Buick Regal

2014 Buick Regal: New worthy mix of U.S. and Euro design

Some American brand sports/luxury sedans are edging closer to costlier foreign rivals as the auto world shrinks. A few minutes at the wheel of the 2014 Buick Regal gave me the feeling I was driving a foreign luxury sports sedan. It sure handled and rode much like one. Buick has made lots of changes, but the Regal’s behavior puzzled me. I soon found the Regal is basically an Americanized version of the high-line German Opel Insignia. No wonder it felt as if it would be happy humming along a German autobahn at 100 m.p.h. It’s got a decent size, with a 107.8-inch wheelbase and 190.2 -inch overall length. The 2014 version of the Regal has new front and rear styling,

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NEW CAR REVIEW: 2014 Buick LaCrosse: Big sedan shines

Now in its 10th model year and fifth year of its second generation, the Buick Lacrosse is a large four-door luxury sedan. Like many of its competitors, the refreshed 2014 Buick LaCrosse provides a comfortable, smooth, spacious ride. Never a high volume seller (the best-selling year was 92,00 units in 2005), the LaCrosse nonetheless shouldn’t be overlooked. The dilemma for Buick is that the large sedan segment is ripe with fine choices. The new Kia Cadenza, the re-designed Chevrolet Impala and stalwarts like the Chrysler 300, Toyota Avalon and Lexus ES350 all have substantial new or sustained followings. With the 2014 Buick LaCrosse, the competition in theory should increase. Its refreshed edition includes adaptive cruise control, lane change alerts, rear

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Toyota Prius, Ford Fusion lead best mpg list for 2013 family sedans

Midsize family sedans comprise a huge chunk purchases amongnew car buyers, and gas mileage is a top priority whether consumers are considering Kia, Toyota, Ford or Hyundai. Ryan ZumMallen of High Gear Media has compiled a list of Best Mileage Midsize Family Sedans for 2013. The list includes a wide-ranging selection of gas and hybrid models as well as expected and surprising models that share at least one common trait — practicality. Here’s the list and a brief assessment of High Gear Media’s assessment of the 2013 Toyota Prius, the No. 1 most fuel efficient family sedan.“Despite the industry’s repeated attempts to knock it off the throne, the Toyota Prius still reigns supreme when it comes to fuel efficiency. What’s

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Buick Regal eAssist mild hybrid, standard engine for 2013

The Buick Regal will come with eAssist hybrid technology in 2013 as standard equipment. A system that provides a light, but effective, secondary electric motor that assists to either motivate the car during slow traffic or to provide an additional boost to the engine, eAssist was initially a $2,000 option for Regals equipped with the Ecotec 2.4 liter engine. According to EPA ratings, the eAssist Regal reaches 25 mpg city and 36 mpg highway. GM will phase out the base 2.4-liter engine which delivers 19 mpg city and 31 mpg highway. No word yet on the 2013 Regal eAssist pricing, but the 2012 model starts at $28,490 excluding an $885 destination charge. If the thought of conservation takes away the

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Buick Regal GS, 2012: Fast, handsome competition for Audi, Acura

Buick’s fast 1965-74 GS (Gran Sport) muscle cars were far more luxurious than some rivals. The 2012 Buick Regal GS revives the “GS” name in fine style. This time around, though, the mid-size GS is a fast, handsome rival to foreign sedans from Audi and Acura. The new Regal GS has a decidedly European feel because it was largely engineered by General Motors’ Opel unit in Germany. It thus has a taut, supple ride, confident handling and a refined demeanor. The 2012 Regal also is offered with an 182-horsepower four-cylinder, which makes it feel a little underpowered, and a turbocharged 220-horsepower four-cylinder. The GS has an advanced engine that easily outdoes those motors. The old GS models had big V-8s,

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Hyundai Sonata, Buick Regal among best 'budget luxury' cars

Podcast: Play in new window | Download (113.5KB)Subscribe: Apple Podcasts | Spotify | MoreThe once standard belief a luxury car was defined by price is no longer valid. The current average price of a new car in the United States, slightly more than $29,000, is also slightly less than the former $30,000 launching point for a luxury vehicle. More pertinent today for a vehicle to be considered a luxury car are its features, comfortable interior to smooth ride to quality lists of option packages. Which is why CNNMoney.com has listed the Buick Regal, Hyundai Sonata, Ford Taurus, Kia Optima, Subaru Legacy and Chrysler 300 as 2011 cars it calls “budget luxury.” The site describes the Buick Regal (turbo), priced at

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Buick Regal 2011 car review

Now in its fifth generation, but first year in the United States since 2004, the Buick Regal is back in 2011 to meet the stiff competition in the midsize sedan category. Based on the Opel Insignia, the Regal re-emerged in China in 2008 as a 2009 model and is available in the U.S. in only a CXL trim level. It’s the latest offering of the midsize car introduced by General Motors for the 1973 model year. The 2011 edition is a departure and catapults the Buick into the modern age. Standard equipment includes: 18-inch alloy wheels, foglamps, heated sideview mirrors, keyless entry, dual-zone automatic climate control, cruise control, full power accessories, OnStar, leather upholstery, a power driver seat, heated front

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Buick Regal 2011 car review

The new Buick Regal is derived from General Motors’ European-market Opel Insignia and initially is being built in Germany—although production shifts to Canada early in 2011. Does the front-wheel-drive Regal’s basically Euro design make it a genuine sports sedan? Not unless it has the upcoming $28,745 CXL Turbo version’s turbocharged 2-liter, 220-horsepower four-cylinder. The standard $26,245 Regal CXL has a 2.4-liter direct-injection four-cylinder with 182 horsepower. It provides less thrust than the turbo engine but delivers decent acceleration that should satisfy many Regal buyers. The CXL with the 2.4 engine comes with a six-speed automatic transmission tuned more for economy and smooth shifts than high performance. It has a manual shift feature that doesn’t allow upshifts or downshifts at inappropriate

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