2011 Buick Regal Buick refuses to rest on its laurels with the 2012 Regal. The 2011 model wowed reviewers with its nimble handling and comfortable interior
The 2012 Buick Regal ranks 6 out of 21 Upscale Midsize Cars. This ranking is based on our analysis of 34 published reviews and test drives of the Buick Regal, and our analysis of reliability and safety data.
The 2012 Buick Regal offers performance and comfort at a price that’s less than many competing upscale midsize cars.
Buick refuses to rest on its laurels with the 2012 Regal. The 2011 model wowed reviewers with its nimble handling and comfortable interior, so much so that we named it the Best Upscale Sedan for the Money and the Best Upscale Midsize Car for Families. Now, the automaker is set to introduce two new models into the Regal family, as well as a revised touch-screen infotainment system that should impress Regal shoppers.
The 2012 model year sees the introduction of the Regal eAssist, a mild-hybrid version of the Regal with impressive fuel economy. So far, though, the big news among test drivers has been the introduction of the Regal GS, which is even more powerful than the Buick Regal Turbo.
Still, some reviewers say that while the base Buick Regal offers great performance at a reasonable price, the Regal GS is up against better-known rivals in an intensely competitive class. “With the Regal GS, Buick is serving up a gourmet helping of nouvelle refinement and performance,” writes Motor Trend. “But the big-name chefs down the street at Acura and Audi are selling their established crowd-pleasers (TSX V-6 and A4 Quattro) for the same price."
Fortunately for buyers on a budget, most critics assert that even the base model handles like a European luxury sedan. Reviewers say that even though the Buick brand may not be strong enough to pull brand loyalists of more expensive automakers in, overlooking the Regal would be a mistake.
The 2012 Buick Regal is more expensive than most base-model affordable midsize cars, but less than other upscale midsize cars. If you’re shopping for value, compare the Regal with other affordable midsize cars like the Hyundai Sonata. Like the Regal, the Sonata comes with standard interior tech features that are often optional on competing models, but it’s also considerably less expensive than the Buick and gets better fuel economy.
If you’ve got a little more money to spend, and like the Regal’s composed handling and comfortable interior, consider rivals like the Audi A4. The A4 may be pricier than the Regal, but it also offers good fuel economy and optional all-wheel drive, as well as German luxury car cachet. However, the A4 also doesn’t come with as many standard features, which means that if you want to match the Regal’s list of standard equipment, you’ll have to add a longer list of options into your budget
For 2011, the Buick Regal nameplate returns after a six-year hiatus. Only now, it's affixed to a Euro-bred sport sedan
Mention the words Buick Regal and you're bound to get one of three responses. Some folks will give you blank stares. Others may remember a nice-riding but otherwise nondescript sedan with that name (that retired after 2004). And older folks may recall hood ornaments, pillowed velour bench seats and padded landau tops. With the all-new 2011 Buick Regal, the company is looking to change all that and give this nameplate a more modern and memorable persona.
The personality transplant comes by way of Europe — the donor being General Motors' Opel division. The 2011 Buick Regal is based on the Opel Insignia and as such shares that smart sedan's athletic handling and well-sorted European ride. The Regal is a midsize sedan, but it rides on a 107.8-inch wheelbase, which is about 4 inches shorter than what you'll find on the recently introduced Buick LaCrosse. This means the Regal is a bit smaller, with a tighter backseat. Basically, you can consider this Buick's midsize car.
The 3,600-pound Regal is available with a 2.4-liter inline-4 that sports direct fuel-injection technology and high fuel economy (up to 30 mpg highway), but we've found its 182 horsepower inadequate for motivating a car with luxury aspirations -- most midsize sedans without luxury aspirations are quicker. A turbocharged 2.0-liter engine sporting 220 hp and 258 pound-feet of torque is also offered and is a much better choice. It's hardly an acceleration champ either, but its punchy low-end power makes it seem quicker than it actually is.
