Yes buick lesabres are very reliable, roomy cars. I had a buick regal for my first car and it never broke down once(except for a flat tire)... They have either the 3.1v6 engine or the 3800 engines and both are bulletproof and yes, they are front wheel drive.
I would get one again if i needed something cheap and reliable. Insurance for my buick was more than for my current lincoln mark 8 with the mustang cobra engine though... I think i was paying around 3500 with it in my name when i was 18, for the lincoln it was like 2500. If you put it in your parents name, you will save alot of money though.
Best thing to do is read the peoples reviews on carsurvey.org... people who have the cars for a long time write all of the reviews and what problems they have had.
They are very comfortable both on the highway and in town. My only complaint with it is that when you take a corner, they tend to sway alot because of the soft suspension.
If you need parts, you can go to a metal scrap yard and find the parts very very very cheap, i bought a set of 4 rims and tires from the same car for 80 bucks...
White cars also get dirty very quickly. The front bumpers also get little cracks in from heat but it does not effect how the car drives or anything. Also the stock radio kinda sucks.