ive ever owned while the Achieva was a total absolute pos in every way possible and opposite to the Regal in every way. How can 2 polar opposite cars 1 year appart be from the same company still baffles me to this day.
@@johna.4334 And I would say that the series 1 and 3 were the best. Those didn't have intake gasket issues due to Dexcool. But it seems that the supercharged series2 didn't have intake gasket issues.
Yet another way GM managed to take a good thing and ruin it. The market for cars such as the LaSabre was dying, but the way GM mismanaged their brands during this time is a true shame, as it basically led to the death of multiple American classics.
Yes the last 2 generations of Lesabres are high on the list of good, reliable used cars. Many car channels or mechanics/technicians channels have these on their list
It was too reliable, comfortable and sensible. GM wanted to introduce pieces of 💩 and the Lesabre had to go. Lucky I have a 2005, its one sweet highway ride.
I have been a "car buff" since the 1960s. General Motors could write the definitive reference book on making bad decisions in the automotive business. Being purchased by GM was almost a guaranteed "death knell" for a car company.
I am a Lesabre freak,I bought a 97 from the original owner,42,000 when purchased,a LeSabre Custom,blue cloth, white outside, aluminum wheels. Things I like,steel fuel tank,old style Tilt column,cool style dash,makes the Lucerne feel like a pickup copared to the LeSabre,I am a LeSabre cult person. I love the way the car rides and drives,just a great solid dependable car in the over two years that I have had it,could not be happier.
I've owned my 1993 Buick LeSabre for 14 years now and the previous owner was an elderly woman whose daughter would take her to her medical appointments and then it would stay in the garage otherwise. I've owned a lot of different cars and different brands, and this is the best car I've ever owned. It barely fits in my one-car garage, but I never want to get rid of it. Even though it is a tight fit in the garage, I make sure it's stays in the garage when it's not being driven. It is in mint condition and it doesn't look close to the 31 years it has existed. And everything still works regarding the electronics. It's amazing!
You’re referring to it as a grandpa car, and for some it was, but when I was a kid the Lesabre was owned by upper-middle class and affluent families with children, too. It wasn’t uncommon to see this driven by parents in their 40’s.
I owned a 1990 when I was sixteen, and it was a great car, with the 3800 being an extremely solid engine, and a very comfortable ride. Mine also had the expensive optional magnesium wheels, which were kinda rare from what I saw on all of the others running around at the time
The Buicks of the late 80s and 90s were much better cars than the Cadillacs of that time other than the Brougham. 3.8 Liter beat out the Northstar any day.
GM cancelled the Buick LeSabre because it was actually a good car (the early 2000’s models) with an engine that could go the distance like Japanese models. People refused to trade them in and it cost dealerships millions. GM would never make the mistake of producing a decent car again. 😂. Like Toyotas, a decent LeSabre still commands excellent resale value. Ford cancelled the crown Vic for the same reason.
I am sure that it has nothing to do with everyone under 40 being embarrassed to be seen anywhere near them, or the ever increasing sales numbers of SUV’s.
Owned an 01 Lesabre, low miles. The car had two flaws, the transmission was too weak for a car with that weight. And constant instrument cluster problems.
It’d probably be a shorter video, as they only ran for 6 years, but id love to see a video on the Alero. I’ve owned 4 of them now (two of them being Final 500s) and they’re really great cars. They deserve more love than they get
Thank you for the GM video and LeSabre video. Good footage and you covered a lot in a great way. You discussed the many changes over time as well. I do thank you for the extensive effort placed in this video.
I bought a base model 2005 Custom model in the dark Garnet Metallic 4 years ago. I redid the exterior with complete body work and a full paint job. I put American Racing alum wheels on it, painted the grill and engine cover the same as the body color. It was a good looking car. But, it was a real money pit and only had about 76K miles on it. Needed a new head liner and visors recovered, the gauge assembly went bad and needed to be completely replaced, the rear air shocks went bad, the intake manifold leaked, the Dex-Cool anti-freeze was literally eating the alum manifold, the transmission would slip, the suspension in the rear squeeked, the headlights turned brownish and both needed to be replaced,the driver's seat material got real baggy, the entire dash shook when you'd hit a bad bump ( cowl shake), the entire under side of the car, especially behind the rear doors got a lot of surface rust, and the idle was never smooth despite replacing a trans mount and a couple sensors. Also had to replace one of the vent actuator motors. I really wanted to love it but it was a poorly built, unreliable car. I'm done with GM. Glad I found some sucker to buy it.
