Buick Regal falls short of being a winner

If the 2005 LaCrosse didn't do it for you and the 2008 Enclave wasn't persuasive enough, perhaps the new Regal will convince those who reflexively turn their noses up at American automotive makes to consider a Buick. No longer are they strictly for the Medicare set.

But as appealing as it is, the Regal falls short of being a slam-dunk winner among midsized cars by virtue of its standard four-cylinder engine, whose 182 hp. rating is more impressive on the specifications sheet than on the road. The loud rasping tone as it huffs and puffs to keep up is simply out of keeping with the quiet grace of a Buick.

The new Regal is an adaptation of the Opel Insignia, a model designed for Europe, where gasoline usually costs about twice what it does here and where drivers are, therefore, more willing than most of us to forgo quick acceleration for better fuel economy. Here in America, at today's gasoline prices, I wouldn't spend 30 grand for a car with this engine.

If you agree, consider the optional, 220 hp., turbocharged four-cylinder engine, which will be available beginning in December, according to General Motors. It costs $2,500, packaged with some additional convenience options like a power passenger seat.

Buick points out that the Regal's designated targets, the Acura TSX and Volvo S60, have four-cylinder and five-cylinder engines, respectively. But the Acura and Volvo engines deliver more horsepower than the Regal's - 201 and 208, respectively - and the Acura weighs about 200 pounds less than the Regal.

The EPA says the Regal will attain 19 miles per gallon in city driving, 30 mpg on the highway. I averaged 23.3 mpg.

The Regal's European breeding shows in its predictable, stable and taut handling.

Rear-seat legroom, at a minimum of 36.3 inches, is ample at about 3 inches more than a TSX's and 4 inches more than an S60's.

Reprising an old Buick name, the Regal went on sale in May and begins at $26,995 with freight. Neither the feds nor the private Insurance Institute for Highway Safety has published safety ratings yet for the Regal, but nowadays most cars do well in their tests.

Buicks are rated "about average" in quality by J.D. Power and Associates. Consumer Reports puts the Enclave and Lucerne on its "recommended" list, but it has no reader/owner feedback yet for the LaCrosse or Regal.

2011 Buick Regal CXL

Engine: 2.4-liter, four-cylinder, 182 hp.

Fuel: Regular

Transmission: Six-speed automatic, front wheel drive

Safety: Six air bags; 4-wheel disc brakes w/anti-lock, stability control and brake assist; daytime running lamps; tire pressure monitoring; OnStar automatic crash notification.

Place of Assembly: Russelsheim, Germany

Trunk: 14.25 cu. ft.

EPA Fuel Economy Estimates: 19 mpg city, 30 highway

Price as Driven: $31,780 with freight

Bottom Line: A fine Euro sedan, but consider the optional 220 hp. engine.