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Buick Regal TourX Gets Deep Discounts

When we read Jalopnik’s story about the Buick Regal TourX and its deeply discounted prices, we were shocked. First, we went to Buick’s consumer site to build and price my own to see what features we’d like. Spoiler alert, the price tag passed $40,000. Then, impressed with the Regal TourX’s features and amenities, we went to Autotrader.com to see if there were any discounted TourX wagons in our area. We found a handful with prices up to $10,000 off the MSRP. That’s a lot of car for little money. 

We covered Buick’s unveiling of the new Regal sedan and Regal TourX for the 2018 model year, shocked an American automaker would take a stab at building another wagon. But Buick isn’t marketing the Regal TourX as a wagon. Instead, the automaker is working hard to convince consumers it’s some kind of crossover. It’s not, and everybody knows it. Wagon enthusiasts in the US who lament the lack of such models here should nevertheless rejoice.

 2019 Buick Regal TourX in Ebony cloth interior HBX

In Europe this German-engineer Buick is otherwise known as the Opel Insignia Sports Tourer. That makes it a European wagon sold right here in the U.S.—and it’s affordable. What’s not to like? Under the hood is a punchy turbocharged 2.0-liter engine, making 250 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, paired with the eight-speed transmission and all-wheel drive. Enthusiasts should be gobbling these up, but if you look at overall Regal sales, not even a European wagon in American clothing can find willing buyers. Sure, it’s not an Audi Allroad or one of those fancy Volvo wagons, but it’s also far more agreeable in price, and provides abundantly more cargo space for the money, as well. We’ve driven the Regal TourX on several occasions, and we’re smitten. Smitten!

Alas, Regal sales this year should beat 2017’s numbers, but not by much. In 2011, the Regals first full year on sale, 40,144 Regals found a home. In 2012, sales dropped by nearly half to 24,616. There was an uptick in 2014 with 22,560 units sold, but sales have continued to decline. In 2017, Buick sold 11,559 units, down from 19,833 in 2016. Buick refreshed the Regal in 2018, introducing the TourX wagon crossover. Sales through September total 11,008. With three months left in the year, the Regal and Regal TourX should eclipse last year’s sales numbers—but it’s clearly not enough for GM, which is offering deep discounts.  

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Anthony Alaniz was a GM Authority contributor between from 2018 thru 2019.

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Comments

  1. Where are all these wagon buyers here that said they would buy one if GM offered one?

    Same on the hatchbacks and diesel cars.

    This is what would happen too if the continued the Impala as so many say I was going to buy one ……..well?

    Reply
    1. “This is what would happen too if the continued the Impala as so many say I was going to buy one”

      Pretty much. They’ll crow endlessly about potentially owning one, but they seldom put up the money, and instead buy SUV’s, CUV’s, and pickups.

      And then the same people ask why GM is backing away from sedans, as if GM’s decision to stop making sedans was a personal attack against everything they stand for and a decision based upon market dynamics.

      Reply
    2. I bought a 2017 Impala LT and owned 3 before that. Mom still has her 2008. My best long time friend has a 2015 LT V6 and has owned several W-body versions in the past. But thanks to GM’s clueless inept management that will all change in the 2020’s when we all go to another manufacturer that does make what we want to buy.

      Reply
  2. The masses don’t know this car exists.

    Reply
    1. Exactly. With basically no marketing or hype, no one knows, much less cares about this car.

      Reply
    2. The Masses don’t care in Nort America regardless.

      They want something with a higher roof.

      Reply
  3. Buick’s going to have even more white space to fill.
    Verano, gone.
    LaCrosse, gone.
    Regal series, on the way out.
    Cascada, same.
    Envision, TBD.
    That would leave Buick with Encore, and Enclave.

    But there’s always China. Man, Buick was in good shape in 2010-11-12 … but Ewanick, and Tony DiSalle, and Duncan, don’t hear much from them lately.

    ‘That’s not a Buick’. No, that was Buick, more likely.

