This week we present you the Buick Regal Sportback in the Preferred II trim, the most German car of an American brand, our car was assembled in Germany at the Rüsselsheim factory. Our test car had an MSRP of $33945.
Fun Factor: 6
Can it Family: 6
Fuel-Friendly: 7
HWY-warrior: 8
Karaoke Friendly: 6
Baby friendly: 7
City Cruising: 5
When we were told that we were going to test a Buick we didn’t have high hope of enjoyment, this was clearly judgemental from our part, the 2.0L turbocharged 4 cylinders with 250hp and 265 lb-ft of torque were plenty to go forward. Yes, the top trim with AWD drive and V6 with 310hp with 295 lb-ft of torque would be the sportier version. The turbo 4 banger is plentiful for every day and will return good fuel mileage. Not only is the car assembled in Germany, but it also has the driving characteristics of an entry level German car.
Can the Regal family? It sure doesn’t lack space. It's a nice alternative to the Dodge Charge or a Camry in the full-size segment. The back row can sit comfortably 2 adults and a child in the middle, where the Regal fails is in the family compartment is what make the Regal Sportback lines more interesting, the sloping roof, for anyone higher then 5ft6 the will hit their head on the roofline and make for a less than ideal seating position for taller people in the rear. On a more positive side, the hatchback opening and the 40/20/40 split seating makes it easy to transport larger items without having to go to the SUV route.
Our observed gas consumption on the HWY was 6.1L per 100km as for the city with traffic we were getting 9.5L per 100km. These figures were better than those advertised by Buick 7.4L for the HWY and 10.7L per 100km for the city. We may have had better results as our results were obtained with premium fuel (89 octanes) as this the minimum required on the Turbo 4 banger, Buick’s results may be with regular fuel.
Were the Buick Regal shines and where it feels most at home is the HWY, the ride is not too firm and is comfortable at the same time. The gas consumption of 6.1L per 100km makes it ideal for a long journey without having refuel on a regular basis. The seats of the Regal are very supportive even in this entry-level model without leather we found the seat of superior comfort.
The sound system of the Regal in its base version is acceptable, if the music is essential we suggest upgrading the audio system. As for the infotainment more company should take cues from the layout, it’s fast and straightforward and has both Android auto and Apple Car play. All temperature related items are nicely layout underneath the central console. We also enjoy the fact that the car comes standard with an LTE hotspot.
The Buick Regal fits comfortably two car seats a 3rd one would be pushing your luck unless they are all boasters. Only 2 out of the 3 seats have ISOFIX ports and are nicely layout and are hidden when not in use, with a little clip that doesn’t feel cheap or flimsy. Car seats can be easily attached. The only downside is since the hatch is long, it will be a stretch to attach the car seat with the rear anchor latch.
As for the city, the Regal suspension nicely takes road imperfections without removing any stability to the ride, what enjoyed less on our model with a front-wheel drive with medium acceleration you can feel torque steer that is quickly corrected with the stability control. As for the rearview camera, the wide angle is greatly appreciated with the length of the car. The quality of the rearview camera is of good quality and doesn’t get dirty quickly.
Items we’ve like on our Regal, comfortable seating, low gas consumption, easy to use infotainment, large trunk that car store large items, 40/20/40 split seats, the price of the entry-level model.
What we didn’t like, torque steer on FWD models and AWD models, tight space in the rear middle seat, hard access for taller people in the rear seats.
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