The Buick Roadmaster Was the Last Old-School American Wagon
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- čas přidán 14. 05. 2024
- CHECK OUT HOOVIE'S ROADMASTER ON CARS & BIDS
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Buick Roadmaster review! The Buick Roadmaster is an old-school station wagon -- and a nostalgic relic from a different era. Today I'm reviewing the Hoovie's Garage Buick Roadmaster to show you what the family wagon looked like 25 years ago -- and I'm going to show you all the quirks of the Buick Roadmaster wagon. Then I'm going to drive it to see what if the Buick Roadmaster really is the master of the road.
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@HooviesGarage
00:00 THIS...
00:40 Hoovie's Roadmaster is for sale on CARS & BIDS!!
01:12 What even is this thing?
02:47 Powertrain
03:17 It's HUGE
04:39 Rear-Facing Third Row
07:08 Interior
12:28 Rear Seats
14:42 Exterior Styling
16:01 Why did this car die off?
17:17 Driving Experience
21:44 Outro & Doug Score - Auta a dopravní prostředky
Being European, you guys cannot comprehend how exotic and fascinating these cars are. I would love to even see one
Why are Doug Demuro's hips that wide?
His lower pelvis is very wide, just like David Gandy's and Jared Kushner's.
Trust me being a kid and having your dad pick you up in one of these was the most embarrassing traumatizing experience. I have PTSD to this day
Hell Nein warum haha
You really didn't miss anything
When I was a kid, our neighbor was an American diplomat. He had one of these... I was in awe every time I saw it. I think my neighbor had to wipe the marks of my forehead on the side windows every day. After a few months, I was offered a ride ! I am probably one of the only Belgian nationals to have been able to ride in such a beast in my home country... sweet memories!
PLEASE…Doug what is the gas mileage..?
@@welshrarebit9238 poor
@@welshrarebit9238 my crown vic gets about 8mpg around town lower 10s on highways, this is 700 lbs heavier so....
@@welshrarebit9238 the EPA rated it at 15 city 24 highway so not that bad actually
And just to think that Americans actually hate wagons, lol... You might see people who want them on Instagram, but most of us who have spending power hate them... That's why they can never sell them here for long except for the European brands.
My grandpa bought one of these in '95. I used to love riding in the reverse third row. Over the years I kinda forgot about it since he kept it in his garage and only brought it out for special occasions. Turns out he was just keeping it nice to give to me when he passed. Unfortunately that time came about a year ago, and now driving it around is such an emotional experience. I get so many odd looks and random compliments on it. Such an awesome vehicle.
You're grandpa's last gift to you was bankruptcy from fuel expenses
@@wyskass861 That’s a shitty comment to make about someone remembering their dead grandfather, so maybe seek some therapy to work out your own issues first.
If it was garage kept and only brought out for special occasions, I bet it's in beautiful shape.
@@wyskass861 You say that as if these get 10 MPG. They're better than that. 16 City, 23 or 24 Highway. My 2005 Explorer's worse.
Also............... *Your.
@@101Volts Thanks, I'm only in 5th grade, but trying to learn.
As an Aussie, these things just represent the movies of my childhood. The era of Home Alone, John Candy and Chevy Chase movie etc. Will always represent that time for me so I think it's cool AF!
I'd like to add Bigfoot and the Hendersons. As a German kid I was really confused to see a car witk furniture components! ;-)
Another fun quirk about the interior on the Roadmaster and Fleetwood is that the Automatic Climate Control module's digital display could be used as an OBD scan tool. If you hold the OFF + TEMP UP buttons for a few seconds it allowed service techs to recieve diagnostic codes and feedback from the car's PCM.
Also had a tach in those climate control settings
If this was Twitter I'd RT your comment
Which is a godsend for those of us who still have our Roadmasters today, long after even independent mechanics no longer have ODB I scanning tools on hand. That combined with the fact that most replacement parts are over-the-counter items at almost every chain parts store.
@Judd Kramer I had an old old s10 several years ago I had to use a jumper wire between two of the pin outs in the access port to get the flash codes off the dash😂
@@carlriley9061 yup, obd1, just count the flashes of the check engine light when you apply the jumper
Videos about these unique American cars are among my favorites. Some of us Europeans feak out about these American-only cars in the same way Doug does when he sees a Fiat Multipla
Couldn’t have agreed more this beast looks futuristic
Exactly. Here I am fantasizing about a crown vic (or any panther body) with a V8.
same here in india
Them ukrainians need to fight harder for my money
Probably the same kind of reaction we have when we find out that you guys use Mercedes Benz for taxis over there :P
Parents had one. 1996 Loaded with almost every option, tow package included a mechanical fan, a bigger trans cooler, a better gear ratio and a limited slip diff. It made some GREAT burnouts
Yep. That’s the ticket. The tow package cars were tuned different as well.
@@frenettaoneal2482 yeah more torque but not as much power
the meaning of "trans" when I see it has been changed forever
Doug said this, but I gotta ephasize how *COMFORTABLE* these cars are. These Wagons just eat up the feeling of the road *a lot.* I own a 1990 Mercury Grand Marquis LS Wagon, but I test-drove a 94 Roadmaster once, before I got the Mercury. Driving my Mercury, though, fixed my back muscles after I slept weird and couldn't walk right. About 50 miles of driving, and I had no trouble once I stepped out of the car.
Oh, and another time, I drove the Mercury for maybe 200 miles... I came back home feeling like I woke up from a relaxing nap. They're just *that* good, and they don't even weigh as much as a Suburban - my Mercury's Curb Weight is about 4,000 pounds.
If there's any chance that someone reading wants to get one, just mind one thing: the steering in these cars is *very* old-fashioned, *very* light and easy to turn with minimal muscle required. I exaggerate about this next part: it's almost like you'll be in the other lane by slightly flicking your finger. It's not really that dangerous, but I'm just saying, you gotta get used to the steering!
