smk4565

I actually forgot the Malibu has less than 182 hp, and just the Equinox/Terrain have the Direct Injection 2.4. GM should make every 2.4 with DI. The Acura TL or Lincolns are closer to what the Aurora was, but since the Aurora was a luxury car from a non-luxury brand I think the Genesis has some similarities. The Regal is the successor to the Regal/Intrigue of 10 years ago, or the Saturn Aura. It just costs too much or what you get in my opinion. I have not heard the Regal stereo, but I was never a Harmon Kardon fan, the one Saab uses is nothing special. Best stereo I ever heard is the Bowers and Wilkins in the new Jag XJ.

No. It isn't. The Aurora was bigger inside and out, more luxurious, and had a V8, not a 4-banger out of a base Malibu. I drive an Aurora 4.0, I would see the Regal as trading down. I don't think GM has a successor to the Aurora, the Lacrosse is similar in size, but taller and more of a comfort car. I see the successor to the Aurora as the Hyundai Genesis, similar size, price point, and V6 and V8 engines, just a different drivetrain.

I wouldn't buy a 4 cylinder econobox at any price. But at $40k, as you stated the Camaro SS is there, or the 3-series, C-class, G37, Genesis, MKX Hybrid, CTS, a Prius with $10k to spare, etc. A lot of good cars. I think for any of these Eco cars to really catch on, price has to come down a lot.

No I am not. Motor Trend tested a Regal turbo, 3,773 lbs, 59/41 weight distribution and a price of $35,380. 0-60 in 7.5 seconds, and it is 18/28 mpg.

True, but how great can the handling be on a 3750 lb front driver with 59% of the weight over the front axle. It may handle better than a Fusion or Camry, but it is no 3-series. It won't even handle like a Mustang or Camaro that cost less. So if you aren't getting a great handler, it isn't fast, it isn't as fuel efficient as an Accord or Sonata, it isn't as luxurious as a Lincoln or Lexus, what exactly are you paying $35k for?

Possibly, but a Camry V6 does 0-60 in 6.1 seconds and that isn't exciting. The Regal GS is adding 35 hp and lb-ft, that isn't going to get 1.2 seconds off the 0-60 time, and if it has AWD, that is adding weight. Plus the CXL 2.0 turbo is $35k, a GS could be nearing $40k. The Regal isn't necessarily bad, but it is priced at least $5,000 too high. And it is slow for a so called sport sedan.

Big question is, if you aren't a Sierra Club activist, would you buy a Volt over any other $35,000 car? The environmentalists will buy it (and the Leaf), but will regular people?

True on both counts. Diesel will give awesome fuel economy, but the fun-factor and personality aren't there. It is boring, but so are the Corolla and Civic and they sell. Although Corolla and Civic are nameplates that have been around for 40 years and are well known.

It is still true today. An LS460 is $65,000 and an S-class is 93,000. Lexus for the most part is a dressed up Toyota, with incredible reliability. But is a GS on par with an E-class? Is the GX470 (with 4Runner underpinnings) on par with a Merc GL550? Lexus may have as much sales volume as Mercedes (in the US) but most Lexus sales are $30-40,000 cars. Wow, Oldsmoboi and said the same thing, I didn't read his post til after I wrote mine.

Cadillac is priced too low to truly compete against the Germans, thus their interiors aren't as good, engineering isn't as good etc. You could argue the CTS is the best $40k car (comparing it to MKZ, ES350, TL, etc), but I don't think you can argue a CTS is better than an E-class. Plus the market will buy a Mercedes just because it is a Mercedes. You are buying image and status when you buy a Mercedes. No one is buying a Buick Regal for image or status, it isn't fast, it isn't super luxurious, I just don't get why this car is $35,000. It seems $6,000 over priced to me.

Less ugly, more bland, still a dressed up Accord. Unless they make that thing rear drive the a V-tec V8 revving to 8,000 rpm, there is nothing to see here. I must say the front wheel arch that breaks up the straight edge along side the car really bothers me. It is like the designer sneezed drawing the car and they just stuck with it.

NICE. Way better than the wimpy gas engine, and more efficient. Now GM is starting to get it. Although the Cruze seats are horrible.

