– but if Buick sticks with 255 horsepower, its sportiest car will be outgunned by the 278-horsepower Hyundai Sonata turbo right out of the gate.

Enough said right there! They shouldn't call it GS if that remains the case, it'll be a laughing stock!

 

Yep - I guess the nice thing about turbos is that they're so easily tunable for more power and torque. Since the Ecotec is so durable, they could probably go far beyond the 260 hp in the Solstice GXP and still have great reliability.

 

there are people making over 330 whp on the 2.0T in the cobalts just with a different exhaust and a tune and the motors are holding up. GM better not let Hyundai get the faster car.

 

I really like the way the Sonata looks, and it has a spacious interior and puts out good fuel economy numbers. But the Regal's interior is superior to the Sonata's in nearly every way but space.

 

The Sonata also does interior storage better than the Regal which has but a tiny nearly useless little storage box in the rear of the center console and the small left hand side under dash compartment that might fit a few packs of gum. There are no door cup holders, no storage on top of the dash, nothing under the radio as in my Impala and nothing but very slim door pockets in the rear. I am surprised that the trunk is larger than the LaCrosse which is supposed to be a bigger car however!
Just think what a great performer the Regal would be with the top dog 3.6 SIDI as used in the Camaro with 312 HP. And before everone complains about mileage realise that this said motor in the Camaro gets 29 highway MPG in a 3800 LB RWD coupe so the 3600-3700 LB Regal should be close to 30 which is what the current base 2.4 acheives and better than the turbo 2.0 liter engines.

 

Please the Sonata is nice but just look at the Regal which is an Opel.....the quality level are not the same. Plus would you rather say I'm paying 30K+ for a Regal or Hyundai Sonata....and this buying audience care a little bit about labels. That is why the Genesis Sedan is not selling in large number as good as it is.

 

a cobalt SS has more power than a $33k 328i and yet the two cars arent really cross shopped. the sonata delivers a lot for the money but its no Regal. The interior of the sonata is just average in terms of materials and design. Up close it looks and feels like a $20k car. The regal feels like a VW inside and its not in the same league as the Hyundai.

 

Message to GM: Regal GS will need more power

When the lease on my G8 GT runs out, I would definitely consider the Regal GS, but only if it at least matches the Hyundai in horsepower and torque. 255 hp from the Regal is not competitive with the 278 from the Sonata.

I will never buy a car that a comparably sized Hyundai with the same engine displacement, direct injection, and turbo set-up can beat in the stoplight and highway-merge battles during rush hour.

 

Re: Message to GM: Regal GS will need more power

When the lease on my G8 GT runs out, I would definitely consider the Regal GS, but only if it at least matches the Hyundai in horsepower and torque. 255 hp from the Regal is not competitive with the 278 from the Sonata.

I will never buy a car that a comparably sized Hyundai with the same engine displacement, direct injection, and turbo set-up can beat in the stoplight and highway-merge battles during rush hour.

Speaking of stoplight battles, the Regal Turbo with the six speed automatic had very little to offer off the line. Aside from the sounds coming from the engine compartment, once underway, the Regal Turbo felt nearly like a V6 in terms of passing power (if not better than some V6s). But off the line, there's nothing there. That could be corrected with the forthcoming manual gearbox, at least.

 

220hp and the excellent styling/interior will be the sweet spot for most buyers.

Great Car!!

 

Sonata will not be cross shopped with Regal except in some very remote isolated cases. People shopping Hyundais aren't looking at Buicks, they are checking out Kia, Toyota, Suzuki, etc...

 

I also just have to believe that an Opel built Buick Regal is just going to have much better driving dynamics than a Hyundai Sonata. I could be totally wrong on this, but I'm sure that the Regal is going to be much more of a driver's car than a Sonata could ever be. Sonata is still going to have to be marketed (and therefore tuned for a softer ride) towards the family sedan crowd while the Regal is more performance oriented.

 

I haven't yet driven a new Sonata, but one of my colleagues did, and he said it drove like a Camry. The Regal, particularly the Regal Turbo, drives far better than a Camry does.

