Ask Me About: 2019 Buick Regal GS

7 hours ago, surreal1272 said:

“The Stinger is a Kia”. With all due respect, you are way underestimating the Stinger. At least Kia will sell a RWD four door with some balls to it, IN A CUV DOMINANT MARKET, while GM pulled their best RWD sport sedan (the SS, which I love btw) because well, they never really gave it a fair shot in the first place. The point is further evidenced that there is no planned replacement for it (the SS) either, despite the possession of a viable RWD platform to on which to create one so your “GM chooses to bring new platforms to the market and kill old ones that have been around for 10 years” argument. Well, where is it? Also, if they like dumping 10 year old platforms, then explain the Cascadia and every other Buick that has been borrowed from the now defunct Opel? I get that you’re a huge GM fan and there are plenty of GM cars and trucks that I do like but they have laid some rotten eggs as well as having held on to old ness for longer than need be. Every car company has done it from where I stand. Just laying out some reality here.

 

I won’t even get into the XT6. Seriously, I never get in one of those.

Despite what U think.. GM has 3 RWD vehicles currently available that are in my experience.. better than the dead SS. Not my fault they make U pay to play.  Then again.. I guess with the SS they did too. As even that was normally was like $40-55K.

Seeing a Stinger first hand, I’m pretty darn sure the GT would mop the floor with GS, and give a good fight to th A4. love the way the GS looks, but not as much from there...Hands down the Koreans are not playing, just dusting GM enough to rush faster into the EV world with their tail between their legs ......

I honestly don’t expect GM to release anything that gets those hot chicks excited about your ride....and I can pretty much throw the new Vette in as well....simply put- GM’s heart is no longer in ICE, it’s in EV, riding sharing, scooters and go carts.....

Still enjoy a good ride? Maybe even with a bit of power?  Well, I hear FCA might still have something for you.....

Don’t see much of a future for the GS...unless you count the parking lot in front of your local American House......

8 hours ago, daves87rs said:

Seeing a Stinger first hand, I’m pretty darn sure the GT would mop the floor with GS, and give a good fight to th A4. love the way the GS looks, but not as much from there...Hands down the Koreans are not playing, just dusting GM enough to rush faster into the EV world with their tail between their legs ......

I honestly don’t expect GM to release anything that gets those hot chicks excited about your ride....and I can pretty much throw the new Vette in as well....simply put- GM’s heart is no longer in ICE, it’s in EV, riding sharing, scooters and go carts.....

Still enjoy a good ride? Maybe even with a bit of power?  Well, I hear FCA might still have something for you.....

Don’t see much of a future for the GS...unless you count the parking lot in front of your local American House......

A little harsh on GM as a whole but not on the GS. Three pages in....no one can give me a single reason to be excited about this ride. Sad.

1 hour ago, A Horse With No Name said:

A little harsh on GM as a whole but not on the GS. Three pages in....no one can give me a single reason to be excited about this ride. Sad.

It's the only GM midsize AWD/FWD hatchback in the US market.  That's a unique configuration.  

I know that's a small detail, but it was all I could think of...I didn't have GM in there, but then I remembered the Audi A7 and BMW 5 series GT also are midsize hatchbacks.

16 hours ago, Cmicasa the Great said:

Despite what U think.. GM has 3 RWD vehicles currently available that are in my experience.. better than the dead SS. Not my fault they make U pay to play.  Then again.. I guess with the SS they did too. As even that was normally was like $40-55K.

 

 

I get what you are saying but you missed the point of the post. May want to read that again. The price is irrelevant and the fact that GM has three RWD platforms illustrates my point. They have them yet they don’t fully use them. Instead, they have retreated from those platforms a bit and pushed more FWD CUVs through Cadillac of all brands, instead using those RWD platforms to put Cadillac above the likes of Acura, Volvo, and Lincoln. The most irrelevant part of your post though is the failure to realize that Kia is not nearly as bad as you think and I surely would not have said that about them ten years ago. They are reaching out with RWD cars in a CUV world while GM misses the boat and pushes FWD CUVs four to five years after they should have. 

2 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

A little harsh on GM as a whole but not on the GS. Three pages in....no one can give me a single reason to be excited about this ride. Sad.