@@jxq12 remember when "blowing a tranny" was a car thing?
About 20 years ago I saw one of these in Japan of all places. Was driven by a young guy. If you know Japan, then you have an idea how small most of the streets are, so I did a double take when that big American boat drove past me.
Hahahhaha!! Figures. These vehicles deserve the love.
I did a brake job one one of these in jamaica....it was a hearse
japan loves extraordinary cars and things
I'm moving to Ireland and taking my RoadMaster with me.
@@gralykmeno 😆 good luck!
This car was my childhood and I’m only 29. My parents loved these so much in the 2000s that we had two. TWO IDENTICAL STATION WAGONS AT THE SAME TIME. My whole family of 8 drove them into the ground. We even had a luggage top carrier on one for a while. The “rumble seat” in the 3rd row was no joke in the summer. I could go on and on about this car
Hahahahaha this happened to my friend too, there was a little period of time where his parents had TWO Ford Flex parked out front of their house lmaooo
@@thegamingguy1 I didn't realize this was so common! For my parents it was 2 identical 1998 Ford Explorer Sports with 5 speeds. Dad's was black and mom's red
@@usaffan12 I was recently thinking about buying an identical 2020 Ford Explorer ST to the one my wife has. I guess I'm not so weird
lol my uncles have 2 priuss🙁
I’m very glad to see that Doug still reviews these old school cars
He need to remember that old car reviews brought his audience. That's what dough is about
1996 is old car
Same here!😊
Same here it’s actually why I started watching him
Have you seen Tyler's video? Apparently he's going through something (divorce maybe?) and is selling most of his cars on C&B. Doug and Tyler are so tight that Doug actually appeared in Hoovie's video, and this is why Doug is reviewing it
A Swedish person here: My uncle had one and we went on family trips together and yes: sitting in the back (3rd row seat) were fun but a bit awkward. They used that rear viewing seat as a way to control the trouble making kids like I and my cousin both while driving and staying still, knowing where the trouble makers were. They saw us and we saw them and must behave and calm down. Parents keeping an eye on their kids together. Childhood memories for life =)
Wait im confused, they were in a different car driving behind your uncles car and controlled you guys from there?
@Vortex River I think they controlled them by putting them in the very back which they would he uncomfortably stuck there until someone let them out lol
For me, someone who grew up in Germany in the late 90s and early 2000s with all the American TV Shows, there's just something exotic about this kind of car. I don't know if anyone who comes from the U.S. and grew up with this type of car on the streets can relate, but I just find these vehicles fascinating. We didn't have anything like that. At least not as widespread. Sure, there were cars like the BMW E39 or the Opel Omega (which is afaik based on the GM-V Plattform) with V8s, but here it was the exception rather than the rule. In addition, the vehicles from that era were much smaller here (as I said, BMW E39, Opel Omega B, Audi A4 B5, etc.). A fascinating vehicle genre, which unfortunately has been replaced by the SUV.
Probably like the Aussie Ute for us.
For me it was the 1975 Chevy caprice estate wagon. I was about 8 when we got it and yes it was amazing riding in it. The suspension was like a Cadillac. We lived in California and went on so many trips in that thing. Very good memories.
In 1995 my grandfather decided to buy his first new car…in his 70’s. As a prior Buick man, he was dead set on a Roadmaster sedan saying it was the best car on the road. But once at the dealer, the salesman talked him into the Impala SS, which then became my dream car that now sits in my garage. Many summer road-trips from MN to CA, ID, and WI.
As a 95 Impala SS owner from MN, I can attest to how excellent of a road trip car the Impala is.
He really wanted the ss. My pop bought a Maurauder Mercury made a similar excuse he was eighty. But he liked Mercurys and muscle.
@@anthonybarnett6828 met a couple Maurauders when Saturday night stoplight drags were still a thing.
@Cole Bertils The marauder is designed based the mustang at that time, right ?
@@longwindingroad It had the Mustang GT engine
My family had a couple of the 90's Roadmaster sedans, but not the wagons. Their rear bench seats were so comfortable that my sister kept a bench from a totaled Roadmaster as a couch.
The closest to this that we had in Europe was the Opel Omega wagon from the late 80s, a rather large car for European standards but absolutely puny compared to it's big brothers from General Motors.
As a teenager I saw these early to mid 90's Caprices, Roadmasters and Custom Cruisers in movies and tv series and loved them because they were so grand and looked so comfortable. I also think that the design of GM was quite modern and advanced for the early 90s with a radically different body styling compared to the boxy 80's and 70's cars while keeping the plush luxurious interior qualities of the 1970s and 80s. It makes me sad that Americans stopped liking station wagons and that Ford and GM are not making them any more.
Doug,
Here is my Roadmaster wagon story,
My family's business when I was a kid was a funeral home. My grandfather was the third generation owner of the business and he owned plenty of station wagons as he owned the business. Old school Ford country squires with big block V8's, so on so forth. He owned a jet black, no wood paneling roadmaster with a deep maroon interior as his "body getter," as he didnt want to use the hearses during the winter or at night. I have vivid memories of horsing around in the vast back area of this vehicle when my grandparents were watching my brother and I.
Once he passed away, my Aunt drove it until the salt of the great upstate New York winters took the frame of this vehicle as its victim. When I was a kid with a fresh new license, I always took the chance to drive this beast and leave some rubber on the road with it. It was the purest form of irony to me, a truck sized grocery getter that could leave some rubber on the road pulling out of the local walmart. My Aunt cried her eyes out when she had to get rid of it once it would no longer pass inspection. They towed their little camper with it, and I have plenty of family vacation memories with this vehicle.
