Buick Regal (older generation) Midsize | Compact
Buick Regal (older generation) Midsize | Compact
[Oct 27, 2003]
KP
Model Reviewed:
Regal LS
Strength:
Smooth ride and handling. No rust as of yet.
Weakness:
Bought used with 17,000, no knowledge of handling before me. But! I have had to fix 2 major oil leaks that cost major dollars. I am not sure at 106,000 miles it will go further. I do regular maint. The seat belts no matter how adjusted don't fit. The seat belt rarely recoils into its holder. I have closed the door and the passenger door only to see the belt hanging or caught between the door and the frame. I has cracked the frame' plastic several times. Once had to have someone else open it for me. The hood will lock tight and I have to go the a mechanic to get it openned from under the car. Transmission shows signs of wear. I like almost everything about the size of the car, fuel efficiency and overall looks. Smooth ride, plenty of pickup when needed. Mostly used for trips of 25-50 miles or more. Very little in town. |
[Oct 10, 2003]
Gord Wells
Model Reviewed:
Regal LS
Strength:
Great ride; comfort; great quality
Weakness:
Haven't changed it's looks in the past ten years...what's with GM???? This is my third Regal and I intend to buy a new one again this year. I've owned Chev Malibu's, Olds Cutlass and Fords but nothing compares to my Regals |
[Sep 30, 2003]
Karl
Model Reviewed:
Limited
Strength:
Good power; comfortable interior; smooth ride; radio controls on the steering wheel (I love this!); good audio; big trunk; cruise control; attractive exterior
Weakness:
Keyless entry doesn't work farther than 10 feet away; cup holder is a bit flimsy-- it flips out from the armrest-- sags under the weight of a 44oz big gulp; windshield wipers can be hard to fine tune; fine control of interior temp is difficult; no good place to put coins or other stuff I consider all of the above to be minor issues. I got my '93 Regal Limited a few months ago, from my grandfather who bought a Buick Park Avenue last year. It's my first car... yeah, I'm another 20 something driving a Buick. Really, I couldn't be happier. The only money I've spent is on gas. It has 90K miles on it, and my grandfather never had any trouble with it either. The V6 gives me all the power I need... it's nice to pull up to a light next to some smug teenager in a Jetta or a Civic who looks down their nose at my 10 year old car... only to be wondering what happened as I disappear into the distance. Gas mileage is mixed: at lower speeds, compares favorable to other cars, but seems to guzzle at higher speeds (80+ mph). It's a two door. Interior space is good, but tall passengers complain that leg room in the back seat is a bit lacking. Audio is fantastic. No CD player, but few 93 models have one. (I have my CD player hooked in through the tape deck.) I would reccommend this car to anyone. Similar Products Used: The only other cars I've driven a lot are my parents cars, a 2000 Plymouth Neon and a 1997 Dodge Ram van. Neither has the get up and go of my Regal. It's hard to compare beyond that, since all 3 cars |
[Aug 10, 2003]
jimehlinger
Model Reviewed:
GS
Strength:
Lots of power, styling, roominess and overall comfort. It's a very attractive vehicle too (two-tone paint, chrome wheels etc). All this, AND Gran Touring suspension? This is what did it for me.
Weakness:
Dash reflects on the windshield. No place to lay sun glasses. Minor things compared to all the great points this car has. Awesome. I found my 2000 GS on Autobytel.com advertised locally. I called the dealer and in 2 hours it was mine. It had just 46k (highway) miles on it, KBB was $16.4K and I got it for 12.9K. It's in immaculate condition throughout, has new tires and brakes, and for 3.99% financing (not the dealer) I found it impossible to say no. Similar Products Used: Turned in a 99 Ford Explorer lease (with zero suspension) for this beauty. |
[May 22, 2003]
Dennis Brewer
Strength:
Power,Power,reliability,comfort,ease of handling,economy(29-31mpg on highway)all combine to make this a great car
Weakness:
Console to deep, no place to lay anything (sunglasses, coins, gloves, dash reflects on w/s in some situations, By any definition this is the best car I've ever had. 80,000 miles and all I've done is change the oil. Also had the front brakes done at 50,000mi. The GS is a fun car to drive and very comfortable on long trips. We take 750 to 800 mile day trip regularly to visit family. AC and all other systems continue to perform flawlessly. Would recommend a GS to anyone Similar Products Used: Why would I care? |
[May 02, 2003]
Steven Zacharias
Model Reviewed:
Buick Regal GS
Strength:
240 hp, 6.5 sec 0-60, front wheel drive reliability, Good in and out of corner control, Great winter traction with winter tires.
Weakness:
Minor squeeks and rattles in dash and door( fixed under warrinty), minor glare on your windshield when dustless! I've had the Buick Regal GS for a very enjoying amount of time. It provieds seemless performance, with the comfort of leather, climate control, and a kickin stereo. It rides on 225/60/16 chrome rims, that look great when polished. The body is starting to look a little out dated since its been almost the same for about 7 years! Over-all the car have been great. Similar Products Used: Lexus 450, BMW 330i, Chrysler 300m, Cadillac CTS, (mostly company cars) the buick almost effortlessly compares to them. |
[Apr 01, 2003]
Dave Radcliffe
Strength:
Power, power, power. Handles great, lots of room, quiet, solid sound system. The door from the drop down middle back seat into the huge trunk is great along with the sun roof, I've carried lumber, trees, light poles, you name it. Extra cigarette lighter outlet for accessories.