Buick is positioning the 2011 Regal against the likes of the Acura TSX and Lexus IS 250. In the past, cross-shopping a Buick against these two well-known luxury sport sedans might have seemed as odd as adding liverwurst along with pizza and a cheeseburger to lunchtime considerations. But things have certainly turned around recently for Buick. If you can set aside your preconceived notions and take a 2011 Regal for a spin, chances are you won't forget to add this Buick to your sporty midsize sedan consideration list.
The 2011 Buick Regal is a midsize family sport sedan available in two trim levels: CXL and CXL Turbo. Standard equipment includes 18-inch alloy wheels, foglamps, heated sideview mirrors, keyless entry, dual-zone automatic climate control, cruise control, full power accessories, OnStar, leather upholstery, a power driver seat, heated front seats, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a tilt-and-telescoping steering column, a trip computer, a 60/40-split rear seatback, a seven-speaker stereo (with CD/MP3 player, satellite radio, iPod/auxiliary audio jacks and steering-wheel-mounted controls) and Bluetooth connectivity.
Opting for the Regal CXL Turbo will add rear parking sensors and a 12-way power-adjustable front passenger seat -- both of which are available on the standard Regal CXL as part of the optional Comfort and Convenience package. Options exclusive to the turbo model include 19-inch wheels, xenon headlights and an Interactive Drive Control system with Sport, Tour and Standard modes. Options for either Regal include a sunroof, a hard-drive-based navigation system with digital music storage and a nine-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system.
The 2011 Buick Regal is offered with the choice of a 2.4-liter four-cylinder that makes 182 hp and 172 lb-ft of torque, or a 2.0-liter turbocharged variant that produces 220 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed automatic (with manual shift capability) is standard for both engines; the turbo is also offered with a six-speed manual transmission.
The EPA estimates fuel economy at 19 mpg city/30 mpg highway and 23 mpg in combined driving for the 2.4-liter engine. The CXL Turbo achieves an estimated 18/28/22.
In testing, a 2011 Regal with the base 2.4-liter required a very long 9.9 seconds to accelerate from zero to 60 mph. This is considerably slower -- in some cases, by more than 3 seconds -- than the competitors. The Turbo improves that time to 8.4 seconds, which is obviously better, but still slow for the class.
Standard safety equipment for all 2011 Buick Regal models include antilock brakes, traction control, stability control, OnStar, front seat side-impact airbags and full-length side curtain airbags. Rear-seat thorax airbags are available as an option on all Regals, while brake assist is included only on the turbo model.
In Edmunds brake testing, both versions of the Regal came to a stop from 60 mph in 122 feet, which is about average for cars in this class.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety named the 2011 Buick Regal as one of its "Top Safety Picks," awarding it the highest score of "Good" in frontal-offset, side-impact and roof strength tests.
The Regal's cabin has a clean, no-nonsense design aesthetic, though a few splashes of metallic trim brighten things up a bit. The low-mounted climate controls are easy to decipher, though the audio setup has too many flat, look-alike buttons.
Adding the navigation system brings with it even more usability issues. The GM nav system is intended to utilize a touchscreen, but the Regal doesn't have this, instead relying on an odd redundancy of two multipurpose control knobs (one on the dash and the other on the center console). Also, the six radio preset buttons do not work unless the display screen has the audio menu highlighted -- it's odd and anathema to cars with navigation systems.
The front seats have plenty of support for spirited driving and comfort for long-haul trips. Those riding in back, however, may find the rear seatbacks a bit flat and uncomfortable, though a wide center armrest adds a measure of comfort back there. Trunk capacity is respectable at 14.2 cubic feet, but the trunk is narrow, meaning there's less space for golf bags than you'll find in some other similarly sized luxury sedans.
Those expecting a disconnected feel and a floaty ride are in for a big surprise with the 2011 Buick Regal. Quick steering and a firm, unwavering attitude on a winding road give the Regal plenty of sport sedan credibility. We're big fans of the optional Interactive Drive Control that provides three distinct settings for steering, suspension and throttle tuning. Sport mode noticeably improves the Regal's sportiness, while Tour gives the car a compliant ride without a hint of old-school Buick float.
