2019 Buick Regal Loses Motor Trend COTY Award To Genesis G70

Trying to pick the best car is an impossible task. You can look at the raw data and select an objective winner, but the car with the most horsepower and torque, and the highest price doesn’t equate to the best, especially with the automobile. There’s a sizeable subjective portion to determining the best of something, and picking the best car out of a plethora of equally good cars is challenging. It comes down to feel, fit and finish, and to compare one car to another. For Motor Trend’s Car of the Year Award, only one stood out from the crowd, and it was the all-new Genesis G70, beating out the 2019 Buick Regal for top honors. 

“The G70 is smooth, quiet, fast, upscale, nimble, good-looking, and a great value,” said Motor Trend guest judge Chris Theodore. “It’s very good at almost everything.”

And right there you see how subjective the process is, the majority of the G70’s best features are subjective. It also doesn’t help you’re comparing cars that aren’t direct competitors. Different consumers have different needs, and someone looking at a Buick Regal may not even consider the Genesis G70. It’s a complicated process. 

What put the Genesis ahead of the pack in Motor Trend’s competition was a complete package of features. Several editors commented on its affordable price, the plethora of features, and stellar performance— aiming at the irreverent BMW 3-Series, which excited the judges. Taking on the likes of BMW is Cadillac’s forte, not Buick’s, putting the 2019 Buick Regal at a disadvantage. 

That’s not to say the Buick Regal isn’t a solid vehicle. On the contrary. The Regal’s affordable—often discounted—price and available features make it a great buy for someone looking to toe the line between luxury and mainstream. The Buick Regal isn’t a Genesis G70 competitor, and that’s okay.