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قديم 18-06-2011, 09:00 AM
ahmed_7erzon ahmed_7erzon غير متواجد حالياً
 
تاريخ التسجيل: May 2011
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افتراضي 2011 Buick Regal CXL Turbo Review

When GM was in the midst of restructuring, a lot of people (including me, admittedly) thought Buick should have gotten the boot at the same time as Pontiac, Saturn and Hummer. Then again, the brand is big in China, now one of the biggest car markets on earth, so logically, Buick had to stay.

What is Buick, anyway? Is it a luxury brand? A sports luxury brand? What does it compete against? Who’s the target audience? Is Tiger Woods still their spokesperson? Many unanswered questions. Okay, Tiger and Buick called it quits in 2008, so that takes care of one.







Seven people asked me what I’m driving this week. Within a half-second of my answer, I got the same reaction seven times: “A Buick? Yuck!”

They don’t know what they’re missing.

I must point out that I’m driving a Regal, not a Lucerne which, by the way, is now dead, marking another step in Buick’s rejuvenation process. Note to senior citizens: if you feel stranded by the brand’s change of direction, you can always check out the Toyota Avalon.

The Regal is, essentially, a rebadged Opel Insignia. For 2011, it’s even built in Germany, although next year, production for the North American market will move over to GM’s Oshawa plant. And we all know what German sedans are renowned for, don’t we?

Yes, this is the best-handling Buick in decades, possibly the best in its 108-year history. Its MacPherson strut front and multilink rear suspension setup provide well-controlled body motions, the car feels solid and confident on twisty blacktop and the hydraulic power steering encourages the driver to actually speed up at the approach of a curve, instead of slowing down and bracing himself or herself for some good ol’ body roll.

This time around, we’re sampling the Regal CXL with the turbocharged and direct-injected 2.0-litre four. It develops 220 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, the latter peaking from 2,000 to 4,500 rpm. A 6-speed automatic with manual mode equips our test car, although a 6-speed manual is now available.



Acceleration from standstill is brisk but far from explosive, which results in a 0-100 km/h time of 8.2 seconds and a quarter-mile dash of 15.8 seconds at 148 km/h. Actually, the engine doesn’t feel as torquey off the line as the output numbers would suggest, but it’s still quite entertaining, and for those who like to hear the whooshing sound of a spooling turbo, you’ll get a kick out of the one in the Regal.







And fuel economy isn’t bad; we’re averaging 9.8 L/100 km, and while super unleaded is recommended, it’s not an obligation.

Our tester is also equipped with the optional Interactive Drive Control System. Using dash-mounted buttons, the driver can choose between three driving modes, Normal, Tour and Sport. The system is said to continuously adjust suspension, throttle and steering settings, but after trying all three modes several times, we didn’t really notice any difference. We’d skip this feature, but if you want those superb 19-inch alloy wheels, you must choose it. That’s a shame.

The Regal’s interior looks pretty good, but not perfect. Despite great assembly quality, the centre console buttons are all bunched up, all the same shape and colour; it takes getting used to while driving.

Maybe we’re just dumb, but we often reached for the volume knob only to twist the tuning knob that’s only slightly bigger and right underneath. Outward visibility is a little challenging due to the low roofline and smallish rear window, but the Turbo model gets a standard rear sonar system.

Our biggest complaint concerns the curved and chromed plastic trim surrounding the shift lever; it looks great in pictures, but creates nasty reflections under bright sunlight.

The shiny leather upholstery that covers the seats look like vinyl, but their design and contrast stitching compensate well. It’s not a big car, so don’t expect Lucerne levels of head and shoulder room, especially in the back seat; two adults can squeeze in, but we don’t recommend grownups for the middle seating position. The 402-litre trunk, however, is among the most spacious of its category.



Base price for the 2011 Regal is $31,990 before taxes, freight and delivery charges. The CXL Turbo starts at $34,990, while our test car also included the $4,455 1SN Package that rounds up the aforementioned IDSC and alloy wheels, a power sunroof, rear side airbags, a 9-speaker harman/kardon stereo and xenon headlights. Our advice: skip the options and save money.







The final tally of $39,445 might seem excessive until you realize who Buick has in its sights as competition, namely the Acura TSX and Volvo S60. May we add the Audi A4, the BMW 3 Series and the Mercedes C-Class? In all cases, the Regal might be a tough sell, but then again, those looking for a small luxury sedan with good handling and a domestic nameplate finally have a worthy alternative.

Now, about that prejudice regarding Buicks. My girlfriend had some shopping to do, and I offered her the keys to the Regal because I wanted her opinion. She reluctantly agreed. An hour later, she called me to specifically tell me how impressed she was with the car, regarding its performance, its dynamic ride and the attention she was getting while behind the wheel of it. She never imagined a Buick would be this good. I can’t think of a better way to conclude this review.
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