2018 Buick Regal Pros vs Cons. Should You Buy?
What’s New for 2018?
The 2018 Buick Regal is a full, across-the-board redesign. Only the main engine option on the car remains the same, and even it has seen a noticeable re-tune. Almost everything else on the 2018 Regal is all new, including the platform, the body, and electronics.
Top 10 Reasons to Buy a 2018 Buick Regal – The Pros
1. Unique Sportback Design
The new Buick Regal does not quite look like anything else available in its class. The base Sportback body style combines elements of both a hatchback and a sports coupe for a very sporty silhouette that neatly hides its versatile nature while still projecting a very aggressive and visually interesting look. However, open the trunk and watch the entire back end of the vehicle open up into a cavernous cargo space.
2. The TourX Wagon
The other new body style that the 2018 Regal premieres is the TourX wagon. Wagons have only recently began catching on in the United States, a few notable exceptions aside, and a premium wagon like the 2018 Regal TourX is bound to carve out an excellent niche for itself. Its design combines the standard Buick luxury cues with a tall stance and prominent cladding that signals its off-road wagon intentions.
3. Luxurious Interior
Buick is an automaker with a flair for premium interiors, and both of the Regal’s body styles hide very nicely appointed cabins. High quality materials, lots of soft-touch surfaces and a neatly pulled together design clearly position this vehicle above its mass-market competitors on the style and comfort front.
4. Excellent Noise Insulation
Adding to the comfort of the new Buick Regal is the extensive work that was put into its noise insulation systems. It is very quiet when underway, thanks both to the liberal application of acoustic glass and an audio system that uses noise-cancelling technology to eliminate the noise that does make it inside the cabin.
5. Utility and Versatility
The 2018 Regal is oriented around providing a lot of utility for its drivers in both of its forms. The cargo openings are very large on both versions of the car, seats fold flat, and there is a lot of cargo room. There are few cars that offer that kind of versatility along with the upscale amenities that the Regal does.
6. Peppy Engine
The engine of the 2018 Buick Regal is one of the few carryovers from the previous generation, but it has not only been retuned, but also partnered up with a new set of transmissions, making for a very responsive and fun powertrain. The 2.0-liter turbocharged engine puts out 250 horsepower and just short of 300 pound-feet of torque, and is matched up to either a nine-speed - on the front-wheel drive models - or an eight-speed automatic transmission. The power curve is smooth and the car is easy to control even through adventurous maneuvers.
7. High-performance Regal GS
One of the complaints levelled against the previous generation of the Buick Regal has been the lack of a good V-6 option, which the high-performance 2018 Regal GS remedies. The 310-horsepower, 3.6-liter V-6 is the only model that combines the Regal’s new all-wheel drive system with a nine-speed transmission, making for an incredible performance combination.
8. Excellent Driving Dynamics
Whether it is the standard Sportback, a TourX or a GS model, all of the 2018 Regal lines handle themselves very well on the open road. The suspension is very responsive and the steering is heavy and precise, allowing this mid-size car to feel very maneuverable. Optional features like dynamic suspension damping make the car feel even sportier, making it a great choice for any enthusiast.
9. Advanced All-Wheel Drive
The Buick Regal’s available all-wheel drive is an innovative system designed to respond quickly and help the car maintain maximum traction. Using a twin-clutch system in the rear differential allows the car to actively vector torque between wheels, pushing power to the one that has the most grip at any given moment. This gives the Sportback and GS models better performance on curved roads, as well as contributing to the TourX model’s off-road credentials.
10. Full Safety Suite
The 2018 Buick Regal is very nicely equipped when it comes to advanced safety technology, including both tried and true standards like traction control and all-wheel drive as well as advanced collision avoidance and pedestrian detection technology. The new Regal has not gone through the testing itself yet, but other Buick vehicles with the same suite have had their active safety rated as ‘Superior’ by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety.
Reasons Not to Buy a 2018 Buick Regal – The Cons
1. No Alternative Engine Options
Many of the Regal’s competitors in both the mid-size car and the wagon segment offer hybrid or diesel options, which the Regal lacks. This is especially egregious since this year’s LaCrosse model offers a hybrid powertrain as a standard feature. Buyers looking to boost their car’s efficiency further, or just leave a smaller ecological footprint, may want to pass on the Regal.
2. Limiting Trim Levels
A lot of the options on the 2018 Buick Regal are exclusive or limited to certain trim levels. For instance, TourX and GS models are locked into all-wheel drive, and many safety features require several high-end options packages. That can make it difficult for many buyers to get a Regal equipped exactly the way they want.
3. An Untested New Model
Buick has rolled out two new models that are both very different from the preceding Buick Regal, and so there are bound to be kinks that they need to iron out. Especially given the large changes Buick made to the LaCrosse a year after its big redesign, it would not be unexpected that Buick comes out with a large update for the Regal next year as well, leaving early adopters with less-desirable models.
How It Stacks up to the Competition
Because of the many different areas that the 2018 Buick Regal covers, it competes with a wide variety of vehicles, from utility wagons to premium mid-size cars. The Subaru Outback is one of the vehicles that Buick has targeted as a competitor. It offers a tried-and-true design and similar utility to the Regal at a lower price point, but even a fully-loaded Outback can’t quite match the upscale style and amenities of the Buick. The Audi Allroad combines luxury and utility in a similar way to the Regal, but does so at a much higher price, and with fewer and weaker engine options.
Conclusion
The 2018 Buick Regal enters a new territory for Buick, and it is certainly set to arrive with a splash. It brings an upscale touch to an otherwise value-focused market segment, while not shying away from offering very useful performance and convenience features that many buyers will appreciate.
