The 2019 Buick Regal GS is a great blend of the fun and the practical. The Regal GS offers as much road gripping, curve loving performance as the average driver can handle and makes taking the kids to school fun again.
Powered by V6 3.6 liter, 310 horsepower engine mated to a 9 speed trans and Intelligent AWD the Regal GS is responsive and quick off the line or from high speed. The engine is direct injected with variable cam timing that combine to provide decent fuel economy at 19 city and 27 highway. On the week long test drive we did better than that with an overall mileage of about 25.
The Regal GS offers really good performance without being overly aggressive, enough to have some fun driving without getting into trouble. Body roll is minimal, and cornering is fun with the AWD distributing the traction as it is needed for a fast flat turn. To bring it all to a safe halt upgraded Brembo brakes clamp the front wheels.
Infotainment uses the same touch screen used in all of GM with an inductive touch but this car at least has more real buttons to use. Apple Car Play and Android Auto are standard but there is only one USB in the front. There are 2 charging only slots in the rear of the center console. The upgrade Bose sound system brings high quality surround sound to the cabin and of course the system includes satellite radio and navigation.
The driver information center in the digital cluster can be reconfigured with the information most important to you. You can choose navigation, infotainment, economy or speed. Much of this data can be shown on the optional HUD. A selectable drive mode adjusts the Intelligent All Wheel Drive and helps even inexperienced drivers handle rough conditions.
The unique to GS race car style power seats are equipped with memory and performance adjustments for bolsters and lumbar. The seats include heating and cooling and just for fun Buick added massage to them. As you put the GS through its paces the seats hold you firmly in place, letting you feel the torque of turns without sliding across the cushion.
Rear seating is good with lots of leg room for adults and decent headroom. 3 would be crowding it but 2 would find it comfortable.
The Regal GS we tested had a full set of optional driver aids including pre collision warning and emergency braking. Lane keeping is OK but not exceptional. The active cruise control works very well. Pedestrian detection displays a small “people” image in the HUD that comes with the Driver Convenience Package. The package is just under $1700 and a good investment if you want to improve your safety while having fun in the Regal GS.
Styling is pretty much unchanged from the 18 model. The GS has a distinctive front facia air scoops, blacked out grille and side rocker moldings that add a sporty air to the 4 door sedan. The LED lighting shows the way and the cornering lamps light up the turns and help a lot, especially if you are driving away from street lighted areas.
Another odd and unique feature is the trunk release. To open the rear deck you push the lower edge of the Buick emblem. There is no inside release. Trunk space is large, and the rear seats fold down to extend that space.
ent, but once cool it stayed at the set temp very well.
The Regal comes in 3 variants, the GS we drove starting at 39K, the Sportsback with a base of 24K and the all new for 19 Tour X hatch back style for 29K. The Sportsback and Tour X come with the new 2.0 liter turbocharged engine. All models come with intelligent AWD as standard equipment.
Buick has automatic stop start on all models and it is one of the best I have used. The stop is obvious if you pay attention, but the restart is almost transparent. There is no button to turn the system off, but you will quickly become used to it as you enjoy driving on the best all around cars available this year.