@@MichaelLovely-mr6oh Yeah I know right. Old school for sure, but hey Lady Tremaine has never failed me. Just dove her to NJ and back, She didn't miss a beat.
That's right. GM hung off much longer than Ford did with the built-in obsolescence fraud. I have a 2000 model Buick derivative (outside the US) that still has its original exhaust system (after 24 years). It was made of stainless steel so it'd last. I still see them on the roads today whereas Fords of that vintage are now in la-la land of obscurity. And the f*****s cost the same to buy! My model was used by a Mid-West police department as a cruiser, and their view of it was that it was the perfect police car. To me, it's the perfect car, period. But do we learn anything from these proven facts???????
GM's biggest mistake was to kill these great selling cars . I'm one of the many people that are part of the Buick cult . I drive a 2001 Park Avenue with 169,000 miles. These cars go many miles while providing comfort and low cost to maintain
I was disappointed that you didn't mention the Buick Electra Park Avenue that the Lesabre shared the H body with in the 80s. I had an 87 Park Avenue coupe that I wish I never sold.
The last year for the Park Ave coupe, and only year with composite headlamps. The Park was actually a C-body. Check out the video Inside Buick Studio by Bill Porter. You'll enjoy it!
That’s a nice change. Where I live the city installed a huge number of solar powered flashing crosswalks where the LED flashing lights are flush mounted at an angle in the road to alert drivers to a pedestrian. But a patent holder asserted a patent demanding the removal of the crosswalk safety devices. Pure greed over safety seems to often prevail.
Imagine if there was a middle ground where people actually step up and license patented technology instead of just taking it for free with predictable results. Speaking of being effing greedy!
Could you cover the Chrysler 300 and its many incarnations from 1955 to 1971 (both letter and non-letter series), the 1999 to 2004 LH 300, and the most recent incarnation from 2005 to 2023 (including the wagon version), and its many concept incarnations, like the 1991 Viper-based concept, the forgotten 1993 LH concept and the 2000 RWD convertible concept?
They need to build that car again!, I had an 05 la sbere, had it many years, It never broke down, had the 3800 V6, all I had to do was change the oil, and the alternator, but GM cancelled it, why? , Why cancel such a good product for something nobody wants!
As these cars engines age, carbon buildup may become an issue. I suggest using Techron fuel system cleaner to help with carbon buildup, one bottle a month should be sufficient, along with using a tier 1 fuel like Shell gasoline. Great video ! !
I think LeSabre and Grand Prix have their own very unique fan bases respectfully. I have a 04 Grand Prix and I do everything I can to keep it looking like brand new inside and out.
I finally realized I was getting older when I saw a middle 2000’s Buick and said out loud “that looks like a nice sensible car”
you could get a Buick with the 3800 supercharged engine and since the average buick driver was a senior citizen you know they never went above 3500 Rpms so they are CHERRY......
@@americanbadass88 mine was cherry in oct. 2021 and still is.
Instead of a last year built 05’ lasabre or lasabre limited…grab the 05’Buick park avenue ultra with the supercharger on that 3.8 nice car and bigger than the lasabre
FUN FACT : The person who designed the over the shoulder safety restraints for cars, made the patent free to use for anybody. Because he wasn't trying to make money, he was trying to save lives.
@carl_dinosaur nope it was Volvo.
@@Maximus20778 OK, I never once even mentioned any car brand whatsoever. I was just saying that the dude who designed them made it free for everybody to use
@@righty-o3585and it was volvo
@@Maximus20778NO! IT WAS VOLVO!
The inventor of matchsticks gave the formula away for free.
So many 3800 V6 powered cars still going strong today. Great motor
I had a 2005 lesabre custom when I was a university student. So much space, decent gas mileage, great for road trips, as a French student at the time it had the perfect blend of american style (the elongated taillights, the leather interior) and european styling (the front is very jaguar-esque). It made me love American landyacht, and I got a Deville right after, and to this day, 10 years later, I still own a Town Car - I fell in love with v8s. The Deville was great too but less reliable. The Lesabre was a tank.
