1987 Buick Regal Grand National Long-Term Road Test

Read the introduction of the 1987 Buick Regal Grand National to our long-term fleet.

See all of the Buick Grand National long-term updates.

What We Got
We purchased a 1987 Buick Regal Grand National with T-tops and a mere 5,000 miles on the clock. It was a pristine flashback to '80s-era American power and style. The cost for the pink slip to this piece of history was $25,000.

Our 1987 Buick Regal Grand National sported its signature, all-black treatment. Beneath the hood was the intercooled and turbocharged 3.8-liter V6. This 235-horsepower engine was introduced in the 1986 model and put this car on the map. Sequential fuel injection, electronic ignition and electronic wastegate controls were cutting-edge technology 25 years ago. But the Grand National still had the classic GM hardware enthusiasts grew up with: pushrods, a full ladder-type frame, a solid 3.42 rear axle, rear drum brakes and a 200-4R four-speed transmission with overdrive.

When GM announced it would replace the rear-wheel-drive GN with a front-wheel-drive version in 1988, popularity soared. It seemed to hold, because we shopped diligently for four months before finding our car. Ironically, it was just 6 miles from our office. A short test-drive later and we were negotiating a price. Our Grand National test was under way.

Our Impressions

• "I know we'll never get to go back to the days of spindly A-pillars and low beltlines, thanks to modern-day expectations for crashworthiness, but just look at this steering wheel. It fits perfectly in my hands at nine and three, and it doesn't need a thick rim to do so. I never got tired of gripping it. And although the wheel doesn't telescope (it has a small range of tilt adjustment), the driver seat itself offers enough power adjustments to put me (a 5-foot-10-inch adult) in a comfortable position to drive the Grand National. The visibility from the cockpit is also striking, of course. With the hood as low as it is, you can have a hood scoop and still see beyond it. And with such small pillars, the tiny side mirrors are actually somewhat useful." — Erin Riches


• "The Grand National is a little pokey off the line without pedal overlap, but 6.0 seconds to 60 mph is nothing to scoff at.... I found holding the car steady on the brakes while raising the rpm to about 3,000 and the boost to about 5 psi netted the characteristic Dino (from the Flintstones) launch sound right on the verge of wheelspin. Upshifts are quick and occur right at redline. By the way, the 5,000 rpm is exactly that, a redline and not a rev limiter. The engine will rev beyond redline like they used to in '87." — Chris Walton


• "New shocks and new tires helped here during track testing. Not sure I'd give all the credit to the tires because there's also so little slack in the steering, and the chassis feels compliant and forgiving due to the shocks. I could really attack the slalom in this one, where I wanted to throw in the towel on the other '87 Grand National we tested. It exhibited pretty mild steady-state understeer. I had to get used to surging from the turbo, but eventually managed to keep the throttle steady around the skid pad. Steering weight is light, yet I could feel the front tires' grip ebbing." — Chris Walton


• "He lays into it. Not full throttle. There's too much traffic. Just enough to feel the boost and a firm 2nd-gear upshift. 'The condition of this car is remarkable,' Mark Reuss, president of General Motors, says over the wind rushing in the open windows. 'Even has the original paint with all the orange peel. That's how you know it's original. If a Grand National has good paint without orange peel you know it's been repainted.'" — Scott Oldham


• "The Grand National has a single cigarette lighter, and during all the hours in the car, my spouse found it difficult to keep our smartphones and our portable Garmin navigation unit at a usable state of charge. Oh, the cigarette lighter will charge your device all right, but a single power source is hardly enough for the modern, tech-addicted couple. So we purchased this multiport charger with both 12-volt and USB inputs. It worked great. For five minutes. Then, we blew fuse #19, which has dominion over the radio, air-conditioner and most of the interior lights. Immediately, the Buick grew quiet, hot and dark." — Erin Riches


• "Charlie runs a one-man operation, and he's the nicest person I'll meet the whole time I'm in Texas. He's a true car guy: His heart bleeds for the turbocharged V6 Buicks (he fell in love with in the late 1970s, he tells me) and he actually knows how to fix them.... 'The quick fix is to remove the cooler assembly completely. The GN can temporarily get by without it,' he says. That said, he certainly advises ordering a replacement oil cooler assembly and having it installed sooner rather than later." — Erin Riches





