[mwares212]

I do hope once the Lucerne is gone, the LaCrosse will move up to take its place. There in NO need for a LaCrosse CX. All it does is dilute the model image for no good reason.

In addition, I do not like how keyless ignition and HID lights aren't packaged into most LaCrosses. They should follow Lexus' path in that they do offer a base model without HID and some more luxury, but only a few are sold. The most popular features are put in a luxury package that includes HID, keyless ignition, etc. What this does is not only streamline the ordering process for the factory, it ensures that most of the cars on the road have the options that one would expect from a near luxury make. This is how you build image. When a potential consumer in the near luxury class sees a bare bone model on the road, the car is no longer seen to them as near-luxury.

It is saddening when I see the Buick ad comparing the LaCrosse and Lexus ES side by side and the ES has HID, keyless ignition, etc. while the LaCrosse has old era halogen lamps and turn key ignition.

(P.S. to all those doubting my information, I do have both a Bachelor's Degree and MBA specializing in Marketing and consumer tastes.)

 

[autoplaybook]

The pricing is not bad, however it doesn't quite detail the options. The price premium for the turbo is a little high based on just an engine upgrade.

The color (steal blue) on the Regal above is really nice. The low profile tires and rims better be standard as they are also attractive. She's a beauty.

I'm with you on the $2500 jump to the 2.0T version. That's a huge chunk of change for 38 more hp.

But the more I think about it, $27k really is the right price for the 2.4CXL Regal.

 

[V8GMT360 Guy]

When the ATS comes to market, it may be around $30,000 (my guess is slightly more) but it will have RWD, likely be smaller, and targeted to a different audience (enthusiasts, brand-worshipers, and professionals without kids).

That being the case, I hope they have an ATS-V... I might choose it over the Regal GS after all depending what they bring.

 

[oachalon]

The Malibu may be slightly overpriced but that doesnt make the Regal overpriced. The regal has a nicer interior than the Aura, is 3 years newer, offers dual zone AC, a direct injected engine, elec parking brake, rear armrests, grab handles, LED backlighting, etc. and you say it should be CHEAPER than a loaded Aura. Sorry, but that makes no sense. The Aura was down a few features back in 2007 (I own one I should know) and adjusted for inflation and recent pricing I'm pretty sure a loaded 2010 Aura wouldnt be $27k if such a thing existed. I'm not sure why you are protesting the pricing of a GS model that hasnt even been approved yet. I think the GS would be about $33k with nav and moonroof optional. Not bad at all considering the price of the Maxima and TL.

I would say GM has a lot of Malibus because the Fusion is doing so well and the Malibu came out in 2007. I don't know if its really all that overpriced. The LTZ Malibu comes with 18" wheels, USB port, premium sound system, paddle shifters, remote start and a nicer interior than the Camry XLE which is about a grand cheaper. The LTZ has considerably more equipment than an Accord EX-L as well.

3 years is a lot of time in car technology these days and costs go down so those new features are standard items on cars coming out today. GM has a lot of malibus because its too expensive. When you are a company that was bailed out by the government and come out of bankruptcy you cant offer a product for the same price. You must offer a product that is better and cheaper than the competition. They probably have the better product, but they do not have the cheaper. 99% of the people out there dont care about led backlighting (which aura had led taillights), rear armrests, and electric parking brake (how am i suppoed to donuts in the snow).

the 2.0T will also definately be slower. The awd gs is going to be around 3900lbs. Its not going to be slow, but just slower.

If i am a shopper looking for cars and was most likely an owner of a foreign car. I will take look at the buick regal and like it. I will then see an acura tl, tsx, or audi for the same price and say why would i buy this car from a company that is owned by the government. Now if they see the car is better and also 3-4 grand cheaper, they will say good deal.

I know these cars are not in the same category, but this vehicle is going to get slaughtered by the new hyundai sonata because of pricing.

 

[obriend]

It is saddening when I see the Buick ad comparing the LaCrosse and Lexus ES side by side and the ES has HID, keyless ignition, etc. while the LaCrosse has old era halogen lamps and turn key ignition.

(P.S. to all those doubting my information, I do have both a Bachelor's Degree and MBA specializing in Marketing and consumer tastes.)

I'm not to sure I would want keyless ignition in my Camry...oops, ES350...given their recent issues with unintended acceleration (pssst - it's not the floormats!).

HID headlamps are nice, and do make a big difference - especially where I live with a fair number of deer trying to become hood ornaments. It's not a dealbreaker for me, though - a set of Silverstar Ultras give probably 80-90% of the nighttime vision that HIDs do.

