1990 Buick Reatta Convertible Road Test

[mp11477]

I guess I'm in the minority here...I thought the digital gauges/CRT was pretty neat for the time. My dad had an 87 Somerset, and as a kid, I thought the Buick digital gauge cluster was really cool. Unfortunately, the car was in the shop more than on the road, and it was bought new . Then again, the 80s weren't considered the best of GMs history.

I also picked up an 86 Riviera about 10 years ago as a beater, which had the same interior as the Reatta. Granted the 80's style CRT looked dated at the end of the century, but I still thought it was a cool feature. You could even get into a diagnostic mode to check the car's systems....this isn't even available today, for the most part, without an expensive scan tool.

In my opinion, Buick/Olds were way ahead of the times with this system.

[Hitman1970]

16-way power seats????

I get 6 way power and two way manual in my LaCrosse.

Isn't progress wonderful?

[AndrewGS]

Originally Posted by Hitman1970

16-way power seats????

I get 6 way power and two way manual in my LaCrosse.

Isn't progress wonderful?

Ever seen the 78-way power seats in the eighth generation Bonneville?

[slowinthefastlane]

Originally Posted by usa1

I still watch MotorWeek, but only on Tivo, where I can skip past the inane pieces like Goss' Garage and others. I net the show down to about 8 minutes.

Totally agree. Goss's Garage is just filler. Who really cares about re-packing the bearings on an old boat trailer? Also, the "motor news" segment is pretty lame nowadays. The news on there is at least a week old when it airs.

I also agree that all of the reviews seem overly positive. It's as if the producers suck up to all of the manufacturers to get more test cars. It is pretty nice that they go over a full rundown of the cars inside and out. My local PBS station carries it in HD, which is also a plus.

[Hitman1970]

Originally Posted by AndrewGS

Ever seen the 78-way power seats in the eighth generation Bonneville?

Got this off of cars.com for a 1999 Bonneville SSE. Now that is a power seat.

Power driver seat

Print This Page Power reclining driver seat The seatback angle is power adjustable. Primary Benefit:This provides easy and precise adjustment for driving comfort.Power driver seat height adjustment The seat height is power adjustable. Primary Benefit:Seat height adjustment offers greater driving comfort than fixed seat height.Power driver thigh support The seat cushion area that comes in contact with the occupant's upper leg is power adjustable. Primary Benefit:Adjustable thigh support offers increased leg support, which can reduce fatigue and increase comfort.Power driver side bolster support The outer portions of the seatback are power adjustable. Primary Benefit:Adjustable side bolsters offer variable position upper body support.Power driver seat fore/aft adjustment The power seat controls move the seat forward and back. Primary Benefit:This provides easy and precise adjustment for driving comfort.Power driver seat cushion tilt The angle of the seat cushion can be power tilted up/down. Primary Benefit:Seat cushion adjustability can increase comfort.Power articulating upper backrest The upper and lower portion of the seatback can be adjusted separately to different angles. Primary Benefit:This feature permits the driver to fine-tune the seat adjustment for better comfort and support.

[F14CRAZY]

The convertibles indeed did have vibration issues. I know. I've driven 4 of them . GM added extra bracing underneath to the body and added the "bullet" pins to the doors to help the body stay rigid. However, often discussed on the AACA Reatta board is the "cowl shake". The entire dashboard shakes at certain speeds. It isn't that big of a deal but its definitely noticeable. Around 2200 convertibles were sold, and its true that many were scrapped when new based on the degree of cowl shake each one happened to have. The worse group had to be scrapped, the decent group could be used as corporate cars and sold to employees, that kind of thing (as I read it), and the best ones could be sold to the public.

My dad owned one...a '90 Select 60 edition convertible. One of 65 made (not 60, the execs wanted a few too). It had the '91 16'' wheels and cupholder. All had white paint, white wheels, white leather, white top, and flame red interior trim and dashboard. They were available to the "top" 60 Buick dealers in the country (as it goes).

