Friday! Dog Meme!

It's finally Friday! Are you taking your best friend on a nice trip this weekend? SHARE this if your dog gets "shotgun."

 

Throwback Thursday Buick Trivia!

 

It's Throwback Thursday! Check out this awesome #vintage #Buick Skylark we found on the internet. Who thinks they know what year this is from?

 

Buick Turns 110: Most Significant Buick of Each Decade

Remaining in business for 11 decades requires constant innovation, so choosing one model to represent a decade of significance can be a catalyst for debate. Among the hundreds of models designed and engineered for Buick, the 11 below stand out as the most significant for their respective decades since May 17, 1903. Let the debate begin.

• 1903-1912: The first Buick ever is quite significant, so Buick’s first decade honor goes to the 1904 Model B. The first one of the line was sold to doctor Herbert H. Hills of Flint, Mich., decades before the brand developed its reputation as a “doctor’s car.”
  
  
• 1913-1922: The 1916 D-45 Touring was the top-selling model in 1916, a year when Buick switched its lineup from four- to six-cylinder engines. Sales tripled that year and reached six digits for the first time. Buick became the top-selling brand in the industry a few years later, with five-passenger touring models remaining most popular.
  
• 1923-1932: The 1931 Series 50 was the best-selling model in the year of another upsizing of powertrains – from six- to eight-cylinder engines. The more powerful engines, paired with a major design overhaul the year before, helped boost Buick’s image during the Great Depression.
  
• 1933-1942: Harlow Curtice became Buick’s president in 1933, and three years later, a model range including the 1936 Century showed his revolutionary vision for the brand. Its streamlined designs were a dramatic change and Buick’s engines grew more powerful, making the Century the first Buick to reach 100 mph. Sales grew from 53,249 in 1935 to 168,596 in 1936 and continued to rise in the years to come.
  
• 1943-1952: Buick’s most iconic design features, including signature waterfall grilles and portholes, date to the 1949 Roadmaster. One of the most collectible Buicks of all time, the Roadmaster even became a Hollywood star in the 1988 film Rain Man.
  
• 1953-1962: Buick celebrated its 50^th birthday with the 1953 Skylark, an opulent, limited-production convertible with advanced design and technology. Each had Italian wire wheels and the owner’s name engraved on the steering wheel. The same year also marked the first year of Buick V-8 engines and a new twin-turbine Dynaflow automatic transmission.
  
• 1963-1972: Buick’s most famous production design is the 1963 Riviera, a powerful sport coupe said to be inspired by a Rolls-Royce that Buick design boss Bill Mitchell saw through a fog in London. It energized a brand emerging from a period of design criticism.
  
• 1973-1982: Amid an oil crisis, the 1975 Regal offered a standard V-6 engine at a time when other mid-size sedans offered only gas-thirstier V-8s. Buick still leads the way in the downsizing trend, offering four-cylinder engines on four of its five 2013 models.
  
  
• 1983-1992: Buick’s lightweight, high-tech V-6 engines, mixed with the brand’s success in NASCAR, resulted in the brand’s most iconic performance car, the 1987 GNX. Its 276-hp turbocharged and intercooled V-6 delivered 0-60 mph acceleration in just 4.6 seconds, according to Car and Driver magazine.
  
• 1993-2002: A 1999 Century was Buick’s first model built in China for the local market. Although Buick has a long reputation as a prestigious brand in China (one in six cars on Shanghai roads in 1930 were Buicks, according to the city’s government,) production there has driven the brand’s success over the past decade. China is now Buick’s largest market, with 700,007 vehicles sold in 2012.
  
• 2003-2012: The 2008 Enclave luxury crossover ushered in Buick’s current design language and brand focus. Along with the LaCrosse luxury sedan, which went on sale as a 2010 model, the Enclave introduced buyers to a new era of Buicks with leading design, quietness, quality and safety.

 Courtesy of Buick Media.

First Times Drive: Full-size GMC Sierra ups its V-6 game

Six-cylinder engines are fast becoming the new darling of the full-size truck segment, so it’s no surprise that General Motors’ latest generation of trucks takes a worthwhile look at such a power train.

The automaker announced fuel economy ratings for its Chevrolet Silverado and GMC Sierra trucks Wednesday. The base 4.3-liter V-6 engine will get 18/24 mpg in city/highway driving for rear-wheel-drive models. All-wheel-drive models will get 17/22 mpg city/highway.

While those figures are commendable for a full-size truck that can tow up to 7,200 pounds, they’re not markedly different from GM’s competitors. Only the city figure for the all-wheel-drive model is class-leading, and that’s only by a single mile per gallon.

