The pleasure was all mine in getting to know the 2011 Buick Regal. My journey started at a suggestion to take a Buick Regal on a 3 hour trip down to Bowling Green, KY to deliver some paperwork for one of my clients. Todd (GM) suggested I would like the drive and the Regal would have great fuel economy and a wonderful ride. At first I wasn't keen on taking 3 hours out of my day and secondly I wasn't real excited to drive a Buick at all. My idea of Buick over the years had been of a much older generation. A highway car, but big, bulky, and gas hungry. I had seen the Peyton Manning, and Shaquille O'Neal commercials, but still hadn't quite drank the Kool Aid.
Eventually I grab the keys, paperwork, sodas, etc, and head for the car. This particular 2011 Regal CXL was dressed in Silver with a Black leather cabin. From the approach you can tell this isn't a 80s or 90's Buick. This vehicle is sporty, bold, classy, and refreshing. The interior was spacious, and luxurious and completely not what I had expected. Once I had my seat, mirrors, radio stations, etc settled I felt right at home. The leather was very nice and ready to compete in the vehicle's class, and I felt quite, comfortable, and secure. The real story here is what I learned about the vehicle after I had taken this trip. So to summarize the drive to Bowling Green: The acceleration would be the only downside. It felt a little touchy at times, and I would probably prefer the Turbo Regal which is an option. The braking was fine. Cornering was fun, and the interior was phenomenal.
This story begins at search query to help write this very blog!. Google is my all time favorite so I "Google" 2011 Buick Regal. To my surprise the name Opel is being thrown in with Buick on most of the querys. Upon further research and review it turns out, this is an Opel Insignia. Opel is a German auto manufacturer that has been in buildings automobile since 1899. Opel became a majority stake subsidiary of General Motors since 1929, and has been a wholly owned subsidiary since 1931.
So this brings us to the Opel Insignia which was released in 2008 to replace the Opel Vectra. Which brings us to the Regal which had not had a platform or release in 6 years. The 2011 Buick Regal is actually a Opel Insignia/Vauxhall Insignia (United Kingdom). So basically I was hanging out with a little German car all night, and had no clue. The Insignia was also voted European Car of the Year in 2009 which truthfully is a pretty big deal.
General Motors + Opel = 2011 Buick Regal
This car is great and would be a great sedan for any driveway. I'm proud of this American brand for taking a swing and hitting it out of the park. Take a drive in one of these if you're looking for an American brand supplement to the Lexus IS 250 or Acura TSX.
Specs:
Engine & Performance
| 2.4 L | Double overhead cam (DOHC) |
| Inline 4 | 16 |
| Variable | 172 ft-lbs. @ 4900 rpm |
| 182 hp @ 6700 rpm | 37.4 ft. |
Suspension
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| 6 ft. 1.1 in. (73.1 in.) | 4 ft. 10.4 in. (58.4 in.) |
| 15 ft. 10.2 in. (190.2 in.) | 5 ft. 2.4 in. (62.4 in.) |
| 5 ft. 2.5 in. (62.5 in.) | 8 ft. 11.8 in. (107.8 in.) |
Interior Measurements
| 38.8 in. | 55.4 in. |
| 42.1 in. | 56.7 in. |
| 52.3 in. | 36.8 in. |
| 37.3 in. | 54.4 in. |
Fuel
| Gas | Regular unleaded |
| 18.0 gal. | 342.0/540.0 mi. |
| 19/30 mpg |
Weights and Capacities
| 111.1 cu.ft. | 3600 lbs. |
| 14.2 cu.ft. |
DriveTrain
| Front wheel drive | 6-speed shiftable automatic |
LINKS:
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buick_Regal
http://www.edmunds.com/buick/regal/2011/features-specs.html?style=101249102
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opel_Insignia
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/European_Car_of_the_Year
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opel
http://www.cargurus.com/Cars/2011-Buick-Regal-Overview-c22022
2011 Buick Regal For Sale:
http://www.craigandlandrethcars.com/detail.aspx?id=2753332&PrefID=798&.aspx
2011 Buick Regal Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Uk6py88_MHk
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QECKWbf9sWs
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=QbQiIaDbpDQ
2011 Buick Regal "How to" Videos:
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=bBnE3u7y1C4&playnext=1&list=PL6D9964688D294BCF&feature=results_main
