Capsule Review: 2012 Buick Regal GS Take Two
The official reasoning behind GM failing to bring the Opel Insignia OPC, according to Buick PR staff, is that the all-wheel drive, twin-turbo V6 powered sedan with 321 horsepower “didn’t fit with the brand image”. Right. The real reason is likely that a Buick Regal GS outfitted like this would cost far more than the already expensive $35,310 that GM wants for a car. And if the market for a $35,000 manual transmission Buick is limited, well – imagine who would buy a $45,000-$50,000 AWD Regal.
The 270 horsepower Regal GS is, say it with me front-wheel drive. If that means “wrong wheel drive” in your books, close the browser window immediately and go back to The Car Lounge. GM has something called a HiPer strut front suspension, a modified MacPherson strut design that reduces torque steer and increases steering feel by playing with the suspension geometry and separating the steering and suspension components. When paired with the adjustable shocks and sticky rubber available on the Regal GS, the system allows the Regal to maintain exceptional composure through the sweeping curves (and crappy pavement) of Northern Michigan.
The sweet chassis is backed up by a 2.0L turbocharged Ecotec making 270 horsepower and 295 lb-ft. While torque steer is present, it’s manageable and only presents briefly. 60 mph comes up in 6.7 seconds according to GM – the Regal GS feels much faster than that. No hero-launches were attempted during our drive, but the Regal GS is what the British rags would call a “fast point-to-point car”. The Regal GS really shines when covering a lot of ground in a short amount of time. A broad torque band, a composed chassis and a docile nature can allow most people to exploit the considerable performance of a Regal GS. On paper, it may not be as impressive as an Audi S4 but in the real world, on an open road, there’s little to suggest that the Regal couldn’t hang with the 4-ringed car. The Brembo brakes on the Regal GS are also outstanding, with great feel through the pedal and strong, consistent performance even with repeated hard uses.
In typical GM fashion, there are more than a couple of flaws that are tough to overlook. The steering is weighty when the “GS” button on the dash is activated, but offers as much feedback as a bad boss. The 6-speed manual seems so promising but delivers so little. The shifter’s throws are a pastiche of every negative adjective in the auto journalism handbook – rubbery, dead-feeling, long and inaccurate. Furthermore, the pedals are totally unsuited to heel-and-toe shifting, making rev matching out of the question unless your feet are child-sized. Heretical as it may be, opting for the automatic gearbox on the Regal GS might not be a bad thing. (At launch just the manual transmission is being offered). Only the most fanatical DIY-shifting types need apply for this dreadful bit of engineering. The interior of the Regal isn’t bad overall, but has a very particular “General Motors” feel. Many of the buttons, cabin materials and readouts are sourced from the common parts bin, something that is barely acceptable on a vehicle that’s ostensibly positioned as a luxury car. The center console is a mess of buttons that’s confusing to the eye. The front seats do a good job of keeping you in place without being uncomfortable, but the back seats are tight. Don’t expect to use them for anything more than taking friends to dinner.
The subtle additions to the exterior, like larger wheels, tasteful chrome accents and dual exhausts help the Regal GS keep a low profile. Order it in an understated color like black or silver and you’ve got a genuine sleeper on your hands. The big hurdle for the Regal GS will be finding buyers, even true enthusiasts, who may not be able to look past its discreet exterior (some may consider it boring) and the front-drive/turbo 4-cylinder powerplant. The notion of “wrong-wheel drive” is laughable given that the Regal GS is a far superior driving machine to the dreadful base CTS trim levels and Audi has no trouble pushing the A4 2.0T (which is about as engaging as a PBS telethon) onto the status-hungry masses.
Which is exactly the problem. A lot of people need to tell their friends just how good their purchases. Think how ridiculous it sounds to the average person that someone bought a turbocharged, stick shift Buick for $35k. Others have suggested it’s not quite up to snuff compared to the competition – that’s nonsense. The Regal GS has enough power to get you some serious speeding tickets. And unlike a BMW 335i, your fuel pump won’t explode. The big problem with the Regal GS is getting consumers to sign on the dotted line. The Regal GS would probably be a fine product for anyone who ever bought a turbo Saab, but how many of those were sold in the last decade or two?
