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robertkstone · 6 years ago

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Buick Regal: 2019 Motor Trend Car of the Year Contender

WE LIKE Impressive packaging, good-looking wagon

WE DON’T LIKE Cheap interior, lackluster GS model

The Regal TourX wagon and GS hatchback feature some clever packaging, but not much else stood out, with one exception: that beautiful wagon. It’s hard not to ogle it, and most judges praised its attractive sheetmetal.

Both Regals offer spacious rear seats, and the GS (a Sportback variant) can hold a surprising 60.7 cubic feet of cargo with the rear seats folded down and 31.5 with them up. That’s more than some crossovers. Packaging a car is not easy, and Buick did an excellent job. Too bad the rest of the interior is a disappointment.

The quality of many interior components is plasticky, and style is nonexistent (save for the front seats). The blinker stalk, something drivers touch a lot, is one blatant example. Christian Seabaugh said it best: “These turn signals feel like they’re going to crack off and turn to dust in my hand.” We expect more at this price point. “If GM spent half as much time on interior materials and design as it does on engineering and exterior design, this could be the perfect package,” he added.

Some judges didn’t care for how the wagon handled on the winding road and complained about excess body roll and understeer.

We hoped for an engaging and confidence-inspiring GS model but were met with a semi-sporty driving experience. The front performance seats (heated, cooled, and massaging) are my favorite thing about the GS, which should tell you something.

The TourX and GS are both decent vehicles but fail to move the needle much, if at all.

READ ABOUT 2019 SUV OF THE YEAR CONTENDERS:

BMW X2

BMW X3

BMW X4

Cadillac XT4

Ford EcoSport

Ford Edge

Hyundai Santa Fe

Infiniti QX50

Jaguar E-Pace

Jeep Cherokee

Lexus RX L

Mercedes-Benz G-Class

Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Nissan Kicks

Subaru Ascent

Toyota RAV4

READ ABOUT 2019 CAR OF THE YEAR CONTENDERS:

Ford Mustang

Hyundai Accent

Hyundai Elantra

Honda Clarity

Lexus LS

Mercedes-Benz CLS-Class

Nissan Altima

Toyota Corolla Hatchback

Volkswagen Jetta

2018 Buick Regal TourX GS Base Price/As tested $29,995/$39,810 $39,995/$44,115 Power (SAE net) 250 hp @ 5,500 rpm* 310 hp @ 6,800 rpm* Torque (SAE net) 295 lb-ft @ 3,000 rpm* 282 lb-ft @ 5,200 rpm* Accel, 0-60 mph 7.0 sec 5.8 sec Quarter-mile 15.3 sec @ 91.4 mph 14.3 sec @ 98.6 mph Braking, 60-0 mph 124 ft 119 ft Lateral Acceleration 0.82 g (avg) 0.83 g (avg) MT Figure Eight 26.9 sec @ 0.65 g (avg) 26.6 sec @ 0.67 g (avg) EPA City/Hwy/Comb 21/29/24 mpg 19/27/22 mpg Vehicle Layout Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door wagon Front-engine, AWD, 5-pass, 4-door hatchback Engine/Transmission 2.0L turbo DOHC 16-valve I-4/8-speed automatic 3.6L DOHC 24-valve V-6/9-speed automatic Curb Weight (F/R Dist) 3,751 lb (58/42%) 3,780 lb (58/42%) Wheelbase 111.4 in 111.4 in Length x Width x Height 196.3 x 73.3 x 58.4 in 192.9 x 73.3 x 57.3 in Energy Cons, City/Hwy 160/116 kW-hrs/100 miles 177/125 kW-hrs/100 miles CO2 Emissions, Comb 0.81 lb/mile 0.88 lb/mile

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mobileautorepairpros · 7 years ago

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Road Tests: 2018 Buick Regal Sportback and TourX

Vital Statistics

Engine: 2.0 liter

Horsepower: 250

Torque: 260 lb.-ft.

0-60 mph: 6.4 seconds

The Buick Regal has been a mid-size sedan and coupe flag bearer for the brand since the early 70s. But, those traditional body styles have fallen out of favor. So, Buick is redefining their brand for a new generation of buyers by trying something totally different with a new generation of Regal. Say goodbye to the two and four-doors, and hello to the 5-door regal Sportback and TourX.