If you doubt my information, I have an engineering undergraduate and an M.D. - that has nothing to do with consumer tastes but my own.

 

[obriend]

If i am a shopper looking for cars and was most likely an owner of a foreign car. I will take look at the buick regal and like it. I will then see an acura tl, tsx, or audi for the same price and say why would i buy this car from a company that is owned by the government. Now if they see the car is better and also 3-4 grand cheaper, they will say good deal.

I know these cars are not in the same category, but this vehicle is going to get slaughtered by the new hyundai sonata because of pricing.

Why buy a car from a company that you, as a taxpayer, own (like it or not) vs. a car from a company in Korea? Really, I don't think anybody is going to refuse to buy a GM car (over a foriegn make) because of the bailout.

Now GM vs. Ford might be a different story.

Do you work for Hyundai? It seems you have driven the Sonata to be so confident.

 

[Astra RL]

Damn you people are cheap.
If you want a 4 door car with a 4cyl for 23-24K your local Chevy dealer is available Monday-Saturday. They will even sell it to you for $21,825.

$26,995 is an ok price for the Regal to start at. This means the CX will probably start at $25k which places it right on top of the Malibu IMO. Does Buick really need to cater to the same people that bought the 1996 Century? Not really, because those people would be much more likely to walk in see a 25k car and want to walk out having paid 17.5.

The standard feature list for the Regal is quite impressive, I will definitely have to check it out soon.

 

[oachalon]

obriend, i dont work for hyundai. I dont like foreign cars and will only drive gm vehicles. I just know how people are. There are a lot of people out there that will not buy a gm product because it was bailed out by the government. The only way gm is going to get those people back are 1. Get off the government dole, 2. Offer good product, and 3. Offer the product cheaper than everybody else.

Someone of a younger age is not going to choose the buick over the acura unless pricing is much cheaper. GM will sell this vehicle, but it will be to previous gm owners. I just dont see them stealing sales from the foreign makers with this price.

Dont get me wrong, i love this car, but as an owner of a 2007 Saturn Aura XR, i wouldnt trade my vehicle in for it. People that own a tl or a tsx or an a4 are not going to be switching to gm because price is too high.

People are very basic and dont like a lot of change. If they are happy with their acura or bmw or audi they will get another one. The only way to get them to switch is offer a better product at a much cheaper price. It all comes down to money. Reason why hyundai is cleaning house.

 

[oachalon]

Damn you people are cheap.
If you want a 4 door car with a 4cyl for 23-24K your local Chevy dealer is available Monday-Saturday. They will even sell it to you for $21,825.

$26,995 is an ok price for the Regal to start at. This means the CX will probably start at $25k which places it right on top of the Malibu IMO. Does Buick really need to cater to the same people that bought the 1996 Century? Not really, because those people would be much more likely to walk in see a 25k car and want to walk out having paid 17.5.

The standard feature list for the Regal is quite impressive, I will definitely have to check it out soon.

Astra RL, they need to cater to those people. Guess why, they are the people that actually have money in this country and can afford the car. I agree gm should bring in the younger people (me included), but the old people are the ones with money.

 

[NDS]

I was close to pulling the trigger on a new Fusion Sport when I noticed all the new Regal articles. I was so intrigued that I had made up my mind to wait for the Regal to come out in the 2.0T engine, when I wrecked my Saab 9-5 and totaled it.

As a result I just purchased a Fusion Sport. In my opinion a Fusion Sport is not a vehicle that Buick would intend the Regal to compete against, but for me the car made alot of sense. Mine is loaded with virtually every option you can get except Nav and remote ignition. The Fusion goes 0 - 60 in 6.4 secs, is extremely agile, and a blast to drive. My Fusion Sport goes MSRP was $29,900. In case you're curious, I kicked, scratched and clawed the price down to $26,300.

I think the Regal interior would be much more elegant however and is a more beautiful car.

I'm not at all surprised by the price points on the Regal. If the LaX is any guide, I'd surmise that a Regal with the 2.0T, Nav (to get the 40 gig harddrive), and the Harmon Kardon audio would probably come in at around $32,000. If it's a good as advertised, I can see the fully loaded Regals flying out of showrooms in a few months. I think the 2.4L versions, again fully loaded will be a huge hit with women. Load it up and the price people pay will still be under $30 grand out the door.

Someone mentioned the Sonata as a comparison to the Regal. I test drove the Sonata a few months back. It is intended to be elegant, but get it out on the freeway and you'll find the road noise is very loud. What came to my mind at that moment was 'fake elegance'.

