The Park Avenue replaced the Electra (225) in 1991, although the name had previously been a trim package offering. The Park Avenue would be Buick’s most lavish car through 2005, when it was retired in favor of the later Lucerne nameplate. The seller’s beautiful example from 2000 has just 44,000 miles and is/was a senior-owned car, explaining its light use and condition. Located in Ramona, California, this Buick beauty is available here on craigslist for $8,500 (this was a $32,000 automobile when new). A nod goes to Barn Finder Jack M. for the tip!
Second-generation Park Avenues were produced from 1997 to 2005. The design used front-wheel-drive and a transversely mounted V6 engine at 3.8-liters (referred to as a “3800”). A 4-speed automatic transmission was onboard to get these big cars (by today’s standards) rolling. Since the seller doesn’t tell us if this Park Avenue is an Ultra model, the engine isn’t likely supercharged. Buick delivered upwards of 48,000 copies of the Park Avenue in 2000 (remember Y2K?).
This Buick likely qualifies for “nicest one left” honors because of its hardly used physical shape. 44,000 miles in 25 years is a drop in the bucket for these roadmasters. The Goodyear tires are new, and there is no mention of anything else that is needed for this luxury car to be a daily driver or weekend cruiser.
Naturally, leather upholstery is at your disposal, and the seats are heated (of course). We’re told the sound system is of “concert quality,” so it should drown out any outside noises that the ample factory sound-deadening may have missed. If you are looking for a 21st-century, Cadillac-like machine to add to your staple, could this Buick be it?
I’m currently “restoring” a 81k mile 1995 Park Ultra. I put that in quotes because i’m just tending to the rust underneath it as it was a New York City car.
This era C-body (and H-body too) is famous for rusting right at the front subframe mounting points just behind the front wheel. If it eats into the mounting boss, you have a major problem. Mine had started to rust in that area, but didn’t rust the mounting boss yet thankfully, so we cut and put new metal in the area and sealed it, as the car is otherwise very nice and worth saving.
This is something you want to check carefully on these. Hopefully, as a California car, this isn’t an issue here, but I would ask to see pictures anyway. I would also prefer the L67 supercharged version as it makes the car so much more fun.
We’ve owned 1992, 1995, 2002, & 2004 LeSabre Ltds. I’ve owned 1992, 1995, & 2002 Park Aves.
My ’95 LeSabre Ltd. was the 40th anniversary edition with xtra toys like heated, self dimming outside driver mirror and also had self leveling suspension.
I’m in Mn. & a couple of years in I dropped it at a body shop for rocker panel bubbles. They called me and said it was much worse behind. I had them just fix the obvious and I traded it for an ’02 GMC Sonoma pickup.
One thing with the 2000 Pars is that vinyl cover on the door bottoms is a dirt trap and if you don’t clean that here comes the rust.
I don’t know if my car had that suspension issue, but it was disappointing having washed my cars myself at a self serve.
The easiest way to tell if this model was supercharged or not was there were potholes along the sides of the front fenders,non functional of course but a design element from earlier in Buick’s history.
Or look at the trunk lid. There is a Supercharged badge if it is so equipped.
The 3800 engine is one of the best engines ever.
For such a big and comfortable car, it gets close to 30 mpg in freeway driving. This is simply a terrific car!
This one is not an Ultra. If it was an Ultra, it would have an emblem on the rear quarter panels that said Ultra and an emblem on the trunk that said supercharged.
In the early 2000s I was service manager at a Chevrolet – Oldsmobile dealership. A customer had the same car (but a 2001) and was rear ended. The insurance company totaled it, but the owner could buy it back without it getting a salvage title. He did and I bought it for $1300 – $1100 + $200 for the new set of tires he had just installed. I knew the salvage yard that did our towing had the identical car with a front hit. The yard owner sold me the deck lid, taillights and bumper cover for $500. One 1/4 required a minor pull and a spot paint repair. For around $2100 my younger son had a beautiful college car. We look it on a couple 2500 mile round trips to visit the older son in Colorado, averaging 28 – 30 mpg in comfort. Wonderful cars!
when GM went to this style on the Buicks and Pontiacs, they came with electrical problems related to all the additional modules added to run accessories. stay away. this looks like a clean buick
The dreaded “Traction Off” and “Coolant Low” lights lol! Those are common on these and usually require somebody pretty skilled in old school electronics to diagnose because they have multiple potential causes.
I have a 2002 Lesabre. These are very comfortable driving cars that is good on gas. I drove for Enterprise car company for 5 years and I can tell you none of the new cars are as comfortable as these old Buicks. Some one is going to get a very comfortable car that requires little maintenance for a drop in the bucket what a new car would cost. If I needed another one I would not hesitate to purchase this one.
Before 1991 the Park Avenue name was already used for the fancier Electra series, instead of being just a trim package.
The Park Avenue option package was first used for the 1975 and 1976 Electra Limited 4 door hardtop sedans.
Those cars were the longest 4 door hardtop sedans that GM ever built and also the longest standard production Buicks.
But…. originally Park Avenue was a Cadillac name plate in the early 60’s: the short Cadillac.
And in 1954 there was even a Cadillac Park Avenue concept car.
I also was a service manager in the late ’90s. Oldsmobile was one of our lines. (Besides Volvo and BMW quite the disparity in lines!) The 3.8 engine cars were bullet proof and you could not pry one out of the customers hands on a trade. I saw many over 300,000 miles and high 20s to mid 30s mpg claims were not unusual. One customer was asking what additional kind of maintenance should they do at 300,000 miles. They were up to speed on all their maintenance requirements. I mentioned that maybe a new oxygen sensor might be in order for no reason other than age.They said do it. Their mpg hit an all time high of 36 mpg on their next trip. They were so excited that they called me from about 400 .miles away. Once they returned a .month and 5,000 miles later. They said that the mpgs started dropping until it was now back to their usual 28-30 mpg. A friend had the Buick version and he got 32 mpg down in the the Death Valley region. Often thought about puting one of these 3.8s in something light and slippery. (Can you can Triumph Spitfire?) But was never (at the time) able to get the overall gearing to work out to be the same.
So Oldsmobile had the identical 3.8 L engine? What about Pontiac and Chevrolet?
Pontiac had it also. But not Chevy.
These were not perfect. (Crank position sensor issues and harmonic balancer failures were the two common ones.) But the overall reliability and the fantastic fuel economy (for a car this size and weight). Made these favorites for .most that owned them.
Note: The ad says $9500, not $8500.
I noticed that too and just looked again after a couple days and the price is now up to $10500. It’s like a reverse sale!
I have owned several of these great cars. The horrible plastic intake manifold is why the low coolant light goes on. When I bought mine 3.8 GM equipped cars, the first thing I did was remove the radiator cap. If the coolant is low, then you need an intake and or the equally horrible plastic coolant elbow hose. A metal upgrade used to be available from GM. The brake lines rust underneath, but if not used in salt, they last forever. These cars ride as good or better than the behemoths GM built in the 70s and 80s. Drive the speed limit and the car will deliver 27 mpg all day long. Fairly easy to fix, and yes, the more electronics, the more problems. The side panels on the driver’s seat tend to fall apart. This one here looks good. $9,500 buys nothing even close to new today. This is a bargain, but my garage is full to the brim.
I had a 1989 Park Avenue, That car was soooo comfortable ! Great Car !!!