Unfortunately, acceleration is far from sporty, at least with the base 2.4-liter engine. Under full throttle, this engine seems to generate more in the way of noise than power. In our opinion, the turbocharged engine is certainly worth the price premium. Despite its unimpressive timed runs at our test track, the Turbo offers a broad power spread, plenty of gusto around town and sufficient punch for charging up on-ramps. The six-speed automatic clicked off smooth, timely shifts and unlike some other recent GM autoboxes, this transmission didn't seem obsessed with upshifting early in order to maximize fuel economy.
Oh, to be in the European design studios when someone high up at General Motors slapped his or her forehead and declared, "This would make a great Buick!" Remember, this was back in the days when GM planned to make the Opel Insignia Saturn's second-generation Aura.
That would have been a mistake.
Burt Reynolds has left the building; there are no more W-cars to kick around. Buick has swept almost all the dusty past from its showrooms—but in an odd Taurus-like move, has dubbed its savvy new front-drive, mid-size sedan with the retro Regal badge.
Trust us. This is no Regal. It’s hardly a Buick, if you recall anything that came before the swank Enclave. Hey, we grew up on big Buicks oozing with V-8 authority, or at least, thrumming away with a workmanlike 3800 V-6—and that’s why this capable, stunning car feels like an odd fit, even for a brand that once sold Roadmasters and Reattas side by side without anyone to translate.
What makes it such a non sequitir? The Regal’s not just a small Buick—it’s a small Buick with only an aluminum four-cylinder engine, and if you want it, turbocharging. There is no V-6, nor is there a V-8. That alone could get it charged with heresy. It could be the right move at the right time, as most of the car world steps away from hulking hunks of low-efficiency iron. It could be a major disconnect.
Engines alone don’t divorce this sedan from the past. The Regal essentially is our version of the European Opel Insignia sport sedan and once was intended for dead Saturn. It’s since been retrofitted with Buick’s waterfall grille and taillamps, and it’s a visual knockout, an ersatz Infiniti G37 with a Nike-like side swoosh and a dynamically styled interior.
In handling and road feel, the Regal’s from another world, too. The automatic can be shifted with paddles. A manual transmission is on the way, probably arriving in tandem with a wagon. This Regal is an iconoclast, and it responds like nothing we’ve ever driven from Buick.
What the new Regal isn’t: particularly roomy or sporty. The Regal handles very well, but without the edge you’d find in a Ford Fusion—there’s a softness that’s a compromise between Buick’s past and its future. The turbo four spins out 220 horsepower, good but more than 50 hp shy of the upcoming Hyundai Sonata Turbo, which also outpaces it on price and room. That back seat pales against the rear benches or buckets in just about every near-luxury sedan on the same shopping radar screen: Maxima, S60, TSX, Passat CC. It’s a ‘tweener for sure, and there’s no telling if the smaller side of mid-size is going to play well with the Costco set.
We’ve driven the standard and turbo versions of the Regal CXL, which carries a base price of about $27,000. Buick says less expensive versions are coming, and it's also confirmed a 260-hp-plus Regal GS with that manual gearbox. We think it’s engaging and very appealing from the outside in, but it’s also smaller and pricier than expected.
That’s usually the case for imported domestics like the Regal—and it’s a tough sell, even to that small set of loyalists who hang with the hipsters every now and then.
The new Regal's base engine is a 2.4-liter inline four with 182 hp and 172 lb-ft of torque, and it features direct-injection and variable valve timing, as befits a 21st-century powerplant. The high-performance option is a turbo 2.0-liter with 220 hp and an impressive 258 pound-feet from just 2,000 rpm. Both engines hail from GM's Ecotec family, but are much smoother and more genteel than the corporation's four-bangers of yore.
Fuel economy has not been finalized, but GM estimates that the 2.4-liter normally aspirated engine will achieve 30 mpg on the highway, and the turbo will get 29 mpg. Both engines pedal through six-speed automatic transmissions with manual-override capability, but these are two different units—one a Hydra-matic, the other an Aisin—and the gear ratios vary quite a bit to take advantage of the turbo motor's wide torque spread. A six-speed manual transmission is promised sometime in the future for use with the turbo.