I'm a Ford guy at heart, but have always loved the Park Avenue, particularly the Ultra. It was only slightly smaller (at least in appearance) than the Deville or Town Car but I can imagine it was much less expensive.
You are one of the rare people to correctly point out that the front looks like a jaguar
When USA meant, simple and it just keeps going.
@@markmarku8169 also the riviera had theat jag look like the park avenue
GM's biggest mistake was to quit making these vehicles. Among the most reliable cars on the road with the most interior and trunk room white having better fuel economy than some compact cars. I would love to have seen what could have been if GM would have chosen to add variable valve timing and gasoline direct injection to the 3800 along with a six-speed transmission in a platform like this.
they saw the truck/SUV gravy train and stopped caring about anything else
bigger mistake was killinng the 3.8 . gm could have tooled the gm sedans into a small suv . the 3.8 was stout . the 3.6 that replaced it was a poor replacement
@@Dankcatvacsagreed, the 3.6 with gdi, VVT, and a 6 speed receives worse fuel economy and much lower reliability. On top of this, the lower end torque of the 3800 would have been better suited for SUVs and crossovers.
I would love to see how great a 3800 would be with GDI and port injection to keep the valves clean! I bet they’d run amazing! The GDI would really help keep the cylinders cool and help with knock retard! And having a 6 speed auto would be nice too!! Although I doubt they’d build it to handle the output… so it would end up with 4T65-E problems still…
GM should address their intake gaskets
CHEVY ASTRO VID! LETS HAVE IT!
Yes. That van was the car I remember growing up riding around in. We called it the tank. It drove all the way to 285k miles.
YES CHEVY ASTRO
I've probably commented astro van 20 times now
@@joshriles84 keep trying. We'll get one eventually
@@confusedcoco5947
Place I worked had a 92 cargo ASTRO that made it to 572K before an oil cooler line blew and the guy driving didn't notice. We gave it a funeral 😂
We had an 89 when I was a kid. I loved how well that car drove, and the forward opening hood was cool
I have a 1999 Buick Lesabre, jet black purchased with 6,700 original miles. I have had to use but still only have 38,000 miles. That description of a couch on wheels describes the highway experience 100%
Is the Park Ave nicer? I'm looking for the more luxury model but I like the interior and exterior looks of the Lesabre better.
I had a 2001 LeSabre that had 241,000 trouble free miles on it when I traded. It had the famous bullet proof 3800 V6 that GM should still be running in all its cars.
Man...I still still eyeball those cars to this day. Reliable, easy to drive and low maintenance.
They accidentally made too good of a motor and needed to replace it with absolute garbage (the 3.6). I mean the 3800 may have had issues with drowning in it's own coolant, but the 3.6 seems to have every severe mechanical problem imaginable. One of the best of all time replaced with an absolutely terrible motor...
@@b-chroniumproductions3177the coolant issues are easily fixed
I've never been a GM fan, but by gum those Buick engine's were bulletproof.
Until the intake manifold failed and potentially hydrolocked the engine, which happened to most before they hit 150K mi and many earlier than that.
you can prevent that by swapping to a series 3 intake manifold and that wouldnt even lock the engine you just would have poor perfomance and engine coolant leaking the 3800 is bulletproof
Yet another fun, informative episode. Never a fan of Buicks myself, I’ve known quite a few LeSabre owners over the years,including the boxy 80’s estate wagon. It was also good as a rental, providing a comfortable trip for 5 persons.
The survival of Buick as a brand is singularly based upon the Chinese market for Buicks. Way more Buicks are sold in China than the US. Without the odd demand for Buicks in China, the division would have been buried next to Oldsmobile & Pontiac a long time ago. I too liked the LeSabre, along with the Olds 88; I suspect the end of the LeSabre is somehow due to the Chinese market.
Yep, every time I go to China, I'm amazed at how many Buicks there are.
😎👍
Agreed! I think the lesabre is a pretty forgettable car. And I've seen over 50 years of them.
I suspect the end of most things is due to the Chinese market 💯🤣🤣🤣
@@uttasyda9746 domestically, people aren't buying sedans or coupes anymore.
It’s because mao got chauffeured around in a Buick during the Great Leap Forward into famine.... But hey that’s communism because at the end of the day everyone wants a yacht.....
