We made it to the top of Brasstown Bald, the highest peak in Georgia. It’s said that you can see Tennessee from here, if the horizon is clear enough. My driving partner and I opened the doors and wearily spilled out of them, having just assaulted the serpentine pavement up the mountain with unexpected aggression. Our equilibriums needed to stabilize. The exhaust was cooling down as evident by the metallic tinging sounds. The Brembo brakes were so hot they made the air around the car nearly intolerable from their stench.
The 2018 Buick Regal GS is the automotive equivalent of one of those quiet, well-dressed professional types that competed in D1 collegiate sports. Most of the time you wouldn’t know about their athleticism, because they don’t make a fuss about it, but they still train in their spare time to keep loose. And yet, the new Buick still hears plenty of people talk about granddad, in this case the Regal GNX, and how great they were back in the day. Even though grandpa played a completely different sport.
The Regal GNX is the past and in no way are its ‘Merican muscle car qualities found in the Regal GS. Unlike gramps, the new Regal GS studied abroad, and picked up a few skills from its German sport sedan classmates that it couldn’t learn back home. The result is something that delivers brisk maneuverability, a well-measured interior, and a sleek exterior design. A look that’s just enough of a difference from the standard Buick Regal that car spotters will know it’s more than just another genericore sedan.
The 2018 Buick Regal GS also knows the same party trick as the standard Regal Sportback. The sedan bodystyle cleverly disguises a massive liftback that can swallow anything from a mountain bike to Ikea furniture. This in turn yields superb practicality while maintaining a traditional profile. Exclusive to the 2018 Buick Regal GS is a unique interior trim, festooned by GS lettering (maybe one too many times), and highlighted by fantastic seats that are Aktion Gesunder Rücken certified. In Queen’s English, that translates to “Campaign for Healthier Backs.” There are currently no other GM vehicles sold in North America with seats that hold this certification. Or Europe, for that matter, since Opel now belongs to the French.
Even though GM’s German division has been exchanged for a mere $2.6 billion USD, much of the content and packaging was made at the behest of Opel, which explains ze über German interior decor. But… there are no paddle shifters. This is marketed as a sports sedan. No paddle shifters. The 3-row Buick Enclave has paddle shifters. But not the Regal. One more time: the Buick Regal GS is missing paddle shifters. Yes, the gear selector still allows for manual shifting, but it’s simply not the same. Assaulting the road up to Brasstown Bald was where we really wanted both hands on the wheel and gear selection at our finger tips. Dancing the selector between gears 2 and 3 just didn’t feel as natural. The automatic transmission would otherwise shift up, even in GS mode.
Despite this, Opel uniquely gives the 2018 Regal GS a 310 hp, 282 lb-ft V6. The Buick’s twin, the Opel Insignia GSi, is absent of a V6. But the Holden ZB Commodore, the triplet, offers the same LGX V6. All three vehicles are built in the same plant in Rüsselsheim, Germany. And don’t forget about the Chinese market appeal when it comes to Buick. In short, this General Motors vehicle program is incredibly globalized, spans three brands, and saw inputs from just about every corner of the world. With Europe out of the picture going forward, it might be a while before we see this scale of collaboration again. This makes the story of the Regal GS incredibly unique. Just like its position in the market.
Lack of paddles aside, the 9-speed transmission is practically flawless. The shifts are quick and deliberate both up and down, it holds gears when appropriate, isn’t confused by stop-go city driving, and the shorter ratios help maximize all 310 ponies of the Regal GS. Its just enough power to make things interesting, but limited enough to (mostly) stay out of trouble. The red Brembo brake calipers up front help ensure that this lively five-door keeps things shiny side up, and out of the impound, as well.
Vehicle dynamics continues to be a core competency for GM performance cars, and the Buick Regal GS is no different. The GKN-sourced all-wheel-drive system, MacPherson struts up front, and a five-link independent rear suspension setup all help keep this near-3,800-lb liftback surprisingly balanced under both cornering and braking at the limit. For a FWD-based midsize sedan with a transverse engine, this might be one of the best behaved. The only thing we’d change would be the steering. It’s numb feedback and elastic effort wasn’t as engaging as what the rest of the car was doing. And even though the 245/40R19 Continental Pro Contact TX no season all season tires are an upgrade for the base model, we’d like to see Buick offer a summer tire package for the Regal GS. Throw in an exhaust package while you’re at it. Even if it’s against the car’s conservative customs.