I'm actually intrigued by the Regal vs. Kizashi comparison. The Kizashi is a half-size smaller, but the interior quality and design is on par between the two cars, with the Regal just a tad nicer.

 

All this talk of how the turbo 2.0 liter 220 HP model feels like a V6 is not what it's cracked up to be. If it is a dog on the low end and can only muster 7.5 second 0-60 times then what V6 is this like? For the record that is barely quicker than a base 3500 Impala which runs 7.8 seconds, slower than my 2008 AFM 3900 Impala 2LT which magazines have 7.3 seconds and I have timed at 7.0 seconds fully broken in and slower than all competitors V6 mid size sedans save maybe the Kia Optima 2.7 liter. So in reality it really isn't up to the better V6 sedans and barely any better than an antiquated Impala 3900/4 speed or in other words I am still unimpressed. If I'm paying 30 plus grand I wouldn't expect to be blown away by somebodys 27K Malibu V6 or worse a 25K Toyota Camry or even worse yet a 26K Hyundai Sonata SE turbo. Sorry GM but your going to have to do better. And before everybody chimes in about this possible maybe 255 HP version of the 2.0 liter that hasn't been confirmed yet and the GS is a ways off. If Buick is going to offer heavier cars than the competition then the engine choices need to reflect that.

 

a cobalt SS has more power than a $33k 328i and yet the two cars arent really cross shopped.

That's like saying you refuse to buy an S550 because it can't beat a Charger SRT8 in a drag race. As far as Regal GS vs Sonata turbo goes, that's no more apples to apples than comparing a Dodge Charger to an S-class is.

Really poor analogies, because you are pitting top-end cheaper cars against the base models of more expensive cars. The fact of the matter is that on paper at least, the Sonata's entire engine lineup - from standard engine to top of the line- bests the Regal's counterpart engines, in a car that costs substantially less than the Regal. That has to raise questions regardless of whether the cars actually are cross-shopped.

And Hyundai is at least trying to move upmarket, although it remains to be seen how that will work out.

As for the GS, it sounds like it might have to worry in a stoplight war against a 10-year old supercharged Regal GS.

 

Hyundai has a certain look to it. I dislike it with an "Eeew, I need to wash now" intensity.

I do like the look of the Regal. Enough that I'd probably wash and wax one in the winter.

While YMMV, I don't think they'll be competing against each other except on paper.

 

Now that I've seen the production car in person, I really like it, but I want at least 250HP to replace my Audi or VW 2.0T when they come off lease at the end of the year. This car needs to be a step up for Passat, Jetta or VW CC buyers, or a lateral step for a base Audi A4 buyer. Plus the German cars have superior lease programs, at least in SoFla. It is very tough to compete against the base VW/Audi cars........but their price explodes with major options. As of now I think the CXL model Buick has at least as good an interior and that is really saying something.

 

I think the Kizashi is pretty interesting, but there are a couple of turnoffs for me:

Base (and only) engine: 180hp / torque 170lbft @ 4000rpm
Greenhouse shape provides lackluster side profile view
Audi-inspired frontend (looks good on an Audi, not so much other cars IMO)
CVT instead of conventional automatic (not interested in manual tranny)

When it comes time I might shop it versus the Regal, though my first impression of these cars in this segment aren't really making me eager to drop near/around $30k on them. Seems like a better idea to save my pennies for a few more years and a 328, G37, or an A4.

