2011 Buick Regal Buying Advice
The 2011 Buick Regal is the best car for you if you want a (lightly) Americanized version of a sporty sedan that’s the toast of Europe.
The 2011 Buick Regal restores the Regal nameplate to the Buick lineup for the first time since model-year 2004. But the 2011 Regal is no underachieving family four-door. It’s a sporty, front-wheel-drive midsize sedan available with turbo power and a performance-tuned suspension. It essentially puts a Buick face on the Opel Insignia, a sedan developed by General Motors’ German division and the winner of several awards, including prestigious 2009 European Car of the Year. In fact, the 2011 Buick Regal will be built in Germany and imported to the U.S.
Should you wait for the 2011 Buick Regal? Yes. Here’s your chance to wrap a Euro driving experience in red, white, and blue. Pricing should start in the mid--$20,000s, styling is handsome inside and out, and Buick promises highway fuel economy around 30 mpg.
The 2011 Buick Regal restores the Regal nameplate to the Buick lineup for the first time since model-year 2004. But the 2011 Regal is no underachieving family four-door. It’s a sporty, front-wheel-drive midsize sedan available with turbo power and a performance-tuned suspension. It essentially puts a Buick face on the Opel Insignia, a sedan developed by General Motors’ German division and the winner of several awards, including prestigious 2009 European Car of the Year. In fact, the 2011 Buick Regal will be built in Germany and imported to the U.S.
2011 Buick Regal Changes
Styling: The 2011 Buick Regal grafts onto the Opel Insignia a Buick-signature vertical-bar “waterfall” grille complemented by swept-back headlamps. Intact are the German car’s muscular, high-shouldered stance, coupe-graceful roof, and distinctive hockey-stick bodyside character line. The 2011 Regal is about as large as a Ford Fusion, making it a more-tightly cropped midsize sedan than, say, the Honda Accord. Indeed, Buick is aiming the 2011 Regal slightly upscale of Fusion, Accord, and other mainstream midsizers. It says it’ll fight for 40-something fans of sportier sedans like the Audi A4 and Acura TSX; Buick’s typical buyer is 70 years old. A version of this 2011 Regal is already on sale in China, where Buick is a popular premium brand. The China Regal has yet another grille, but the influence of its interior design is evident in the rounded sweep and the control layout of the U.S. model’s dashboard. That influence also is obvious in the Buick LaCrosse, a larger midsize sedan developed for the Chinese market and added to Buick’s U.S. lineup as a 2010 model. LaCrosse, Regal, and Insignia are based on GM’s global midsize-car engineering, but LaCrosse is a larger car with different styling. The 2011 Buick Regal will debut in a single, uplevel model tagged CXL.
Mechanical: The 2011 Buick Regal will be limited to two four-cylinder engines – at least initially. Both engines belong to GM’s Ecotec engine family and have dual-overhead camshafts and modern direct fuel injection. The base engine is a 2.4-liter that’s also the entry-level engine in the larger, heavier LaCrosse. Buick rates it at 182 horsepower; estimated torque in the Regal is 172 pound-feet. Optional in the 2011 Regal is a turbocharged 2.0-liter Buick lists at 220 horsepower; estimated torque is 258 pound-feet. The turbo 2.0 will become available a couple of months after the 2011 Regal launches. Both engines will work exclusively through a six-speed automatic transmission calibrated to their individual power characteristics and capable of being shifted manually. The 2011 Buick Regal promises sporty handling but aims to do it with front-wheel drive. That places the weight of the engine over the wheels that also propel and steer the car. Classic sports sedans like the BMW 3-Series and Infiniti G37 are based on rear wheel drive designs that more equitably distribute weight front-to-rear – and don’t demand that the front tires do double duty by both steering and delivering power. Nonetheless, the Opel Insignia has won plaudits for its handling, and Regals with the turbo engine will be available with Buick’s high-tech Interactive Drive Control System (IDSC). Buick says IDSC continually modifies chassis reactions based on driving style and road conditions. It also provides three driver-selectable suspension settings: Normal for an even balance of ride and handling; Touring to optimize comfort; and Sport, which tightens the suspension and quickens steering response and transmission shifts. The 2011 Regal uses a MacPherson-strut front suspension and a four-link independent rear suspension. The steering has hydraulic power assist. Antilock four-wheel disc brakes, traction and antiskid control, and 18-inch alloy wheels are standard. IDSC-equipped cars get 19-inch wheels.