In 2002 I rented a LeSabre for a cross country drive. Very roomy & comfortable and good fuel ⛽️ economy. Never much of a GM guy, i remember thinking, “GM got this car right.” Of course, GM cancelled it.
Last product built at the Buick City plant in Flint MI. In 2000 production moved elsewhere and Buick City was demolished.
That was such a sad day.
Had a 2000 Lasabre it was a good car the engine was bulletproof it had a smooth ride and there was a ton of room inside the car and trunk. Did have issues with the air ride but wasn't a fortune to fix it.
I own a ‘85 Buick Regal!!! Love buick!!! I got into a Buick because I couldn’t find the Caddy!!! Never looked backwards since!!!
We bought our first Buick almost a year ago. The best car we've ever owned!
I still see these on the road today. The 3.8 engine can run forever.
You should do an episode in the Chrysler LH sedans.
I co-oped (high school) at Buick-Olds-Cadillac Group in the early 80's (before it became Buick City), then worked full time there in the mid-late 90's. I was there the day the last vehicle rolled off the assembly line in 1999!
I remember seeing LeSabres all over the place when I was a kid in the 80s and 90s and once I graduated high school after the turn of the century.
The 7th gen was a very nicely designed car and was very popular. It had a nice contemporary design.
The 5th gen has the perfect size, design, platform, and layout to make into a street car or drag racer by replacing the engine.
I still see 7th and 8th gen LeSabres almost every day.
I'm younger so I never lived in a time where Buicks were held in high regard so the cult following was a bit of a surprise. But I do remember the LaSabre being one of the OG hoodmobiles. They were reliable, comfortable, and they depreciated quickly so poor people owned them in droves. Seeing one in the 2000s and 2010s had the same vibe as seeing someone in a used Altima now. You just knew that was the nicest thing they could still afford and over the time they own it they're going drive it into the ground because maintaining a car is just too expensive. So if you say "LaSabre" to me I'm going to imagine a big blue sedan with peeling clearcoat, a taped up window, blown rear suspension, and a busted headlight that makes a very troubling rattling sound when it starts up.
Yep! I think of a pretty generic rental car.
😹😹
I love these last of an era land yachts of the 90s-2000s like this and the crown victoria/grand marquis
Buicks weren't cars for people who couldn't afford Cadillacs. Buicks were cars for people who knew that Buicks are better than Cadillacs.
This! When I was growing up (I'm almost thirty, by the way) my grandpa owned both a Buick Roadmaster and later on a Buick Park Avenue and those two sedans (along with other models such as the LeSabre, Century, Regal, Lucerne, and LaCrosse) had a winning combination of low-profile luxury and effortless highway cruising allowed Buick to crush their domestic competition (Oldsmobile, Mercury and Chrysler) and trounce the import crowd.
👍🏾🫡
Facts
The series 2 3800 was an excellent engine
Great video of the Buick LeSabre!!! When I was growing up our nextdoor neighbors were diehard Buick fans & owned several LeSabre s!!! 👍👍🙂
This is one of the best channels on RUclips.
I just got a 99 lesabre limited last year. Love that ride, super smooth.
The 3.8 might be the best v6 ever made.
That's 3800
@@johna.4334 same motor, new designation a la GM
@@kerriwilson7732 The 3800 was a completely new engine, but still 3.8L. The fuel injected 3.8 before it was a very good and reliable engine as well, but the 3800 3.8 was FAR superior. It was redesigned again for the Series 2 version, but the Series 3 was just a Series 2 with several improvements; it was the best and final version.
I’ve had two LeSabres, a Wildcat and an Electra 225. I wish Buick would return to building a full model lineup with its classic names.
I always wanted one of those 1987 Buick LeSabre T-Types. That was near the high water mark for Buick.
I remember seeing one with raised white lettering on the tires. It actually looked like a stock car. Oddly attractive,
I got a 2001 Buick La Sabre and i love it. Almost 2 years already just rolled over to 100K a week or so ago.Gray on gray. A Grandpa/Senior Citizen's car of Which i'm a Senior Citizen over 60 crowd.
I miss the 3 seater, front bench seat. Being able to fit six in a car is a sorely unappreciated feature.
I am on the young side, but I love the 7th generation Buick LeSabre's simplicity.
