At $4,000, Is This 1995 Buick Century Wagon a Value the Whole Family Can Enjoy?
The seller of today’s Nice Price or No Dice Buick touts the car’s visual appeal, but warns that it “Randomly shuts off but will start back up.” Let’s see if we can deduce the problem and decide if it’s worth the asking price as a result.
The 1992 Toyota 4Runner we looked at yesterday had a fancy camper on top and attached to that, a large awning that made it look like the final form of the monster from the movie Nope. That, and an appreciably clean presentation, went a long way in supporting the seller’s $15,949 asking price. Unfortunately for the seller, it seemingly didn’t support it far enough as all it managed was a 66 percent No Dice loss despite the truck’s unique nature.
At one point in time, cars like today’s 1995 Buick Century estate weren’t all that unique. To be honest, they were as common on American roads as Bots Dots. That’s because General Motors offered the A-body platform upon which these cars are based to almost all of its divisions (save for Cadillac and GMC), and did so for almost 15 years.
This blue-on-blue wagon came near the end of that run and hence has a lot of updates from when the model was first introduced in 1982. Luckily, it still has a lot of old-school attributes too, things like plush, comfy seats, ashtrays, and, best of all, seatbelts for eight with its three rows of seating. Unlike modern three-row vehicles, the A-body wagons turned their rear-most seat backward requiring access through the back hatch, but affording more legroom and an easier way to fold the seat down when not in use.
The rest of the interior is spacious, featuring wide seats covered in grippy cloth upholstery and a unibrow dash. This is a transition-era car with an airbag for the driver, accompanied by door-mounted seatbelts that could be left buckled while the driver and front passenger slither in and out beneath them. Alternatively, they can be used like traditional seatbelts. An appreciably flat floor and column shift allow for a center passenger (preferably someone with proper hygiene) to squeeze in between that driver and navigator. The middle row also accommodates three across with a little greater comfort. The rearmost seat only has room for two.
Looking at the pictures in the ad, it appears this wagon has seen that capacity flexed. The second row has a booster seat evident in one pic, and there’s a rooftop coffin box to provide the traveling storage that having all rows occupied eats up. Despite the use, the interior looks to be in great shape. The only obvious issue in the cabin appears to be that the horn buttons on the airbag-equipped steering wheel are gone. Other than that, it all looks intact and offers power windows and locks for us lazy folk.
The exterior is also in decent condition. The alloy wheels spiff up the squared-off styling, and while the tinted window awnings may look a bit goofy, I’ll bet they’re handy in inclement weather.
There are only 135,000 miles on the clock, which have been made possible by a 3.1-liter EFI V6 and four-speed automatic transmission. In the Century, that drivetrain is good for 160 horsepower and 185 lb-ft of torque powering the front wheels. Well, in this particular Century, it’s good for that with occasional hiccups. According to the seller, the car “Randomly shuts off” but they say that’s ok since it will start back up.
I don’t know about you, but that sounds kind of concerning. What could that possibly be? Made an issue with the ignition switch? A flaky crank position sensor? Who knows? The thing is, that’s the kind of problem that can kill someone’s interest in a car. The only way to counter a problem like possibly getting stuck in traffic with a stalled car is to make sure that car is cheap enough to begin with to make potential buyers feel the benefits outweigh the risks and roll the dice.
The dice roll on this Buick is $4,000, which the seller says is a firm price. What do you say, that a deal for a cool old wagon that has a mind of its own when it comes to choosing when to run? Or, does that price make you want to run away from this Buick?
You decide!
Facebook Marketplace out of Memphis, Tennessee, or go here if the ad disappears.
H/T to RevUnlimiter for the hookup!
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