I’d happily take an AWD Tour X if it had the 420HP 3.6L Turbo found in the CTS.  That would actually be a bad ass Buick. Even with the common N/A 3.6L, it’s still tempting but again, I am a wagon person. Wishful thinking though as GM just doesn’t seem interested in giving Buick some real Powertrain options, much like they are doing to Cadillac’s CUVs. The NA 3.6L will only get you so far in a turbo driven world. 

On 2/2/2019 at 7:30 AM, A Horse With No Name said:

SSEi  Bonneville was a better looking car...more American...probably better fuel economy real world...I would hazard a guess more fun to drive. We have lost ground.

The SSEi was many of those things, but better handling was not one of them.   

Also, the highway mileage of the Lacross with this same setup is actually very impressive on a long highway with a conservative foot. I would assume the lighter Regal would do better.

1 minute ago, Drew Dowdell said:

The SSEi was many of those things, but better handling was not one of them.   

Also, the highway mileage of the Lacross with this same setup is actually very impressive on a long highway with a conservative foot. I would assume the lighter Regal would do better.

OK....you have my attention....

6 hours ago, A Horse With No Name said:

A little harsh on GM as a whole but not on the GS. Three pages in....no one can give me a single reason to be excited about this ride. Sad.

It handles better than the Fusion Sport. 

Just now, Drew Dowdell said:

It handles better than the Fusion Sport. 

Do tell more...

1 minute ago, Drew Dowdell said:

It handles better than the Fusion Sport. 

I was very impressed with the ride of the Fusion Hybrids that I got as rentals for Debate trips.

2 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Do tell more...

I was very impressed with the ride of the Fusion Hybrids that I got as rentals for Debate trips.

The Fusion Sport's suspension gets overwhelmed if driven hard.  They're a great high power family sedan, and fantastic for long distance driving... they are not road carvers. 

1 minute ago, Drew Dowdell said:

The Fusion Sport's suspension gets overwhelmed if driven hard.  They're a great high power family sedan, and fantastic for long distance driving... they are not road carvers. 

I didn't figure I would autocross either a Fusion Sport or the Buick in question. Destroying the tires on my daughters boyfriends 350Z would be much more fun...

Still really like the idea of a CPO Stinger in a couple of years.

2 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

I didn't figure I would autocross either a Fusion Sport or the Buick in question. Destroying the tires on my daughters boyfriends 350Z would be much more fun...

Still really like the idea of a CPO Stinger in a couple of years.

The GS, even the prior gen GS, is surprisingly capable for such tasks.  While it is less true with the current generation, the prior one was one of the best balance, best handling FWD cars out there. 

1 minute ago, Drew Dowdell said:

The GS, even the prior gen GS, is surprisingly capable for such tasks.  While it is less true with the current generation, the prior one was one of the best balance, best handling FWD cars out there. 

Interesting. Wonder what they sell for....will have to check car Guru's for CPO

3 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Interesting. Wonder what they sell for....will have to check car Guru's for CPO

Used 2016-2017 GSes can be had for stupid cheap prices. I see them regularly in the low $20k range. 

8000 miles - $25,995

4 hours ago, surreal1272 said:

I get what you are saying but you missed the point of the post. May want to read that again. The price is irrelevant and the fact that GM has three RWD platforms illustrates my point. They have them yet they don’t fully use them. Instead, they have retreated from those platforms a bit and pushed more FWD CUVs through Cadillac of all brands, instead using those RWD platforms to put Cadillac above the likes of Acura, Volvo, and Lincoln. The most irrelevant part of your post though is the failure to realize that Kia is not nearly as bad as you think and I surely would not have said that about them ten years ago. They are reaching out with RWD cars in a CUV world while GM misses the boat and pushes FWD CUVs four to five years after they should have. 

 

Last I checked Kia/Hyundai/Genesis had a total of four RWD vehicles.. GM has almost as many under Cadillac. Do I think Chevy should get a AlphaL or Omega sedan? Hell yes, but I'm still not buying it.. My next is the CT6-V. 