With a wheelbase of 107.8 inches, an overall length of 190.3 inches, a height of 58.4 inches and an overall width of 73.1 inches, the Regal is smaller in every dimension than the Buick LaCrosse. It also provides four fewer inches of rear legroom than the LaCrosse, at 37.3 inches, although chief engineer Jim Federico points out that that's three more inches than rear passengers will find in an Acura TSX.
Designed to meet new federal crash-test standards for 2012, the Regal's body shell claims to offer a 25 percent improvement in torsional bending resistance compared with the outgoing model. According to Federico, the amount of high-strength steel in the structure is considerable, and was limited mainly by weld incompatibilities between it and conventional steels. At around 3600 pounds, the Regal isn't exactly svelte, but a projected five-star rating in both major federal crash-test categories suggests that it is strong.
The Regal's suspension consists of MacPherson struts up front with aluminum lower control arms and an aluminum four-link setup in the rear, both ends equipped with direct-acting, tubular antiroll bars. An electronic adaptive-damping shock system called the Interactive Drive Control System (IDCS)—which features three push-button selectable programs: normal, tour and sport—is available for the turbo model.
The ride firmness—as well as the amount of body-motion control imparted by the shock—changes depending on which IDCS program the driver chooses. Selecting Sport Mode also alters the degree of steering assistance and the response of the Buick's Stabilitrak handling system, reducing the level of electronic intervention and raising the threshold before it steps in. These values can be adjusted independently through the car's info screen.
Steering mechanisms differ between the base and turbo models. The standard car gets a conventional hydraulic steering assist, while the turbo enjoys a variable-level system that backs off as the speed increases to provide a firmer steering feel.
Read more: 2011 Buick Regal CSX Specs - Review and Test Drive of Buick Regal CSX - Popular Mechanics
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2011 Buick Regal
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| 2011 Buick Regal |
that covers pros and cons, available options, powertrains and overall driving performance 2011 Buick Regal
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| 2011 Buick Regal |
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| 2011 Buick Regal |
The 2012 Buick Regal ranks 6 out of 21 Upscale Midsize Cars. This ranking is based on our analysis of 34 published reviews and test drives of the Buick Regal, and our analysis of reliability and safety data.
The 2012 Buick Regal offers performance and comfort at a price that’s less than many competing upscale midsize cars.
Buick refuses to rest on its laurels with the 2012 Regal. The 2011 model wowed reviewers with its nimble handling and comfortable interior, so much so that we named it the Best Upscale Sedan for the Money and the Best Upscale Midsize Car for Families. Now, the automaker is set to introduce two new models into the Regal family, as well as a revised touch-screen infotainment system that should impress Regal shoppers.
The 2012 model year sees the introduction of the Regal eAssist, a mild-hybrid version of the Regal with impressive fuel economy. So far, though, the big news among test drivers has been the introduction of the Regal GS, which is even more powerful than the Buick Regal Turbo.
Still, some reviewers say that while the base Buick Regal offers great performance at a reasonable price, the Regal GS is up against better-known rivals in an intensely competitive class. “With the Regal GS, Buick is serving up a gourmet helping of nouvelle refinement and performance,” writes Motor Trend. “But the big-name chefs down the street at Acura and Audi are selling their established crowd-pleasers (TSX V-6 and A4 Quattro) for the same price."
Fortunately for buyers on a budget, most critics assert that even the base model handles like a European luxury sedan. Reviewers say that even though the Buick brand may not be strong enough to pull brand loyalists of more expensive automakers in, overlooking the Regal would be a mistake.
The 2012 Buick Regal is more expensive than most base-model affordable midsize cars, but less than other upscale midsize cars. If you’re shopping for value, compare the Regal with other affordable midsize cars like the Hyundai Sonata. Like the Regal, the Sonata comes with standard interior tech features that are often optional on competing models, but it’s also considerably less expensive than the Buick and gets better fuel economy.