Features: CXL is Buick’s designation for its top-of-the-line models and the 2011 Buick Regal CXL fits the bill. Standard features include leather upholstery with heated front buckets seats and a 12-way power driver’s seat. The interior takes its cue from the laudably upmarket layout in the LaCrosse. Sporty round gauges and a sloping center stack blend business with pleasure. Instruments and controls have striking ice-blue LED lighting. Padded surfaces are plentiful and much of the cabin plastic has a satin-metallic or piano-black finish. A generously sized color monitor is near eye level. A knob-and-button controller behind the shift lever on the center console governs the main infotaintment systems. Bluetooth cell-phone linking, XM satellite radio, and OnStar assistance are standard. A navigation system is optional. To get USB iPod interface, you’ll need to order the premium Harmon Kardon sound system, which includes a 1GB internal flash drive and a hard drive with 10GB of music storage. Standard safety features include head-protecting curtain side airbags; torso-protecting rear side airbags are optional.
Mechanical: The 2011 Buick Regal will be limited to two four-cylinder engines – at least initially. Both engines belong to GM’s Ecotec engine family and have dual-overhead camshafts and modern direct fuel injection. The base engine is a 2.4-liter that’s also the entry-level engine in the larger, heavier LaCrosse. Buick rates it at 182 horsepower; estimated torque in the Regal is 172 pound-feet. Optional in the 2011 Regal is a turbocharged 2.0-liter Buick lists at 220 horsepower; estimated torque is 258 pound-feet. The turbo 2.0 will become available a couple of months after the 2011 Regal launches. Both engines will work exclusively through a six-speed automatic transmission calibrated to their individual power characteristics and capable of being shifted manually. The 2011 Buick Regal promises sporty handling but aims to do it with front-wheel drive. That places the weight of the engine over the wheels that also propel and steer the car. Classic sports sedans like the BMW 3-Series and Infiniti G37 are based on rear wheel drive designs that more equitably distribute weight front-to-rear – and don’t demand that the front tires do double duty by both steering and delivering power. Nonetheless, the Opel Insignia has won plaudits for its handling, and Regals with the turbo engine will be available with Buick’s high-tech Interactive Drive Control System (IDSC). Buick says IDSC continually modifies chassis reactions based on driving style and road conditions. It also provides three driver-selectable suspension settings: Normal for an even balance of ride and handling; Touring to optimize comfort; and Sport, which tightens the suspension and quickens steering response and transmission shifts. The 2011 Regal uses a MacPherson-strut front suspension and a four-link independent rear suspension. The steering has hydraulic power assist. Antilock four-wheel disc brakes, traction and antiskid control, and 18-inch alloy wheels are standard. IDSC-equipped cars get 19-inch wheels.
Features: CXL is Buick’s designation for its top-of-the-line models and the 2011 Buick Regal CXL fits the bill. Standard features include leather upholstery with heated front buckets seats and a 12-way power driver’s seat. The interior takes its cue from the laudably upmarket layout in the LaCrosse. Sporty round gauges and a sloping center stack blend business with pleasure. Instruments and controls have striking ice-blue LED lighting. Padded surfaces are plentiful and much of the cabin plastic has a satin-metallic or piano-black finish. A generously sized color monitor is near eye level. A knob-and-button controller behind the shift lever on the center console governs the main infotaintment systems. Bluetooth cell-phone linking, XM satellite radio, and OnStar assistance are standard. A navigation system is optional. To get USB iPod interface, you’ll need to order the premium Harmon Kardon sound system, which includes a 1GB internal flash drive and a hard drive with 10GB of music storage. Standard safety features include head-protecting curtain side airbags; torso-protecting rear side airbags are optional.
2011 Buick Regal Prices
Prices for the 2011 Buick Regal had not been released in time for this review. But expect the generously contented CXL with the 2.4-liter engine to start around $25,000-$26,000, including destination fee. Anticipate another $2,000 or so for the turbo 2.0 engine and an additional $1,700 or so for IDSC. A loaded 2011 Buick Regal with navigation and premium audio will top $33,000.
2011 Buick Regal Fuel Economy
EPA mileage ratings for 2011 models had not been announced in time for this review, but Buick estimates 2011 Regal fuel economy at 30 mpg on the highway with the 2.4-liter engine and 29 mpg on the highway with the 2.0L turbo engine. It didn’t estimate city fuel economy, but figure around 22 mpg for the 2.4 and 20 for the 2.0 turbo. It’s possible Buick will recommend premium-octane gas for the turbo engine.
2011 Buick Regal Release Date
The 2011 Buick Regal CLX with the 2.4-liter four-cylinder goes on sale in the second-quarter of 2010, meaning the spring-summer time frame. The 2011 Regal CLX with the 2.0-liter turbo will be available in late-summer 2010.