• "'What's that?' Mark Takahashi asked, pointing at a receipt taped to the Buick Grand National's right-side warning light cluster. It looked like a fuel receipt or something. We both looked at it briefly, but more like a pair of baboons would, because neither of us actually read what it said. Flash-forward 25 minutes and we're outside Pep Boys following a purchase of items for an upcoming video. Mark tries to turn on the Buick to no avail. It's quite obvious the battery's kaput. We look at that receipt again. It was from a repair shop warning us that we needed a new battery. I picked up a banana and threw it at Mark." — James Riswick


• "Just as we turned off Sunset Boulevard, a passenger in the back said, 'I'm sort of surprised we haven't gotten a lot of compliments for the Grand National.' Just then, and practically on cue, it happened. A fine gentleman selling bootleg memorabilia howled, 'Is that a Grand National? Dayuuum. That is cleeeeean! Better be careful, my brothers would be eyeing that thing like a Philly Cheesesteak, man!' I think that's a compliment. In any case, we were amused." — Mark Takahashi


• "I pulled into a gas station lot, rolled down my windows and kept my hands on the wheel. In the mirror I saw him walk up to the Buick and give the trunk lid spoiler a friendly tap. This incredibly polite officer let me know that I was clocked doing 87. When I saw him, I was at an indicated 82 mph. Well, that's one way to find out your speedometer is off." — Mark Takahashi


• "At this pace, the Buick is on the same use pace as our previous long-term old cars, including the 1984 Ferrari 308 and our recently departed 1985 Porsche 911. The problem is that it feels like we're already getting bored with the Buick. Everyone on staff claims enthusiasm for the car and those who have driven it return with a smile and an apparent desire to do it again. But they don't.... Even I am losing my enthusiasm for the black Buick.... Part of me says it's just too normal. You fire it up, adjust the air-conditioning, put it in Drive and go. No muss, no fuss.... Maybe it's the mild performance combined with its lack of sound. The 308 and the 911 were slow, but they sounded sweet. They also had manual transmissions.... Bottom line is that driving the Buick doesn't feel like the event I thought it would. It's fun and I'm still enjoying it on many levels, but it isn't making runs to the grocery store feel like special moments in my life." — Scott Oldham

Maintenance & Repairs

Regular Maintenance:
Routine fluid top-offs and replacements cost us $258 while we owned the Buick. We spent significantly more to address other long-term maintenance and parts failures. Here is a quick breakdown:

The majority of the work was performed by Morgan Auto Service in Santa Monica. Owner Greg Morgan was a Grand National owner himself, and took really good care of us. The highly regarded Grand National master, Charlie Frierson of Hillsboro, Texas, was there for us when the oil cooler acted up during our drive cross-country. We felt fortunate to have these skilled mechanics work on our Buick when it needed it most. Although he didn't actually perform any work on our Grand National, Lou Czarnota, of Lou's Auto Service in Lake Forest, California, also provided plenty of invaluable advice along the way.

Service Campaigns:
There were no recalls or technical service bulletins during our test.

Fuel Economy and Resale Value

Observed Fuel Economy:
EPA calculations for a 1987 Buick Regal Grand National were 17 mpg in the city and 25 mpg on the highway. We averaged 17.2 mpg over 10,000 miles of driving the Buick. Our best single tank was 23.2 mpg and covered 301 miles.

Resale and Depreciation:
We purchased the Buick Grand National for $25,000. After 10,000 miles we sold it for the same price. It took some time to find the right buyer, but in the end we both walked away with smiles on our faces. Edmunds TMV^® information was not available on the Grand National at the time of sale.

Summing Up

Pros: The Buick Grand National still has the power to excite. It draws the attention of both enthusiasts and the general public. Our sales price suggests these cars remain in demand.

Cons: After 25 years, moving parts need replacing. We spent a fair amount of time and money to keep the GN on the road.

Bottom Line: Nostalgia follows the Grand National. There is almost a brotherhood between owners and it still earns respect from those outside of the fold. While it wasn't our favorite throwback purchase, it was still a special car.

Edmunds purchased this vehicle for the purposes of evaluation.