In a fairly short amount of time, General Motors has transformed Buick into truly a brand apart from the rest of their fold. It started with the subcompact Enclave crossover and continued through the Chinese-built Envision midsize crossover. And now they’re doing the most European of all things, unleashing an all-new 2018 Regal 5-door hatchback…the Sportback…along with a TourX station wagon.

The Buick Regal Sportback looks right at home among other sleek European hatchbacks like the Audi A7. It’s coupish roofline almost completely hides the fact it wears a rear liftback rather than a traditional trunk lid.

The Regal Tour-X, on the other hand, is clearly a station wagon, albeit one with plenty of smooth European flavor. But, it is big, so its one built more for the American landscape than Old-World cities.

The Tourx is actually 6.7-inches longer than a Subaru Outback, its most logical competitor, on a 111.4-inch wheelbase. Though Buick’s attainable luxury theme certainly brings Volvo and other European brands into the equation as well. And with new wagons coming from Jaguar and others, might we be seeing a wagon renaissance?

Good call on GM’s part to make it a pseudo-SUV; by putting X in the name, giving it a luxo-rugged styling theme opposed to the wedge forms so common today, and equipping it with all-wheel-drive as standard equipment.

AWD is also available on the Sportback, although front-drive is standard. Both chassis mates share the same engine, a 250-horsepower 2.0-liter turbo I4. All-wheel-drive cars get an 8-speed automatic transmission that allows for 295 lb.-ft. of torque. Front-driver’s get an additional gear with a 9-speed, but less torque; 260 lb.-ft.

Our track time came from behind the wheel of a front-drive Regal Sportback. No lag off the line, as the 2.0-liter seems eager to deliver all of its torque right away. We hit 60 in a fine 6.4-seconds.

Steering is easy and fairly linear, enabling nice quick turn-ins; while the chassis provides seriously good grip. Weight transfer is noticeable, but not upsetting. It’s not quite sport sedan territory, but pretty darn close for this sedate brand.

Brakes are Euro-strong without being grabby; with a short 104-foot average stopping distance from 60.

Ride quality has a hint of European solidity to it, but not enough to stray too far from what we’re accustomed to in a Buick; and it certainly remains as quiet inside as all other current models from the brand.

Both cars offer a wealth of space inside, for all 5-occupants. Front seats a very comfortable; once you nestle in that is, as even the bottom cushions have significant bolstering.

Manual dash controls are minimal, but well placed; and the infotainment screen is very well integrated.

Things get particularly roomy in the Tourx’s deep, wide cargo area with cargo rails. 32.7 cubic-ft. seats up, expanding to 73.5 seats down. For comparison, that’s just shy of a Honda CR-V.

The Sportback has only a little less, with 31.5 cubic-ft. of space beneath its easy-opening hatch. Folding seatbacks are either 60/40 or 40/20/40 depending on trim; folded, they expand the space to 60.7 cubic-ft.

Pricing for Regal Sportback starts at $25,915; getting all-wheel-drive requires stepping up to Preferred II trim totaling $32,695. With AWD standard, the TourX starts at $29,995.

There’s nothing traditional Buick about the 2018 Regal Sportback and TourX. And, there is a lot to like about both of these Opel-based rides. The Sportback offers near-luxury sedan comfort with added 5-door practicality. While the TourX delivers SUV versatility and capability, in an easy to drive well-appointed package. It’s a unique approach for an American brand, but one we’ve all of a sudden come to expect from the new Buick.

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eddiejpoplar · 7 years ago

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First Drive: 2018 Buick Regal GS

ALPHARETTA, Georgia — The hilly region north of Atlanta is an emotional landscape straight out of a Bob Ross painting. Nestled among its happy trees are smooth, winding roads that lend themselves to spirited driving, which we’re here to do in the new 2018 Buick Regal GS.

A well-proportioned sedan, the Regal GS is clad in finely sculpted bodywork with visual cues that differentiate it from the standard Sportback, including unique front and rear fascias, 19-inch wheels, and red Brembo brakes. It’s a fine fit for this region of the south-eastern U.S. as they showcase the best of what’s up and coming for both Buick and Georgia.