Fast forward a couple years, and I am in the market for a new vehicle, and just for the sake of doing so I looked for anyone selling one of these gems. Out of sheer luck, there was a private dealer on Long Island that managed to find one of these from Texas. Adriatic blue, a deeper blue than the one in this video, 47k original miles, kept inside, and rust-free. The stainless steel exhaust was still shiny on it to boot. Needless to say, I went to Long Island with cash in hand, to buy this vehicle.
I get plenty of odd looks and questions, as nobody can comprehend why a 24-year-old would want a land yacht such as this. However, it is in fantastic condition, not a mark on it, and every now and then I get stopped by parents/grandparents in parking lots just raving with excitement that they get to see a piece of their childhood.
They won't win any time attacks, or even drag races for that matter, but it's my dream car and I wouldn't sell it for any other vehicle.
My Aunt named her wagon Mortisha, both from the character in the Adams Family and a play on my grandfathers occupation as a Mortician. Needless to say my wagon is now named Wednesday, from Mortisha's daughter in the show.
Classic American racing wheels, some performance engine upgrades, and maybe a camshaft in the future, and I am as happy as can be.
Maybe one day my wife will like it too.... right now she thinks it is the ugliest vehicle on the face of the planet!
Thanks for a great review Doug
Loved it
It is funny how we name cars that are close to us. Mine was Big Blue, a 1984 Olds 98 I bought in 90 to haul my family in. I loved that car and when it was time to let it go it was like taking the family dog to the vet one last time. Part of my family was gone.
Keep the retro reviews coming. As someone who grew up in the 80s these are fun to watch.
Same... I was born In 2003.
I 100% agree
I was born in 2000 and love watching these
80's and 90's car reviews are my favorite. To me this car is far more interesting than any super car he'll review.
@@wvusmc agree 💯
I am not joking. The 90s Roadmaster & Caprice Wagon / Caprice Sedan to me are the pinnacle of automotive design. I really - and I mean really LOVE the styling of these cars. I want one SO BAD! Absolutely beautiful machines! ♥
The design is awful. And to say the pinnacle of auto design is nuts. Have you not seen a vehicle from the 50s or 70s? Far superior to this ugly beast
@@yellowsnowman9157 hey fella it won’t cost you a cent to let ‘em have his opinion.
When compared to boxy SUVs, I can appreciate how slick and kind of streamlined this design is.
It was such a good design the Chevy Impala SS was based on it and was basically a police tuned 9C1 Chevy Caprice.
Are you high?
In my opinion, one great feature is that the rear wheels are fully behind the back door which helps to isolate the cabin from road noise, at least in the sedan and improve ride quality in both body styles.
Separate body rubber mounted from frame isolates road noise and ride harshness... as does rubber mounted suspension from frame...
I had a '96 Roadmaster Wagon in the 2000s. It was our mini-van killer, because every other family at that time was in a minivan. What Doug says about performance aside, I surprised a LOT of ricers at stoplights with that wagon. My kids would wave at them from the back seat as we passed them...;) The car was also great in the snow of Michigan - for a rear wheel drive car it would go through just about anything and it was super-easy to do donuts and drift around parking lots. Very controllable. I used the wagon to tow a '66 Jeep CJ-6 to the sand dunes and it worked well. The big bummer with the car was keeping those large rubber strips glued onto the body, and they were prone to rust at the rear window bottom corners. Loved the Roadmaster - it did everything a young family needed and was way cooler than any minivan or SUV.
@japanwatchconnection The classic ones you mean? The Roadmaster had a roof window over the backseat - like like an homage to the Vista.
@japanwatchconnection The Vista Cruiser name hasn't been used since the 70s. The 1991 - 1992 Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser (Oldsmobile version of this Roadmaster) was the last of the large Oldsmobile wagons.
Cool dad!!!
😂
My friend bought 3 of these in the mid 2000s. One was the "good one", one was the "it mostly drives" one, and the third was the parts car to keep the first two running. They were cheap and pretty comfortable.
My Dad loved his Buick station wagons and the dealer actually called him when they announced this would be the last model year. He traded his '93 beige Roadmaster for a blue one. We literally had the Collector's Edition. He drove it from '96 til '05 when he switched to a Dodge Magnum because it was the closest thing to a station wagon on the market.
I feel for this comment. I really really wanted to like the Magnum
Here in Europe we have Magnum too. It is made by Renault. Much better tow capacity.
:-)
I bought a 1994 a couple weeks ago. Someone took care of it as it has minimal rust and a lot of powertrain components have been replaced. Its lowered, has cragar wheels, and wilwood brakes. It's going to be a great family cruiser/burnout car.
There is no vehicle I would rather own in the world than a 1994 Buick Roadmaster Wagon. My uncle had one when I was young, literally cannot find them on the market. Good to know I'm not the only one who finds these extremely special.
As a kid in the UK, I remember sitting in my first American car at a car show once, a Cadillac Seville (the bustleback one), and being amazed at the sheer amount of standard luxury kit you got compared to the average Ford Mondeo at the time or something. Everything we paid extra for in the UK, you guys got standard.
Still have my '79 Cadillac Seville... last RWD Seville... no Rolls Royce copied bustle back... EFI Olds 350" V8...
shame german cars giving nothing thesedays standard compared to japanese and even british brands
I used to be a competitive road cyclist and always thought one of these would be the coolest team car. Imagine rolling up to a race with six bikes on top and "Eye of the Tiger" blaring! 😂
2 guys in the rear facing seat, knees up to their chins.
@@christophermorin9036 Yeah, the slowest guys!