I love the 7th generation as well.
Sir , you have great taste.
I wouldn't mind adding a couple of things but mostly I like it simple and easy.
There really is a Top Gear bit for every car ever made 😁
The Regal video was really good.
You did really well with this one too. I never understood the LeSabre but I'm now at the age where if one were available, I would probably consider it.
In 2002, I bought an 87 LeSabre with the 3.8L, and I had it for winter in North Dakota/Minnesota, and for entire month of January, I was living in hotel in MN without ability to plug in the engine block heater, but it started every morning, despite the bitter cold. I had to sell it when I moved for work, and it "failed" safety inspection over some small nonsense.
I can say this the Buick lesabre is a very good and reliable car I had a 2004 limited for a first car I bought it for 350 bucks an it ran and drove really good I still miss that car every day
how you get it so cheap
Some Pontiac Bonnevilles were also built at Buick City.
I had a 95 LeSabre. It was ugly with actual gorilla glue tape to keep the fiberglass fnders together. But it never broke down. It always got me from point a to point b. And the interior was SO good.
Edit: also, thank you doing a little bit on the b bodies!
2000 Mercury Grand Marquis here that I saved for years and purchased in 2015... I loved this video. It reminded me of that engine and the cars that I appreciated when I was a young father of 4... Thank you
General motors has made some real junk over the years but one of the engines that it made very well was that 3800!
In some ways GM is still a mystery to me. Ive had 2 GM cars. A 95 N body Achieva with the quad4 and a 94 w body regal with the 3800. The Regal was the best car Ive ever owned while the Achieva was a total absolute pos in every way possible and opposite to the Regal in every way. How can 2 polar opposite cars 1 year appart be from the same company still baffles me to this day.
ya those quad 4 s were garbage
The 2000-up LeSabre's are really good looking cars.
I had an 83 and an 84. I wish I still had one of them.
The best engines from GM were the LS series V8 and the 3.8 series 2.
Err...you mean to say 3800 series 2
@@johna.4334 And I would say that the series 1 and 3 were the best. Those didn't have intake gasket issues due to Dexcool. But it seems that the supercharged series2 didn't have intake gasket issues.
Always good to here about the Le Sabre. Thanks for making this video.
Yet another way GM managed to take a good thing and ruin it. The market for cars such as the LaSabre was dying, but the way GM mismanaged their brands during this time is a true shame, as it basically led to the death of multiple American classics.
I had an '03 LeSabre. Loved it, got 30 mpg on the highway and it was really roomy.
I had an 85 Lesabre. I must say those were some of the nicest seats I ever sat in. The butter soft velour was amazing. I wish I had that car today
Yes the last 2 generations of Lesabres are high on the list of good, reliable used cars. Many car channels or mechanics/technicians channels have these on their list
It was too reliable, comfortable and sensible. GM wanted to introduce pieces of 💩 and the Lesabre had to go.
Lucky I have a 2005, its one sweet highway ride.
Please do a video on the Ford Explorer sport trac pickup
Yeahh
mines got 49k miles and interior leather is PERFECT.
another great video. thanks! I believe all cars "lost" horsepower from 71 to 72. The US changed from a Gross hp rating to a net HP rating.
They did change the measurement, but many really did lose power. Lost even more in 73.
Many 2002 Le Sabres are still on the road.
I have been a "car buff" since the 1960s. General Motors could write the definitive reference book on making bad decisions in the automotive business. Being purchased by GM was almost a guaranteed "death knell" for a car company.
I'm surprised that Chrysler hasn't croaked after a century in business.
I am a Lesabre freak,I bought a 97 from the original owner,42,000 when purchased,a LeSabre Custom,blue cloth, white outside, aluminum wheels. Things I like,steel fuel tank,old style Tilt column,cool style dash,makes the Lucerne feel like a pickup copared to the LeSabre,I am a LeSabre cult person.
I love the way the car rides and drives,just a great solid dependable car in the over two years that I have had it,could not be happier.
I've owned my 1993 Buick LeSabre for 14 years now and the previous owner was an elderly woman whose daughter would take her to her medical appointments and then it would stay in the garage otherwise.
I've owned a lot of different cars and different brands, and this is the best car I've ever owned.