 

Hello, I was surfing Regal on the internet and found this post. I have been over here a few times and like the site. Over at the RegalGS forum, many of us older Regal owners have been looking into the new Regal. It seems that there is a lot of misinformation out there. Not to offend anyone--obviously I'm the "n00b" here and some of this information is new. As a (now old) Regal owner, I am ashamed to say that, even with moderate performance mods to my car, the new Regal GS will beat my 80k mile young baby. Interesting that people here are comparing it to the new Sonata Turbo. I must say I really like Hyundai and my sister loves her 2010 Accent. You know the Toyota Camry XLE V6 does do 0-60 in 6.2 seconds. The Sonata Turbo will have decent torque @269 ft-lb, but is front-wheel drive only, automatic only, and no performance orientation. Both of these cars are non-performance family sedans! Anyway, there are 3 (not two) models for the new Regal; CXL with the LAF 2.4L, CXL Turbo with the 2.0L LNF, and the GS with a performance tuned and higher boosted 2.0L LNF. The CXL is nothing special for engine performance (just like the Sonata), 182 hp @6700 172 ft-lb @ 4900. The CXL Turbo has 220 hp @ 5300, 258 ft-lb @ 2000-4000 (which means you get peak torque for two full thousand rpms), a 0-60 in 6.7 sec, and the 1/4 mile in 15.50. That is on par with the old sleeper GS. The new GS will have 255 hp and an impressive torque curve peaking @ 295 ft-lb. Yes, the GS will have 6-speed (manual or auto with paddle shifter) AWD (and so will the CXL Turbo as soon as it transfers production over to the Canadian plant in 2011), Recaro seats with adjustable lumbar support etc.(just like the CXL Turbo), performance suspension, tires, and four piston aluminum Brembo calipers on 14" cross-drilled rotors and tip the scales just over 3600 lbs. The GS does 0-60 @ 5.90 sec (unconfirmed) and has been estimated to do the quarter in 14.4 sec. That is much better than our now old sleeper Regal GSs and leaps and bounds better than the V6 Acura TSX that it is competing directly with. By the way, the Regal is not competing against the Sonata Turbo and the rest of the Camry-type family sedans. If it were to be compared, of course the Regal's stats and luxury ARE way better, but costs a little more, which is why it is being compared to the TSX and Audi A4. The base CXL Turbo Regal is performance oriented, the fully loaded turbo Sonota is not. The And if that's not enough for you, GM will offer a Stage I add-on package for the 2.0 just like it did for the Cobalt SS (and just like Buick Performance used to offer with their old school muscle cars). As far as the interior only being being a "tad nicer" than the Kizashi, I've test drove a completely base model Regal and was completely impressed. It is better made and much nicer than MY Regal GS--and that's saying something. Suzuki cars remind me of Daewoo--cheap plastic parts that break and sun fade too quickly--and I have worked on many import cars, as I was a car electronics installer at Best Buy and a custom stereo shop. Check out hyundai.com and look at 2011 models. There is no Sonata Turbo for 2011 anyway!

 

Welcome, spcrollins405! Great first post.

 

Huge horsepower really isn't necessary in this or most classes of cars. Hence, most Bu's are 4's. Most Camry's are 4's. Most Accords are 4's... etc, etc etc....

Very few people drive their cars hard.

 

Optima with the new body style looks sporty enough to get some cross shoppers.

The Sonata just doesn't have that sporting look like the Regal. Optima is a different story.

I also don't think they are the same buyers as a potential Regal but then again Lexus is cross shopped heavily by Buick Lacrosse and Ford Taurus (mainly SHO) buyers so who knows.

 

First, I would like to say that my wife and I just purchased a 2011 Regal CXL RL2 this past weekend and absolutely love the car! Prior to purchasing the Regal, we looked at the Hyundai Sonata Limited with the 2.4 liter engine. Although the Sonata is a really nice car for the money and is easily quicker than the Regal in straight line performance, the Regal feels much more upscale and refined than the Sonata. Both my wife and I like the styling of the new Sonata, but we both prefer the looks of the Regal.

Although GM is pitting the Regal against the Acura TSX and the Audi A4, I think the Regal's biggest competition will easily be the Sonata. Other than our 2011 Regal, I have only seen one other Regal on the road and that vehicle had a dealer plate and was driven by a Buick salesman or sales manager. On the other hand, I see at least 2-3 2011 Sonatas everyday.

Unfortunately for GM, I think most people who shop the Sonata and Regal will go for the Sonata due to the Sonata's lower price.

As stated above, what won us over is the interior and exterior design of the Regal, along with its more upscale feel compared to the Sonata.

