A Buick that zags
Years ago we were promised “a Caddy that Zigs” in the form of the Opel Omega wearing a Cadillac badge serving as a diluted version of a midsize German sedan. The second coming of this recipe, namely the import of an Opel to fill a gap in a brand’s lineup, is the Buick Regal which landed on our shores in 2011. The GS model is the souped-up sport version of the Regal, and it tries to be a little less subtle about what’s under the hood than its siblings.
The large wheels and the chrome accents on the front fascia make the GS stand out a little more than the standard Regal — I’ll ignore the fake vents on the hood — but the net result is that the sedan is far more noticeable on the street than the standard car. The large wheels do not particularly look like they belong on the car, but the ride is extremely well sorted even if there is not much room in the wells for wheel travel.
Much has been made of the manual transmission available in the Regal when it first landed in the states — a brave option for Buick to offer in a midsize sedan in the U.S. — though I suspect that was aimed at making a splash rather than addressing a need voiced by Buick customers. The six-speed auto in this car is very intuitive and doesn’t try to do weird things when decelerating.
2016 Buick Regal GS AWD
The Regal GS’ interior is a wonderful place in which to spend time, and the GS is actually a fun highway driver without becoming boring. The steering is nicely weighted, like that of a German sedan (which it is) and the response of the chassis is quick enough. In short, this Buick was designed for autobahn blasts and this quality has been preserved for the flashier, chrome-bedecked U.S. version.
The infotainment system could still use a little refinement. It wasn’t saddled with delays like some other systems, and the fact that it retained rotary knobs was a big plus, but the screen itself was positioned waaaay to far on the front of the dash and requires one to lean forward quite a bit in order to access the controls.
I did just under a thousand miles in the Regal GS over the course of a week, with 800 of those miles occurring along the tranquil I-95 northeast corridor in traffic boosted by retro 1990s gas prices, and I have to admit I really liked the handling and the ride. But with a starting price hovering just above the $40,000 mark, GM might as well sell this almost-compact with its German Opel badge. With a few boxes checked the out-the-door price approaches the $50,000 mark, at which point other German sedans likely will have claimed those potential customers, making the Regal GS a contrarian choice.
— Jay Ramey, associate editor
2016 Buick Regal GS AWD
OTHER VOICES:
I’ve liked the Regal since its return a few years ago, and I think this GS trim makes it look even better. I don’t mind the big wheels, though they do look like an aftermarket job. I could skip the hood vents, though. Inside — I agree with Jay — the touchscreen stuff performed well, and was easy to use with a little stretch of the arm. And keeping two knobs for volume and tuning controls is a great idea. CarPlay worked well and I even used the text-to-voice feature a few times. I like that the system works through the iPhone cord, no syncing required.
Power is what I’d call breezy. It’s not aggressive at all, but once you get going it picks up speed quickly. Engine volume is pretty much muted, which isn’t a big deal if you aren’t continually thinking about the straight-piped Grand National your buddy had in high school. The first time I drove one of these I called it a budget S4, but after a few more drives, I’ll have to reel that statement in a bit. It’s more like a well-equipped American A4.
Handling is responsive, but without a lot of feel. I know I say this a lot, but this is what most people like. An average driver doesn’t want to feel every expansion joint in the road and in this, the Regal does well. Better to be responsive without feel than to be not responsive at all. Bumps are mostly absorbed by the suspension and only a little bit of noise is transmitted into the cabin. Even over the bigger potholes there are never any bone-jarring hits. The brakes are nicely aggressive, with a short stroke to full stop.
The forward collision warning might be a little too aggressive. It went off twice during the week, once with plenty of time to stop and once when it was a little more necessary. Heated seats and heated steering wheel? Love them in the Michigan winter.
Finally, I can’t believe it takes regular gas. Turbo engine, new technology? I paid two bucks per … very nice.
— Jake Lingeman, road test editor
2016 Buick Regal GS AWD
OPTIONS: Driver confidence package #2 including adaptive cruise control and front automatic braking ($1,195); drive confidence package including following distance sensor indicator, forward collision alert, rear cross traffic alert, lane departure warning, driver and passengerseat and outside mirrors memory setting, side blind zone alert with lane departure alert ($1,040); power moonroof ($1,000); white frost tricoat ($995); 20 inch aluminum wheels ($700)