It barely fits in my one-car garage, but I never want to get rid of it. Even though it is a tight fit in the garage, I make sure it's stays in the garage when it's not being driven. It is in mint condition and it doesn't look close to the 31 years it has existed.
And everything still works regarding the electronics. It's amazing!
These were such great cars
GM definitely should have transition the Flint plant to another body style instead of closing it down.
GM had to shut it down -the UAW put a stranglehold on them.
These were great cars with a great engine. GM was stupid to discontinue it.
"GM was stupid to discontinue it." - One of the many dumb things General Mutters has done!!!!!
We had 2 LeSabres, a 91 and a 95. A 6th gen and a 7th gen. I love them cars!
That 3800 was, and is, one of the best engineered engines ever created.
You’re referring to it as a grandpa car, and for some it was, but when I was a kid the Lesabre was owned by upper-middle class and affluent families with children, too. It wasn’t uncommon to see this driven by parents in their 40’s.
I owned a 1990 when I was sixteen, and it was a great car, with the 3800 being an extremely solid engine, and a very comfortable ride. Mine also had the expensive optional magnesium wheels, which were kinda rare from what I saw on all of the others running around at the time
The Buicks of the late 80s and 90s were much better cars than the Cadillacs of that time other than the Brougham. 3.8 Liter beat out the Northstar any day.
GM cancelled the Buick LeSabre because it was actually a good car (the early 2000’s models) with an engine that could go the distance like Japanese models. People refused to trade them in and it cost dealerships millions. GM would never make the mistake of producing a decent car again. 😂. Like Toyotas, a decent LeSabre still commands excellent resale value. Ford cancelled the crown Vic for the same reason.
I am sure that it has nothing to do with everyone under 40 being embarrassed to be seen anywhere near them, or the ever increasing sales numbers of SUV’s.
Owned an 01 Lesabre, low miles. The car had two flaws, the transmission was too weak for a car with that weight. And constant instrument cluster problems.
Buick LeSabre, the most ticket proof car on the road...
It’d probably be a shorter video, as they only ran for 6 years, but id love to see a video on the Alero. I’ve owned 4 of them now (two of them being Final 500s) and they’re really great cars. They deserve more love than they get
Aurora slaps too
The Alero was a very elegant looking car.
Thank you for the GM video and LeSabre video. Good footage and you covered a lot in a great way. You discussed the many changes over time as well. I do thank you for the extensive effort placed in this video.
I currently drive an 03, best car I've every had. 30 mpg all day long.
Can you do a video on the Lincoln Continental? I have a 2002 model and love daily driving it to this day
I forgot you already did a Crown Victoria video. Could you do a Chevy Caprice video?
I bought a base model 2005 Custom model in the dark Garnet Metallic 4 years ago. I redid the exterior with complete body work and a full paint job. I put American Racing alum wheels on it, painted the grill and engine cover the same as the body color. It was a good looking car. But, it was a real money pit and only had about 76K miles on it. Needed a new head liner and visors recovered, the gauge assembly went bad and needed to be completely replaced, the rear air shocks went bad, the intake manifold leaked, the Dex-Cool anti-freeze was literally eating the alum manifold, the transmission would slip, the suspension in the rear squeeked, the headlights turned brownish and both needed to be replaced,the driver's seat material got real baggy, the entire dash shook when you'd hit a bad bump ( cowl shake), the entire under side of the car, especially behind the rear doors got a lot of surface rust, and the idle was never smooth despite replacing a trans mount and a couple sensors. Also had to replace one of the vent actuator motors.
I really wanted to love it but it was a poorly built, unreliable car. I'm done with GM. Glad I found some sucker to buy it.
Mistake to rename the LeSabre Lucerne for 2006, but Bob Lutz always enjoyed renaming cars throughout his career.
That was a HUUUGE MISTAKE!!!!! Right up there with changing the Escort name; and the GrandDaddy of them all: LEBARON!!!!!😧
I have a Buick LeSabre 1998 with only 92 k on the Clock, I named her Lady Tremaine. That car has never let me down.
Ooh! Forgive me for asking but what is the color of Lady Tremaine on both the inside and outside?
@@MichaelLovely-mr6oh Hunter green with tan cloth interior.
@@deltaboy767 Wow!