As for what the Regal GS best compares to, it’s hard to say. Because there’s nothing on the market quite like it. For around $40,000 starting, over $2,000 more than before, the Regal GS provides more utility than the Acura TLX SH-AWD, more size than an Audi A4, and has a different drivetrain layout than the Kia Stinger, though less power. As previously mentioned, the Regal GS seems to blaze its own trail. And not that it’s likely, but should Buick ever find it to fit that transverse mounted V6 with a turbocharger or two, and we’d have a real giant slayer on our hands. A subtle, well dressed, giant slayer.
Comments
Sad but another great Buick few will buy.
Not Buicks fault just the market.
In the beginning it will be a slow seller. But once they cut the price 20% sales will pick up.
So just to clarify is the “manual” mode 100% manual upshift(outgoing model) or is it just the lack luster “top” gear selection style?
Paddle shifters and summer tires, two of the least useful features on a car. Paddle shifters sound nice if you are a car reviewer or 20. Everyone else will use them about once, and complain about them getting in the way 1000 times.
Summer tires are baffling. Do they make enough difference to driving dynamics to warrant their lack of longevity and danger on even moderately slick roads?
I know the new GM wants to make money, as they should, but I’d still love a mid to full size sedan with a nice V6 or V8 under 30k.
This will be the final Opel-derived Buick meaning that the tri shield is officially done with anything sporty.
Too bad!
I can’t believe for 40K that Buick couldn’t see fit to include the paddle shifters, the self leveling LED headlights and only offer one interior color. Lack of a sporty blue exterior color is another weird thing as is the lack of rear seat heaters and charging extra for wireless charging and cornering lamps which is bundled in with the LED headlight package which is another 485.00. I know it’s all about making profits but when your competitors are offering some of these things std on cars half the price that is a huge problem and will affect sales.
And damage brand cache. Another damaged brand that keeps hurting itself.
We can blame Opel this time.
This Buick comes with the LGX V6 3.6L engine
However the sister engine LGW 3.0L twin turbo would be the engine that would wake the troops up…..
It’s a good looking car yet its still very conservative and not catching peoples eyes aka very sleeperish…What makes the Regal GS so unique you have psuedo-race car seats…There’s something called the “Wife Acceptance Factor”/WAF in the home audio world where the couple battles over the size, design, etc, of their living room speakers and I can imagine some significant others are vetoing a GS purchase for the racing style seats alone…For the same price as the GS you can find vehicles with far more luxurious looking twill/diamond patterns…Therefore there’s no other vehicle that compares to the Regal GS as the TLX is the exact opposite in styling to the point where its been called “obnoxious” with regular seats…If we chose to compare the GS to the TLX than we can add the Lincoln MKZ which like the TLX has extremely bold styling and regular seat…You could say there are two other closer competitors to the GS that are both somewhat sleeperish mid-sized AWD sedans, the Ford Fusions V6 Sport and the Subaru Legacy 3.6R…The Fusions brand of Ford is a step below Buick and the Fusion has more power and is therefore quicker than the GS…The Legacys brand of Subaru is near equal or below Buick but above Ford yet it’s 3.6L I6 boxer is about 50hp less powerful and the Legacy is roughly $10K less…Yet the performance levels, the Fusion isn’t that much faster than the GS and the GS isn’t that much faster than the 3.6 Legacy…Unfortunately the mid size sedan segment leaders equipped with their optional engines, the Camry and Accord, have very similar performance level and while they’re FWD, they’re also $10K and nicely equipped with ACC and other safety features…This is why the GS needs more power…
So how do you “fix” the demand for the Regal GS? Are far as Regal GS improvements, you’d need at least another 100hp or a huge price reduction to get it to $29,995 but that’s most likely impossible…The better way is to expand on the “GS” brand, add it over to other models, why not start with adding at 250+hp 2.0T to their best selling vehicle the Encore which only offers sub-200hp 1.4Ls? That would create a massive buzz both Buick and the “GS” brand…Hopefully Buick is already working on a power increase for the mid cycle refresh…Finally, “GS” a larger SUV by using the Camaro’s V8 or a 400+hp turboed V6…
This car is hot-the exterior design is spot on and it looks sexy and and has road presence. But..that interior is low grade. It looks ok in pictures..but in person it’s worse. Especially for a $40k vehicle. Mazda, Honda and Kia’s have much better materials and build quality for thousands less. I guess we can blame Opel for that? The Envision, Enclave, LaCrosse and Encore all have better interior materials as well. I’ve got a 2011 Regal that I wanted to trade for a new GS but I’ll have to wait for the new CT5. Sad!