MSRP: $3,000 - $12,000
6.6 /10
Rating
Pros
- Generous trunk defies expectations
- Spacious, plush cabin comfort
- Smooth, quiet highway cruiser
Cons
- Leisurely acceleration performance
- Boulevard cruiser handling dynamics
- Fiddly CRT touchscreen interface
1988 Buick Reatta review with Vyocar
Boldly tried to be Buick’s tech-forward grand tourer but will forever be remembered for its painfully glitchy, space-age CRT touchscreen – a fascinating relic that epitomizes ’80s ambition over execution.
Overview
So Buick looked at the Mercedes SL and Cadillac Allante in the early 1980s and thought, “Hey, we need a slice of that two-place personal luxury car pie!” Jay Qualman and the strategic planning crew identified a perceived gap in the marque’s lineup. The result? Flint’s finest took a stab at their own specialty niche vehicle, the 1988 Reatta, aiming squarely at the Mercedes-Benz 380SL roadster for inspiration (with maybe a whisper of that 1955-57 Ford Thunderbird, and later comparisons inevitably drawn to the Mazda Miata). It was supposed to be a halo vehicle, injecting some flamboyant spirit into Buick products.
Styling chief David North delivered a slick, rounded wedge shape with pop-up headlamps and that distinct bubble-back rear windshield, riding on a Riviera chassis with FWD. Under the hood? Well, let’s just say GM’s 3800 series FWD V6 engine hooked to a 4 speed automatic wasn’t exactly setting performance hearts ablaze, despite the lariat (meaning ‘rope’ in Spanish, roping in new buyers?) metaphor.
You gotta laugh – they nailed the spacious interior for passenger comfort and voluminous cargo space (seriously, generous trunk!), but the powertrain options screamed “corporate parts bin,” not luxury sports convertible. It was an ambitious product concept, a two-door two-passenger coupe born from consumer research, but felt less like catching the Mercedes SL and more like a curious appropriation for the tri-shield brand. Finding one today, maybe near Dayton, TN, often lands it squarely in the CarUnder10K category – a quirky piece of 80’s ambition.
Pricing, Trim Levels, and Best Pick
Powertrain, Transmission, and Driving Dynamics
Let’s talk about how this thing actually drove. Under the hood lived the naturally aspirated 3.8-liter V6 (3800 series, LN3 code) with port fuel injection, rated at 165 hp and 210 lb-ft of peak torque arriving at 4800 rpm. It was hooked solely to a four-speed automatic transaxle, making it the only powertrain option – classic GM parts bin stuff. Performance? Think relaxed. The zero-to-60-mph time dawdled around 9.1 seconds (0-97 kph felt similar), with a top speed of maybe 122 mph if you had patience and a long enough Interstate. Merging or passing on highway small hills required planning, unlike the sharper response you might expect from something like a GR Supra Manual.
The FWD driveline delivered its talent smoothly, thanks largely to that counter-rotating balance shaft, making long journeys surprisingly quiet and smooth, minimizing mechanical noise. The suspension was fully independent up front (using struts and a weird transverse plastic leaf spring) and out back (coil springs). Paired with size 215/65R-15 all-weather performance radials (often Goodyear Eagle GT +4), it prioritized comfortable cruising over being a track star. On the test track, it managed 0.79 g of lateral grip, but push it into hard corners and predictable understeer set in; this wasn’t a sports coupe.
It floats over lumpy surface streets and bumps, feeling a bit wallowy despite anti-roll bars. Braking with four-wheel discs and early ABS (anti-lock control) provided decent composure, though. So, while pitched as a halo vehicle, the driving dynamics screamed daily driver – easy to get in and out, supremely capable on long trips, and comfortable on decent pavement. Just don’t expect thrills or razor-sharp handling; wind noise and that soft ride were the reality, making it more boulevard cruiser than backroad burner, contributing to its status as a low-seller despite the steep price. It found its mood in being a fun car for relaxed drives, not inducing road rage with its pace.