@@MichaelLovely-mr6oh Yeah I know right. Old school for sure, but hey Lady Tremaine has never failed me. Just dove her to NJ and back, She didn't miss a beat.
Had a 97 loved that car sold and got a newer car. Now I don't have the newer car and bought another lesabre 2004 love these cars
They quit making them because they lasted too long.
That's right. GM hung off much longer than Ford did with the built-in obsolescence fraud. I have a 2000 model Buick derivative (outside the US) that still has its original exhaust system (after 24 years). It was made of stainless steel so it'd last. I still see them on the roads today whereas Fords of that vintage are now in la-la land of obscurity. And the f*****s cost the same to buy! My model was used by a Mid-West police department as a cruiser, and their view of it was that it was the perfect police car. To me, it's the perfect car, period. But do we learn anything from these proven facts???????
GM's biggest mistake was to kill these great selling cars . I'm one of the many people that are part of the Buick cult . I drive a 2001 Park Avenue with 169,000 miles. These cars go many miles while providing comfort and low cost to maintain
I was disappointed that you didn't mention the Buick Electra Park Avenue that the Lesabre shared the H body with in the 80s. I had an 87 Park Avenue coupe that I wish I never sold.
Had a 89 Buick Park Avenue Ultra. Best seats EVER.
The last year for the Park Ave coupe, and only year with composite headlamps. The Park was actually a C-body. Check out the video Inside Buick Studio by Bill Porter. You'll enjoy it!
@bmerlin376 Thanks for the information. I grew up with these cars and always thought that they were the same platform.
Oldsmobile 88- i know its similar but I love these cars too
That’s a nice change. Where I live the city installed a huge number of solar powered flashing crosswalks where the LED flashing lights are flush mounted at an angle in the road to alert drivers to a pedestrian. But a patent holder asserted a patent demanding the removal of the crosswalk safety devices. Pure greed over safety seems to often prevail.
Imagine if there was a middle ground where people actually step up and license patented technology instead of just taking it for free with predictable results. Speaking of being effing greedy!
I think the '73 LeSabre is one of the best looking full size cars ever made.
I had a 85 collectors edition limited. That 307 was a good motor
Great vid like always MyOldCar. Suggestions for upcoming episodes: Pontiac Bonneville, Pontiac Grand Am, VW Passat, VW Tourag, VW Golf/GTI.
I never understood why buick offered the Lesabre AND the park avenue.
The park was such a great car..
Jane lynch was in a Buick commercial. I find that interesting.
Oldsmobile Cutlass?
Already done.
PLEASE do a video on Australian cars. So much interesting history about them and would be an interesting video for viewers living in the states
suggestion: The Chevy Beretta & Corsica; started as import beaters, ended as beater rental cars. I owned a 1989 Beretta GT, 5spd
We had a 1971 sedan when I was in high-school.
What a great car, 350 2V, I think. Plastic covered cloth seats like being at grandma's house.
I had a 05 in dark red it was so comfortable
Could you cover the Chrysler 300 and its many incarnations from 1955 to 1971 (both letter and non-letter series), the 1999 to 2004 LH 300, and the most recent incarnation from 2005 to 2023 (including the wagon version), and its many concept incarnations, like the 1991 Viper-based concept, the forgotten 1993 LH concept and the 2000 RWD convertible concept?
I had a 97 LeSabre that i think I gave $900 for. It was a decent car but the AC didn't work and the transmission wasn't giving me confidence.
can you do a video on the buick rendezvous buicks first crossover i love mine
I'm driving an '03, it has 77k miles, I will probably have it forever.
They need to build that car again!, I had an 05 la sbere, had it many years, It never broke down, had the 3800 V6, all I had to do was change the oil, and the alternator, but GM cancelled it, why? , Why cancel such a good product for something nobody wants!
GM will never make the mistake of building a good car again. Less money from trade ins and servicing...
I think next to the ls the 3800 is one of the best engines GM ever built..
As these cars engines age, carbon buildup may become an issue. I suggest using Techron fuel system cleaner to help with carbon buildup, one bottle a month should be sufficient, along with using a tier 1 fuel like Shell gasoline. Great video ! !
I think LeSabre and Grand Prix have their own very unique fan bases respectfully. I have a 04 Grand Prix and I do everything I can to keep it looking like brand new inside and out.