Hyundai still makes $h!ty cars..  and just because they went out and headhunted the designer fromVW/ Audi doesn't make them any better. U can dress up a pig... Yada Yada..  also what world do we live in where simply having a rear wheel drive vehicle automatically makes U legit? I mean U are a known Ford fan.. I don't know how u sleep through the night knowing they only have one rear wheel drive car in their entire lineup

4 minutes ago, Cmicasa the Great said:

Last I checked Kia/Hyundai/Genesis had a total of four RWD vehicles.. GM has almost as many under Cadillac. Do I think Chevy should get a AlphaL or Omega sedan? Hell yes, but I'm still not buying it.. My next is the CT6-V. 

Hyundai still makes $h!ty cars..  and just because they went out and headhunted the designer fromVW/ Audi doesn't make them any better. U can dress up a pig... Yada Yada..  also what world do we live in where simply having a rear wheel drive vehicle automatically makes U legit? I mean U are a known Ford fan.. I don't know how u sleep through the night knowing they only have one rear wheel drive car in their entire lineup

Stinger, K900, G70, G80, G90

9 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Used 2016-2017 GSes can be had for stupid cheap prices. I see them regularly in the low $20k range. 

 

8000 miles - $25,995

Hell....that one is even an interesting color.

8 minutes ago, Cmicasa the Great said:

Last I checked Kia/Hyundai/Genesis had a total of four RWD vehicles.. GM has almost as many under Cadillac. Do I think Chevy should get a AlphaL or Omega sedan? Hell yes, but I'm still not buying it.. My next is the CT6-V. 

Hyundai still makes $h!ty cars..  and just because they went out and headhunted the designer fromVW/ Audi doesn't make them any better. U can dress up a pig... Yada Yada..  also what world do we live in where simply having a rear wheel drive vehicle automatically makes U legit? I mean U are a known Ford fan.. I don't know how u sleep through the night knowing they only have one rear wheel drive car in their entire lineup

They only have one car in their projected Ford lineup....so they are one hundred percent rear wheel drive. I can dig that.

just a note that 2016 and up come with Carplay/Android Auto standard.  That's a criteria of mine.

Just now, Drew Dowdell said:

just a note that 2016 and up come with Carplay/Android Auto standard.  That's a criteria of mine.

And a good one to have. I gave up convertibles when the Miata left the stable...told myself I would switch to music to make the drive enjoyable.

14 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Used 2016-2017 GSes can be had for stupid cheap prices. I see them regularly in the low $20k range. 

 

8000 miles - $25,995

Are the Regals built in Canada at Oshewa?....it has a 2 as the first digit of the vin,

2 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

And a good one to have. I gave up convertibles when the Miata left the stable...told myself I would switch to music to make the drive enjoyable.

Are the Regals built in Canada at Oshewa?....it has a 2 as the first digit of the vin,

That generation was built first in Germany and then moved to Canada after the first year.  The current generation is built in Germany.

Most of Buick's lineup in imports these days

Regal - Germany

Cascada - Poland

Lacrosse - US

Encore - Korea

Envision - China

Enclave - US

Just now, Drew Dowdell said:

That generation was built first in Germany and then moved to Canada after the first year.  The current generation is built in Germany.

Most of Buick's lineup in imports these days

Regal - Germany

Cascada - Poland

Lacrosse - US

Encore - Korea

Envision - China

Enclave - US

 

Historically this is probably the last full line ICE product lineup ever for a domestic. They have a convertible, a wagon, three
SUV's...sports sedan...

Really as full of a lineup as you might expect from someone like Mercury in 1966 or something. Impressive.

And sad that Buick cars will probably go away.

1 minute ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Historically this is probably the last full line ICE product lineup ever for a domestic. They have a convertible, a wagon, three
SUV's...sports sedan...

Really as full of a lineup as you might expect from someone like Mercury in 1966 or something. Impressive.

And sad that Buick cars will probably go away.

Only VW could compete with (and beat, they have a coupe with the Beetle) that diversity

Just now, Drew Dowdell said:

Only VW could compete with (and beat, they have a coupe with the Beetle) that diversity

Probably why I like both Buick and VW.

