Buick GN - long term road test

I don't have my own blog unfortunately, but I contribute regularly to Autos.ca NYC road trip in Jaguar XJ below:

http://www.autos.ca/car-test-drives/road-trip-2013-jaguar-xj-awd-to-new-york-city/

Also write for the Toronto Star Wheels section, Auto123.com, and recently contributed a small writeup for Vanity Fair's Auto page.

novaderrik wrote:

Cotton wrote: damn, now I want a T-top GN.

so rusted out floors and having water drip on your head in a light rain storm is your idea of fun?

It would be garaged. I have two t-top cars and three targas. They are all garaged and rarely see rain.

As far as leaking in light rain none of them have done that...heavy rain is a different story.

Swank Force One wrote: I seriously can't understand their format at all. I want to read it all oldest to newest, start to current end. Is there a way to do this?

it's a much easier read if you go to the index and just read the new updates. Still doesn't have everything, but starting at the bottom (lowest miles) worked best for me.

http://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/features/1987-buick-regal-grand-national-long-term-road-test-index.html

I cringed at the point when one of the writers commented that the car didn't have a recirc function in the HVAC.

Just set the A/C to max, it will recirc then. Most every car was this way before recirc was a separate button.

Knurled wrote:

Cotton wrote: damn, now I want a T-top GN.

They squeak and leak and creak and all sorts of other Dr. Seuss sounding onomatopoeics.

Don't care, still want.

Gearheadotaku wrote: I cringed at the point when one of the writers commented that the car didn't have a recirc function in the HVAC. Just set the A/C to max, it will recirc then. Most every car was this way before recirc was a separate button.

did they also complain because the ABS didn't seem to work very well?

When I worked for the Buick dealer, two customers had GNX's. One was a garage queen, the other was a hammered on drag race car. Guess which one was my favorite? Only the shop foreman and I had any idea what they were, though.

This does not help my wanting of a GN. Still my must have car. Hmmm maybe buy a lottery ticket today.

Lesley wrote: I hope this isn't a re-post... Edmunds is doing a long term test with an 87 Buick Grand National. It's really fun reading: http://www.edmunds.com/car-reviews/features/1987-buick-regal-grand-national-long-term-road-test-index.html

That's REALLY neat. I think it's still a very attractive car--save for the 80's GM interior. Lordy, that's horrible.

Awesome that it's getting miles piled on it after all these years.

Gearheadotaku wrote: I cringed at the point when one of the writers commented that the car didn't have a recirc function in the HVAC. Just set the A/C to max, it will recirc then. Most every car was this way before recirc was a separate button.

I guess my '82 Tercel was pretty advanced with its recirc switch.

Way cool, thanks for the link. I've never driven a GN or GNX, but had a buddy that had the T-Type. Fun fun fun 'til his drunk drive took his T-Type away.

rebelgtp wrote: This does not help my wanting of a GN. Still my must have car. Hmmm maybe buy a lottery ticket today.

you can buy running- but worn out- 86 and 87 GN's for a few grand... they start getting nice enough to worry about where you park them at about the $10k price point, and they reach garage queen status up around $20k... non GN Turbocharged Regals (TR's to those of us on the inside...) are about half as much and you get the same car with a different colored interior, some chrome trim, and no chin or trunk spoilers..

i've been kicking around selling my 84 T Type since it just doesn't interest me any more...

There was a sub 200mi GNX that sold for $107k last week.....thats prolly as close as you'll get to a new one now.

That's pretty neat!