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These days, many cars from the 2000s are beginning to get pretty darn cheap, especially when it comes to a lot of American-made ones. Of course, the age-old depreciation factor comes heavily into play here, as many of these forgotten automobiles are nearly worthless in the ever-changing vehicle market. The fact of the matter is, though, some of these older American cars still have quite a lot to offer, even today.

Take our subject matter, for example, the 2005 Buick Park Avenue Ultra. Some of you may have never even heard of it, and many folks probably only remember it in passing. However, this Buick packs a couple of ultra-reliable punches, along with a supercharged V6, underneath its hood. The best part? You can pick one up today for under $5,000 easily. In short, it seems that grandpa’s car has a bit more appeal than you may initially think.

Gramps Was Onto Something With This Buick

2005 Buick Park Avenue Ultra Key Points

• Carries an average used market price of $4,048
• Boasts a supercharged 3.8-liter V6
• Constituted the final year of Park Avenue production
• Built on the General Motors G platform
• The final US-market Buick to come with an available hood ornament

While the Park Avenue nameplate had been in Buick’s arsenal since its 1975 introduction as the Electra 225’s top trim level, the moniker became its own, separate model beginning in 1991. From then until 2005, the Park Avenue sat in the lineup as its flagship sedan, and it offered both a naturally aspirated engine and a supercharged version for the entire 14-year tenure. When the first-gen Park Avenue wrapped up in 1996, the second and final-gen iteration replaced it in 1997, boasting a slew of upgrades that set it far above the outgoing generation.

Sitting at the top of Buick’s sedan offerings put the Park Avenue in direct competition with other big, American sedans such as the Mercury Grand Marquis, and the Chrysler LHS, the latter of which was discontinued following the 2001 model year. The big Park Avenue also had foreign adversaries to fend off, such as the Jaguar XJ and the Lexus LS, although these two models were more directly targeted by Cadillac. One of the hallmarks of Buick was its small peppering of English-inspired design, which is best seen in its rear fenders.

The “Ultra” model was meant to try and fend off these foreign invaders, as they produced more horsepower on average than American luxury sedans. Instead of the 205 horsepower seen in the standard Park Avenue, the Ultra ratcheted the ponies up to 240 hp. Still, a bit far from the likes of the Jaguar XJ8’s 294 hp and the Lexus LS430’s 290 hp. However, it can be argued that 240 hp is at least in the realm of competition.

One of the greatest tricks up the ’05 Park Avenue Ultra’s sleeve was its base price, which started right at $41,525. If you were luxury land yacht-shopping in 2005, this would have been one of the cheapest options out there, as the comparable Lincoln Town Car started at just over $42k, and the Jaguar XJ8’s entry-level pricing began at $61,995. Sure, you didn’t get a V8 like the other models, nor did you receive rear-wheel drive, but you did get a full helping of American luxury with a side of reliability, mainly thanks to its legendary engine.

Detailed Specs & Features

When we speak of its reliability, we’re talking about the Park Avenue’s use of the 3800 3.8-liter V6, an engine with a litany of accolades, and is still regarded as one of the best powerplants ever. In fact, it sits in the number two spot on Ward’s 10 Best Engines of the 20th Century. No small feat, indeed. The supercharged iteration of the 3800 V6 found within the ’05 Park Avenue Ultra employed the use of an Eaton M90 blower.

Taking care of that supercharged power is a GM-bred 4T65-E HD, a heavy-duty version of the 4T65-E. First-gen Park Avenues suffered from frequent transmission issues, especially Ultra models, thanks to the poorly developed nature of the previous 4T60-E transmission. Reportedly, the 4T65-E HD addressed many of the problems seen in first-gen Ultras and is regarded as much more reliable. The Park Avenue employs front-wheel drive as its sole drivetrain option.

One thing to keep in mind when buying a 20-year-old car is the potential for repairs. According to RepairPal.com, the 2005 Buick Park Avenue would cost approximately $352 per year to maintain, an exceedingly low figure that speaks to the reliability of the big Buick. To add to that, the Park Avenue’s simple design means working on it is easy for DIYers, and parts for the car are cheap and plentiful. You can also pretty much guarantee that any shop will work on a Park Avenue, unlike other luxury models such as BMWs or Jaguars, which some mechanics shy away from due to their complexity.

*Specs courtesy of Buick, Kelley Blue Book, and FuelEconomy.gov

Features

Inside the ’05 Park Avenue Ultra is a reasonably luxurious place to sit, especially for its current price tag. No, the wood trim isn’t real, but it sure does look nice. Seats come trimmed in leather as standard, and a wood-trimmed steering wheel does, too. Passengers are granted the use of a manually-operated climate control slider, and heated seats are included with the Ultra package, as well. The moonroof is optional, along with the “Concert Sound” upgraded stereo system. You could also spring for a head-up display, although this upgrade is quite rare.

Another Cheap Luxury Boat To Consider

We mentioned its sibling, the Lincoln Town Car, earlier, but the Mercury Grand Marquis offers nearly as much bang for your buck as the Buick does, but in a more conventional fashion. By that, we mean a large American sedan equipped with a V8 engine and rear-wheel drive. So, if you’re not thrilled with the prospect of a supercharged V6, front-wheel drive, and a seedy past regarding transmission reliability, the Mercury Grand Marquis may be worth a look.

The Grand Marquis was first launched in 1979, although it didn’t see itself as a standalone model until 1992. At that time, Ford (who created Mercury as a premium division in the vein of Buick) had just released the Ford Crown Victoria as a standalone model, and the Grand Marquis was to be a slightly more upscale version of the big Ford. The Lincoln Town Car, also built on the same Panther platform as the Crown Vic and the Grand Marquis, made up the most luxurious version of the three siblings.

If we compare the 2005 Mercury Grand Marquis and the 2005 Buick Park Avenue Ultra’s figures, we can see nearly identical power outputs, albeit with the Mercury producing a bit less of both. The sedan churns out 224 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque from its 4.6-liter Modular V8, and reaches 60 mph from a standstill, a second or so slower than the Buick. On average, you can expect to pay about $4,497 for a used ’05 Grand Marquis in decent shape with market average mileage, very comparable to the Buick.

So, while the Buick is the more fun and, quite frankly, better-looking option, the Grand Marquis is another venerable contender you definitely shouldn’t ignore.

Sources: Buick, Kelley Blue Book, Kelley Blue Book