zzdcar
Home
/
Reviews
/
Buying
/
At $2,350, Is This 1994 Buick Wagon The Deal Of The Century?
At $2,350, Is This 1994 Buick Wagon The Deal Of The Century?-June 2024
2024-02-19 EST 22:09:34

Image for article titled At $2,350, Is This 1994 Buick Wagon The Deal Of The Century?

If it had survived to 2036, Buick’s Century would have lasted as long as its name implied. Today’s Century hails from the last century, and this body style is the last Century to have been offered as a wagon. What might you pay for that honor?

Speaking of centuries, it certainly felt like that much time passed between the end of production of the original Acura NSX in 2005 and the debut of its successor. Of course, time is a funny thing and while the OG NSX’s desirability and value have grown since the end of its run, interest in the new car has somewhat flagged from the start.

That was reflected in the comments on last Friday’s , which at $120,000 was already showing substantial depreciation just three years from new. That wasn’t enough for most of you, however, as the car fell in a substantial 68 percent No Dice loss.

Image for article titled At $2,350, Is This 1994 Buick Wagon The Deal Of The Century?

Friday’s NSX represented the ultimate expression of Honda flexing its technological prowess. The complex hybrid drivetrain, paired with a structure featuring exotic metallurgy and composite technology, makes for a car that can be relatively light, quick and capable. That also means that, down the road, it will likely be finicky to maintain and costly to own.

In contrast, today’s is about as simple a car as you will find. And to top off that comforting notion, it also has a third row in the back so the kids can enjoy the experience as well.

Buick first introduced the Century nameplate in the mid-1930s. WWII interrupted the model’s run, but it was brought back again in the ’50s. Another, and lengthier, hiatus happened in the ’60s. By the ’70s, the Century nameplate pushed the Skylark out of the way to serve as Buick’s midlevel model, and that remained the case until 2004 when the Century name once again was banished to slumber in its native soil.

Image for article titled At $2,350, Is This 1994 Buick Wagon The Deal Of The Century?

This 1994 Century represents the model’s fifth generation, which was the first of the nameplate to go FWD. It’s also the last edition to offer a wagon body style, and in this car’s case, that includes a small rear-facing third row in the back-back.

There’s also woodgrain appliqué down both flanks, and that is something I think we all can agree is de rigueur for any and all wagons. This is one place where American small wagons have often had a leg up on their foreign competitors. Unfortunately, the “wood” on this Century has some rust popping out underneath, and that might require substantial clear-cutting to repair.

Image for article titled At $2,350, Is This 1994 Buick Wagon The Deal Of The Century?

Of course, you could just leave it alone and drive the car as-is. It’s not like that alone is going to substantially inhibit your ability to enjoy the car. The ad claims the rest of this Century to be free of any substantial rust, and you can see in the pics that there’s little more than some surface corrosion going on underneath.

In fact, the seller claims the car to be a “cream-puff,” noting that the interior is “really clean” and that while the engine may benefit from new spark plugs and some other maintenance, it “runs and starts great.”

Aside from the rust evident on the front fender, the bodywork looks to be appreciably intact. The seller claims the car to have been garage-kept and threatens that if it doesn’t sell before winter settles in, it’ll go back into that garage until spring has once again sprung. Should that happen, maybe they’ll take the opportunity to clean up the whitewalls and replace the grille, which has a missing tooth.

Image for article titled At $2,350, Is This 1994 Buick Wagon The Deal Of The Century?

There’s a modest 119,000 miles showing on the clock, and the interior seems to have gone that distance with little evidence of wear and tear. The steering wheel appears to have taken the brunt of the abuse over the years, with the beige having been completely banished from nine-tenths of its diameter.

The cloth on both the front split-bench and on the one-piece folding bench in the second row appears to be nearly as-new. So, too, does the vinyl covering on the bass-akwards kiddie throne in the way-back. That folds into the floor to provide a flat load surface, making this a very versatile ride.