If you’ve got a little more money to spend, and like the Regal’s composed handling and comfortable interior, consider rivals like the Audi A4. The A4 may be pricier than the Regal, but it also offers good fuel economy and optional all-wheel drive, as well as German luxury car cachet. However, the A4 also doesn’t come with as many standard features, which means that if you want to match the Regal’s list of standard equipment, you’ll have to add a longer list of options into your budget
For 2011, the Buick Regal nameplate returns after a six-year hiatus. Only now, it's affixed to a Euro-bred sport sedan
Mention the words Buick Regal and you're bound to get one of three responses. Some folks will give you blank stares. Others may remember a nice-riding but otherwise nondescript sedan with that name (that retired after 2004). And older folks may recall hood ornaments, pillowed velour bench seats and padded landau tops. With the all-new 2011 Buick Regal, the company is looking to change all that and give this nameplate a more modern and memorable persona.
The personality transplant comes by way of Europe — the donor being General Motors' Opel division. The 2011 Buick Regal is based on the Opel Insignia and as such shares that smart sedan's athletic handling and well-sorted European ride. The Regal is a midsize sedan, but it rides on a 107.8-inch wheelbase, which is about 4 inches shorter than what you'll find on the recently introduced Buick LaCrosse. This means the Regal is a bit smaller, with a tighter backseat. Basically, you can consider this Buick's midsize car.
The 3,600-pound Regal is available with a 2.4-liter inline-4 that sports direct fuel-injection technology and high fuel economy (up to 30 mpg highway), but we've found its 182 horsepower inadequate for motivating a car with luxury aspirations -- most midsize sedans without luxury aspirations are quicker. A turbocharged 2.0-liter engine sporting 220 hp and 258 pound-feet of torque is also offered and is a much better choice. It's hardly an acceleration champ either, but its punchy low-end power makes it seem quicker than it actually is.
Buick is positioning the 2011 Regal against the likes of the Acura TSX and Lexus IS 250. In the past, cross-shopping a Buick against these two well-known luxury sport sedans might have seemed as odd as adding liverwurst along with pizza and a cheeseburger to lunchtime considerations. But things have certainly turned around recently for Buick. If you can set aside your preconceived notions and take a 2011 Regal for a spin, chances are you won't forget to add this Buick to your sporty midsize sedan consideration list.
The 2011 Buick Regal is a midsize family sport sedan available in two trim levels: CXL and CXL Turbo. Standard equipment includes 18-inch alloy wheels, foglamps, heated sideview mirrors, keyless entry, dual-zone automatic climate control, cruise control, full power accessories, OnStar, leather upholstery, a power driver seat, heated front seats, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, a tilt-and-telescoping steering column, a trip computer, a 60/40-split rear seatback, a seven-speaker stereo (with CD/MP3 player, satellite radio, iPod/auxiliary audio jacks and steering-wheel-mounted controls) and Bluetooth connectivity.
Opting for the Regal CXL Turbo will add rear parking sensors and a 12-way power-adjustable front passenger seat -- both of which are available on the standard Regal CXL as part of the optional Comfort and Convenience package. Options exclusive to the turbo model include 19-inch wheels, xenon headlights and an Interactive Drive Control system with Sport, Tour and Standard modes. Options for either Regal include a sunroof, a hard-drive-based navigation system with digital music storage and a nine-speaker Harman Kardon premium audio system.
The 2011 Buick Regal is offered with the choice of a 2.4-liter four-cylinder that makes 182 hp and 172 lb-ft of torque, or a 2.0-liter turbocharged variant that produces 220 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque. A six-speed automatic (with manual shift capability) is standard for both engines; the turbo is also offered with a six-speed manual transmission.
The EPA estimates fuel economy at 19 mpg city/30 mpg highway and 23 mpg in combined driving for the 2.4-liter engine. The CXL Turbo achieves an estimated 18/28/22.