What's next for the Buick Regal
A truly sporty Buick is an historic rarity, but the V-8 Gran Sport and GS models of the 1960s were posh muscle cars, the 1970 GSX was a tire-smoking classic, and the turbo V-6 Gran National and GNX models of the 1980s were barn burners. All had roots in the rear-wheel-drive family of Buick intermediates that also included the original Regal. The 2011 Regal, by contrast, looks to Europe for its identity, while Buick itself undergoes a transformation from white-shoe American to GM’s international-flavored entry-luxury brand.
GM had been moving its Saturn brand in that direction, but Saturn was a casualty of the recent corporate reorganization. Interestingly, the car originally intended as the second-generation Saturn Aura midsize sedan is now the 2011 Regal.
To go along with the CLX, Buick promises a second Regal trim level, likely as a model-year 2012 addition. It’ll probably be a lower-cost CX model and isn’t apt to be available with leather upholstery or the turbocharged 2.0-liter engine. Some observers speculate Buick will eventually offer Regal with a V-6 engine, but the carmaker is mum about that.
The new Regal is assembled at the Opel plant in Germany that also builds the Insignia. Sometime in early 2011, Buick says, assembly will be transferred to a GM plant in North America.
GM had been moving its Saturn brand in that direction, but Saturn was a casualty of the recent corporate reorganization. Interestingly, the car originally intended as the second-generation Saturn Aura midsize sedan is now the 2011 Regal.
To go along with the CLX, Buick promises a second Regal trim level, likely as a model-year 2012 addition. It’ll probably be a lower-cost CX model and isn’t apt to be available with leather upholstery or the turbocharged 2.0-liter engine. Some observers speculate Buick will eventually offer Regal with a V-6 engine, but the carmaker is mum about that.
The new Regal is assembled at the Opel plant in Germany that also builds the Insignia. Sometime in early 2011, Buick says, assembly will be transferred to a GM plant in North America.
2011 Buick Regal Competitors
Acura TSX: The front-drive sporty sedan from Honda’s premium brand is similar to the new Regal in size, style, and intent. TSX offers a four-cylinder of about 200 horsepower and a V-6 with around 280. It boasts lively road manners, good fuel economy, and Acura’s highly rated quality and reliability. Leather upholstery and power sunroof are among standard features included in base prices that start around $31,000. TSX was all-new for model-year 2010 and no major changes are planned for several model years.
Lincoln MKZ: This is the top iteration of a midsize Ford Motor family that also includes the Fusion and the Mercury Milan. Each in its own way is a Regal alternative, but MKZ is a nice foil for the Regal CXL model. Like Buick, Lincoln is casting itself as a reborn premium-American brand. And like the Regal CXL, the MKZ comes with leather upholstery -- though it also includes real wood trim and offers all-wheel drive as an alternative to front-drive. MKZ’s sole engine is a V-6 of around 263 horsepower hooked to a six-speed automatic. Pricing starts around $35,000. MKZ was updated for model-year 2010 and won’t get additional major changes for several years.
Nissan Maxima: A little larger than the 2011 Regal. A bit more expensive, too, at around $31,000 to start and around $34,000 for the sporty SV model with leather upholstery. But this sporty front-drive sedan already appeals to the upwardly mobile grown-ups Regal hopes to attract. Maxima disguises well its Nissan Altima linage with cooler styling, a more contemporary interior, and more confident road manners. A V-6 of around 290 horsepower is the only engine and it mates with a continuously variable transmission. Maxima was redesigned for 2009 and won’t change again for several years.
Lincoln MKZ: This is the top iteration of a midsize Ford Motor family that also includes the Fusion and the Mercury Milan. Each in its own way is a Regal alternative, but MKZ is a nice foil for the Regal CXL model. Like Buick, Lincoln is casting itself as a reborn premium-American brand. And like the Regal CXL, the MKZ comes with leather upholstery -- though it also includes real wood trim and offers all-wheel drive as an alternative to front-drive. MKZ’s sole engine is a V-6 of around 263 horsepower hooked to a six-speed automatic. Pricing starts around $35,000. MKZ was updated for model-year 2010 and won’t get additional major changes for several years.
Nissan Maxima: A little larger than the 2011 Regal. A bit more expensive, too, at around $31,000 to start and around $34,000 for the sporty SV model with leather upholstery. But this sporty front-drive sedan already appeals to the upwardly mobile grown-ups Regal hopes to attract. Maxima disguises well its Nissan Altima linage with cooler styling, a more contemporary interior, and more confident road manners. A V-6 of around 290 horsepower is the only engine and it mates with a continuously variable transmission. Maxima was redesigned for 2009 and won’t change again for several years.
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