Haha I ride too and I’ve had the same thought
Dad had a 1995 Buick Roadmaster sedan in maroon, mom had a 1993 Chevy Caprice Wagon. You forgot to mention the 3rd row rear facing seats of these wagons often came with a barf bag! If you were susceptible to motion sickness, riding in the third row seat would surely cause you to toss your cookies! Anyway, I love these cars so much and they are so nostalgic from my childhood. I daily drive a 1996 Chevy caprice sedan that I purchased was only 17,000 original miles years back. Today, it has 31,000 original miles, and is still nearly in mint condition!
I owned a 1981 Ford Country Squire, a 1982 Buick Electra Estate wagon, a 1985 Mercury Colony Park, and a 1985 Chevrolet Caprice Estate wagon. They were all big boats like this one, with the wood grain siding. Those cars are the ones my kids grew up with.
This brings back so many fond memories of being a 90s kid. My friend’s dad was owned a donut shop and I would ride to their donut shop in his Roadmaster facing rearward, getting nauseated from motion sickness, and get to watch them make donuts. SO much nostalgia and hit me right in the feels.
☝️☝️☝️C0NGRATUIATl0N FAN, l HAVE GlFT 🎁🎉 F0R Y0U....
There's nothing more cool than an American Station Wagon. The visibility out of the cabin is fantastic!
Watching Doug drive around in this thing, it's incredible how good the visibility outwards is. It's SO much better than any modern SUV or minivan.
My dad had a gold 96' when I was growing up. We made so many road trips with this beauty and it was always so comfortable and never let us down. Probably me favorite car we ever owned. If we had someplace to store it we would probably still have it.
The one thing I miss most about this type of vehicle is the fantastic comfort. You could sit in these and cruise while feeling like you're sitting in your grandpa's recliner.
Luxury today means hard seats covered with hard "leather" and tight bolsters with stiff suspension. Bring back old-school luxury where you sink a couple inches into a soft leather seat and waft down the road.
@@bwofficial1776 ... exactly! You totally get what I mean!
Exactly. I cosset and care for my '96 Roadmaster Wagon and don't take it out often. But when I do drive it I'm always blown out by how supremely comfortable it is and just how nice it sounds and feels. It just gets nicer the more miles are driven - never tiring to drive. Lovely characteristics that, sadly in car design and production today are just an alien concept.
@@bwofficial1776 Modern cars have to SPORTY... Citroen adheres to keeping luxury cars that are relatively affordable
just about. Lexus used to and I think Toyota's Hydrogen powered Mirai isn't insecure about being comfortable.
Another thing: my 1990 Grand Marquis Wagon has a front seat that can be tilted back a *lot,* which is a great thing if you just want to sit back while parked. Then you sink into the seats nice and comfortably, too.
I guess it's somewhat of a safety feature that the very low tilt was canned, but my 2005 Explorer's just _really_ not that comfortable to sit in, especially if I want to sleep while I wait in the car while parked. I need to bring padding for the seat just to lay back semi-comfortably in the unsatisfying tilt that I _can_ get in that Explorer...
This car has a lot of special memories to me; it was the first car my dad purchased when we moved to the US in 2004, I remember he payed $2000 for it. What rides and memories!
Im 63 and although Doug is doing his level best to paint these cars as "stupid" and so on, I for one can tell you full size GM,. Ford and Chrysler station wagons at one time were sold in MASSIVE numbers because they were the comfortable, quiet, multipurpose long trip
machine SO many families spent going literally every where in with comfort. Six Flags, family trips, the hardware store for plywood, aunt marthas, you name it these old road locomotives were big smooth riding comfortable cars you could go long distances in and not be beat to death by todays hard ass suspension, unibody, no-frame tin cans that announce every pavement strip and road pebble as if it was an intended feature of the car. Also, these old wagons were popular from way back in the fifties until the government decided we would no longer be allowed to pick the type of cars we wanted, now were forced to buy govt. mandated fed-mobiles or nothing and we pay huge money for the over engineered less reliable science project cars that have constant warning lights repair codes and never ending repairs resulting in a seemingly endless money pit of insanely overpriced repairs that come at almost every stoplight. An old Buick wagon like this one with normal maintenance can literally run for decades, try that with many of todays fed-mobiles without going broke or spending stupid money on high priced warranties.
Being a Kiwi with large family Aussie Fords/Holdens and Japanese cars, you guys cannot comprehend how exotics and fascinating these cars are. These are massive tanks. Our biggest V8 wagon in 1995 was a 5 meter, 5L V8 with 180kw
I have allways been impressed on how little interior space those old wagons managed to achieve. The engineers probably had to really work to make such a large footprint not showing inside.
I agree. Considering how big they were in outer dimensions you expect it to be so much more roomier than a regular and much smaller modern car. But the fact is a modern smaller car almost offers you the same interior space as this one.
You can fit a 4x8 sheet of plywood in these cars, not terrible
what are you talking about, there is sooo much cargo space. 4x8 sheets w/ the back closed.
@@jdubs952 They mean space for the occupants. The second row of seats has a disappointing amount of legroom.
Little room?? With the tailgate down, a 4x8 sheet of construction material would sit FLAT inside it.
I've owned a '95 for 9 years and adore it. It's a battle to keep it in good shape and the interior plastics are turning to dust, clips break, window tracks disintegrate etc. But there's a strong, passionate community and knowledge base out there to help you work on it yourself. I think about selling it every winter while it's enjoying its hibernation in the garage, but when I pull it out for the spring I feel too attached to ever part with it.
I was about to ask about the ownership experience. I know of a clean blue Caprice wagon near me that just sits there and I cant help but want it every time I see it.
@@JoeEngineer if it's a '96 you'll at least get OBD2. '91 thru' 95 are OBD1 so you're stuck troubleshooting things a bit more. Overall it's mechanically solid, things just go with age. If it's a second car and you like tinkering, it's a fun toy you won't regret, and you'll be able to sell it for what you paid for it if you don't trash it.