 

[A.J.]

obriend, i dont work for hyundai. I dont like foreign cars and will only drive gm vehicles. I just know how people are. There are a lot of people out there that will not buy a gm product because it was bailed out by the government. The only way gm is going to get those people back are 1. Get off the government dole, 2. Offer good product, and 3. Offer the product cheaper than everybody else.

Someone of a younger age is not going to choose the buick over the acura unless pricing is much cheaper. GM will sell this vehicle, but it will be to previous gm owners. I just dont see them stealing sales from the foreign makers with this price.

Dont get me wrong, i love this car, but as an owner of a 2007 Saturn Aura XR, i wouldnt trade my vehicle in for it. People that own a tl or a tsx or an a4 are not going to be switching to gm because price is too high.

People are very basic and dont like a lot of change. If they are happy with their acura or bmw or audi they will get another one. The only way to get them to switch is offer a better product at a much cheaper price. It all comes down to money. Reason why hyundai is cleaning house.

Oh yes, they can...

A 2010 Acura TSX 2.4 (201hp) has a base price of $30,120 including destination.
A 2010 Audi A4 2.0TFSI FWD (211hp using a turbocharger) has a base price of $31,450 including destination.

So...$26,995 is a $3,000 to $4,000 price difference.

Government dole? General Motors got bailed out by our government. Bailed is in the past tense. GM is now on its own again, repaying its loans like any other person or company would.

With proper advertising to the right demographic, this car will sell, and not just to previous GM owners.

 

[obriend]

obriend, i dont work for hyundai. I dont like foreign cars and will only drive gm vehicles. I just know how people are. There are a lot of people out there that will not buy a gm product because it was bailed out by the government. The only way gm is going to get those people back are 1. Get off the government dole, 2. Offer good product, and 3. Offer the product cheaper than everybody else.

1. GM is on their way to payback the government (if our government had supported our own industry over the past 30 years the way the Germans, Japanese, and now Koreans do GM may not have needed a bailout).

2. Done

3. You're right - it has to be cheaper, but not so much so that you're effectively in another class of automobiles. Believe me, a lot of people who drive Acuras, Audis, and entry level Lexus do so ONLY to be seen by others as being able to afford it (often times while living in an apartment). If they were fiscally smart, they would be driving the nearly identical Honda, VW, or Toyota. So in a sense, GM too has to play this game. If you want a little pizzaz then get the Buick - otherwise buy the Chevy.

 

[mwares212]

I'm not to sure I would want keyless ignition in my Camry...oops, ES350...given their recent issues with unintended acceleration (pssst - it's not the floormats!).

HID headlamps are nice, and do make a big difference - especially where I live with a fair number of deer trying to become hood ornaments. It's not a dealbreaker for me, though - a set of Silverstar Ultras give probably 80-90% of the nighttime vision that HIDs do.

This is precisely the thinking that keeps the image of GM down. Most luxury cars have keyless ignition now. Not just the ES, but Acura, Infiniti, etc. They dont seem to have problems. (Besides, I don't see what keyless ignition has to do with the acceleration issues. Even with this feature, holding down the button will shut down the engine just like a key would.)

Has for changing out the headlamps, one should not have to do this. In addition to HID being superior to the Silverstar halogens (which constantly burn out I hear), the average car buyer cannot be bothered doing this. How many average car buyers would even know how to do this. The fact remains that if they want to go against Lexus and Acura, these are certain features that Buick and GM need to implement.

 

[oachalon]

Oh yes, they can...

A 2010 Acura TSX 2.4 (201hp) has a base price of $30,120 including destination.
A 2010 Audi A4 2.0TFSI FWD (211hp using a turbocharger) has a base price of $31,450 including destination.

So...$26,995 is a $3,000 to $4,000 price difference.

Government dole? General Motors got bailed out by our government. Bailed is in the past tense. GM is now on its own again, repaying its loans like any other person or company would.

With proper advertising to the right demographic, this car will sell, and not just to previous GM owners.

GM is not on its own. its 60% owned by the government. What i mean off the government dole is when the US government or any government does not own shares in the company. Until that happens, its owned by the government.

mwares, you are correct, keyless ignition and HID's should be standard equipment in a luxury vehicle.

Obriend, i never said it was right for the other car manufacturers to be backed by their government, but in this country people do not like US companies backed by the US government. They want them to stand on their own. Its not fair but thats how it is.

I also agree the products are good and beat the competition, that is done.