 

Although the Sonata is a really nice car for the money and is easily quicker than the Regal in straight line performance, the Regal feels much more upscale and refined than the Sonata. Both my wife and I like the styling of the new Sonata, but we both prefer the looks of the Regal.

There you have it folks.

The Sonata is going to appeal to folks who really dont care about the true fit and finish of the car. The FEEL and QUALITY of the Regal is far higher than the Sonata, hands down.

If you just go and SIT in both, you can tell. If you drive them, its even more obvious.

The Malibu is what competes with the Sonata. Why do people always insist on lumping the Regal in with the Sonata?

 

Pretty nice car. Nice to see GM get into the Turbos

Question for someone

Is that an IDrive type controller on the center armrest area>?

 

Regardless of the "quality" and "feel" that the Buick will be superior in, according to these numbers, the best of the Regal will be smoked by punk kids in their turbo Sonatas due to weight and power disadvantages.

 

That may be true, but unless you're a "punk" kid, no one will really care. Those of us who are a little bit older, who have families, and who have a career are looking for something beyond just a quick car. Besides, most "punk" kids will not even look at the Sonata, nor will most even be able to afford the Sonata. Those who can will be looking at something altogether different. They will not care about this car.

 

The problem with GM is that is has Mid size vehicle line executive, instead of letting Buick or Cadillac do its thing without some corporate overlords dictating.. That is why the brands are so similar, look at how different Bentley is from Audi..

 

If someone is considering the Sonata AND Regal and choose the Sonata then they were shopping for value more likely than not.

Is the Sonata a good car? Sure.

Is it such a good car to compare it to a Regal? No. Sure, the engines might match up but that is about it.

To me, the extra money is clearly worth it to have that cabin quietness and much better interior that doesnt look like its been designed by a guy obsessed with funky curves. Not to mention, the actual driving ability and fell of the cars.

They arent the same class of cars so its pointless to compare them is what Im trying to get across. Just annoying to keep hearing the two compared on here and in the press.

 

I stand corrected. I didn't realize you were speaking in the context of between cross shopping these two specific cars.

Even then I only half agree. Some just might not feel they are worth the premium, even if they like a nicer interior and find the Buick's nicer.

It's pretty debatable, I guess.

 

I agree its debatable to an extent. The Regal will go to those that want to get out of the cheap feeling midsize vehicles while not having to go with a "foreign" vehicle.

The Sonata will and does appeal to the lower 20-25 y/o married people who want the value proposition the car brings. Like I said, it is NOT a bad car. For the money, its a very good car.

However, I did see a 40ish y/o man driving a Sonata limited yesterday. Looked slightly weird seeing an older person in such a "young" car to me.

Another off topic but my wife, who loves her Terrain, finds the new Sonata ugly. "No way in heck would I drive that ugly car."

 

I find that men seem to like it better overall than women, my mother notwithstanding, lol.

I think there are sedans that feel don't feel cheap in the midsize sector. Back in 2004 when my car was new it had a better interior, especially the leather, than some cars costing another 10-15K. It seems like companies are actually focusing less on interior quality and feel in this segment, shockingly. That also includes Honda. I like my interior better than our 2009 Accord. Camry is a another example of this.

I do think it's interesting to envision a Sonata moved upmarket with some of the things I mentioned earlier. But I suppose that car would pretty much be the 2G Azera, which will be more upmarket and larger than the Sonata (as you know). Or the Kia Cadenza, which I REALLY like so far.

 

I know that guys in the early Theta vehicles (Equinox and Terrain) had the same problem. Husky had out liners first and then quickly followed by Weathertech. Not to mention, they were/are cheaper than GM mats and protect better.

 

Like it even matters that a cheaper car will outrun it. You don't hear these people saying a 300C SRT8 will smoke an E350. These cars are upgrades.

Now if it was a MALIBU 2.4L for Hyundai turbo money, then you'd have a case.

 

Saw a silver Regal on the road today. It was a rental and the guy was driving it like he stole in on 565 West. It looks great in motion.