In testing, a 2011 Regal with the base 2.4-liter required a very long 9.9 seconds to accelerate from zero to 60 mph. This is considerably slower -- in some cases, by more than 3 seconds -- than the competitors. The Turbo improves that time to 8.4 seconds, which is obviously better, but still slow for the class.
Standard safety equipment for all 2011 Buick Regal models include antilock brakes, traction control, stability control, OnStar, front seat side-impact airbags and full-length side curtain airbags. Rear-seat thorax airbags are available as an option on all Regals, while brake assist is included only on the turbo model.
In Edmunds brake testing, both versions of the Regal came to a stop from 60 mph in 122 feet, which is about average for cars in this class.
The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety named the 2011 Buick Regal as one of its "Top Safety Picks," awarding it the highest score of "Good" in frontal-offset, side-impact and roof strength tests.
The Regal's cabin has a clean, no-nonsense design aesthetic, though a few splashes of metallic trim brighten things up a bit. The low-mounted climate controls are easy to decipher, though the audio setup has too many flat, look-alike buttons.
Adding the navigation system brings with it even more usability issues. The GM nav system is intended to utilize a touchscreen, but the Regal doesn't have this, instead relying on an odd redundancy of two multipurpose control knobs (one on the dash and the other on the center console). Also, the six radio preset buttons do not work unless the display screen has the audio menu highlighted -- it's odd and anathema to cars with navigation systems.
The front seats have plenty of support for spirited driving and comfort for long-haul trips. Those riding in back, however, may find the rear seatbacks a bit flat and uncomfortable, though a wide center armrest adds a measure of comfort back there. Trunk capacity is respectable at 14.2 cubic feet, but the trunk is narrow, meaning there's less space for golf bags than you'll find in some other similarly sized luxury sedans.
Those expecting a disconnected feel and a floaty ride are in for a big surprise with the 2011 Buick Regal. Quick steering and a firm, unwavering attitude on a winding road give the Regal plenty of sport sedan credibility. We're big fans of the optional Interactive Drive Control that provides three distinct settings for steering, suspension and throttle tuning. Sport mode noticeably improves the Regal's sportiness, while Tour gives the car a compliant ride without a hint of old-school Buick float.
Unfortunately, acceleration is far from sporty, at least with the base 2.4-liter engine. Under full throttle, this engine seems to generate more in the way of noise than power. In our opinion, the turbocharged engine is certainly worth the price premium. Despite its unimpressive timed runs at our test track, the Turbo offers a broad power spread, plenty of gusto around town and sufficient punch for charging up on-ramps. The six-speed automatic clicked off smooth, timely shifts and unlike some other recent GM autoboxes, this transmission didn't seem obsessed with upshifting early in order to maximize fuel economy.
Oh, to be in the European design studios when someone high up at General Motors slapped his or her forehead and declared, "This would make a great Buick!" Remember, this was back in the days when GM planned to make the Opel Insignia Saturn's second-generation Aura.
That would have been a mistake.
Burt Reynolds has left the building; there are no more W-cars to kick around. Buick has swept almost all the dusty past from its showrooms—but in an odd Taurus-like move, has dubbed its savvy new front-drive, mid-size sedan with the retro Regal badge.
Trust us. This is no Regal. It’s hardly a Buick, if you recall anything that came before the swank Enclave. Hey, we grew up on big Buicks oozing with V-8 authority, or at least, thrumming away with a workmanlike 3800 V-6—and that’s why this capable, stunning car feels like an odd fit, even for a brand that once sold Roadmasters and Reattas side by side without anyone to translate.
What makes it such a non sequitir? The Regal’s not just a small Buick—it’s a small Buick with only an aluminum four-cylinder engine, and if you want it, turbocharging. There is no V-6, nor is there a V-8. That alone could get it charged with heresy. It could be the right move at the right time, as most of the car world steps away from hulking hunks of low-efficiency iron. It could be a major disconnect.
Engines alone don’t divorce this sedan from the past. The Regal essentially is our version of the European Opel Insignia sport sedan and once was intended for dead Saturn. It’s since been retrofitted with Buick’s waterfall grille and taillamps, and it’s a visual knockout, an ersatz Infiniti G37 with a Nike-like side swoosh and a dynamically styled interior.