@@JoeEngineer Hi Joe, from Sydney, Australia. If it's decent, buy it, by modern car standards the main heart of these are simple and tough, engine & driveline components were designed to pull 7000lbs a vehicle needs a big heart & decent construction to do this. I'm in my late 60's now & I have been driving several RHD US brand cars, as GM, AMC, Ford & Chrysler sent CKD car kits to build here with right hand drive firewalls & steering to be registered to drive here. I had 6 but I have kept 4 as the 1965 Lincoln & Galaxie hated unleaded petrol since we cannot buy fully leaded old school petrol here anymore. Our locally built ones came with fullpower monster engines with ZERO power sapping anti-pollution gear fitted, my 2 Cadillacs 500ci engines & 2 Lincolns 460ci engines have more punch than 1960's muscle cars
So I have kept 2 x Cadillac Fleetwood's a '72 & '74, plus 2 x Lincolns a '73 mk4 Conti' coupe & a '79 Collectors series Town car. The '74 Fleetwood Talisman I have owned almost 41years the others around 35 years. They are ULTRA durable & reliable, any mechanical part is a phone call & an hour or so away, a better supply than a mate with an almost new Mercedes & Toyota. I've loved them & looked after them as they were all purchased from elderly first owners years ago with almost no mileage on them & I knew I'd never find another RHD one that good ever again. Since over here they sold for big money when new, and few CKD kits were sent (completely knocked down) as they were almost handbuilt cars. By the start of the '70's only GM & Ford were sending CKD kits to build, and with GM the choice was a Buick Riviera, or Caddy Fleetwood until mid '74 then no more RHD US cars. From Ford ,Lincoln mk4 coup in '72 & '73, and from '74 on Only a 4 door Town car up to '79 , as special orders and then it was over, no more new "Yanky" cars. My black '74 talisman has 704,000kilometres on it (as OZ went metric for '74) so that's about 445,000miles, it looks like a 2-year-old car, pristine, and is durable as hell , I get as much fun everytime I drive it as when I first bought it in September 1982.
Over here many modern northern hemisphere /euro/jap designed cars die from failed electrics, killed early by the unrelenting dry Aussie sun in open carparks while their owners are at work. as their new school tiny microchips and connectors just fry up and fail. Whereas the Aussie built & designed Falcon & Holden's could be left parked in the sun for decades & the only failure would be sunburnt paint, sadly Ford 2016 & GM 2017 packed their bags and quit local manufacture.
Sounds like my wife.
I bought a 1988 Cadillac Brougham last July and have been daily driving it ever since. I absolutely adore my car. It's my only one. I absolutely love it. Its silver with the full red velour interior ❤
My dad has a green and tan 96 he keeps on the road just for us kids. Been driving it to work while my civic is in the shop and the feeling of driving this car is insane. 182k on the dash and still kicking!
Previous to this Roadmaster, Buick had the 1989 Estate Wagon with the same wood panel sides and backward facing third bench seat. It was so great I kept the hood ornament.
parents had a 1985 it was a tank, it was our vacation car they sold it in 1995 had 99k miles mom drives a 96 century wagon it has at the 3rd row which has never been sat in
Cool, my family had a 1980 Diseal one, then replaced it with a 1984 one. Good memories 🥰
My father had one of those and I remember it being dead nuts reliable and a very smooth riding car. My father sold cars most of his life and drove/owned a lot of cars to which he could compare the Estate Wagon and he really seemed to enjoy it.
@@youtubecarspottersguide1 OH MAN - when I was a kid they couldn't KEEP me out of that 3d seat!
@@maxcactus7 NICE. Yeah, my dad would trade each wagon for another one about every 2-3 years. The last one was this beautiful sky blue ( with the wood ). In my teens, it was like a school bus for going out with my friends...
I wouldn’t say the color keyed interiors got killed off because of lack of customer demand, I think the manufacturers quit offering them because it was cheaper for them to produce all those interior bits in 3 basic colors rather than 5 or 6. We are also much more limited in exterior paint color choices which I also don’t think this was a change based on customer preference just making things cheaper as simpler for the manufacturer
I can tell you one thing that has changed and its that people falling asleep on the job causing a derail has been reduced a lot do to PTC. Also train derails have gone down significantly since 1995.
Watching Hoovie and Doug team up is like watching the two main characters of your favorite series finally fall on love even though it was obvious it's going to happen from episode 1
Simply the greatest car ever produced. I'm biased, as I got to spend my childhood in a 96 Beige one. A kid's dream, especially the rear facing seats. The competition in the classroom to be picked to ride in this on field trips was always intense because what's better than playing "sweet n sour" with strangers behind you at a light?
This then became my car when I turned 16, and while as a high schooler, I was yet to appreciate its majestic beauty, this thing absolutely stole the show in college. After 15 years, the broken in leather seats were still the most comfortable I've ever sat in. Whenever me and 2 roommates needed to cruise, we'd throw up that middle console and sit 3 abreast up front, despite the rest of the car being empty. And when it was time to DD, we'd pack half the party in it. Even had a Facebook page tracking people that had ridden in it, topping well over 500+. As Doug mentioned, it was also a struggle to keep people from trying to exit the rearview seats from within, as it wasn't possible but people would try anyways.
Love to see some love for the Buick Roadmonster on this channel. Whenever I see one out in the wild still, I'm smiling and throwing a thumbs up. It's sad to see the industry shift so far away from wagons, as this was truly the perfect family car. The E Class wagon now is at the top of my list, because if I can't give my children backward facing seats I'll have failed to give them an optimal childhood. Saves the whales!
I had a 95 RoadMonster Wagon and changed from LT1 to an LT4 with a nice cam. Added a 3000rpm stall converter and 3.73 gears and it did 13.1's in the quarter in drive, no shifting. Now restoring a 96 Impala SS.