GM’s long-standing 3.6-liter V-6 powers the Regal GS, making 310 hp and 282 lb-ft of torque in this application. The powerplant is coupled with a relatively new nine-speed automatic transmission that shifts quickly and never hunts for gears. The combination delivers smooth acceleration over a linear power band sent to all four wheels. A torque-vectoring, twin-clutch rear differential similar to the one Buick uses in the Regal TourX wagon also makes an appearance.

In the Regal GS, Buick offers three preset driving modes. The car drives in a default mode that favors comfort and more economic driving. Sport mode increases steering weight, quickens shifts, makes the AWD system more rear-biased, and stiffens suspension. The third mode, GS, has a shift schedule that holds gears longer, even heavier steering, and the firmest suspension settings.

Despite its preference for aggressive driving, GS mode didn’t fatigue me beyond the weighty steering. What really impressed me was how capable the default mode was on even the most technical sections of the mountain.

In the middle of the day, we stopped by Atlanta Motorsports Park, where we participated in a series of parking lot test exercises. These included forward and reverse slaloms, acceleration and brake tests, and a fun 180-degree turn spin. Even with tires intentionally over-inflated past 50 psi, braking, grip, and chassis control felt solid.

Much of the comfort and quiet of the Regal Sportback carries over into a package that also feels sporty and athletic, even with the forfeiture of Buick’s signature “Continental ProContact with ContiSilent quiet tuning” tires in favor of all-season sport tires. It was easy to hold a conversation at highway speeds, which is notable given the insulation disadvantage liftbacks have versus traditional three-box sedans.

Drivers cannot disable engine start-stop, but chief engineer Martin Hayes says his team fine-tuned the system. A key change is what he called a “McDonald’s drive-through algorithm,” which prevents the engine from shutting off again until the vehicle exceeds about 7 mph after restarting. We encountered some traffic on the final leg of our drive and the system checks out in stop-and-go as well.

There’s plenty of safety tech to go around in the Regal GS. Our tester had the optional Driver Confidence Package. It includes a competent adaptive cruise control system, unobtrusive but effective lane departure warning, and forward collision alert and braking. The heads-up display is also part of this safety suite and was highly legible even through polarized sunglasses.

Starting at $39,070 the 2018 Buick Regal GS is a great value proposition for those looking for a blend of performance and technology. Our tester rang in at $44,110 after destination charges, more than $1,000 less than the Acura TLX A-Spec—and the difference is even greater between it and the Lexus IS F-Sport AWD, which starts at $47,825. Not only does the Regal’s V-6 kicks out more power than both, the package offers plenty of luxury to vie for the front of the pack in the tough segment.

The 2018 Regal GS shows that although crossovers may be the mainstay of modern Buick, the brand also offers a capable sports sedan that delivers a comfortable and quiet experience on the freeway that’s also joyful when it’s time to rip through the corners among the happy trees.

2018 Buick Regal GS Specifications ON SALE Now PRICE $39,070/$44,110 (base/as tested) ENGINE 3.6L DOHC 24-valve flat-6/310 hp @ 6,800 rpm, 282 lb-ft @ 5,200 rpm TRANSMISSION 9-speed automatic LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, AWD sedan EPA MILEAGE 19/27 mpg (city/hwy) L x W x H 192.9 x 73.3 x 57.3 in WHEELBASE 114.4 in WEIGHT 4,270 lb 0-60 MPH 5.9 sec (est) TOP SPEED N/A

The post First Drive: 2018 Buick Regal GS appeared first on Automobile Magazine.

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jesusvasser · 7 years ago

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First Drive: 2018 Buick Regal Sportback

AUSTIN, Texas — South Congress is a brilliant mixture of trendy modernity and traditional Americana. It is a fitting location for our first drive of the all-new 2018 Buick Regal Sportback, a car with pretensions to advance the brand’s image away from stodginess and deeper into the mid-level luxury market.

Like our host city’s fondness for juxtaposing new and old, the Regal Sportback blends current trends with facets familiar to Buick buyers. Deep creases in the sheet metal yield a form that is elegant yet understated. The interior ticks the boxes for comfort, expected amenities, and competitive technology even though some materials and design elements fall short of the eye-catching exterior’s wow-factor. The resulting package is more premium than its price would suggest, especially the lower trim levels. There are four in all—base, Preferred, Preferred II, and Essence.

