- sedan 68,939
- 11,495 fair
- Saint Petersburg, FL
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- autoshopper.com
- sedan 68,939 silver automatic
2011 buick regal review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. All-new small sedan is buick's best-driving car. introductionbuick revives the regal name for 2011 in a mid-size sedan born and built in germany. (as the lineup expands and the manufacturing plant is readied it will be built in north america.) shorter than the lacrosse, this latest regal is an all-new car to buick. The turbocharged engine delivers a huge boost in torque for more relaxed yet more powerful propulsion. We did not see memory seats on the option list yet there should be enough to keep anyone comfortable and connected. we found the regal very quiet, with a very smooth ride, a welcome respite on miserable commutes and a good partner for cross-country drives. It may be the quietest car in its class. Mix in a solid thud to the doors, tactile clicks to the controls and a structure safe and secure, and the regal is a well-rounded package. the regal competes with the acura tsx, audi a4, mazda 6, volkswagen passat, volvo s60, lexus es. Much of the direct competition has more power, less weight or both. The audi and acura are sportier, the mazda and volkswagen larger, and the lexus es driver could get a well-equipped regal turbo for the requisite luxury in a better driving car. lineupthe 2011 buick regal cxl comes with a 182-hp 2. 4-liter engine, six-speed automatic transmission, front-wheel drive, and 18-inch alloy wheels. Several trim levels are available. the regal cxl rl1 26,245) has leather upholstery, dual-temp climate control, heated front seats, power driver seat, power windows/locks/heated mirrors, tilt/telescope steering wheel with redundant controls, am/fm/xm/cd/usb audio, bluetooth, split-fold rear seat, trip computer, keyless entry, and onstar w/turn-by-turn navigation (6 months service included at purchase, by subscription thereafter). cxl rl2 27,245) adds a moonroof to rl1. Rl3 27,090) adds to rl1 a comfort/convenience package consisting of rear park assist, 120-volt ac outlet, and power passenger seat. Rl4 28,090) is an rl1 plus moonroof and the comfort/convenience package. Rl5 29,035) is an rl3 plus moonroof, nine-speaker harman/kardon audio system, and rear side airbags. The rl6 31,030) is an rl5 plus navigation. the turbocharged cxl 28,745) comes with a 220-hp 2-liter engine, six-speed automatic or manual transmission (the latter year end), and larger brakes. Expect packaging similar to the regular cxl but with additional upgrades available, including interactive drive control system (adjustable dampers) and 19-inch wheels 1,250), and hid headlamps and led daytime running lamps. the regal line will expand in 2012 with a less-expensive cx model, likely with cloth upholstery, and a high-performance gs model with different bodywork, front seats, power, suspension, tires, wheels and all-wheel drive. safety features include six airbags standard with rear-seat side-impact airbags optional. It's characteristic of contemporary sedans with a sloping roofline that's visually extended by the edge of the rear lamp housings and a brief trunk lid with a subtle built-in lip spoiler. shiny bits on the sides are limited to the window surround trim and a front fender-mounted turn indicator. There are no rub rails or chrome strips along the side, and a simple character line sweeps down and aft behind the front wheel and carries through the rear door. The lower edge is void of trim but it does get the textured paint protection to minimize stone chips. The lengthy nose carries a prominent waterfall grille framed by lamp clusters. On the turbo, the daytime running lights are right-angle segments that look like arrows pointing out and up toward the rear-view mirrors. a large chrome spear is anchored with big buick crest on the trunk, and the sweep of the lamps mirrors that of regal's big-brother lacrosse. On turbo models a single chrome tailpipe comes out either side; on standard cars conventional under-bumper exhaust pipes are used. regal makes a clean profile. It is six inches shorter than the lacrosse and is longer than all but one of the cars buick mentions as potential competitors. The wheelbase, the distance between front and rear wheels that's a better indicator of room and ride quality is in the middle of those aforementioned competitors. interiorwith leather standard even the base cxl makes a welcoming interior, easily labeled entry-luxury or entry-premium. It's comfortable and quiet, and its character changes based on color. an ebony cabin is mostly black, with light stitching is the seats and trim, a light headliner, some trim matte-finish silver and other chrome, with dash, door and console sweeps done in piano-black trim. On the alternative light-cabin trim the upper and lower doors, lower side pillars and the dashboard are chocolate, the mid-doors, seats and carpeting a light tan or cream color, and the trim sweeps are woodgrain. Long-term support is good but lack of lateral support and cushion deflection shows these seats clearly biased to comfort rather than the athletic-for-a-buick performance. Taller drivers note the headrests further forward than they preferred, a more common complaint as safety regulations continue to tighten. rear seats are quite comfortable for occupants to around 5'10 and best limited to two passengers; we found no center headrest. That sloping roofline, even with a section carved out of the headliner, limits rear headroom, a problem the smaller vw passat and larger mazda6 don't have. Leg and toe space is good, the regal bigger than all but those same two cars. Behind the ashtray a large piece of chrome frames the shifter and it, like the chrome lips on the gauges and rotary dash controls, readily catches sun glare. The matte-finish sweep around the shifter floats above the console, suggesting it will easily catch and trap detritus or cords for small electronics. Given the sporty implications we were surprised to not find shift buttons on it but lever does have a manual gate. Vision, both inside to instruments, controls and nav screen day and night, and outside is quite good by modern safety-car standards. the trunk is quite useful, with moderate lift-to-load and lift-to-unload dimensions, flat side walls, securing points and 14. 2 cubic feet of volume because it's fairly long. The split rear seat folds down and there's a lockable pass-through in the armrest, but it's a long reach through the trunk to lock it. driving impressionthe regal is firmly sprung for a buick yet quiet by any standard. The wrong road surface will admit a little noise from the rear tires and picky back-seat drivers might notice a bit of wind noise from behind at speed, but the new buick regal has to be among the quietest cars in its class; even with the engine at maximum it's barely above background noise and doesn't give any audible hint it's working hard. the regal rides very well, with minimal intrusion from road imperfections. It has a very solid feel, and one of substance in keeping with its weight. Driving it hard or fully loaded at speed will belie that while bred on the autobahn it has been tuned for comfort and the rear suspension damping is quite soft. The turbo's optional adjustable shock damping will mitigate that and tigh. AM/FM✔ Power Windows✔ Tachometer✔ Climate Control✔ Air Conditioning✔ Bluetooth✔ Sunroof/Moonroof✔ Alloy Wheels
11,495 Saint Petersburg, FLSaint Petersburg, FL at autoshopper.com