GM’s V-6 models are aimed at rivals like Ford’s F-150 with the optional EcoBoost turbocharged V-6, and Ram’s 1500 V6. It’s Ford that is largely credited with initiating the fight for fuel efficiency in full-size trucks, when it launched the EcoBoost model in 2010.

In addition to smaller engines becoming more common, automakers are also expanding their lineup of high-dollar trucks, which can easily pass the $50,000 mark. We recently spent some time getting to know a V-6 Sierra 1500 2WD Crew Cab SLE that was priced at a relatively reasonable $42,030.

The V-6 engine in question is a 4.3-liter EcoTec engine that makes 285 horsepower and 305 pound-feet of torque. GM also built into it direct fuel injection, cylinder deactivation and continuously variable valve timing. If those terms sounds like obtuse engineer-speak, just know that each is a favored way to save fuel on numerous vehicles throughout the industry.

The cylinder deactivation was a particularly neat trick. Under light loads, the engine essentially shuts down two cylinders and operates as a V-4 motor. The transition to and from four cylinders was nearly seamless, save for a small "V-4" indicator light that would pop up on the dashboard.

No one will mistake the Sierra V-6’s power for that of an eight-cylinder, but it was more than adequate to get (and keep) the full-size truck moving. This motor is connected to a six-speed automatic transmission, which is down two gears to Ram’s eight-speed unit in the 1500. That said, the gearbox in the Sierra proved a worthy pairing for the truck’s V-6 motor.

Our first drive with the V-6 Sierra was brief: We logged only about 70 miles. Roughly 40 of those miles were on the freeway, and we averaged 19 mpg during that time. Overall, our drive yielded an average of 16.8 mpg.

The rest of the Sierra experience was a comfortable one, and this certainly feels like a durable, well-made truck. Road and wind noise were nicely isolated, and there are an abundance of USB, 12v chargers and practical storage compartments throughout the cabin.

The center console is nicely designed, with large buttons for the stereo and climate control that are easy to navigate. While the exterior looks like GMC gave it only a minor refresh from the previous generation, the company said all of the body panels are new, and it’s definitely a handsome, broad-shouldered truck.

The Cobalt Blue 2WD V-6 we drove started at $36,980 but piled on numerous options that pushed the final price to $42,030. These included an 8-inch touch-screen navigation system, trailering package, park assist, power sliding rear window, remote start, power driver's seat and 20-inch alloy wheels.

Courtesy of Los Angeles Times.

Mod Monday!

Check out this sporty, modified #Buick Regal! We're interested to know, who likes spoilers? Do you think this is fitting, or too much?

 

Check out this funny sign!

Guess what?! The weekend is nearly here! Who wishes this was a normal thing in parking lots? SHARE if you agree!

 

2014 Buick Regal and LaCrosse Lead Designer, Buick Color & Trim Ven Lai - Video Presentation

Driving Tip: Cruise Control

Here's a good tip: Use the cruise control while on highways to improve gas mileage. Driving at a more constant speed, as opposed to speeding up and slowing down, saves gas!

 

2014 Buick Regal IntelliLink Infotainment System

Mod Monday!

For this #ModMonday, we decided to go with something futuristic! Do you love this stylish #Buick Riviera, or do you prefer something more subtle?

 

Happy Father's Day!

Everyone at Courtesy #Buick #GMC would like to wish all the lucky dads out there a wonderful Father's Day! SHARE this if your dad taught you how to drive!

 

2014 GMC Sierra Denali Safety. Video.

Wallpaper Wednesday!

It's Wallpaper Wednesday! Check out this 2013 #Buick Verano action shot! SHARE if you agree that this makes a great desktop view!

 

Experience Buick! Special Lease Offer!

 

Experience Buick: A New Lease on Luxury. 2 Years No Charge! Learn more about this great offer here: http://bit.ly/14vwcxF

Mod Monday! GMC Denali!

Hello friends! It's #ModMonday once again! Take a look at this tricked out #GMC Denali. Is this something you'd love to drive? Leave us a comment and let us know what you think!

 

Saturday is World Oceans Day!

This Saturday is World Oceans Day! Who has taken their #Buick to the coastline before and seen the ocean through its windshield?

 

Throwback Thursday!

Summer is here, which means it is convertible weather! Check out this #vintage #Buick Skylark we found for #ThrowbackThursday! What year do you think this is from?

 

What do you love about Summertime?

Hey friends! It's getting warmer and warmer outside. What do you love most about the summer?

 

2014 Buick LaCrosse Lead Connected Customer Specialist Ara Eckel

Mod Monday!

Check it out! We stumbled across this vintage modified GMC pickup on the web and wanted to share it for Mod Monday! SHARE if you'd drive it!