I am SO thankful for growing up in the 90s.. the last gasp of “the way things were” just enough technology, but not all consuming. The years of like 93-99 were a magical time.
Agreed. Times were nice til about 2009 😅
The 90s are and remain the greatest time ever in pretty much everything: cars, music, films, TV, video games. Everything was so much more fun back then than it is now - little internet, far fewer TV stations, no social media, no Tiktok, no Instagram, yet still life was so much more fun and beautiful then than it is nowadays.
@@torstenscholz6243 the 80s were even better with no internet/social media etc.
I was born in 1980 and I can assure you that still in 1998-2000 internet was a very nerdy concept.
I began surfing the web in 1996 and bought my first mobile phone in 1998 but those were very different experiences; real change (decline?) started around 2008-2010 with proper smartphones and social media.
You guys realize every generation says this right…?
baby sitter had one of these when i was a kid in the 90's. LOVED riding in the third row. And it's honestly one of my dream cars. They look so good sitting low, and the engine is SUPER easy to get loads of power from.
this car brings back so many memories of my childhood with my childhood best friend. her grandma had one of these and it was awesome.
The sunroof was referred to as the Skyroof in the 60s by Buick and the Vista Roof by Oldsmobile. In the 91-96 model years they both referred to it as the Vista Roof which has to be one of my favorite features. The car is a clear tribute to station wagons of the 1960s-early 1970s. Resembling a 1969 Buick Skylark Custom Sport Wagon and a 69-72 Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser in style, features, and size. These are great cars, I own one and its been a fun ride. Its full name is a Buick Roadmaster Estate Wagon. Probably one of the longest car names in history and the car its a tribute to has an even longer name 😂.
My father bought a 1972 Oldsmobile Vista cruiser which featured the multi function tailgate and the rear seat sunroof you refer to. I have very fond memories of that car!
@@jcsrst i bet she was a peach! Thats cool. I met a guy once who told me his grandparents towed a full size tractor and a boat with their 96 heh. Did it easily.
These are the kinds of videos I love to see from Doug!
Weird, quirky but more “casual”, non exotic cars 😊
I would love to see a video on a W123 Wagon (S123)! There’s a big craze about them everywhere in the world and they do capture the 70s/80s perfectly !
That and the W124 wagon as well 😊
The drummer in my band kept one of these until 2012! So great to see! My personal experience with family wagons began in the late 50’s - Yep! I’m old! I had 60’s “Duce and a Quarter” which was even longer!
I also had a early 70’s Caprice with a very similar “blue” interior!
Peace
I can see why a drummer would want one of these -- huge amount of room for equipment.
I practically grew up in the wayback 3rd row seat of one of these. My family had 93/94 model with the tow package. We took that thing cross country - round trip - 5 separate times while towing our popup camper - starting in PA. I feel so lucky getting to see the 48 continental states on our trips. My parents only got rid of it a few years ago once my dad could no longer get in and out of it easily without pain (80 yo man). Learning to drive in good and bad weather, parallel park, stomp the gas and let it rip, the auto air leveling system just turning on.... so many memories
Our local drummer fit his 8 piece kit in this plus a full stack marshall amp. He called it "ma's grocery getter". I drove it once and felt like the captain of the titanic. This cuts through the bumps on par with a Bonneville. Both beautiful asphalt boats
First, I have to say I'm a little disappointed that Doug's video didn't include the horn, which sounds like the Queen Mary coming into port. Second, I've always assumed the second-row sunroof was an ode to the original Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser, since it was also standard on the Custom Cruiser of this era. I assumed GM decided they might as well also include it on the Buick, which went on to become the more iconic version of this 90s wagon.
Buicks also had the Vista roof in their 60s sport wagon model, not just the Olds.
Hermoso auto. Como sudamericano que soy (argentino) estamos acostumbrados a los autos grandes pero no tanto como estos grandes sedanes y vagones. Pero nos encantan los grandes botes americanos . Gracias por el video y todos los datos importantes que me has aportado. Te saluda cordialmente un argentino desde España.
We have one. And, it is our second. The first was my parents' last wagon, a '92, which I inherited. We pulled our classic '53 Silver streak clipper for 15 years with it. When it wore out, I bought another off the internet, sight unseen. It is a '95 with the LT1 (35K miles!!!). It is a better tow vehicle. Over the years, the Roadmaster is getting more attention than the Clipper which is 42 years older.
So, we now have a vacation home at Oceanside on the Oregon Coast (Airbnb). We've provided the car to out of state folks who want to spend a week at our place. It is always the icing on the cake!
Will never sell it!!
You hit the nail on the head saying this was the "grandparents" car. My grandfather had one of these and I have so many fond memories of riding in it. I would always pester him to set up the rear facing seat so I could ride back there and wave at the cars behind us. I remember riding to the beach in it a few summers as a kid. You never mentioned the auto load leveling suspension, I thought that was a neat feature of these cars.
Nothing like being 9 years old shooting birds at State Troopers!😊
After Cars and Bids got bought, one can tell Doug is by far more chill with the content comparing to before.
*invested in*
U❤b😅
IDK, I consider Buick Roadmaster far more interesting than a Bumbagatti Roadsteriatto Ultimato V23 Spudero.
@@user-rg4sn9by7w lmaoo
@@user-rg4sn9by7w Me too. I'd rather watch him review an old American land yacht or something quirky like a Saab than the latest most limited edition $1B Lamboclarenarri that goes 0-200 in -1.5 seconds.
I hadn’t seen a Doug review in a while. Been missing you Doug 😢 finally decided to subscribe! I love your videos! They’re hilarious and informative
I have so many memories being in the Reverse back seat of these wagons, this is why wagons are my favorite vehicles ever, you may mock the "collectors edition" hood ornament, I think it is AWESOME, I would trade in my Suburban for one of these.
