G14 AUTOMOTIVE THE CAR PAGES | An attractive offering from the New GM
indeed, where domestic cars of any make or model—are a dis- tinct minority in a strongly flow- ing stream of Asian and European nameplates. American cars are so fewhere
T
they appear to be exotics in their own country, which also mirrors their anemic presence in the Dis- trict of Columbia, where Capitol Hill parking spots are more likely to be occupied byBMWs,Hondas, Toyotas or Volkswagens than they are by GM, Ford or Chrysler mod- els. It is an empirical reality
spawned by a generation of mar- ginal quality and missed opportu- nities by domestic car companies, ending in bankruptcy forGMand Chrysler in 2009 and billions of dollars in federal rescue cash for both. Ford escaped that opprobrium
only because it had faced failure earlier than its American siblings. By the timeGMand Chrysler were entering the poorhouse, Ford was on the mend, having made enor- mous sacrifices of physical assets and personnel and borrowed bil- lions from private lenders to de- velop new, successful products. NowGMseems to have turned
onto Comeback Road, announc- ing last week that it is preparing to go toWall Street to again sell shares publicly in a bid to do in capital markets what it no longer wishes to do under the derisive nickname of “GovernmentMo- tors.”
And what GMwants to do,
quite simply, is what it too long failed to do as GeneralMotors— design, build and sell inarguably the best cars in the world. But the problem forGMis the same for anyone or anything with a badly damaged reputation—getting people to give you value by believ- ing in you once again. It’s a tough call made tougher
by the revengeful anger of those wronged by the once mighty and the joy of those who thrive on the
WARREN BROWN On Wheels
continued suffering and misfor- tunes of the mighty fallen low. GMis going to have to clawits
way back one superior car at a time—superior in overall quality, design, performance, safety and market appeal, the latter of which speaks to value for dollar. The 2011 Buick Regal CXL, a midsize family sedan, is a start. It is not
cornwall, n.y.
he road toWall Street runs through thisHudson Valley town where Gener- alMotors automobiles—
of driving the 2011 Buick Regal CXL, that the payoff will be worth- while. The car says in ways that words never can that the OldGM is dead and that aNewGM, one that clearly understands “It’s the car, stupid,” has risen. Both exterior and interior de-
sign are attractive and purposeful, meaning that the exterior is meant to please the eye and cheat the wind and the interior is meant to coddle, entertain and inform. Interior fit and finish are excel- lent, rivaling anything from Audi/ Volkswagen, which is no accident. The newRegal is the progeny of GM’s Germany-based Opel group. It is based on the Opel Insignia se- dan. The Germans have long topped
GM/WIECK
hyperbole to mention it in the same lineup as the Acura TSX, Audi A4,Hyundai Genesis, Lexus IS or Volkswagen CC. But getting people to believe
that is going to take more than slick advertising or media testi- monials. To put it bluntly, GMis going to have to find away to put butts into seats. I hereby suggest the company do for the public what it already has done for the news media—hold motorized seminars in which all comers are allowed to drive samples of the newBuick Regal, at least for a couple of hours, free of charge. That’s going to costGMmoney,
which is apt to makeWall Street investors frown. But here’s bet- ting, based onmy own 700 miles
their Asian and American rivals in interior automotive design. The 2011 Buick Regal CXL honors that legacy. A production model of the front-wheel-drive Regal with a turbocharged 2-liter in-line four- cylinder engine (220 horsepower, 258 foot-pounds of torque) was not ready for this column. Instead I drove the version with the stan- dard 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine (182 horsepower, 172 foot-pounds of torque) with direct fuel injec- tion. I was not disappointed. The standard engine accelerated smoothly on highways at low ele- vations and performed with gusto in the foothills and mountains, even making it upMineHill Road here, about 1,500 feet above sea level, without much of a sweat. If theNewGMwants to make it
in the capital markets, it had bet- ter keep turning out cars such as the newBuick Regal CXL. In fact, it had better do much better than that. Rewinning investor hearts and
minds means regaining con- sumers who both love and respect the company. The only way GMis going to do that is through rolling out cars that generate affection. The Buick Regal CXL is another GMmove in the right direction. Here’s hoping the company keeps it up.
brownw@washpost.com
2011 Buick Regal CXL NUTS&BOLTS
Bottom line: Drive this one. Then get back to me. Let’s discuss. I think I’m right in saying that, as long as GM keeps rolling out cars as good as the new Regal at reasonably affordable prices, it has a fighting chance for longevity with profitability. And we U.S. taxpayers have a chance of getting back our $50 billion in federal bailout money.
Ride, acceleration and handling: It gets excellent marks in all three.
Head-turning quotient: Stately, attractive, rich. Interior design rivals anything (in midsize, mid-price segment) from Germany.
Body style/layout: The 2011 Buick Regal CXL is a front-engine, front-wheel-drive midsize mainstream family sedan with a traditional notchback trunk.
Engine/transmission: A 2.4-liter, 16-valve in-line four-cylinder engine with direct fuel injection and variable valve lift and timing (182 horsepower, 172 foot-pounds of torque) is standard. It is linked to a six-speed transmission that can be operated automatically or manually. A turbocharged 2-liter four-cylinder engine (220 horsepower, 258 foot-pounds of torque) will be available later this year.
Capacities: There are seats for five people. Maximum cargo capacity is 14.2 cubic feet. Fuel capacity is 18 gallons of gasoline (regular grade is recommended).
Mileage: I averaged 30 miles per gallon on the highway, on target with federal mileage findings for this car. But traffic tie-ups in Washington and New York City reduced city mileage to 18 mpg.
Safety: Standard equipment includes four-wheel disc brakes (ventilated front, solid rear), four-wheel anti-lock brake protection, emergency brake-pressure distribution, electronic stability and traction control, side and head air bags, and tire pressure monitoring.
Price: The base price of the 2011 Buick Regal CXL is $26,245. Dealer’s invoice price on that model is $25,195. Price as tested is $29,785, including $2,790 in options (premium Harman Kardon sound system, power-operated glass roof, parking proximity warning system) and a $750 destination charge. Dealer’s price as tested is $28,400.
on
washingtonpost.com Chat with Warren Brown
11 a.m. Fridays at
washingtonpost.com/discussions. Also, listen to On Wheels with Warren Brown from noon to 1 p.m. Sundays on WMET World Radio (1160 AM) or
www.wmet1160.com.
3Next week: Warren Brown reviews the 2011 Mazda3, including a note on the 2010-model recall.
6washingtonpost.com/cars: Search a database of past reviews, plus the latest auto news.
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