Created in 1991, the Park Avenue, a full-size luxury sedan, was Buick's flagship model. After the discontinuation of the rear-wheel drive Roadmaster, it became the largest vehicle in the Buick lineup. Assembled in Hamtramck and Lake Orion, Mich., and Wentzville, MO, the Park Avenue combined modest luxury with surprising performance.
Engine options were limited to the 6-cylinder 3800 Series II, in both naturally-aspirated and supercharged versions. The Park Avenue came equipped with the standard 205 horsepower 3.8-liter engine, producing 230 pound-feet of torque. With Ultra trim upgrading, the Park Avenue sported a supercharged, 240 horsepower engine with 280 pound-feet of torque. Both engines used a 4-speed automatic transmission to feed power to the front wheels. Fuel economy... View more for the base Park Avenue was 20 mpg in city driving and 29 mpg on the highway. The supercharged Ultra achieved 18 mpg in city driving and 28 on the highway, according to EPA estimates.
The Park Avenue was originally a top-level trim package for the Buick Electra. The Park Avenue name grew in prominence until Buick finally made it a model in its own right in 1991. Sharing the C-body platform with the Cadillac Deville and Oldsmobile 98, the full-sized luxury vehicle was fitted with the 3800 Series I V6 engine, which then produced 170 horsepower. A supercharged, Ultra trim variant offered 205 horsepower. Later upgrades bumped the horsepower up to 225. The last model year for the Park Avenue was 2005, when the automaker replaced it with the Buick Lucerne, which also claimed the market share for the smaller yet mechanically similar LeSabre.
The Park Avenue featured standard tilt steering, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio controls, power front seats with multiple adjustments, driver and passenger front side air bags, automatic load leveling, vehicle anti-theft and dual-zone climate controls. Optional features included a tire inflation and pressure monitor, CD changer, hands-free telephone, front heated seats with memory and lumbar support, power sunroof, traction control and vehicle stability control.
The base retail price for the Park Avenue started at around $35,500, with the Ultra trim option clocking in at over $40,700. There were plenty of rebates and incentives available to lower the price well below the MSRP. These sedans are still popular today on the used market, due to their reliability as well as the performance and fuel economy of both the naturally-aspirated and supercharged 3800 Series II engine. View less