We tested front- and all-wheel drive variants of the range-topping Regal Essence models. Each is powered by a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four, but the FWD’s is tuned to make 250 hp and 260 lb-ft of torque and is sent via nine-speed auto, while the AWD’s makes 250 hp and 295 lb-ft sent via an eight-speed automatic transmission, plus a five-link rear independent suspension, resulting in noticeably better handling and ride comfort over the FWD model’s four-link rear setup.

No acceleration figures are available yet but freeway speeds arrive quickly under full-throttle acceleration in either configuration while the exhaust emits a rumbly note when pushed to redline. On the winding roads outside Austin, steering was communicative with good road feel in spite of the electronic system. Transmission tuning proved to be excellent – both the eight and nine speed boxes decisively picked gears and provided quick shifts.

The electronically adjustable seats are comfortable and supportive. Our testers used the larger eight-inch display rather than the standard seven-inch unit. Both systems offer Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, but I had issues summoning either during test drive. OnStar 4G LTE Wi-Fi is also standard on every Regal Sportback.

Now for the 2018 Buick Regal Sportback’s party trick: its big trunk. Buick reports a total cargo capacity of 60.7 cu. ft. and to give us a sense of exactly how big that is, we were tasked with stowing a fixed gear bike without removing any wheels. After lifting the gate and flipping down the 60/40 seats, the bikes laid flat in the back with plenty of room to spare for backpacks and camera equipment.

The Regal Sportback is also outfitted with a competitive arsenal of safety equipment. Front pedestrian braking and lane keep assist are standard across the range. It is also the first Buick to include an active-hood safety system that deploys if the vehicle collides with a pedestrian. If such an incident occurs at speeds between 16 and 30 mph, small explosive charges detonate to launch the hood up 4 inches to catch the person and reduce the chance or degree of injury.

I never witnessed this feature in action, but I did experience the lane-keeping assist. The system is present but unobtrusive. It will make small adjustments if the car starts to drift out of its lane but does so with little drama or overcorrection.

Viewed holistically, the 2018 Regal Sportback has a well-defined identity and even provides a strong case for Buick’s continued existence. It offers a premium package for buyers looking for a more luxurious vehicle at a reasonable price point.

Pricing begins at $25,915 and climbs to around $40,000 for a fully loaded model. The Sportback enters the market priced $2000 below the outgoing Regal and Buick is banking on the its value and functionality to undercut its rivals, which include the Audi Audi A5 Sportback, BMW 4-series Gran Coupe, and Acura TLX. This segment is more cutthroat than ever as a result of its shrinking size but to this point the Regal Sportback should impress its buyers. It surprises with drivability and impresses with utility.

The first wave of Regal Sportbacks is making its way to dealerships now and inventories will be fully stocked by end of the first quarter of 2018. By that time, the Regal lineup will be rounded out to include the performance-oriented GS sedan and the TourX wagon. Buick may now primarily be a purveyor of SUVs and crossovers in the U.S. market, but the 2018 Sportback makes a strong case for its continued presence in the mid-level luxury sedan space.

2018 Buick Regal Sportback Specifications

ON SALE Now PRICE $25,915 (base) ENGINE 2.0L turbocharged DOHC 16-valve I-4/250 hp @ 5,400 rpm, 260 lb-ft @ 2,000-5,200 rpm (FWD); 250 hp @ 5,500 rpm, 295 lb-ft @ 3,000-4,000 (AWD) TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic (AWD), 9-speed automatic (FWD) LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, FWD/AWD hatchback EPA MILEAGE 18-19/26-27 mpg (city/hwy, est) L x W x H 192.9 x 73.3 x 57.3 in WHEELBASE 111.4 in WEIGHT 3,748-3,902 lb 0-60 MPH N/A TOP SPEED N/A

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jonathanbelloblog · 7 years ago

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First Drive: 2018 Buick Regal Sportback

2018 Buick Regal Sportback Specifications

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jeffrey2garner · 8 years ago

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NYIAS Preview: The Most Exciting Models Debuting at the New York Auto Show

The New York International Auto Show’s press preview is less than 24 hours away, and CarGurus will once again be in attendance, delivering updates and footage of the show’s most exciting and noteworthy debuts. As we prepare for two whirlwind days of coffee (courtesy of Volvo), jokes (courtesy of Dr. Z), and discarded laundry (courtesy of every automaker pulling sheets off their cars), here are the debuting models we’re excited to see.