Speaking of Buicks, stopped by my local independent mechanic earlier to pick up my sister's Trax (had an oil change and other service), and they had 3 late model Buicks parked out front, in for service or whatever...a silver previous-gen LaCrosse, a dark red previous gen Regal, and a white Lucerne.  

Speaking of VW, I wonder how the Arteon pricing will compare when it arrives Stateside

6 minutes ago, frogger said:

Speaking of VW, I wonder how the Arteon pricing will compare when it arrives Stateside

 

 

Good question.

6 minutes ago, frogger said:

Speaking of VW, I wonder how the Arteon pricing will compare when it arrives Stateside

 

Higher than CC was I assume.  It is a beautiful car in person.  I saw a couple in the wild when I was in France over the summer. 

1 minute ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Higher than CC was I assume.  It is a beautiful car in person.  I saw a couple in the wild when I was in France over the summer. 

It and the Stinger seem utterly Lustworthy...that and the CT6....

Looking forward to seeing the Arteon in person...has some neat details, I like how the headlight trim sweeps into the grille...

28 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Stinger, K900, G70, G80, G90

So 5..  Other than the number is there more to sway my dislike of the brands? I can put any of them up against one of the GM RWDs and still come out feeling like life is grand

In Canada they are only offering Arteon at loaded (Execline) with AWD included...$48 grand, a few grand cheaper than the Stinger GT2 limited, Regal GS loaded, or Audi A5 Sportback Prestige.

Speaking of Kia and Genesis, these are strange times when you realize the Korean brands have the same number of RWD sedans on sale now in the US that the Detroit 3 have combined.....

Back to the GS, one thing where I was really disappointed in was the interior.  There is nothing bad about it... it's just ..... dull.

1 minute ago, Robert Hall said:

Speaking of Kia and Genesis, these are strange times when you realize the Korean brands have the same number of RWD sedans on sale now in the US that the Detroit 3 have put together.....

300, Charger, ATS, CTS, CT6.... yep

10 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Back to the GS, one thing where I was really disappointed in was the interior.  There is nothing bad about it... it's just ..... dull.

300, Charger, ATS, CTS, CT6.... yep

I still like the 300 and Charger as well though.

7 hours ago, Cmicasa the Great said:

Last I checked Kia/Hyundai/Genesis had a total of four RWD vehicles.. GM has almost as many under Cadillac. Do I think Chevy should get a AlphaL or Omega sedan? Hell yes, but I'm still not buying it.. My next is the CT6-V. 

Hyundai still makes $h!ty cars..  and just because they went out and headhunted the designer fromVW/ Audi doesn't make them any better. U can dress up a pig... Yada Yada..  also what world do we live in where simply having a rear wheel drive vehicle automatically makes U legit? I mean U are a known Ford fan.. I don't know how u sleep through the night knowing they only have one rear wheel drive car in their entire lineup

“U are a known Ford fan”

Yeah, I’m not touching that other than to say that you are clearly not familiar with my work. Two Ford fans have been banned or walked away from here (and MT) at least partially because of my many criticisms of Ford. Not a bragging thing btw but just illustrating the pure absurd ness of even insinuating that I am a Ford fan much less a “known Ford fan”. LMAO if you seriously even think that. 

2 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

Two Ford fans have been banned or walked away from here (and MT)

Hey...give me some of that credit too. 

Ive had run ins with them too.

But, the other guy that got banned, Casa had probably more heated run ins than you and I together with him.

But yeah...not a Ford guy you are. Not a fanboi of any brand Id say. 

3 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

Hey...give me some of that credit too. 

Ive had run ins with them too.

But, the other guy that got banned, Casa had probably more heated run ins than you and I together with him.

But yeah...not a Ford guy you are. Not a fanboi of any brand Id say. 

You are correct. I’ve never had a brand allegiance but I had been really liking Cadillac until lately.

That little exchange is a great a example of why I took a little break from the forums. I just can’t take certain things that seriously anymore. 

But...I think this dissing of the Buick Regal (GS or not) is taken too far.

No...it aint a KIA Stinger as in its not a RWD vehicle. 

Yes, it could have used the XTS' twin turbo V6 and a tweaking of that torque vectoring AWD system with a more aggressive transmission tune along with a more sporty suspension set-up.  

