Saving The Best For Last: The 2019 Buick Regal GS AWD

The 2019 Buick Regal GS AWD.

Shopping for a sports sedan?   Here’s a radical idea.

Buick.

Okay, I know.  This is 2019.  The last time Buick sedans were hot, Grandpa came home with a block-long Electra 225 with tailfins.

Things change.  And now, things have changed back in Buick’s favor. 

Wouldn't You Really Rather? The 2018 Buick Enclave Premium AWD

The 2018 Buick Enclave.

The headline for this review might need a bit of explanation for anyone younger than....well, me.

In the 60s, Buick had a very successful advertising campaign.  "Wouldn't you really rather have a Buick?"  That one question covered a lot of ground for Buick, which was competing with Chrysler and Mercury directly, but also was part of the General Motors family, which was built on the idea of moving up from a Chevrolet, Oldsmobile or Pontiac to a Buick (and eventually, one hoped, to a Cadillac).

Fifty years hence, Buick's competition is more along the lines of Acura, maybe Infiniti, the lower end of Lexus and...this could spark debate...perhaps Volvo.  As far as GM, the old Alfred Sloan model of moving up the ladder of General Motors products is pretty well dead and buried.  But there's still a "wouldn't you really rather" within the family, since the 2018 Buick Enclave and the 2018 GMC Acadia are essentially the same machine.

The American Cruiser Returns (Sort Of): The 2016 Buick Cascada

The 2016 Buick Cascada.

Longtime TireKicker readers are aware that I am a sucker for convertibles.  Probably goes back to my earliest memories of car rides with my Uncle Ron, who always bought ragtops.  '53 Corvette, '55 Thunderbird, '60 Thunderbird, '63 Thunderbird (the rare Sports Roadster, no less...only 455 made that year) and finally, because they stopped making Thunderbird convertibles in 1966, a 1969 Mercury Cougar XR-7 convertible.

I only remember the '60, '63 and '69, but rides in those were magical. I was hooked.  And so I was excited to hear that Buick was importing the Opel Cascada.  And now, after two years on the market in Europe, it's here.

The Most European American Sports Sedan?: The 2016 Buick Regal GS AWD

The 2016 Buick Regal GS.

Some say if it weren't for China and it being a hot market for Buicks, the brand wouldn't have survived the bankruptcy reorganization that saw Pontiac and Hummer walk the plank.  If that's true, then thank goodness for China, because it allows us to have the most European American sports sedan I can think of, the 2016 Buick Regal GS.

One Car, No Waiting: The Immediate Payoff of the 2015 Buick Regal eAssist

The 2015 Buick Regal. 

Our so-fresh-the-pixels-aren't-dry-yet reviews of the 2015 Toyota Highlander Hybrid and the 2015 Lexus ES 300h hybrid illustrate the wide range of time it can take for the fuel savings of a hybrid to pay for the extra cost over the gasoline version of the same vehicle. The Highlander's small difference in fuel economy and large difference in price result in an 11.6 year wait to break even, according to the U.S. Department of Energy's Hybrid Cost Calculator.  A narrower price gap and bigger gain in fuel economy cuts the wait to just 4.6 years for the ES 300h.

But what if you could cut the wait to zero?  Start saving money immediately? What would that take?

New Milennium Roadmaster: The 2015 Buick LaCrosse

The 2015 Buick LaCrosse.

The headline above refers to the great Buick Roadmasters of the 30s, 40s and 50s, not the station wagon of the 90s.  Those uber-Buicks lived up to their name.  They were masters of the road, a superior means of travel.

The 2015 Buick LaCrosse has captured that spirit in a fully contemporary package.

What Sets The Buick Verano Apart From The Chevy Cruze

The 2014 Buick Verano

A bit more than two years ago, Michael reviewed the Buick Verano and had a very basic problem.  Even though the Verano was nicer and smoother, it cost three thousand dollars more, felt slower with the 2.4-liter four compared to the 1.4-liter turbo in the Cruze and got worse gas mileage.

Since Michael's drive, there's been an addition to the Verano lineup that erases most of those concerns. The 2-liter turbo engine.

New Car Review: 2013 Buick LaCrosse



The 2013 Buick LaCrosse.

Almost three years ago, we reviewed the then-new Buick LaCrosse and came up with the conclusion that while their advertising was targeting Lexus, the car itself was close in a lot of ways but only won when price got factored in. That Lacrosse was the CXL model and it ended up costing $31,000 and change...which put it nearly 10 grand below a comparably equipped Lexus ES350.