Alfa Romeo Stelvio Hot on the heels of the Giulia sedan, Alfa Romeo is preparing its Stelvio crossover for a New York debut. As FIAT Chrysler CEO Sergio Marchionne aims to sell 400,000 Alfas worldwide and 150,000 in the United States, the company will be looking to its new crossover to earn Alfa Romeo some much-needed popularity in the American market. With either a standard 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder or the Quadrifoglio trim’s 2.9-liter twin turbo V6, the Stelvio is expected to pack plenty of power into an American-friendly design.

Audi RS3 & TT RS Audi appears to be building on the sales success of its A3 sedan, which the company positioned as an entry point to the brand for younger buyers. The RS 3 is finally coming to the United States and is expected to play the same role for the company’s speedy RS lineup. With a 400-horsepower, 354-lb-ft 2.5-liter turbocharged 5-cylinder engine, the RS 3 should feature the same startling acceleration and distinct rhythm and sound as the TT RS—also slated to take a bow in New York.

Buick Regal Sportback & TourX Whoever crafted Buick’s “That’s not a Buick” commercials from a few years ago must have been promoted to the product development team, because the new Buick Regal Sportback and TourX certainly don’t look like your grandma’s Century. While the Sportback carries a silhouette similar to the stylish Audi A7‘s (but at a fraction of the price), the TourX wagon appears to be modeled specifically after the Subaru Outback. We saw the Toyota Venza try (and fail) to bully the Outback—can a more luxurious Regal compete against Vermont’s favorite car?

Dodge SRT Demon You’ve probably heard about this one. Not only have we covered it on the blog, but Dodge has released a few trailers (okay, it’s released 13 trailers) teasing the upcoming 2018 Challenger SRT Demon. Although we’ve seen Nitto street-legal drag-race tires, a powertrain control module (PCM) calibrated to run 100+-octane fuel, and a hood intake large enough to swallow a small dog, we still don’t know the Demon’s official horsepower rating. After stunning everyone with the Hellcat’s 707 horses in 2015, Dodge has set a high bar for the Demon.

Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT Trackhawk Speaking of 707 horsepower, Jeep is set to debut a new Grand Cherokee with the Hellcat’s 6.2-liter supercharged V8 tucked under the hood. Although it boasts few styling differences from the old SRT8 Grand Cherokee, the new Trackhawk should be capable of hitting 60 miles per hour in less than 4 seconds. With new Brembo brakes and a beefed-up suspension keeping things in check, you can consider the Grand Cherokee SRT Trackhawk the fastest way to move 5,500 pounds.

Mercedes-Benz GLC 63 AMG, 63 AMG Coupe & 63 S AMG Coupe If the Jeep Trackhawk is a bit too brutish for your taste, Mercedes-Benz may be more interesting with three new trims for the GLC-Class. The GLC 63, 63 Coupe, and 63 S Coupe all employ a biturbo V8 engine making 469 horsepower, which gets upgraded to 503 hp in the S. Each feature Mercedes’ 4Matic all-wheel-drive system, and considering how impressed Chris Wardlaw was with the GLC-Class’s polished look and feel, the upgraded trims should delight anyone looking for an upscale entry to the high-powered crossover market.

Subaru Crosstrek It might not look drastically different, but the 2018 Subaru Crosstrek promises to best the outgoing generation in more ways than one. Built on the new Impreza’s global platform, the Crosstrek will be significantly stiffer and boast slightly more ground clearance, meaning interested shoppers can expect better cornering and improved off-road ability. Despite a 2.0-liter engine that leaves much to be desired in the power department, we’ve always appreciated the Crosstrek as a good-looking, capable, and properly sized subcompact crossover—particularly for city-dwellers with a passion for the great outdoors. Of course, the available manual transmission doesn’t hurt either.

Toyota Sienna & FT-4X Concept Toyota is still selling “swagger” with the Sienna, but whether America’s best-selling minivan earned its status from fashion-forward styling or simply by being the only all-wheel-drive option is up to you to decide. Toyota will be showing off a further enhanced 2018 Sienna with a bigger (and lower) grille, but for folks looking to Toyota to blow their socks off, we suspect the main attraction will be the FT-4X concept. We don’t spend a lot of time covering concepts here at CarGurus, but when the company that brought us the Land Cruiser suggests a new off-roader may be in the works, we’re inclined to pay attention.