2 things wrong with that approach...for Buick. 

1. Buick has never been a sport sedan brand. It had...2 muscle cars in its history. Just 2.  The A-Body from the early1960s was luke warm at best.  In 1970 though, it became something worth talking about. Then the muscle cars from Buick ceased to exist. Until the Grand National arrived in the 1980s.  That muscle car lasted even shorter of a time than the original GS of the 1st generation A Body to the 2nd generation. 

The rest of the hot Buicks were indeed, luxury touring cars. Personal luxury luxo-barge coupes. 

2. The XTS TTV6 probably does sell well, but the other RWD V Series sport sedan Cadillacs dont. Even if Buick offered a more sport sedan Regal GS...few takers would be the result. Guaranteed.  

We shouldnt be that harsh on the Regal. We should just look at the positives of what it is rather than look at the negatives of what it is not and what it could be. 

It could have been a very capable vehicle that could have done battle with Audi's offerings, even if the interior falls short. But it aint an Audi competitor. Not it terms of price point. Not in terms of niche. Not in terms of image. Not in terms of anything.  

Buick just needs to be Buick. Nothing more. What is that? Well, I think the Regal GS is in the perfect direction it needs to be. Buick should "GS" their CUVs (with better interiors) JUST like the Regal is and all will be well for Buick. 

The 2018 Buick Regal GS is probably the best all around sporty and luxury Buick since the 1980s...

Remember, the Grand National and the GNX were not that luxurious...nor did they handle all that good They were not bad handlers as far as GM cars of that era went, but pitiful really as compared to...lets say...BMW of that same era...and you dont know how much I hated saying that just now...I gotta wash my mouth off with soap...

But yet, we wanna give it flack for whatever reason...

7 hours ago, surreal1272 said:

“U are a known Ford fan”

 

Yeah, I’m not touching that other than to say that you are clearly not familiar with my work. Two Ford fans have been banned or walked away from here (and MT) at least partially because of my many criticisms of Ford. Not a bragging thing btw but just illustrating the pure absurd ness of even insinuating that I am a Ford fan much less a “known Ford fan”. LMAO if you seriously even think that. 

Then maybe I'm wrong.. I'm confusing U with someone else.. Who are U??  Actually.. Doesn't matter to me in the end.. U know that. Cause U know me. pfft? Sorry I don't put much thought into posting these days.. but today I'll put a little thought into it.. 

GM, Ford, Chry.. all have a much more storied past, with two still remaining steadfast in RWD motivated vehicles...  way more than Hyundai. Personally I like the diversification of GM's portfolio of vehicles. My only complaint about the company as a whole stems from their heavy reliance on the 3.6L in so many vehicles that would benefit from existing twin turbo engines they already have tried and true. The Regal, Malibu, Impala, XT5, and XT6 included. Going back to the secondary subject, the Stinger, the Regal being the first, I am not attracted to the vehicle.. or anything from the Hyundai camp. Simple as that. The Regal is a more attractive vehicle for various reasons, and if I desired a mid-sized RWD vehicle I'd shop at neither. How is that hard to comprehend considering I have one of the epitomes of RWD mid-sizer sedans in my garage? Is there an issue because I won't downgrade.. or go balls to the wall in support of GM bringing a RWD sedan to the market for "every man?"

My resume of RWD is solid.. past and present. I drive RWD almost daily in the winter with the Yukon. I drive RWD every weekend with the Z06. I drive RWD on every date nite with the CTS-V.. I drive RWD to every cruise with the 66 Impala SS. To some.. I might just have a RWD fetish.. I'm a RWD junkie.. I go cuckoo for RWD. My next car? RWD based AWD CT6V most likely. After that.. RWD based AWD Escalade most likely. Am I supposed to get upset that GM has also decided to appease the market whims of its primary customers in the CUV game.. women.. with FWD based vehicles that have one of the most advanced AWD systems on planet Earth? Nope. That goes for every one of the C1XXs.. the E2XXs. I mean... U are complaining about the fact that outta 16 actual cars GM sells here in the U.S. only 5 are RWD.. but give no evidence or credibility that more RWD available would make the the vehicles more desirable. In fact.. WHAT DO U DRIVE? I know for fact that the Chevy SS was available from the end of 2013 to the end of 2017.. Did U buy? Well why not? I mean the car is still basically brand new. I'm sure U could find a nice one still available GM Certified with under 10K on the odo. How about a Pontiac G8? a used one has to be going for under $10K by now?. U better be driving RWD. Otherwise , or by just looking at the market.. one might see that RWD doesn't sell in huge quantities outside of niche and luxury. GM has niche and luxury RWD based cars. I'm looking at the Stinger's numbers for '18.. it sold 16,806 vehicles. Genesis sold 9200 vehicles for all of 2018.. 3 vehicles included in that summary. 