Well, Buick has dumped the direct hit on Lexus from their advertising, and now has five trim levels...LaCrosse (base, which starts at $31,660), Leather ($33,870), Premium I ($35,285), Premium II (also $35,285) and Touring ($39,240). As you'd expect, Touring is loaded...to the point that the only two options on our test car were rear-seat mounted thorax air bags ($350) and the Crystal Red paint ($325). With $875 destination charge, the bottom line shows $40,790.

New Car Review: 2012 Buick Regal E-Assist




The 2012 Buick Regal E-Assist.

Four-cylinder Buick.

The phrase can cause some worry...especially among those of us of a certain age who might remember when such things existed before (Skylarks from model years 1980-1998).

Regular TireKicker readers know that things are much better now, from our recent run in the new, small Buick Verano. Today's Buick 4 is far from agricultural...in fact, it's smooth and quiet and gives little indication that it's not a six, apart from perhaps a little lower urgency level.

But that's the Verano. The littlest Buick. This is the Regal. Not only larger, but the one nameplate in the Buick stable meant to evoke a sporting character. And there is at least one legitimate firebreather...the GS (a full review of which is coming soon). But when you go shopping for a standard Regal, the four is what you get. And, for additional cost, you can get it with E-Assist.

New Car Review: 2012 Buick Verano

The 2012 Buick Verano.

I sense a slippery slope ahead when I'm at the wheel of the Buick Verano. And it has nothing to do with the pavement under the tires.

Call it generational perspective. I'm old enough to remember when Buick wanted a compact car so badly that it took a 1973 Chevy Nova, made it a bit prettier (in the eyes of some beholders, anyway), a bit cushier, a bit more upscale, and sold it as the 1973 Buick Apollo.



2011 Buick Regal CXL Review

The 2011 Buick Regal. A whole new look for GM's longtime old-guy division.

Turning points are usually things that become obvious well after the fact...noted by historians looking at the big picture. It's rare when we can see one in real time and realize it.

I could be wrong here, but I think we're looking at one right now.

It's been many years since Buick built a car enthusiasts could get (pardon the pun) revved up about. It was a Regal, too, come to think of it.

Well, 1987 was 1987 and 2011 is 2011 and Buick wisely resisted the urge to join the retro-mobile bandwagon and instead built a sedan for our times.

Slick European lines highlight the rear view of the 2011 Buick Regal.

Buick's aiming for an interesting spot in the sedan spectrum...sportier than Lexus, cushier than BMW (the American alternative to Infiniti, perhaps?), and the Regal hits that very small bulls-eye. Simply put, it drives better than any Buick of the last 25 years, perhaps than any Buick ever...and better than many contemporary sedans out there.

That's a big enough accomplishment for Buick, but here's the kicker...it does it with a four-cylinder engine under the hood. In fact, that's the only way you can get a Regal right now...your choice is turbo or non-turbo...and that's what we got...the stock engine. 182 horsepower. Doesn't sound like much considering what else is on the market, but it moves the Regal with authority, and mated to a six-speed automatic, it delivers pretty good mileage, too. 19 city isn't awesome, but 30 highway is a strong selling point these days.

$26,245 is the price of entry, bringing with it Stabilitrak, a full complement of airbags and curtains, battery rundown protection,  a six-month subscription to OnStar Directions & Connections with automatic crash response and turn-by-turn navigation, tire pressure monitoring, brake assist and ABS, 18-inch alloy wheels, power heated outside mirrors, halogen headlamps and fog lamps, leather seats (heated up front and 8-way power adjustable for the driver), remote keyless entry, cruise control, dual-zone climate control, auto-dimming inside rearview mirror, power door locks, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, controls for audio and cruise on the steering wheel, a seven-speaker AM/FM/CD/SiriusXM audio system with USB port and Bluetooth, and two power outlets.

The 2011 Buick Regal interior will remind you of anything but Buicks past.

In our book, that's loaded. Especially for a tick over $26K. But Buick added one....just one...option package. It's called RL6, the Comfort and Convenience Package. It gives the front passenger the same 8-way adjustable seat the driver gets, along with 4-way lumbar, adds a 120-volt power outlet, Ultrasonic rear parking assist, a power sunroof, rear seat mounted airbags, GPS navigation and ups the audio system to a premium unit with 9 speakers instead of 7. 

It costs $4,785.

I think the Regal's one helluva car without it at $26,245. But I can't really object to anything in the option package either (other than satnav....say it with me now: "My phone does that."), and at $31,780 with destination charges, it's still one helluva car, and fairly priced for what you get. It's just not the jaw-dropping value it represents at almost five grand less.

Buick LaCrosse Review

Attitude is not an attribute one has associated with Buick for more than 20 years...since the hot Grand National models.

But Buick has decided to get in your face with its message about the new LaCrosse...with billboards and TV ads calling it "Something else for Lexus to relentlessly pursue."

Really?