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Buick Park Avenue Ultra sedan draws from supercharged power
Bob Plunkett
Date Posted: 5/10/2005
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PRESCOTT, Ariz. -- Pointing toward a sinking sun, the doublewide slab on I-10 west of Phoenix cuts a straight swatch across pancake flats in the Sonoran Desert.
On sun-baked pavement, the asphalt sizzles.
Yet in the plush confines of Buick's full-size luxury sedan everything's cozy and cool, thanks to soft leather coating cushy bucket seats, a sophisticated climate system with individual thermostatic controls for each front rider and extra measures of sound-stifling insulation to forge a serene cabin environment.
Also, this big car puts an extra kick in the pedal so it can soar on a straight track, like the beeline I-10 we're driving at the outset of this test.
Our vehicle -- Park Avenue Ultra, the elegant Buick flagship -- ripples with high-speed energy because it employs a mechanical supercharger to extract more-than-normal power from a six-pack engine.
Without the supercharger, Buick's 3.8-liter V6 in conventional format for a base Park Avenue musters 205 hp at 5200 rpm.
Apply the supercharger and output for Park Avenue Ultra climbs to 240 hp at 5200 rpm.
Further, the engine's torque -- muscle used to turn the wheels -- rises dramatically through supercharging, but at lower engine speeds. This means there's more strength available quicker through the lower gears.
Maximizing engine output has long been a hallmark for cars from the Buick Division of General Motors, as supercharged Buick engines trace as far back in time to 1951 with a 335 hp supercharged V8 LeSabre show car and the subsequent production model of 1953.
By applying a supercharger to a smaller engine like Park Avenue's 3.8-liter V6, power and torque numbers climb significantly but without adversely affecting fuel economy.
And supercharging amounts to a simple mechanical idea.
Essentially, a blower driven by the engine forces more air into each of the engine's cylinders to enrich the mixture of fuel and oxygen that's required for combustion. This boost of air in turn generates more power with each cycle of ignition without requiring more fuel to do so.
The supercharged 3.8-liter V6 of Park Avenue Ultra also shows up in Buick's stable on the mid-size Regal sedan
Yet full-size Park Avenue Ultra is the car that crowns Buick's line because of its large-scale size, the spacious quarters and rather sophisticated appointments.
Park Avenue in its present format debuted in 1997 on a revamped platform originally used for the now-defunct Riviera coupe. Compared to a predecessor, this current version measures longer in the wheelbase, broader in width and taller in stance.
The bigger-taller-wider approach to automotive design translates most significantly to more interior room in the front seat, with head space increasing by almost an inch and shoulder room expanding by 1.3 inches. Rear passengers also get plenty of room, with space for hips rising by another 1.5 inches and legroom growing by almost an inch.
With so much improved space laced throughout the car, you might expect a hulk of a design outside, yet lines of Park Avenue remain sleek with a tapering prow followed by the massive windshield canted rearward in streamline fashion to maximize aerodynamic efficiency.
Peel back the slick skin to reveal a strong frame reinforced for safety, improved performance and reduced noise inside the car. Windshield pillar supports, for instance, consist of tubular steel skewed in oval profile to magnify strength and boost visibility for a driver.
To prevent external noise from entering the cabin, door hinges on Park Avenue were fortified to stem eventual door sag and subsequent sound seepage.
To keep road harshness and motion vibrations from intruding in the passenger compartment, front and rear suspension systems have rubber sub-frame pads that create isolated cradles for suspension components.
So how does a big car like Ultra handle on the road?
It's stable at speed on a freeway, smooth over the bumps and still comfortable in the curvy stuff.
Our Arizona wiggly route -- climbing off the cactus-littered desert near Wickenburg and winding through a pine forest in the Weaver Mountains to Prescott -- reveals a car that's easy to drive over all types of roads and also easy on your body, yet quite aggressive when compelled.
Expect to wallow in trappings of luxury that come with the Ultra issue. It looks good, fits a full-framed body as only a full-size American car can, then piles on layer after layer of plush amenities.
The two versions of Park Avenue differ primarily in horsepower and on-board amenities, with the supercharger added to Park Avenue Ultra.
Base Park Avenue has a responsive power-assisted rack and pinion steering system, while Ultra borrows from Cadillac a Magnasteer variable-effort device that uses electronic controls for magnetic torsion to increase or decrease the amount of effort required to steer.
Either version links to a four-speed automatic transmission with electronically-controlled shift sequences for unobtrusive transitions. This General Motors transmission, dubbed 4T65E, permits the application of more engine torque than its predecessor, which increases the floored-throttle shift point to 5700 rpm.
Both Park Avenues stock disc brakes linked to anti-lock controls plus dual frontal air bags and side bags too.
Traction control is included in Park Avenue's package of optional gear on the editions of 2002.
Also, woodgrain walnut trim has been added to the instrument panel and doors of all models, and a new front-seat Convenience Console shows up in the five-seat layout on Park Avenue Ultra as an option.
Crisp new colors include Ming Blue Metallic and Granite.
Ultra sweetens the deal with more luxury gear like the rich leather seat upholstery and automatic climate system with dual controls, analog instruments with a tachometer, remote keyless entry, concert-quality stereo speakers, six-way power controls for both front bucket seats, and more.
Optional equipment for Ultra ranges from a 12-disc CD changer and chrome-plated wheels to a power sliding sunroof and ultrasonic rear parking assist plus a Gran Touring suspension package.
Base MSRP for Park Avenue begins at $33,590 and $745 for delivery, with Ultra rising from $38,100.
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| Vehicle Specifications: |
| 2002 BUICK PARK AVENUE ULTRA Specs |
| Description: |
Full-size luxury sedan
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| Model Options: |
Full-size luxury sedan
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| Wheelbase: |
113.8 inches
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| Overall Length: |
206.8 inches
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| Engine Size: |
OHV 3.8-L V6
OHV 3.8-L V6 SC
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| Transmission: |
Auto/4
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| Drive: |
Front
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| Braking: |
Power 4-disc/ABS
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| Airbags: |
2 (front) + 2 (side)
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| Gas Mileage: |
Base: 20/29 mpg
Ultra: 18/27 mpg
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| Price: |
$ 34,333 to $ 41,900 |
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