What cars at this year’s New York International Auto Show do you most want to see in person?

-Matt Smith

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robertkstone · 7 years ago

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2018 Buick Regal TourX First Drive: Bucking Stereotypes

With the exception of the Europeans, automakers have yet to bring sporty wagons to the U.S. In what might seem like an odd choice, Buick is rolling out one of these elusive vehicles, the Regal TourX wagon, on our shores. But if you look at Buick’s lineup, perhaps it’s not so strange given the brand has introduced other niche products in the recent past. The Cascada convertible is far from a runaway sales success, with numbers down almost 22 percent last year compared to 2016, but it has served as a product that conquests customers from other brands. Meanwhile, the Encore helped start the subcompact crossover craze and has become the brand’s best-selling model. Buick might be taking another gamble with the Regal TourX, but it’s likely a good one.

The Sportback was the first vehicle in the new Regal lineup to reach the U.S., and the TourX is coming to dealerships now. Buick originally anticipated a 70/30 sales split in favor of the Sportback, according to Buick marketing boss Philip Brook. Now, given the interest it has encountered from dealers, press, customers, and others, Buick is starting to think the TourX could take 50 percent of the pie. Not bad for just a wagon.

In addition to riding about an inch higher, the TourX is 3.4 inches longer than the Sportback and has 12.8 cubic feet more cargo space with the rear seats folded. Unlike the Sportback, the TourX doesn’t offer front-wheel drive, and the sole option is an active twin-clutch all-wheel-drive system. Under the hood sits a 2.0-liter turbo-four featuring 250 hp and 295 lb-ft of torque, the same output as the all-wheel-drive Sportback.

We drove the 2018 Regal TourX through Sedona, Arizona, best known for its stunning red rock formations. As we made our way into the city, we received a few looks driving in a convoy of Buick wagons, all of which were covered in red dirt from a day of off-roading. Off-roading in a Buick? I imagine that’s what they were thinking. Because that’s honestly what I was thinking.

Passing by Jeeps and other stalwart SUVs, we traversed off the beaten path between 20 and 35 mph. This was no serious off-roading, but the experience revealed that the Regal TourX can tackle dirt roads with lots of loose rocks of various sizes. You can feel it as you make your way over them, particularly in the rear of the vehicle. But the car proved as controlled as it did on the street.

Buick engineered the Regal TourX to drive like the all-wheel-drive Sportback, and that’s pretty much what it accomplished. The result is confident handling, better than what you might expect from a wagon of this size. It bucks the stereotype that these vehicles should feel detached from the road. The car moves predictably with each turn of the steering wheel, much like the all-wheel-drive Sportback. The eight-speed transmission felt smooth and hit the right notes; there was never a clunky moment. You won’t be blown away with the TourX’s acceleration, but the juice proved just enough for highway merging.

Regal TourX models have new QuietTuning tires with extra insulation to reduce road noise. Unfortunately, our early-production test models weren’t equipped with this technology. But even without the quiet tires, the car manages to keep road noise to a minimum, and wind noise was particularly low.

Buyers will find plenty of luxury wagons on the market, including the Audi A4 Allroad, BMW 3 Series, Mercedes-Benz E-Class, and Volvo V60 and V90. But the TourX occupies an interesting space just above the four-cylinder Subaru Outback 2.5i models and Volkswagen Golf Alltrack. The Buick starts at $29,995, and standard features include OnStar 4G LTE Wi-Fi, push-button start and keyless entry, a 7.0-inch touchscreen, and cloth seats. Missing from the list is dual-zone automatic climate control, which comes standard only on the top model.

Next up is the Preferred, which begins at $33,595 and adds an auto-dimming inside rearview mirror, increased seat adjustability, and a few other standard features. The model we tested was the top-level Essence, priced from $35,995. Here you’ll find an upgraded 8.0-inch touchscreen, heated leather-appointed front seats, a heated steering wheel, ambient interior lighting, 40/20/40 tri-folding rear seats, and a hands-free liftgate that projects an image of the Buick logo behind the vehicle to help you know where to kick your foot to release the trunk.