    Reply
  4. Not surprised — GM only markets this as an afterthought (it’s just one of many vehicles mentioned in the “Is that your Buick” ads). Those aren’t bad, but the market for a wagon is quite different than the market for an Enclave or Encore.

    Subaru has been growing by leaps and bounds with wagons (even though they know call them SUVs) and if GM had a long-term strategy, it should have been to target those upscale, outdoorsy urban/suburban folks — sponsor Dave Matthews concerts, get a trim level option with REI or Patagonia, sponsor dog adoptions days in upscale communities, cut some actual commercials JUST focused on this car.

    I have seen the Outback ad with the couple going off the beaten path into the Pacific NW with the blind guide more times than I can count; that lets the customer know who the Outback is for. I have never seen one ad dedicated to the Regal Tour X.

    You’ve got to spend some money to make some money. Instead, this potential very nice niche car will putter around until 2020 and then go away b/c hardly anyone knew it existed.

    On a positive note, I will say I’m looking at buying a vehicle at the end of next year (small SUV, hatchback or wagon) and if Buick continues with the only money they spend on the car being $8-$10,000 year-end discounts, this might float right into my price range ($25-$28,000).

    Reply
  5. I don’t think Buick has any idea how to sell this car.

    They really don’t even try to sell the LaCrosse anymore, much less the Regal TourX.

    Reply
  6. Of course it didnt sell. 9999 out of 10000 people are going to opt for a suv or crossover than this thing. I cant beleive GM wasted money on this dead on arrival model.

    Reply
  7. Great car at great price. I hate SUV’s and would lap this up in an instance if I was in the market.

    Reply
  8. I don’t know if the discounts vary by reigon, but I’m not seeing 10k discounts at any dealers near me. 6k at best, and that’s on an already overpriced 42k Buick wagon. Price it like the outback, and it might sell like the outback.

    Reply
  9. They really need to advertise it against the Outback and bring production to the Malibu plant.

    Reply
    1. Can’t price it like the Subaru. It’s a much more substantial vehicle than the Outback, larger and more powerful. Really appeals to a more upscale demographic.

      Reply
  10. Enthusiasts should gobble these up? Why? The 2011-14 CTS-V wagon, especially with manual trans., that’s an enthusiast vehicle, this is not.

    Reply
    1. People should be gobbling up the cts v too, but since we they all seem to cost north of 100k, that will be another great car that dies off. Same with the continental, nice, way overpriced car.

      Reply
  11. It’s really a Malibu wagon like the Outback is an Legacy wagon, not a bad thing but it’s not like an E-Class wagon (ie: expensive to make).
    The money is left on the table GM.

    Reply
  12. CTS V is a gas guzzling hotrod, no daily driver. They’re all beaters by now anyway. This car is better built, more refined and nothing new competes for the price. Not one.

    Reply
  13. As with Barra and GM Buick doesn’t seem to have a clue how to market this car or even what to do with it. Add in a lack of advanced safety features, missing items on low to mid price trim levels, an interior that belongs in a Chevy not a Buick and no advertising and I’m not surprised in the least that this vehicle isn’t selling well. The Regal wagon deserves so much better!

    Reply
    1. You’re sadly correct on GM dropping the ball on marketing TourX; I’ll add they also dropped the ball on msrp – it’s a nice ride but still about $4-6k overpriced at msrp imo. I’ll give you some leeway on a few missing trim items (and counter with stock torque-vectoring AWD on all trims), but that’s negated with the ridiculously low closeout ’18 pricing. The interior is fine with nice if not good materials on all touch surfaces; any nits here are again negated with the incentives.

      You are misinformed on “lack of advanced safety features.” Yes, you have to option some of them but they are ALL there if you want them. People need to quit complaining and start buying. So many malcontents…”We want a wagon, bring us a decent wagon and we’ll buy it.” So GM brings you a German-engineered, quality build of a damn fine wagon, and discounts it to an amazing value tricked out and closeout priced in low $30s with all the safety features…and people — most of whom comment as experts without having even driven TourX — still take a crap on it. AND THEN WONDER WHY WE DON’T HAVE WAGONS.