Derek Kreindler originally drove the Buick Regal GS in August, 2011. Buick provided airfare, lodging and meals for the trip to Traverse City, MI.
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Your comment is awaiting moderation. Why does the fact that heel-toeing is a challenge preclude rev-matching? I can rev-match fine in my car, but I can’t heel-toe for anything (this is an absence of skill on my part and I don’t deny that), but I’ve never seen it said that being unable to heel-toe means you can’t rev-match. Heel-toe = fancy rev-matching. Rev-matching =/= heel-toe. A=B but B=/=A
2011 Regal T here. It's a great car for the money especially the lease deal with $5,500 on the hood. Paying less than for a 4 cylinder base Malibu LS at $269 a month for 3 years. If I could have had $500 payments a 2011 Charger R/T would have been my first choice but we were looking at base 4 cylinder Malibus so I was able to jump up a couple of classes with the great deal on this Regal. No problems with it yet except for an oil leak that turned out to be a turbo seal they fixed under warranty. This car loves the highway and cruises at 70-80mph like a champ. The interior is one of the best from GM yet. In my opinion the Regal is right up there with Lexus and BMW in materials and fit and finish. The design is smart and the gauge cluster and LED lighting in the cockpit is really done well. I have said before with the money one the hood discounts the Turbo is a better value than a GS. The Turbo has 220bhp and the car never feels slow or lacking power. You have to wonder if GM has held back the Regal again like in the 1980s. Back then the Corvette was supposed to be GM performance king and when the Grand National and GNX challenged that it was a big deal. Now you have to wonder if Cadillac put their foot down on the power output of the Regal since the CTS sedan starts at $36,800. The Ecotech can handle serious power. The stock turbo Ecotec in the HHR/Cobalt SS is rated at 260bhp with HHR and Cobalt SS turbos running 400-500bhp in daily drivers with turbo and bolt on upgrades. Yet the Regal T intercooler pipes are about half the size of the HHR/Cobalt pipes and the turbo exhaust downpipe has a catalytic converter in it (!?!) along with some sort of steel mesh material in it choking the exhaust. A nice solution is a company called Trifecta Tuning has a $500 "tune" that adds 61 hp and 51 lb ft of torque at the wheels on the Turbo with no other changes but you need to run premium fuel. They get even more power if you are running 108 octane E85 or race gas. A neat trick they can do is set the "tune" to be stock or performance with the steering wheel's cruise control on/off switch. If you open up this car's turbo plumbing and put a good exhaust on this car with the Trifecta Tune you will have a true sleeper that would show its taillights to the GS and a Sonata/Optima Turbo or Camry and Maxima V6s easily if that matters to you. A big disappointment I discovered recently is with the Aisin/Warner 6 speed automatic. In the "manual shift" mode it is a joy to drive and sporty and when in "D" the shifts are smooth and we see 23-24mpg city driving average with a light foot. Yet in manual shift mode under full throttle acceleration torque management I believe kicks in. It bucks the car severely as you lose acceleration and the gear change finally goes through. You would think it would be quicker in this mode but for full throttle you need to leave it in "D". I believe the Trifecta Tuning "tune" can eliminate this. Prior rides are 89 Mustang GT, 92 Miata, 95 Contour SE 5 speed, 96 LT4 Corvette, 98 Trans Am, 2000 Camaro SS, 95 Eagle Talon TSi AWD converted, (current project car), and an 04 Mazda RX-8. I could have gone with an 04 supercharged Terminator Mustang Cobra and I found a dealer who would sell to me for $3000 off MSRP but instead I picked the RX-8 as the Mazda was such a true enthusiast machine in it's design and execution. Never regretted the decision even with almost 200 less horsepower. Like the RX-8 I give the big thumbs up to the Regal Turbo or GS. It's fun going "fast with class". If you love the feel of a well tuned Turbo-4 and a German sport sedan you will love this GS or a T. This car was developed for the autobahn and at the Nurburgring and it shows every time you drive it. If you get the Turbo you may be able to still get one made in Germany like ours. :)