They just need to make some pricing adjustments. I believe i should be able to walk into a buick or chevrolet dealership buy a midsize awd v6 loaded car for 29k.

like stated before gm is not trying to compete with the fusion, but as you can see it happens. NDS was able to buy a fusion awd almost fully loaded for 26k out the door that will run circles around the regal. People will sit there and think. Is the regal a better car, yes. Is it 5k better, no.

 

[1965Rivman]

Is the Insignia/Regal available with a sunroof?

I dont remember a single pic of one with a sunroof.

Looking at the roofline it would have to be the kind that raise and slide along the top of the roof and probably not much of an opening.

 

[FenwickHockey65]

Is the Insignia/Regal available with a sunroof?

I dont remember a single pic of one with a sunroof.

Looking at the roofline it would have to be the kind that raise and slide along the top of the roof and probably not much of an opening.

Yes it is.

 

[sigma]

Oh yes, they can...

A 2010 Acura TSX 2.4 (201hp) has a base price of $30,120 including destination.
A 2010 Audi A4 2.0TFSI FWD (211hp using a turbocharger) has a base price of $31,450 including destination.

So...$26,995 is a $3,000 to $4,000 price difference.

Government dole? General Motors got bailed out by our government. Bailed is in the past tense. GM is now on its own again, repaying its loans like any other person or company would.

With proper advertising to the right demographic, this car will sell, and not just to previous GM owners.

Agreed. The biggest disadvantage this car is going to have will be the Buick badge. If it can overcome the image problems that Buick has, this car will be a huge success.

 

[obriend]

This is precisely the thinking that keeps the image of GM down. Most luxury cars have keyless ignition now. Not just the ES, but Acura, Infiniti, etc. They dont seem to have problems. (Besides, I don't see what keyless ignition has to do with the acceleration issues. Even with this feature, holding down the button will shut down the engine just like a key would.)

Has for changing out the headlamps, one should not have to do this. In addition to HID being superior to the Silverstar halogens (which constantly burn out I hear), the average car buyer cannot be bothered doing this. How many average car buyers would even know how to do this. The fact remains that if they want to go against Lexus and Acura, these are certain features that Buick and GM need to implement.

The unfortunate CHP officer who was killed (along with his family) in a Lexus ES apparently could not shut the car off (I am presuming that, as a highway patrolman, he would have tried to). Holding down the ON/OFF switch for 3 seconds while the car is accelerating out of control (keeping it on the road with the other hand) vs. a simple flick of a key to the left....hmmm.

To me (again, 30's, professional, tech savy) keyless ignition is not a must-have - especially in the $25-30,000 range. None of my professional colleagues whom I talk to about cars (and who all have German makes) think so either. We are more impressed with Ford's SYNC (though flawed in some ways) than many other technologies (especially those who live with the 1st gen iDrive). Besides, Edmunds had a long-term report of their 750i and it was having issues with the keyless ignition not automatically unlocking the door - they had to pull out the key anyway!

As long as Buick offers those features - fine. But should every Buick have HID and keyless ignition? It depends on the price point - high-end LaCrosse sure. $27K Regal can live without it.

By the way, I get about 18 months or so out of the Silverstars, but do a lot of night driving back and forth to the hospital. They are worth the "frequent" changes - they have saved my car from four-legged obstacles on several occasions!

 

[Ed753]

Its overpriced, for a number of reasons, but the main drivers, are the fact it not going to be made state-side, so A) They don't want to sell too many of them the first year. B) Currency fluctuation uncertainty.

"The Regal will initially be assembled at Opel’s Russelsheim, Germany, factory, which could mean production will be somewhat limited given the unfavorable Euro to dollar ratio. For the 2012 model year, production will move to GM’s Oshawa, Ontario, assembly plant."

 

[Xenon]

Oh yes, they can...

A 2010 Acura TSX 2.4 (201hp) has a base price of $30,120 including destination.
A 2010 Audi A4 2.0TFSI FWD (211hp using a turbocharger) has a base price of $31,450 including destination.

So...$26,995 is a $3,000 to $4,000 price difference.

Government dole? General Motors got bailed out by our government. Bailed is in the past tense. GM is now on its own again, repaying its loans like any other person or company would.

With proper advertising to the right demographic, this car will sell, and not just to previous GM owners.

At this price level, you need either good brand perception, or good value. Considering this car is a Buick, and the pricing is about average for the segment, I wouldn't say that it will flow, but at the same time I really can't see this being the car that will get Buick noticed. I'm still hope that it will be a sales success, just so that we can see more GM Europe cars here in the states.