The memories this video brought back, I remember going on road trips sitting in the back waving at other drivers. Also as a kid, those ashtrays in the back were just mini garbage cans :). God I miss this car.
My grandmother had one of these and used it to deliver newspapers. She would occasionally go out of town and my parents would have me drive the wagon to keep the battery charged. Even as a college student, I thought it was so cool. All my buddies fit in it and never been in a more comfortable car.
Doug is sooooo young! We enjoyed our Station Wagons of the 60's & 70's.. lol I miss big cars with bench seats and a great ride..!!
My grandparents had a Roadmaster sedan (in the top trim so it was slightly more luxurious, IIRC but about 90% the same as this car) and it was just the greatest. I almost bought it from my grandpa. It actually had decent acceleration, perhaps the station wagon is heavier, but I remember putting your foot down and the car hauled. It was so comfortable, it just floated down the road. The front bench seat was awesome to let your girlfriend sit next to you. This review brings back such good memories.
Interesting sidenote: the Roadmaster SEDAN had a unique front-end, but the STATION WAGON shared the headlights & grille shape with the Caprice and the Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser. The primary reason is because the station wagon came out FIRST, with the sedan following a year later (in 1992). In addition, the "Collector's Edition" hood ornament was used to commemorate the final year of production (1996).
I'm really surprised the Pontiac didn't have its own version call the Safari
you could sell such things as GM classic editions or something like that I guess
@@maineindividual5202 Pontiac's last Safari Wagon was for 1989. Buick, Chevrolet, and Oldsmobile still had their boxy style wagons for 1990, but every one of them (just for the 1990 year, mind) had the stupid "automatic seat belt" feature that had the belts attached to the doors, which is a safety hazard if the door opens in a collision.
A couple of corrections: (1) the third row only had two seat belts, (2) the Twilight Sentinel controlled the automatic headlights, not the courtesy lighting delay. I really miss mine :(
2. It does both.
And doesn't the knob twist to adjust the dash lighting, not the interior lighting?
@themaritimegirl knob will affect the dimmer until you reach the end, then there is a slight click that will turn the interior lights on
The Lt1 in the b bodies were completely different than the corvette engine. Corvette had aluminum heads and 4 bolt mains and a higher compression ratio
3. The collectors edition badge was only for 1996 models
Such a great video. The car is in such pristine condition. Just today I was pricing old car pamphlets and videos from the late fifties for our resale/antique shop, and some of them were promoting the idea of station life.
Ah, the Roadsmasher. I have a soft spot in my heart for woody wagons, having learnt to drive in a '71 Ford Country Squire. Our Ford had the same two-way rear opening door, but the rear window rolled down (electrically) into the rear hatch, ala Toyota 4Runner. As for the sunroof: Check out the early 70s Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser wagons. They had not only the glass sunroof, but also along the sides of the roof in the "way back".
That would be a great minivan substitute that would be hilarious to pull up to car pick up line looking all restored and ironically awesome
Now this is an authentic Old-School American Wagon. I really love the fact that it's related to the Chevy Impala SS (One of my all-time favorite cars).
The Roadmaster might not be as fun as the Impala SS, but it's still really cool!
I’m 25 but still remember a kid in my class’s mom had one of these. She would park outside right where I would get on the bus and I remember watching him and his brothers climb in the back to sit in the rear facing seat. Always thought that was cool.
I remember my grandfather had a '93 Century wagon, it had the rumple seats like this one did for that 8-person seating. It had the wood paneling on the outside too, was absolutely beautiful. As a kid, I thought it was the coolest thing ever. Drove like a boat.
One of the cars that I owned was a '97? Park Avenue, power leather seats, sunroof and everything. Had that red interior. I love red interiors.
Loved the sounds that the 3.3 and the 3.8 engines made, they were decent on gas, and reliable. And those front bench seats... I loved having an extra seat.
Rumble seats.
One word...WOOOOOOOOD PANELING!
The really cool ones are from the '70s that had the automatic rear 'clamshell' tailgate. The window raised into the roof whilst the door retracted into the body. Could be operated inside by the driver as well. Ate many children. If you want to see a good video of it, 70's Oldsmobile Custom Cruiser station-wagon. I think by the mid '70s GM re-engineered the tailgate so the two wouldn't close simultaneously.
Weird colours too. Greens, browns, yellows.
YES! We had one of those, and we often had to be told to stop playing with the rear door and window. It was, of course, our spaceship.
As much as I love that car's basic design, they rust an awful lot. I've seen examples with rusted roofs, and (worst of all?) rusted rear side window channels. The tailgate window's gaskets haven't really been made in a long time, either.
There were rear passenger sunroofs like that available from about 1964 in the Oldsmobile Vista Cruiser and Buick Sportwagon. This was the last of the line, not a new novelty in the '90s. Much like the rear-facing third row of seats, which were available in many big American station wagons since some time in the '50s.
Most desirable content after months! I love old quirky cars 🙌🏼
I was able to spend some time in Ohio some time ago (I'm English) and everytime I saw a stationwagen with wood panneling was an exciting moment. My American friends were very confused, but these things were the automotive highlight for me, even if many of them were covered in dents and falling apart.
Ive been in the posession of a Roadmaster since 2000 and have loved every minute of it. Aint nothin like the feel of a big boat floating down the highway. The mids 50s Roadmasters were awesome too. Sedan has rear headrest and center arm rest.
Reminds me of my Dads 87 Caprice Estate wagon a whole lot! The rear facing seats in the back were definitely the fun way to ride in the car...
Man! Doug is probably one of the best car reviewers out there! Little jokes in here and there that make you chuckle, really in depth overview of every aspect you could wonder about, and really entertaining to watch.
