2015 Buick Regal GS is one sexy automobile
It was a great way to start the day: a sexy sports sedan was parked in the driveway and the key was in my pocket. To be specific, it was a 2015 Buick Regal GS AWD sedan. On approach, I noticed the styling was sleek and aggressive, much like that found on many European sedans. Not so surprising, since the Buick Regal has much of the same mechanical and styling features found on its German Opal cousins.
Over the years, there have been many similarly sexy Buicks. The original Buick GS muscle car, the one this Regal pays homage to, was great looking. It also went head-to-head with the best of the muscle car pack of its era. The original 1960’s Buick Riviera was not only gorgeous, and powerful, it’s now highly collectable. By way of contrast, Buick’s recent history in the area of style and power has been unremarkable.
Yet, with its sleek styling, 20-inch bright alloy wheels, and Pirelli P ZERO “summer only’’ performance tires, this 2015 Buick Regal GS was anything but bland. I also noted a set of shiny Brembo logo performance brake calipers peaking through the spokes of the alloy wheels. This hinted that we were looking at a sports sedan, not a pavement scorching muscle car.
The Regal GS has a 2.0 liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine mated to a shiftable 6-speed automatic transmission. There are three driving modes to choose from. The default has the softer suspension setting and normal engine mapping. There is a dash mounted switch for the Sport mode, which provides a firmer ride and sportier engine and transmission setting. There is also a switch marked GS that offers more aggressive suspension and engine settings. I used the Sport Mode most often because of what last winter did to the roads. It seemed a good compromise between comfort and performance. Your choice, as mine, will be dependent on the condition of the road under the summer-only performance tires. Yes, just a little reminder that even though the Regal is AWD, you will need a set of winter tires for it.
As I assumed, the Buick Regal GS was more comfortable carving corners on a country road than flat-out quarter mile romps. The Regal GS’s braking power was A+ and the turbo engine was responsive. The 6-speed transmission worked well in auto mode but I would have preferred to have steering-wheel-mounted paddle shifters. Still, the console mounted shifter worked just fine in the manual mode. There is a 6-speed manual transmission option, unfortunately it is only available in the FWD Regal GS.
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Buick and other brands on J.D. Power’s Vehicle Dependability Study
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The interior of the Regal GS was very nicely appointed. Most notable were the supportive leather seating and the large touch screen in the center of the dash. The heated leather sport steering wheel and sport alloy pedals also added a nice touch. Included on this long list equipment were: a Bose Premium sound system, ambient interior lighting, 110-volt power outlet, XM Radio, and Onstar with 4G WI-Fi. Safety features include forward collision alert, following distance sensor indicator, lane departure warning, rear cross traffic alert, blind zone alert, and rear view camera.
The Regal GS’s size is similar to an Audi A4 and the BMW 3-series. As such, the rear seat area is on the small size. However, the Regal GS has a large 14.2 cu. in. trunk. Also, the split rear seat backs fold down. This came in handy on a trip to the home improvement store, as I was able to bring home a six-foot-long tree pruner inside the Buick. I found the Buick Regal GS to be a comfortable highway cruiser with a firm ride similar to that found on German autos. The steering was precise with good feedback, which proved beneficial on a tour of several little-used winding road. The old adage “you never know what is around the next corner’’ is never truer than when you are on a real county road. I know a couple squirrels and a bird or two who also appreciate the GS’s agile handling ability.
The nearest comparable car to the Buick Regal GS would be the Audi A4 2.0 Quattro sedan. They both have a 2-liter in-line-four-cylinder engine, AWD, and shiftable automatic transmission. Unfortunately, Audi A4s have not been offered for review in New England this model year. That is a shame as I would’ve loved a head-to-head comparison of the two.
CHECK OUT THAT (STEERING) WHEEL: Like many high performance cars, this Regal loads up on (padded) steering wheel controls.
Overall, I enjoyed my time with the Buick Regal GS. It was a comfortable, nice handling sedan with a load of comfort, safety, and high-tech equipment onboard. Sure, there is going to be someone who wants a manual shift in the AWD GS and maybe a few more ponies under the hood. However, if I was in the market for a similar car, I would see no deal breakers to owning the Regal GS.
With the Regal GS it seems Buick is heading in the right direction in styling and performance. One only hopes this is just the first of many performance-oriented models from Buick.
2015 Buick Regal GS AWD Sedan
THE BASICS
Price: Base price $39,810. As tested: $44,670, including destination. Fuel Economy: EPA estimated 19 city/27 highway/22 combined. Engine: Turbocharged 2.0L in-line-four-cylinder. Transmission: 6-speed shiftable automatic.
THE SPECIFICS
Horse Power: 295 @ 5,300 rpm. Torque: 295 @ 4,000 rpm. Wheelbase: 107.8 inches. Height: 58.0 inches. Width: 7.3 inches. Curb weight: 3,725 lbs.
THE GOOD
The 2015 Buick Regal GS is a more refreshing departure, in both performance and style, than we have seen from Buick lately. Fun to drive and pleasing to look at.
THE BAD
No stick-shift in the AWD version of the GS. In this highly competitive segment, Buick needs to lead not follow.
THE BOTTOM LINE
The 2015 Buick Regal GS AWD sedan offers drivers an European driving experience from a historic USA auto producer.
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