This is to anyone...

Back to FWD vs RWD in C/SUVS. The XT5 sold more than the X5. More than the GLE. The Lexus RX sold more than any of them. The MDX.. right up there. Of course only at Cadillac does having FWD CUVs damage the brand. BULLS#!+!!! Tell me why?  Personally I'm of the mindset of as long as these CUVs fund me keeping the CTxs and Escalades in the line-up then I'm good. As long as Blazers, Equinoxs, and Traverses keep me getting Camaros, Vettes, and Tahoes.. GREAT Hell the only reason why FCA keeps the Charger, 300, and Chally going is because of net profit due to the fact that the platform is literally 1000 years old. I applaud their duping some into believing that the "Corolla Philosophy, but adding in a big engine and going fast in a straight line" is the American way.

OH.. and just to piss someone out there who refuses to embrace change and moving into that change.. I hope EVs take over the entire automotive landscape by 2022?

2 minutes ago, surreal1272 said:

So much to say yet still missed the point made but whatever. Just the same old, same old from feverant fans who make assumptions about folks who dare to criticize their favorite brand and then sidestep their errors completely to go off on yet another tangent. Whatever floats your boat.

 

Regarding the Regal, give me an AWD Tour X with a mythical 3.6L Turbo, and I’d be a happy man although I’d be happier had GM not killed off the CTS wagon. I will always be a little sour about that one.

Agree on the CTS wagon, for sure.

This is just another application that GM needs to drop the 2.7T in. Enough of this 3.6 already. 

There is still room for a naturally aspirated 3.6... maybe not as a GS, but still. 

12 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

There is still room for a naturally aspirated 3.6... maybe not as a GS, but still. 

Nissan has had the same NA V6 for like forever in the Maxima....seems to work for them. Of course, being mated to a CVT...

4 minutes ago, A Horse With No Name said:

Nissan has had the same NA V6 for like forever in the Maxima....seems to work for them. Of course, being mated to a CVT...

As does Toyota, and Ford, and Chrysler.  They're all good engines. 

Just now, Drew Dowdell said:

As does Toyota, and Ford, and Chrysler.  They're all good engines. 

My thought was GM needs to keep a V6 option around for mid sized cars.

Ford has all but completely phased out their n/a V6 because n/a V6's blow. 

1 minute ago, Drew Dowdell said:

As does Toyota, and Ford, and Chrysler.  They're all good engines. 

I can't get the Fusion Sport out of my head though....white one lives on campus here in Columbus....I feel unnatural good vibes every time I walk past it.

Just now, ccap41 said:

Ford has all but completely phased out their n/a V6 because n/a V6's blow. 

Depends on the NA V6. Lots of guys I worked with in the trades had fantastic luck with V6 Rangers that ran for decade or better.

1 minute ago, A Horse With No Name said:

I can't get the Fusion Sport out of my head though....white one lives on campus here in Columbus....I feel unnatural good vibes every time I walk past it.

They are one hell of a good used value. 21-23k. 

1 minute ago, ccap41 said:

They are one hell of a good used value. 21-23k. 

Yeah...even I am impressed by that. Compared to the crappy 1.5 in the Malibu, the cheap feel of the Maxima, and faults with other cars...lack of sound deadening in the Mazda 6...it seems like a real sweet spot.

I know you would prefer a Charger but I have an odd fetish for the SHO Taurus also.  To be fair a part of me would also prefer a Charger V8 to the Taurus...