Have you checked out the 2011 Regal ?
Only 4-cylinders will be available.
This car is a blood relative of the Opel Insignia, popular in Germany.
Does anbody have any experience with the Opel Insignia ?
What do you think about this Regal ? Hit or Miss ?
http://www…2011-Regal
CSA
I think that with the reduction in name plates, you’ll see more models “prostituted” into the Chevy and Buick line. This could have been a pre bailout Saturn. More over seas models from everyone, including Ford, may really mean a worthwhile change in quality.
This is what I’d like to try out. They make solid tractors and would like to sell these under other brands too…maybe Buick diesel pick up.
http://www.mahindrana.com/
That vehicle is based on the the Epsilon II platform. The Epsilon 1 platform is what the Malibu, Pontiac G6, and Saab 9-3 is based on http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/GM_Epsilon_II_platform#Epsilon_II
I think in trying to capture a younger marekt Buick suffers from the same myopia that plagued Caddy for so many years…the management insists that the designer make it look like a Buick. They load the stylists down with so many “design cue” requirements that any real change is impossible. The only really different designs in the GM stable other than the Cadillac division have IMHO been the Saturn Sky/Pontiac Solstice.
Chrysler broke out of that design trap during the Iaccoca yearss, eventually coming up with the Chrysler 300, the PT Cruiser, the “big truck look” Ram pickup, and other really different designs. They just never backed them up with product quality.
I think it’ll be a miss. Not that it’ll be a bad car, just that it’ll not attract other than the usual Buick buyers.
I am shocked to think that GM would take one base model and market it over several product lines…simply shocked !
I think right now GM should be sticking to what it does well. The best innovations are those that make a vehicle unique. For example, when Honda finally entered the truck market, they created a truck that seemed to fill a new niche in the market. The same goes for the Prius and the Dodge Caravan. When these cars came out, much of their success depended on a lack of competition. This new Buick doesn’t really stand out as different to me.
Good point, Whitey.
No matter how good this car may prove to be, there is a huge amount of competition in the same market segment. “Converting” younger drivers to a marque that they would never have previously considered could be…difficult.
It’s a good-looking car. If I were in the market for a new sedan, I’d take a close look at it. And I don’t have a problem with GM or any other manufacturer leveraging their popular designs in new markets. I’d like to know what US GM brand will sell Holdens with the demise of Pontiac. The snobs will buy whatever it is that they adore, but the largest part of the market will be willing to test drive it. GM took frumpy Cadillac and inserted the successful CTS, and Chevy did the same with the Malibu.
If Buick is going to “shoot at younger drivers,” I’m going to tell my kids to steer clear of Buicks on the road. Who wants to get shot at?
As far as the 2011 Regal goes, I say, “It’s about time.”
The Saturn Aura was the first step. The Chevrolet Malibu was the second, and the new Regal is the third. GM is finally beginning to understand that product matters.
The new Malibu and the upcoming Regal are the first cars that have made me even consider walking into a GM dealership, and I’ve been buying cars for almost 40 years.
All that time GM has been mostly asleep as far as I could tell.
“GM is finally beginning to understand that product matters.”
They always knew that. GM just wanted to cater to the truck crowd, where they had a high return on investment. They sold enough cars that they weren’t worried about how dull and last-generation they were. The Malibu program manager convinced his bosses to let him build a car that was outside the design norms for GM, and had a solid hit. That started the rest of GM on the path to decent cars in addition to good trucks.
I’ve heard that they might bring over the station wagon version (with a Sportwagon badge)-- I’d be excited to see a more honest-to-goodness station wagons sold here.
I wouldn’t buy one. A turbo model with a few extras will likely cost around 32k or so. For that kind of money, I would go with a BMW 328i, a Taurus SHO, or a Caddy CTS. IMHO this smells like the whole Cimarron escapade all over again.
You mean like this?
If you’re talking invoice price with delivery, a CTS goes for $36,000. The 328i MSRP w/ delivery is $34,000, and the SHO goes for $38,600. At least one of them is close in price to your estimate. One more thing: those prices are for cars with no options.
Sweet.
I don’t suppose wood paneling fits with any of GM’s current design ideas?
Provided you can shoehorn yourself into a BMW 3 series. I tried getting in one when I was looking at Minis, and it felt like an act of contortion to even get in the damned thing, and that was with the seat all the way back. The 5 series was the same way; lean forward, but not too much or you’ll hit your head on the A-pillar, aim butt for seat, making sure not to hit the B-pillar with it, swing waist to left while still aiming for the seat, duck head left while bringing body into vehicle as to avoid the A-pillar again. Congratulations! You are now in your BMW 3/5 series.
With the exception of nav the SHO has pretty much everything most people want in terms of equipment. Plus it has an extra 100 HP and AWD, things that can’t be had at any price with the Regal, it’s also a little under $38k. The CTS comes with a manual transmission and rear wheel drive, the Regal does not offer this (a manual transmission is in the works though). Same goes for the BMW. All of these cars, in my opinion, are worth the extra few grand.
This new Regal is shockingly similar to the Chevy Malibu, which is a nice family car, but it’s no sports sedan. The new Regal is just more GM badge engineering IMHO.
Why don’t you devise top-quality wood appliques for the woody conversion? You might even make some money on it. I don’t think the CTS Sportwagon would look good with wood panes, but others might.
The SHO is quite similar to your Mom’s Taurus SE. But that doesn’t seem to keep you from enjoying the SHO.
The SHO is a different animal. All wheel drive, twin turbo engine, bigger brakes, stiff suspension, different seats, etc. Comparing the SE to SHO is like comparing the V6 model Mustang to the GT Mustang, there a big difference. Does your average joe on the street know this? Likely not, but a car enthusiast does. The Cobalt is a good example of this. The turbocharged SS model was about as good a FWD sport compact as you can get. But the lesser models were forgettable. The standard Pontiac Solstice was all show and no go, but when you opted for the GXP model you got not only a turbo engine, but you got a limited slip diff, a different rear end gear, bigger brakes, stickier tires, and a firmer suspension, and suddenly you had a competent sports car.
If Buick wants to after younger people, they just laid down a bunt. I’m in my early 30’s, and would rather have an older 1986-1987 Grand National rather than this new Regal. I think they would’ve done better to have simply rebadged the Holden Commodore and slapped a Buick badge on it. IMHO it’s a much more interesting car, and speaking as a younger person, I would be more apt to enter a Buick showroom, if they had a RWD sedan to offer.