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Recently, on the Car Dealership Guy Podcast, I spoke to Jeff Laetham, President of Ray Laethem Buick GMC, who told me Buick is in the midst of a major resurgence.
Honestly—I didn't think much of it at first. But then I kept hearing Buick come up in other conversations with dealers—always in the context of strong performance, and a growing share of conquest buyers.
So, I did what CDG does and dug into the numbers. And what I found was a turnaround story that's flying completely under the radar, with lessons every dealer should pay attention to.
Let’s break it down…
The great Buick exodus created unexpected dealership winners.
As we all know, Buick almost died in 2009.
Facing bankruptcy in light of the Great Financial Crisis, parent company General Motors $GM ( 0.0% ) axed Pontiac and shuttered Saturn. But Buick survived for one reason: its popularity in China.
But through the 2010s, Buick was stuck in automotive purgatory (at least in the U.S.), by being squeezed between Chevrolet's mainstream appeal and Cadillac's luxury positioning. So, the brand kind of limped along with an aging customer base and an "old man car" reputation it desperately wanted to shake.
Fast forward to 2022, and U.S. market share had cratered to 0.8%. Buick leadership knew something had to change.
Their solution: tell every dealer to invest hundreds of thousands of dollars in EV infrastructure to prepare for future products, or take a buyout.
About 1,000 dealers (half the network) took the buyout.
And spoiler alert: Buick’s next-gen U.S. EV products are still no where to be found.
"We knew dealers would get scared and take the buyout. We kind of called [Buick’s] bluff on the EV thing," Tyler Burton at Serra Automotive told me.
Tyler Burton
The real prize was territorial expansion. Where Tyler once competed with dealers 20 minutes away, his nearest Buick competitor is now 45 minutes out to an hour out.
✅ What worked for dealers:
Immediate inventory purchases from exiting dealers.
❌ The risk:
Remaining dealers had to absorb departing stores' customer base with same aging product that drove low volume.
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Dealers are doubling volume with a redesigned lineup of vehicles.
Buyouts were only phase one. In 2023 to 2024, Buick redesigned its entire four-model lineup in 14 months.
And recent results speak for themselves:
Buick had the largest first-half sales increase of any mainstream brand, up 29%.
In Q1 2025, sales reached 61,822 units, a 39.3% increase from 44,385 in Q1 2024, with standout growth from the Envista.
Q2 2025 saw 19% sales growth, outperforming Cadillac by over 20,000 units.
Via GM Authority
JC Prats from Starling Buick GMC Stuart (the #2 Buick GMC dealer in Florida) watched his monthly Buick sales explode from 7-8 units to 35+ by capitalizing on the demographic drawn to these redesigned vehicles.
"The main buyer for the Envista are ladies between 25 and 40," he told me. And as a response, JC started spending more heavily with TikTok, Facebook, and Instagram ads to reach these buyers where they are.
JC Prats
Andrew Ruck from LaFontaine Buick GMC (the #1 Buick store nationally) says the bulk of his buyers are young women too. His Michigan store now hosts "Ladies Night" events during hunting season when a lot of their significant others are out of town. The store also includes a shopping boutique and restaurant specifically designed with female customers in mind.
"We put the Buick models on display, do test drive events, lunch parties," Andrew said. "It's lining up with what the brand has become."
The secret ingredient: Buick has finally nailed product-market fit. The Envista starts at $26,000 with heated leather seats, 10.2-inch touchscreen, and materials that compete with $35,000+ vehicles.
For the first time in decades, Buick has a vehicle that delivers genuine luxury features at a price point that doesn't require cosigners or six-year loans.
✅ What's driving growth:
Premium product positioning at accessible price points creates conquest opportunity from mainstream brands.
Experiential retail that treats car buying as lifestyle experience rather than transaction.
❌ The challenges:
New customer acquisition strategies require constant optimization and significant upfront investment.
Success depends on precise execution in specific markets.
Tariffs are threatening the pricing advantage that's driving growth.
Here's where Buick's story gets complicated. Three of their four models are built overseas: the Envista and Encore GX in South Korea (25% tariffs), the Envision in China (45% tariffs). Only the Enclave is made domestically at GM's Lansing plant.
The potential problem: The $26,000 Envista could become a $30,000 Envista one as tariff costs compound for automakers.
But as of now, "[Buick is] willing to eat it before they pass it along," Andrew told me. "So far, no change."
Andrew Ruck
GM is targeting 30% cost reductions to maintain pricing, but strategic options are limited:
Shift production to U.S. plants (requires massive investment and time)
Discontinue tariff-vulnerable models (shrinks already-small lineup)
Absorb costs to maintain pricing (unsustainable long-term)
Accept price increases and hope brand loyalty holds (risky with 50% conquest customers)
The most likely scenario: production shifts to Lansing, which has capacity beyond the Enclave.
✅ What's working in Buick's favor:
Product timing hit perfectly as competitors struggle with EV transitions and affordability.
Demographic shift to young women created new, untapped opportunities.
❌ What could derail momentum:
Tariff exposure on 75% of lineup threatens the pricing advantage driving all growth.
Success depends on maintaining delicate balance between premium feel and accessible pricing.
Dealers are betting everything on Buick’s ability to continue executing.
The combination of network optimization, demographic targeting, and operational innovation has created sustainable competitive advantages for Buick dealers.
But momentum is fragile. Success depends on GM's ability to navigate tariff pressures without destroying the value proposition that's driving conquest sales.
And the next 18 months will determine whether Buick’s turnaround becomes a permanent fixture or just another false start for a brand that's already survived one near-death experience.
What do you really think of Buick?
Missed yesterday’s episode of Daily Dealer Live?
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Jim Elder, General Manager of The Suburban Collection
Jimmy Douglas, CEO of Plug
Joe Pistell, Founder of AutoMagicLabs.ai
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