      I wasn’t really in the market, but I went ahead and bought my ’18 TourX Essence with everything but the pano roof (it’s cool but I don’t mind not having it) last Friday AND at a fire-sale price…paid less for it than I gave for my new 2007 RDX SH-AWD TECH (all options) that I also got a smokin’ hot deal on 12 frakkin’ years ago. The TourX is awesome and I plan to enjoy the hell out of it for years to come. WAKE UP & GET YOURS RIGHT NOW! At very least go drive it with an open mind and see for yourself how wrong most of these negative reviews are. You’d be crazy not to right now.

      Reply
      1. edit: >it’s a nice ride but still about $4-6k overpriced at msrp imo.

        should’ve said: it’s a nice ride but still about $4-6k overpriced at msrp in Essence, loaded imo. (other trims are priced pretty realistically) All those safety features, Bose/Nav, etc should be all in at about msrp $36-38k.

        Reply
  14. I’d buy one in a heartbeat but: 1) it’s made in Germany instead of the U.S., 2) that ugly cladding on the lower body is tough to ignore, and 3) the price is ridiculous.

    Why are sedans losing sales? The cars have worthless trunks and the domestic automakers are too stupid to make hatchbacks to provide adequate trunk access for bulk packages. Also, with the shorter wheelbases and narrowing of car bodies by several inches, the sedans no longer provide adequate rear legroom or headroom, and can no longer seat 3 adults. What to do? Buy an SUV!

    Reply
  15. Saw one of these in red in a showroom…it was stunning. I love wagons….however, engine shuts off at stoplights, and there’s no way to turn that off, unlike other cars. At $25K, it falls into my price range, so if Buick would warranty the starter for the life of the vehicle, I would consider. However, I would never buy a car that has that feature that can’t be defeated. In my opinion, design flaw.

    Reply
    1. >however, engine shuts off at stoplights, and there’s no way to turn that off

      Yes, there is. You can shift into manumatic mode, or you can tap the brake, or buy a kit to bypass it. I thought the engine shutoff might be a real pita, but it’s hardly noticeable. The 2018s can be had with screamin’ deals right now, you’d be crazy not to go drive one and see it for yourself. If you’re still concerned, you also may want to do some googling on the durability of the parts, they have proven out just fine in testing.

      Reply
  16. I’ll be buying one this weekend.

    Reply
    1. K in Chicago-
      Cool, can you let me know how you end up liking it? I’m a car fan, and I think this is a good one. Obviously and especially for the price. Thanks, but if you don’t want to I get it, no biggie.
      [email protected]

      Reply
  17. maybe Mary and her dumb cronies with all the plants closing will assemble it in one of the closed plants and make it AMERICAN made

    Reply
  18. If they wouldn’t force me into their stupid trim line package lock, I’d buy one tomorrow. I can’t get active cruise unless I get leather? That just reinforces why I shop VW, BMW, Mercedes for wagons.

    I know every brand does that, but the upscale ones should be more customer and not dealer centric.

    Reply
  19. I picked up a TourX Essence trim with the Driver 1 & 2 packages and was out the door for 30k. I’ve got zero complaints with 2 months in (of awful Upper Mid-western winter driving no less) and I’m more excited than ever for some nicer weather to get some longer touring in.

    This thing is a steal for what I paid and I look forward to enjoying it for a long time!

    Reply
    1. Can you please which dealer? Did you get lease conquest rebate? I am having hard time finding any dealer willing to accept $28K + taxes.

      Reply
      1. I’m in the Twin Cities, MN – this was in December before Christmas so I can’t say any of the rebates I got would still be valid. It was an 2018 Essence + 1 & 2 driver packages, and some other stuff. I think sticker was $39,950 – Discount of 10k off the top. with trade in (-3k), taxes, other dealer warranties the total was $30,500 or so.
        I got a very good rate from my credit union so I did not even bother with GM financing.

        Reply

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