Photography by ©2019 Toni Avery
Life is full of firsts. I’ve never driven let alone reviewed a Buick. When I was offered the GS the thing that caught my attention were the Brembo brakes. If you’ve been reading my reviews for a while, you know I mainly focus on performance vehicles of any OEM from trucks to sports cars. The Brembos honestly sold me on the idea of reviewing one.
This GS is equipped with a 3.6 L V6 engine producing 310 HP and 282 lb-ft of torque mated to a 9-speed automatic transmission driving all four wheels.
For a vehicle that weighs in at 4,270 lbs curb weight, it doesn’t feel sluggish around town. But, when you get on it, it seems to a while for the transmission to respond causing the vehicle to feel laggy. While I’d like to love the 9-speed transmission, I couldn’t get over that there weren’t paddles to play with and the delay in gearshifts when in manual mode sort of made it frustrating at times.
I also utilized the Sport and GS modes, but felt no difference when using them. I was hoping for better throttle response, crisper gear shifts and maybe even a slightly beefier exhaust note….just some of the things you get on similar vehicles with Sport modes.
The suspension was a plus with no harsh road feel when on uneven surfaces it also wasn’t too soft. It made for a comfortable ride on the highway and around town.
Inside the GS is an all black interior with Carplay compatibility and Headup Display.
My favorite thing about this car was the seats. They looked like they were straight out of a sports car. I’m extremely picky about car seats even to the point of being snobby, but these were comfortable, once I got the lumber down to minimal. The fact that they also had a massage feature was awesome. For a car in this price point, that’s a plus. These seats really made me feel almost like I was just in a more grown up version of a sports car. They were definitely a highlight for me.
One thing to note is the trunk. I could not find an interior release button for the trunk or an easy way to open in on the outside. Nothing on the key fob either. It took a while to figure out that the Buick logo on the rear on the car had the trunk opener integrated into it.
The ride inside like I mentioned above was pretty nice, but the noise that came from the air vents on full blast was louder than the road noise. Now it could have been a fluke with the particular press car I had, but the noise was noticeable.
I understand where Buick was going with this vehicle in terms of targeting consumers. You’ve got Brembo performance brakes, interesting exterior styling, performance front seats, Sport and GS modes, and a tech forward interior. But…I’m not sure if even with all of these positives, you have a vehicle that can stand with the other sports/luxury giants in the automotive realm.
2019 Buick Regal GS:
Base Price: $39,070
Options:
Sights & Sounds Package (Buick Infotainment System w/ 8″ Color Touchscreen w/ Nav,
HD Radio, Audio System – Premium – $945), Driver Confidence Package #2
(Adaptive Cruise Control – Advanced, Following Distance Indicator,
Forward Collision Alert, Forward Automatic Braking, Lane Keep
Asisst w/ Lane Departure Warning, Front Pedestrian Braking, Head-Up Display – $1,690)
White Frost Tricoat ($1,095), Appearance Package (Wireless Charging, LED Headlamps,
Cornering Lamps, Automatic Leveling Headlamp Control – $485)
Destination Charge: $925
Total Price: $44,210
Fuel Economy: 19 City, 27 Highway, 22 Combined
GirlsDriveFastToo gives the 2019 Buick Regal GS an overall rating of (out of 5 total):