Prices can slowly start to add up once you put in more options. The model we drove rang out to $41,600 because it was equipped with a premium audio system, HD radio, and navigation bundle and two driver-assistance packages. The first, available on Preferred or Essence, adds features such as LED headlights, rear park assist, rear cross-traffic alert, and lane change alert with side blind-zone alert. The second, available only on the Essence, includes the most useful features such as forward automatic braking, lane keep assist, adaptive cruise control, and front pedestrian braking.

Inside the cabin, you’ll find comfortable seats but little in the way of eye candy. As we noted with the regular Sportback, there’s really nothing inside the cabin that makes drivers feel like they’re in for a treat. Unique tidbits such as the touch climate controls of the previous Regal are not present in this vehicle. Instead, there are some hard plastics and shiny wood accents. The interior doesn’t quite match the exterior’s scintillating personality, but it’s highly practical and can fit luggage for the whole family without even having to fold down the seats.

No one expects wagons to overthrow crossovers as the vehicle of choice in today’s market. But could this be the silent era of the wagon? Although there aren’t as many of them on the market as their higher-riding counterparts, more are coming to market in the U.S., and now they’re offering performance that can rival sedans. The Buick Regal TourX boasts athleticism and practicality, making it a refreshing addition to the brand’s lineup.

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eddiejpoplar · 7 years ago

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First Drive: 2018 Buick Regal TourX

SEDONA, Arizona — Where are the golf bags? Buick has let its connection to the game of golf age-out and didn’t bother to tell us how many bags you can fit in the 73.5 cubic-foot cargo space of this, er, crossover/utility something-or-other.

The 2018 Buick Regal TourX is not a station wagon (that term has also aged out), or so its maker claims, though fellow auto journalists who love that long-forsaken bodystyle are quick to give it such a description. Call it whatever you call the Subaru Outback, Audi Allroad, or Volvo V90 CC, because this is the new model for those who want something a bit nicer and more upscale than the former and can’t afford the latter two. For that reason alone, it earns our respect as a Not Boring Car.

Its cargo capacity of 73.5 cubic feet with the rear seat folded tops the Lincoln MKX, Acura RDX, Audi Allroad, and Volvo V60 CC, though it’s capacious more because of the load floor’s length than its width, which is hampered by more intrusive than usual wheel wells and a fairly narrow liftgate aperture. So it might not be quite as useful when it comes to carrying wide items. Perhaps this is due to limitations of the new Regal’s design—like the outgoing model, it was first an Opel Insignia.

The advantage is the Regal TourX’s height of just 58.4 inches is about the same as that of a 1968 Buick Sportwagon (the model with the “vista roof” windows), but with those black plastic overfenders that give it an Outback/Allroad look. Its optional panoramic sunroof ($1,200) serves as a sort of modern interpretation of the vista roof.

We’re in Arizona driving the Buick Regal Tour X. The rakish wagon has plenty of room for cargo and lots of utility. #noboringcars . . . . . #buick #regal #tourX #wagon #biking #arizona #instacar #cargram #lifestyle #luxury

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More relevant as a comparison, the TourX is a full 11.5 inches lower than the new Enclave, and Buick demonstrated that TourX height advantage by having us attach mountain bikes to its roof. It was pretty easy, requiring no ladder. From this married-with-no-kids auto hack’s perspective, there’s more sport-utility in this Buick crossover than in most sport/utilities, so long as the off-roading is limited to snowy or dirt roads.

The TourX has roughly ¾-inch more ground clearance than the Regal Sportback, half of which is “ride-height tuning,” better known as taller springs, and the other half is are 235/50R18s in place of the hatchback’s 245/45R18s. Buick demonstrated this with a total of 10 miles on red dirt-and-gravel roads near Sedona, though of course we didn’t dare try anything more rugged.

One nice feature that went un-tested is the Buick Beacon, which lights up the ground under the rear of the TourX where you need to place your foot to automatically open the liftgate.

That tight-ish width between the wheel wells would make for a narrow third row, which in the tradition of 1960s-‘70s wagons would be rear-facing. But today’s vehicles require more structure between the exterior sheetmetal and interior headliner for rollover protection, especially in models with long rooflines, and so only taller vehicles can provide the floor-to-headliner space for adequate third-row headroom.

Second-row headroom in the Buick Regal TourX is excellent, however, and leg- and elbowroom are good, too. Though we didn’t try fitting three adults abreast in the rear seat, it surely could be done in a pinch, which means that like most SUV third rows, you wouldn’t want to try to fill the TourX’s second row for long trips.