That is the perfect hatch! I love glass that pops up, and tailgates, but the swinging door option makes it easier to reach in.
I think it's so refreshing how much visibility these older cars had. No need for screens and cameras. Just watching Doug drive the Roadmaster helps me remember how airy cars used to be.
Big shout out from Brasil, and thanks for the metric system in the subtitles!
My old daily driver is a 2003 Holden Commodore wagon. It is pretty much a somewhat modern version of the classic US station wagon. Later models were sold here until 2017. Lots of them still around. Often they are V6s, but many were sold with LS V8s, as well as a few with supercharged LSAs. Some were even manuals. The USA Chevrolet SS is the same car, but no wagon variant in the USA.
I actually currently own and drive a '92 Olds Custom Cruiser. Kind of interesting to see the differences between them in controls and features.
I prefer the 92 93 Buick and Oldsmobile setup to the newer ones. I think they should have kept it the same.
I drove one of these, a 1992 sedan that my grandparents owned. They used to winter near Ft Myers FL and I drove with them down there one year so my grandad didn't have to do all the driving. That was an... interesting... trip: I had to listen to them both bicker all the time for 3 days. Third day, somewhere in GA, they both fell asleep and it was like having the car to myself for about 2 hrs!
I once owned a Ford station wagon with a 390 V-8 engine in it. It was a genuine land yacht. It was made to be very comfortable driving legally down the road and it excelled at doing exactly that. I remember that car very fondly. But like a tank and reliable as heck. Eight miles per gallon. It was awesome.
MY GRANDPA HAD THIS! So many memories in it. The seats were the comfiest ever. Like lazyboy recliners. While in the back seat, we made cup holders with the pockets that were behind the front seats 👍🏽
Growing up in OK, I remember one of my neighbors had one of these in white & I thought they looked bizarre in a good way. Very wagoneer-ish. He took really good care of it but he usually left it parked on the street in front of his house as opposed to parking it in his garage or driveway. It was really nice until a tornado flipped it upside down & crushed the roof :(
I remember riding in and, eventually, driving my parent's Crown Vick station-wagon.
Felt the size of a big rig.
But was fun to drive!
In '92 My father was a general manager at a gm dealer. His demo was a new blue-on blue/leather caprice-classic sedan, with the rear wheel half-fender covers. I'll never forget it. Awsome vid!
One GUY in my Hood, had a Limited version of the 1995 CAPRICE, with Blue interior... The CAR was previously owned by the US Ambassador to RWANDA back in days, but later sold in auction, it was just 2 yrs old, I could easily tell that it was very different from other Chevy Caprices I used to see in movies, growing up. It was white, mono block chrome wheels, had a light blue interior, with blue bison 🦬 leather seats, blue mats, big V8 etc... the car was exotic, customized and higly luxurious.
When I got like 17... The Guy would lend it to me and some Homies, to go to the Club, drive around, checking on Chics and so on...
Good Youth memories. 😋
I own a 1996 Roadmaster Estate also. Mine has 100,000 miles on it. Mine was assembled late in the year (October 1st, 1996) and sold new at Schott Buick in Cincinnati Ohio. Mine is dark jade green with tan interior. I’ve owned it since 2011. I hope Hoovie’s wagon finds a good home. Really enjoyed this video.
This car is amazing. I wish we could make cars like this today, but unfortunately, I don't think it would sell. The door, the 3rd row facing backward, the big V8... man, is that thing exotic. Thank you for sharing this with us, we can only dream.
No one would buy it bad gas, mileage
I owned a 1991 Red Roadmaster wagon. I loved it. My family loved it. My kid's friends loved riding in the 3rd seat. In the end, I sold it to an immigrant from Germany who also loved it. I had no problems with it ever, just maintenance including replacing the pitman arm.
I’m now 40ish, and I remember my mom’s Ford Fairmont wagon. Wood grain and white. It wasn’t the best even back then. I had an opportunity to buy a 1992 Buick Roadmaster Wagon for peanuts 3 years ago and I jumped on it. No regrets! I get more attention with that wagon than my 1968 Camaro RS/SS and the first question that I ALWAYS hear is “ does it have the third row?” Then ppl want to sit in the back and I take them for a spin to their childhood!
I wish they’d made an updated version of this! Rad to have a car that carries a crap-ton of people and isn’t a van. 🤙
I have to agree with you. A modern day Roadmaster would be nice about now. It would have a version of the current Corvette's V8 engine(detuned of course). Maybe about 400hp? That would be a great wagon.
Today's version of this is the Buick Enclave.
They do, they're called minivans now.
@@texan903 That's not a true successor to the Roadmaster wagon. That is a crossover. Not the same market.
@@jsun3117 Except there are very few minivans left. I would prefer the station wagon myself.
My mom had one of these for many years. I have vivid memories of spending lots of time in the rear facing third row seating. Family road trips in this. What a great car this was.
I loved my 96… learned a lot about an LT1 and it was a tank.. had over 250k miles and I drive it from Washington to South Carolina with no problems
Why did you get rid of it? Want one bad.
@@austinaubinoe2195 I moved to japan and the cost for importing a vehicle here was too much.. Also the roads here are pretty small.. would’ve turned a lot of heads though
My father had one of these, it was awesome, He actually picked up chicks in it.. It had a clarion CD deck with a 16 band graphic eq in it with some sweet aftermarket speakers.. It ran over a deer at 75 mph and we just felt a little bump ...Its head was unfortunately stuck in the radiator, but that was a hell of a memory..
In 2005, I worked at a custom car shop in Salt Lake City as a parts runner/assistant, and I drove one of these as a parts vehicle for a while. It was purple with flames on the side, on air suspension and 20" wheels. It was so much fun to pull up to wherever I was going and blast all the air out of the bags, dropping it to the ground. Loved that car.