The 2015 Buick Regal. |
But what if you could cut the wait to zero? Start saving money immediately? What would that take?
2015 Buick Regal. |
If you buy a Buick Regal with the Premium I Group (see standard equipment here), the base price is $31,750 and part of the bargain is a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 259 horsepower. That's a performance-oriented engine, but one that delivers a very respectable 19 miles per gallon city and 27 highway, according to EPA estimates.
But let's say that your interest is fuel economy. Buick allows you to order a 2.4-liter four with eAssist, a gasoline/electric hybrid, at no cost. Horsepower drops significantly, to 182, which is still more than adequate, and the EPA mileage estimates take a big jump...to 25 city/36 highway.
And because you pay zero extra for the hybrid, the fuel savings are immediate. There's nothing to offset. Even if you only keep the car for three or four years, you're saving money.
2015 Buick Regal interior. |
Past that, though, the Regal, like the LaCrosse Michael drove, is surprisingly capable. Its smoothness leads you to expect a disconnect from the road, but that never proves true. It is always involved but never intrusive...a modern interpretation of what once made Buicks great road cars.
With the eAssist powertrain a no-cost option, the only other additional charge on our test vehicle was $1,000 for a power moonroof. The as-tested price, with $925 destination charge, came to $33,675. A reasonable price for this car---a bargain when you consider that your savings on fuel are immediate.
In the 60s, eAssist at no cost and its benefits would have been part of a massive advertising campaign designed to steal share from and shame any other hybrid on the market. Instead, it is very nearly a secret. But now you know.