Keep in mind, Reattas were assembled, by hand, at the Craft Centre in Lansing. Not so much on an assembly line, but on a conveyor cart of sorts. Clearcoat was hand sanded, with 6 coats. The '90-91 vehicles came with a "Craftsman Log" which was genuinely signed by the supervisor of each phase of its assembly (we have one from my brother's coupe). I can't believe that Motorweek left this out...aside from an exotic luxury vehicle can you buy a hand built vehicle anymore?

[F14CRAZY]

Originally Posted by skylark68

As a proper RWD 2 seat convertible and coupe, it would have beaten the BMW Z3, Mercedes SLK and a few others to market and established Buick as a progressive entry level luxury make. As a FWD convertible and coupe, it was nothing more than a dressed up Mercury Capri. The supercharger would have been a nice extra though.

I've ridden in a Mercury Capri...the Reatta can't be compared to it

[firebird1324]

i've actaully seen a bunch of those driving around here in Iowa...dunno why the sudden increase.

[ksr]

Originally Posted by mp11477

I guess I'm in the minority here...I thought the digital gauges/CRT was pretty neat for the time. My dad had an 87 Somerset, and as a kid, I thought the Buick digital gauge cluster was really cool. Unfortunately, the car was in the shop more than on the road, and it was bought new . Then again, the 80s weren't considered the best of GMs history.

I also picked up an 86 Riviera about 10 years ago as a beater, which had the same interior as the Reatta. Granted the 80's style CRT looked dated at the end of the century, but I still thought it was a cool feature. You could even get into a diagnostic mode to check the car's systems....this isn't even available today, for the most part, without an expensive scan tool.

In my opinion, Buick/Olds were way ahead of the times with this system.

The CRT was pretty cool. The Olds Toronado had a better version with color. The Reatta's was monochrome.

Roger Smith responded to criticism at the time by saying that if the Japanese had done this first, the press would be praising them for how innovative they were. Every once in a while, Roger got something right.

[ksr]

Originally Posted by Big Dog

I have one in my shop. Nice car, in very good shape. Unfortunately I need a part that isn't available ANYWHERE on the planet.

Parts were starting to become an issue when I sold mine in 2003. They used some sort of antilock brake system (Teves) that you can't get parts for anymore, although mine still worked.

I think the headlight motors are no longer available, although you can pretty easily fix the most common problem (deteriorated bushings) that happen with those.

[ksr]

Originally Posted by F14CRAZY

I've ridden in a Mercury Capri...the Reatta can't be compared to it

The Reatta was just in another, higher class than that Capri.

Always thought that if the Reatta had been made as a Cadillac, it might have succeeded. Buick had somewhat more appeal to younger buyers back in '88 - '91, but still was seen as an older, conservative make. The sporty Reatta didn't really fit in. And at the time, the Reatta was the most expensive Buick ever.

Buick just wasn't the brand that was going to attract the kind of buyer looking for a sporty two-seater.

IMO, Cadillac's higher level of prestige and cachet could have drawn more buyers to a car like this. The name Cadillac still carries weight even with a lot of people who've never really considered one.

If the car could have been sold as a Cadillac in the same $25K-$35K price, I think it might have done well. But Cadillac already had the Allante, which failed at least partly because of it's astronomical price.

When you consider that the Allante cost $50K back then with just the soft top, and more like $60K with both the removeable hard top and soft top, that was just a ton of money back in 1990, and way over even Cadillac's price range.

Speaking of expensive Caddys, I was behind an XLR V-Series yesterday. A mere $100K. Nice car. If I could buy any car without regard to price, that may well be it.

[Big Dog]

Originally Posted by ksr

Parts were starting to become an issue when I sold mine in 2003. They used some sort of antilock brake system (Teves) that you can't get parts for anymore, although mine still worked.

I think the headlight motors are no longer available, although you can pretty easily fix the most common problem (deteriorated bushings) that happen with those.

This one has an a/c problem. It needs the low side temp sensor. If anyone out there has one or someone who has one, let me know.