2014 Buick Regal FWD

[regfootball]

Driven: 2014 Buick Regal FWD   (base)

 

MSRP 30,615   sale price 24,995

 

Note: truncated review.  I've reviewed Regals previously, so this is merely an update on whatever refinements over time that have been had.

 

past reviews

 

http://www.cheersandgears.com/topic/75027-2011-buick-regal-cxl-and-cxl-turbo-updated-with-turbo-manual/?hl=%2Bbuick+%2Bregal

Edited September 7, 2014 by regfootball

[regfootball]

HIGHS: beyond previously reported

 

Interior Improvements, the new center stack is a sweet upgrade, as are the gauges and steering wheel.  Complements all the other existing bits well and very easy to use.  Quite fantastic.

Good Mid range and top end power with the engine refinements.  Powertrain wise fairly smooth and confident.

Still fairly quiet inside (although it seemed less quiet this time around for some reason)

Exterior refinements clean up the exterior also.

Steering felt real nice and acted well for this type of car.

Good value, actually for the price (MSRP or best pricing)

 

LOWS: beyond previously reported

 

Disclaimer, the frame of reference changes as you get older and grow larger again, but the 'intimate' interior feels too small in back, and too snug in spots in the front.  GM has this thing lately with bringing the lower part of the dash so far back to cramp your legs....and the rear seat leg room and space is very tight when you get the front seats set for 2 big guys.

Engine coarseness and buzz through the floor, a bit in the low rpms as you accelerate. The newest turbo four could stand to more smooth like glass or a v6 for that matter.  And less buzzy as it initially winds up; I can understand some the criticism it gets in the press on some of the GM models....

Turbo takes a bit to spool up, a bit of lag......not whiney or anything, but the grunt takes a slight hesitation before it builds into the very healthy midrange and top end.  Perhaps the grunt is there and maybe its the tranny being slow getting it passed on.......

Ride isolation could still improve some, as could quietness from road noise (did they get rid of some quiet tuning?).  Suspension felt ok, not A or A+.  Fine for a 30k list car, but I wonder why the rag books have been so complimentary on the recent Regal tests.  Perhaps the chassis setup on the base car is stepped back a bit.

It's possible that this is all the further they can go with the dated Epsilon platform

 

SUMMARY

 

Maybe its due to the fact that this car has been around now going into its 5th year and so we would all probably like to see a new one.  But Buick did a lot of nice sensible upgrades here to a line that doesn't sell a lot.  They're keeping it attractive enough so sales don't go off the deep end.  I wonder what is for the next version of Regal.  I hope its not another squashed Epsilon.  

 

So to those points, the new dash, gauges, and center stack are the star.  It does transform the view out the front a bit and make it fresh that way.  Very well done.  The chassis is better overall, but it didn't feel as smooth as i had hoped it would.  Maybe the lack of real tight sports steering and suspension (which I understand with it being a base car) really contrasted inflated expectations.  Who knows.  Let's just say i enjoyed it, it was pleasant, but I was not blown away either from a luxury / near luxury experience, nor with anything in particular on vehicle dynamics.

 

I will also throw out that the drive path did not lend itself to flogging the car, or stretching its muscle.  So perhaps the low end performance and the bits of engine roughness and buzz stood out more because.

 

Also, its not an all new model.  The car books always seem to fawn on all new models and get less complementary as the vintage wears on.  Perhaps there is some of the familiarity breeding minor contempt here too.

 

In the end I like the car still, but I've lost the wow factor.  The new dash enhancements were what really stuck with me.  The seats are still comfy too.  You can get the car now too with AWD if you want.  Maybe that should have been the one I drove.  To be fair, i think a longer than 10 mile run on this car would be really helpful.  More situations and a longer time to see where the charms are again.

 

And really at 30k and the low to mid thirties, the car still represents itself well.  I'll stick a B+ on it due to its value at lower prices like this.  There is a limit to the value of the car when the price goes too high.  And that is why there is Cadillac I guess.  I would not go over 35k on a new Regal.   Buick does not profess to fight BMW and yet it provides some of the luxury experience at a price that is palatable for many.  The price = the return.  And that is where Buick is, and its ok.  So maybe some day I can drive one longer again and see if anything changes in my thoughts.  

 

I really hope they are ambitious with the next Regal as far as sportiness, and make it a little bit larger inside as well.

Edited September 7, 2014 by regfootball

[bobo]

The Regal is one of my favorite cars.  I drove the original German-built version and not the newer Canadian models.  My biggest problem with it is the tight rear seat, which is an unfortunate Epsilon packaging issue.  I can see why buyers will often go with the cheaper Verano, with an interior not a lot different in size, including also a too-small back seat.

[Drew Dowdell]

This very well may be the Encore replacement for us in 12 months.  Albert says he thinks he doesn't want a crossover next time and wants to go back to a sedan as long as I have a crossover.  He likes the Verano, but since no AWD there, it would be Regal instead..

 

The big thing for him is that he wants to stay with Buick because it gets him all the premium stuff he likes without the very premium prices of the imports or full lux brands.