Many carmakers notoriously slap storied trims and badges on all their cars in the hopes of boosting interest. Think GT, RT, M, R and others. GM’s all but killed SS and at one time GS by sticking these trims on cars that bared nothing more than wheels and a trunk-lid mounted spoiler.
“GS” has always belonged to Buick and while it has not been overused, short of GSX and Grand National, it’s the business for the brand. The new Regal is impressive in numerous ways and the new GS brings even more to the table. This car is not badge-engineered.
Are we saying you should buy a Buick Regal?
2018 Buick Regal GS
Why you should buy a 2018 Buick Regal Sportback GS
- The moment I drove off with the car, it felt light, nimble, agile, responsive, and alive! Completely non Buick-like
- The Sportback styling is not only handsome but incredibly functional – it’s a 5-door hatchback!
- The cabin is simple, yet luxuriously appointed. It’s very German in many ways
- The GM-family 3.6-litre V6 has never been more at home than working for the Regal GS. Its 310-horsepower feel healthy and vigorous
- Intelligent AWD is standard with the GS
Why you should not buy a 2018 Buick Regal Sportback GS
- Buying a Buick never seems like the youthful, successful young business person thing to do
- Relatedly, at just shy of $44,000, the Regal GS is priced $1,500 less than a BMW 330i xDrive. Depending on the lease terms, the BMW is less expensive per month
- It has “Sport” and “GS” drive modes but no wheel-mounted paddles for shifting
- That’s it. Really
2018 Buick Regal GS
Final Thoughts
You’ll have gathered by the final reason to not buy a 2018 Regal GS that there are no concrete reasons to avoid the car. The new Regal may very well be the best GM sedan in the last few decades. As much as I like the Cadillac CT6, I think the Buick is a greater achievement.
The whole time I drove around in the car, it garnered looks (Sport Red does it good), questions and admiration. From afar, some car people mistook it for something Italian – this is a compliment indeed. I think the new Buick Regal bridges a long-standing gap between bigger boring cars and smaller more entertaining cars in GM’s extensive product portfolio.
The Buick Regal Sportback GS is brilliant but will sadly be overlooked by the vast majority of shoppers who will end up in an Audi A5 Sportback, BMW 4 Series Gran Coupé or anything but a Buick. Someone will find one of these in a barn in 40 years and it’ll be worth a pretty penny.
2018 Buick Regal GS Images
You know, I am looking at the S4 Sportback but I just might go with the GS instead. GS is a little bigger overall but I’ll go drive one.