Weakness:
could look a little faster in the already clean lines, but that's a sleeper for you. The cup holder is in a bit ackward place, should be forward a little more and digging out a CD from the storage compartment while driving isn't very safe. The Buick Regal GSE is the most comfortable ride I've ever owned. Traded an 88 Saleen Mustang convertable so I needed the 240HP to satisfy my need for speed; I needed the sun roof to simulate the openness feel of my convertable and I needed more room for my growing family. I got so much more than I bargined for. Luxury, sound, handling, speed, roomy and nice looking. No major repairs needed, no engine work required so far at 65K miles. Our cup holder broke, that's it. When I go to buy a new car, it will also be a Buick Regal GSE. Similar Products Used: 1959 Ford Fairlane 500, 1969 Falcon, 1971 Mach I. 1974 Morris Minor, 1975 Mitsubushi Minica, 1975 Datsan B210, 1975 Mustang 2.3L, 1979 Mustang fastback, 1983 Mustang fastback, 1987 Mustang GT, 1988 Sa |
[Mar 16, 2003]
Jigga255
Strength:
Engine, Stereo, heated seats, and overall reliablitly can't be beat. end of story
Weakness:
Premium fuel is a bummer, and the stock tires on the GS are useless. I purchaised a set of Goodyear Eagles instead, and it's much better now. This is my 2nd Buick Regal GS (previously had a 1995 GS) and this one is awesome. My car is fully loaded, and bought it from an older gentleman who's lease just ended. Since this car is eqquipped with the 240hp supercharged engine, this thing is a sleeper. I don't usually race, but when some punk kid in a lowered honda or toyota pulls becide me, I let her loose. I've never lost a stoplight-to-stoplight race before. The Monsoon Stereo sounds amazing, so there's no sense upgrading that. Also, the Gran Touring Suspension makes the car handle like a dream. I reciently completed the BMW drivers Training Course, and around the track, only the M3s and M5's could beat it. The look on the faces of some of those drivers, who only that morning were snickering when I pulled up, was priceless. All in all, I wouldn't trade this car for anything. Similar Products Used: previously-owned a 1995 Regal GS, and have driven a 2002 Nissan Maxima, and a Ford Taurus. Neither were as much fun to drive as the Regal though. |
[Feb 11, 2003]
Jodi Darnley
Model Reviewed:
1197 1/2
Strength:
Smooth ride. It is very roomy.
Weakness:
At 51000 miles just sank 2,500.00 into the car for leaking gaskets, power steering gear, manifold warping/melting. I feel that is ridiculous for a car of only 5yrs old with 51,0000 miles. We also had to pay for a rental car for the three days that the Buick dealership had the car. We are now in the market for a new car, it WILL NOT be a General Motors car. I have had the my Buick for 5 years and have taken it to our local Buick Dealer ship for numerous issues. Majority have been warranted, but as an inconvience to my husband and I since we both work in two different directions. Most of the things we had to have fixed that were warranted were poor quality of General Motors. What was the General Motors QC Manager doing when this car was in the assembly line???? |
[Jan 02, 2003]
TenorJoe69
Model Reviewed:
.5 Regal GS
Strength:
Power- 240 hp and 280 ftlbs. of torque, leather, power seats, easy to use controls, sound system, steering wheel radio controls, climate control, easy to work on, all iron pushrod motor with 4 bolt cross bolted mains (extremely tough block, funny cars use this technique)avaliblity of performance products makes this a good sleeper car on the strip or street. Sister car is the Grand Prix GTP
Weakness:
Could use a dual exhaust,carful about adding too much power without adding at least a Trans cooler and/or a shift kit, oil filter location, not a horrible spot (Better than Series I 3.8) Passenger side window, my car has crappy tires that make way to much road noise on some surfaces, I wish it had a Head-up-display, not too many exterior "dress items" but who cares, why would u want someone to now how quick you are, it's better to see the dumbfounded look on their face in your rearview mirror. What a car!! Its got the best of everything; power, ride, reliability. The ultimate sleeper car. Beat a Mustang 5.0 at the stoplight in stock trim. Car is very driveable though, supercharger does not close the bypass valve until after half throttle. Loads of performance upgrades available, incl. one from SLP called the GSX. Car can easily be upgraded to over 400hp. The ride is a good comprimise btw. Performance and smoothness, Ive never broke this car loose with or without tracton on. Only had minor problems, water pump developed a very slight crack and slowly leaked fluid, took the dealer 3 hours to find the leak it was so small, dealer covered it because it happened in the first month of ownership. The Alternator was next, probably because of the water pump, got it rebuilt for $80 and did the labor myself, easiest alternator I've ever put on. The passenger side window doesn't work properly, but I dont use it anyway, thats what climate control is for.Im was 17 when I bought it, u cant find a car from ford or Chrysler that can go from 0-60 in 6.5 seconds with 4 doors for this price. Recommend it to people who want some luxury in their fast cars at a reasonable price. I suggest u buy one used ( you'll save a lot and it will be a proven product ), dont get one with over 100k miles because Ive heard the bearings in the nose drive are questionable over 150,000 Similar Products Used: 1990 Olds Toronado, 1989 Buick Reatta,1997 Hyundai Sonata also driven but not owned a 1997 Cadillac Catera, 1996 Mercury Grand Marquis, 1993 Mecrury Sable, 1993 Chevy Beretta, 1989 and 2002 Chevy Cavi |