Interior and Comfort
Step inside, and the first thing you notice is how thoroughly ’80s it feels, in the best possible way. Forget cramped sports cars; this 2-seater offered a legitimately spacious interior derived from its bigger Riviera sibling, meaning sedan-style comfort with acres of legroom and a dashboard layout that wouldn’t feel alien to Riviera owners. The sixteen-way driver’s seat (with optional thigh extensions) was plush throne territory – you could slide it forward, back, up, down, and probably find positions you didn’t know existed, though mastering all sixteen adjustments felt like you needed a PhD, much like fiddling with all the seat settings in a Lexus IS 350 F Sport.
Materials were generally a cut above, featuring soft leather-bound surfaces and nice metal finish touches, making it a genuinely nice place to spend a mile. Practicality? Surprisingly good for a coupe, with a wide enough trunk for weekend bags or camera equipment, and the glovebox even housed the leather-bound owner’s manual (seriously) and the fuel door release. Just don’t expect limo space; it was still a cozy cabin for two, and reaching across that wide dash meant occasional bumping elbows. Overall, it nailed the luxury feel Buick aimed for inside.
Cargo & Practicality
You don’t buy a sleek ’80s 2-seater expecting a workhorse. But the Reatta’s trunk is a legit generous surprise, thanks to that bubble-back rear windshield and rounded wedge shape – it’s like Buick hid a good-size closet behind the seats. You’ve got plenty of room for luggage, camera equipment, or golf clubs, easily swallowing weekend baggage for two. Need more? Split-lowered rear seats let you expand capacity for long journeys or bulkier items (try that in a Corvette!). Inside the cabin, storage is clever: a deep glovebox, dedicated button for the fuel door operation, and handy compartments keep small items from rattling around. It nails point-A-to-point-B practicality without feeling like a penalty box – a true “grand touring” aft thought.
Tech & Connectivity
The Graphic Control Center (GCC). Buckle up, because this was the feature, a monochrome green CRT touchscreen display lifted from the 1987 Buick Riviera, plonked right in the center console. Buick was designing the future, concentrating your primary responsibilities like climate control, stereo radio, and a diagnostic center into one center screen. Sounds cool, right? In 1988, it was space-age. You could check oil pressure, battery voltage, displayed RPMs, and other supplemental gauge functions with a poke. Easy control? Ha! The basic design was ambitious, but the execution? Prepare to be fiddled. That CRT touchscreen was slower than dial-up, responded like a grumpy cat, and loved to emit random beeps. Glitch city! It could randomly trigger warnings or just freeze – thwarting your vibe faster than hitting a road pothole. Forget modern connectivity; this display was its own quirky, risky instrumentation universe. Owners had complaints, sure, but today? It’s pure, fascinating ’80s charm.
Safety
Forget lane-departure warnings or blind-spot monitoring – safety tech in ’88 meant serious hardware. The Reatta came standard with four-wheel disc brakes (four-wheel discs up front, drums in the rear? Nope, discs at both ends!) paired with early ABS (anti-lock control), a pretty advanced feature back then. This braking system handled its business competently for the era. The suspension setup was equally robust: a fully independent system using struts and coil springs all around, plus anti-roll bars to curb body roll. That weird plastic transverse leaf spring out back was part of the four-wheel independent suspension package too. It wasn’t about nannying you with beeps; it was about keeping the car planted and stable through solid mechanical grip and composure. You got physics, not processors, keeping you safe.
Final Verdict
So, is it a sports-car? Heck no. The Reatta teases with its looks, but that Buick-soft suspension and leisurely steering response won’t hug twisty two-lane roads or make your spine tingle. It makes a lovely, viceless grand tourer, though – supremely nice for eating up miles, its taut enough chassis designed more for transportation than thrill. The power arrives politely, busily avoiding the redline, never goads you into race. It opens your eyes to relaxed cruising, not sharp excitement. For two-place luxury in 1988, it satisfied a niche craving something nearly exotic without the visceral demons of true greatness, much like the composed elegance of a Buick LaCrosse. It drove like a Buick’s heart – comfortable, competent, soulless. Finding one today? Pure catnip for fringe enthusiasts exorcising their editorial demons and thinking outside the Corvette box. Radicals need not apply.
More images of the 1988 Buick Reatta
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