The problem I see is what does the Regal have that makes it worth $35k? With the turbo it still has average speed, and I get that for a lot of people that is enough. But it is also a front drive car that isn't necessarily light weight, so you aren't getting BMW handling. The interior is fairly good, pretty well put together being German, but the seats are a bit hard (again being German). Sitting in the Regal feels like sitting in a better made Fusion or Malibu. It feels premium, but it doesn't feel as luxurious as a Lincoln MKZ or base Lexus or even a Volvo (and I don't find Volvos very luxurious). Then there is the badge, it's a Buick, it isn't exactly street cred on wheels. So why pay $35k for a Regal, when there is the Passat CC, TSX, MKZ, roomier/faster Maxima, roomier/faster, Sonata 2.0T, Optima 2.0T, A4, Lexus IS, a V6 Lacrosse, even Chrysler 300. Not to mention the slew of slightly used luxury cars that can be had for $35k. I just think unless you have a 3-point star on the hood, you need to have a value proposition to sell cars with how competitive it is, and I don't see the value equation with the Regal.

Gotta love the 80's style radio antenna. I sat in several Dodge, Jeep, Chrysler products at the auto show, even with the 2011 updates they are all still mostly worst in class interiors, and their products are over priced. They have a lot of gas guzzlers too, top to bottom it is the worst product line of any manufacturer.

Hard to get excited about a $35,000 front drive Buick that does 0-60 in 7.5 seconds.

Boring. The Elantra is the class leader. These other companies might as well just give up.

I actually think they could phase GMC out all together, that is why they make Chevy trucks. But if GMC is to stay, it makes sense that they lose a Lambda and make a premium midsize to go between the Equinox and Cadillac, then make a compact SUV since GM doesn't have one right now. What I don't like is Cadillac gets 2 front drive SUVs, sounds a lot like the MKX and MKT or the RDX and MDX. Front drive SUV based off a Chevy isn't exactly standard of the world, it reeks of Ford-Lincoln or Honda-Acura or Toyota-Lexus. And Lexus, Acura and Lincoln are brands in decline at the moment, and all three have low impact outside of the USA.

Both engines are bad, they should make all SRX's have the 3.6 liter V6, the 288 hp version from the Lambdas would work well, if the CTS's 304 hp version is only for rear drive or has too much torque steer. The 3.6 would give the SRX the power advantage over the rest of the class. If they need an Eco version, a turbo 4 with a hybrid or something could work, it would be slow, but the ecomentalists like slow cars with good economy.

This car is better looking than the CTS coupe. The CTS coupe looks bulky and overweight. The C-class is no Jaguar XK but I find no faults with the exterior design of it.

I like it, it looks well proportioned and has nice lines. I like C-class sedan as well, I think the C class looks better than the E-class. Finally Mercedes got a 300 hp V6, so that is good, and the 4-cylinder option will cater to the greenies that think speed is evil. I think a diesel is supposed to be on this car soon too, to it does give consumers a lot of options.

I'd put the Regal interior with the Passat. At the top end of the midsize family sedan segment, but the Regal interior doesn't match up to Lincoln or Acura. The Regal is more like a Nissan Maxima in price and interior, but with less size and less power. I haven't driven the Regal, but the Aura XR had pretty good handling for a front driver so I suspect it handles fine. But I doubt the Regal's handling is so superior to an Acura or Maxima or Passat that it can justify 184 hp for $35,770.

Powertain is class leading? Run of the mill family sedans have 260 hp now. The Regal has base model Camry power, yet is priced like an Acura. And a Fusion or Sonta Hybrid has equal or more power, costs less and gets far better fuel economy. The Regal eAssist is 15 mpg worse in city than a Fusion hybrid, 15 mpg less!

I sat in a Regal today at the auto show, it was $35,775 with the 184 hp ecotec engine. The interior is decent, but not worthy of a $35k price tag, it is more comparable to a higher end Fusion, Mazda6, or Sonata. All of which for $28k have a lot more motor. If eAssist drives the price up even more, I can't see how this car sells without $5,000 rebates.

The Impala shows that even with 4 brands, GM can't keep everything current and competitive. They still have stop-gaps littered through the product line. And by the time 2014 comes around and they replace the Impala, a car from 2008 will still be around dying on the vine and they'll say how it has 3 more years until a redo. GM is doing well in areas, but they are missing others. GM is still heavily reliant on SUVs and pickups. Ford at least has small people movers and utility vehicles like the Transit and C-Max, and hybrids to leverage themselves for when gas prices spike. GM is still slow to respond to market demand, they always wait until someone else has a hit, then copy it and release it 3 years later when it is too late.

What do we think it will cost, $50,000? It will probably steal Corvette sales, but Vette sales are low anyway.