In handling and road feel, the Regal’s from another world, too. The automatic can be shifted with paddles. A manual transmission is on the way, probably arriving in tandem with a wagon. This Regal is an iconoclast, and it responds like nothing we’ve ever driven from Buick.
What the new Regal isn’t: particularly roomy or sporty. The Regal handles very well, but without the edge you’d find in a Ford Fusion—there’s a softness that’s a compromise between Buick’s past and its future. The turbo four spins out 220 horsepower, good but more than 50 hp shy of the upcoming Hyundai Sonata Turbo, which also outpaces it on price and room. That back seat pales against the rear benches or buckets in just about every near-luxury sedan on the same shopping radar screen: Maxima, S60, TSX, Passat CC. It’s a ‘tweener for sure, and there’s no telling if the smaller side of mid-size is going to play well with the Costco set.
We’ve driven the standard and turbo versions of the Regal CXL, which carries a base price of about $27,000. Buick says less expensive versions are coming, and it's also confirmed a 260-hp-plus Regal GS with that manual gearbox. We think it’s engaging and very appealing from the outside in, but it’s also smaller and pricier than expected.
That’s usually the case for imported domestics like the Regal—and it’s a tough sell, even to that small set of loyalists who hang with the hipsters every now and then.
The new Regal's base engine is a 2.4-liter inline four with 182 hp and 172 lb-ft of torque, and it features direct-injection and variable valve timing, as befits a 21st-century powerplant. The high-performance option is a turbo 2.0-liter with 220 hp and an impressive 258 pound-feet from just 2,000 rpm. Both engines hail from GM's Ecotec family, but are much smoother and more genteel than the corporation's four-bangers of yore.
Fuel economy has not been finalized, but GM estimates that the 2.4-liter normally aspirated engine will achieve 30 mpg on the highway, and the turbo will get 29 mpg. Both engines pedal through six-speed automatic transmissions with manual-override capability, but these are two different units—one a Hydra-matic, the other an Aisin—and the gear ratios vary quite a bit to take advantage of the turbo motor's wide torque spread. A six-speed manual transmission is promised sometime in the future for use with the turbo.
With a wheelbase of 107.8 inches, an overall length of 190.3 inches, a height of 58.4 inches and an overall width of 73.1 inches, the Regal is smaller in every dimension than the Buick LaCrosse. It also provides four fewer inches of rear legroom than the LaCrosse, at 37.3 inches, although chief engineer Jim Federico points out that that's three more inches than rear passengers will find in an Acura TSX.
Designed to meet new federal crash-test standards for 2012, the Regal's body shell claims to offer a 25 percent improvement in torsional bending resistance compared with the outgoing model. According to Federico, the amount of high-strength steel in the structure is considerable, and was limited mainly by weld incompatibilities between it and conventional steels. At around 3600 pounds, the Regal isn't exactly svelte, but a projected five-star rating in both major federal crash-test categories suggests that it is strong.
The Regal's suspension consists of MacPherson struts up front with aluminum lower control arms and an aluminum four-link setup in the rear, both ends equipped with direct-acting, tubular antiroll bars. An electronic adaptive-damping shock system called the Interactive Drive Control System (IDCS)—which features three push-button selectable programs: normal, tour and sport—is available for the turbo model.
The ride firmness—as well as the amount of body-motion control imparted by the shock—changes depending on which IDCS program the driver chooses. Selecting Sport Mode also alters the degree of steering assistance and the response of the Buick's Stabilitrak handling system, reducing the level of electronic intervention and raising the threshold before it steps in. These values can be adjusted independently through the car's info screen.
Steering mechanisms differ between the base and turbo models. The standard car gets a conventional hydraulic steering assist, while the turbo enjoys a variable-level system that backs off as the speed increases to provide a firmer steering feel.
Read more: 2011 Buick Regal CSX Specs - Review and Test Drive of Buick Regal CSX - Popular Mechanics
2011 Buick Regal
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