Image for article titled At $2,350, Is This 1994 Buick Wagon The Deal Of The Century?

Under the hood lies the GM corporate 3.1-liter OHV V6 and a 4T60-E four-speed automatic. With its sequential port injection, the L82 V6 was good for 160 horsepower and 185 lb-ft of torque. Those aren’t much to crow about today but were pretty good numbers in the mid-’90s.

The engine bay looks like it’s lived through some inclement weather, but is otherwise intact and seems roomy enough for easy wrenching.

Image for article titled At $2,350, Is This 1994 Buick Wagon The Deal Of The Century?

That’s a good thing since you’ll probably want to do any required or maintenance work yourself. After all, would you really want to pay mechanic rates on acar that cost only $2,350? That’s the price on this survivor Century, and it’s now up to you to decide if the car is worth that as presented in its ad.

What do you think, should someone drop that $2,350 asking on this Buick as it sits? Or, does its age and rust make it a poor contender for those dollars?

You decide!

Hartford, Connecticut,, or go if the ad disappears.

H/T to FauxShizzle for the hookup!

Help me out with NPOND. Hit me up at and send me a fixed-price tip. Remember to include your Kinja handle.

Comments
Welcome to zzdcar comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Buying
Someone Willingly Paid $16,000 For A Maserati Ghibli On Cars & Bids. Don’t Make The Same Mistake
Someone Willingly Paid $16,000 For A Maserati Ghibli On Cars & Bids. Don’t Make The Same Mistake
Let’s cut right to the chase: buying a is not a good idea unless you have deep enough pockets for the upkeep. For those not in the know, they’re sirens. They draw you in with their premium Italian image and sweet songs of and then go in for the...
Jun 18, 2025
At $950, Would You Go All-In On This 1984 Plymouth Colt GTS Turbo Project?
At $950, Would You Go All-In On This 1984 Plymouth Colt GTS Turbo Project?
One of the calling cards of today’s Plymouth Colt is its “Twin Stick” overdrive gear change, which gives the car eight speeds going forward and two in reverse. Let’s see if this project car has anything else to offer. Just as Goldilocks discovered when appropriating Papa Bear’s lifestyle and...
Jun 18, 2025
Which One Of You Suckers Is Going To Pay Over $32,000 For A 25-Year-Old Toyota 4Runner
Which One Of You Suckers Is Going To Pay Over $32,000 For A 25-Year-Old Toyota 4Runner
The (and Tacoma) have a death grip on used values. It’s been this way for years. Go ahead, go try and buy any TRD trim that’s a couple of years old; it’ll cost you as much as a new one — not that you could buy a new one...
Jun 18, 2025
At $5,900, Is This 1984 Nissan 720 4X4 A Solid Deal?
At $5,900, Is This 1984 Nissan 720 4X4 A Solid Deal?
According to its seller, today’s Nissan 4X4 shows “pride of ownership.” Let’s see if it would take swallowing one’s pride to pay its asking price. Opinions were split on how well the design of yesterday’s has held up over the years. Some of you commented that the design still...
Jun 18, 2025
At $8,600, Would You Go Topless In This 1994 Cadillac Eldorado?
At $8,600, Would You Go Topless In This 1994 Cadillac Eldorado?
The seller of today’s Caddy claims they should be selling it at auction but says who’s got time for that? Let’s see if we have the time for this custom convertible at its non-auction price. Many of you agreed that the $950 asked for yesterday’s was “chump change.” Even...
Jun 18, 2025
At $18,500, Would You Lean Toward Buying This 2022 Ford Mustang?
At $18,500, Would You Lean Toward Buying This 2022 Ford Mustang?
Today’s Mustang is being sold by a towing yard, which means it’s probably a lien sale. Let’s see if this clean title convertible is priced to put a new buyer on the hook. The general consensus on last Friday’s was that it would be the perfect car for someone...
Jun 18, 2025
Copyright 2023-2025 - www.zzdcar.com All Rights Reserved