Compared with the Buick Regal Sportback, the TourX is 3.4-inches longer in overall length, and 1.1-inches taller. It’s just 1.1 inches shorter overall compared with the full-size LaCrosse, and it means that the Regal TourX gets some very nice proportions which, to beat a long-dead horse, could only be improved with the rear-wheel-drive dash-to-axle proportions of the General Motors Alpha platform out of which Buick has long been screwed.

A rear-wheel-drive platform might make dynamics a bit more interesting as well by moving the torque bias to the rear. Unlike the FWD standard/AWD optional Regal Sportback hatchback, the TourX comes only with a twin-clutch intelligent all-wheel-drive system that torque-vectors its way around corners and can theoretically channel 100 percent of torque to a single wheel if the other three lose grip. As with the AWD versions of the Sportback, the TourX comes with an Aisin eight-speed automatic as the only transmission choice.

On the gentle sweepers outside of Sedona, the Buick Regal TourX is comfortably soft and well-controlled, though on rougher roads in Phoenix, moderate stiffness over certain bumps and washboards hinted at sportier handling than it has. There’s nothing in the TourX’s dynamics to prompt any rally driving moves. But steering is precise and offers good feel and feedback, and the 2.0-liter turbo is quick. There’s no noticeable lag at launch, and torque-steer is minimal thanks to that intelligent AWD, though with 295 pound-feet peaking between 3,000 rpm and 4,000 rpm, and its 250 horses peaking at 5,500, the brisk acceleration comes in early and levels past the torque peak.

Buick is known for its “Quiet Tuning,” of course, and compared with the Opel/Vauxhall Insignia with which it shares its design and German assembly line, the main QT component in this case consists of insulating foam inside the Continental tires, which our pre-production testers did not have. There’s also an active noise cancellation system and QT acoustics. The right tires or no, the car is quiet and smooth on Arizona highways, with just a tad bit of turbo whistle making itself known about 2,500 rpm.

Interior fit and finish is excellent, with a rather minimalist thin horizontal-style dash broken up by an eight-inch touchscreen and a standard 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capabilities. Power lumbar control for driver and front passenger is part of the $1,725 Driver Confidence Package Number 1. An infotainment system with navigation is part of a $1,095 package that also throws in a premium Bose audio system and high-definition radio. All but one of three examples sampled for this first drive came with black interiors with subtle wood-style accents. The third has a two-tone dash, but it’s simply black on top of light beige, falling well short of the nicely padded saddle-accent interior available in the Buick Enclave Avenir.

There will be no Buick Regal TourX Avenir, of course, and the plan to build the new Regal in Germany alongside the Opel and Vauxhall versions came long before GM sold its European brands to PSA Peugeot-Citroen. Buick says the contract with Peugeot-Citroen will provide as many Regals as demand requires, and based on early dealer orders, some 30 percent of them will be TourX models.

So what is this Buick that enthusiasts want to call a station wagon? This car makes no attempt to pass itself off as a shooting brake-style sport sedan, though with its much lower center of gravity, enthusiasts should find it more interesting than, say, a BMW X5. The ’18 Buick Regal TourX has much more in common with the comfort-and-style oriented Volvo V90 Cross Country, for about $25,000 less. If it becomes a success, look for Buick to find a North American production spot after the end of GM’s three-year contract with Peugeot-Citroen. Or better yet, maybe they’ll replace it (here we go again) with an all-new TourX on the Alpha platform.

2018 Buick Regal TourX Essence Specifications

ON SALE Now PRICE $36,920/$41,550 (base/as tested) ENGINE 2.0L turbocharged DOHC 16-valve I-4/250 hp @ 5,000 rpm, 295 lb-ft @ 3,000-4,000 rpm TRANSMISSION 8-speed automatic LAYOUT 4-door, 5-passenger, front-engine, AWD wagon EPA MILEAGE 21/29 mpg (city/hwy) L x W x H 196.3 x 73.3 x 58.4 in WHEELBASE 111.4 in WEIGHT 3,708 lb 0-60 MPH N/A TOP SPEED N/A

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eddiejpoplar · 7 years ago

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First Drive: 2018 Buick Regal Sportback

2018 Buick Regal Sportback Specifications

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