Been thinking about maybe downsizing to a new Regal. So I looked at the new Regal's today. Went for a test drive and this one had the 2.0 Turbo engine. As soon as I pulled out of the dealer lot I knew I was in for car shock. The thing was junk! You could immediately here the suspension making a lot of racket. The interior had of course a rental car feel to it. The engine pulled pretty good once you were going about 30 mph but that was about it. It had to rev to 3000 to just do anything. Also the start/stop was annoying. It would shut off as soon as you came to a stop and then start back up. Needless to say I told the sales person it would be hard coming from a LS430 to this and he said yes I agree as we both laughed.

 

Maybe you could look at the new Chevy Impala. I really like the body style and I bet it will ride better that the Regal. And I think you could get a very good deal on one. Not much of a downsize but maybe a little.

 

Not surprised....

 

Is that the twin-scroll turbo, direct-injected 2.0? I had one of those in my Cadillac ATS. for what it was it was a decent motor but too bad the rest of the car was a disappointment.

 

How is the Buick Regal still a car?

 

My son just bought an '18 Accord. Although it's the base LX model, the standard equipment list is impressive. The quality of the interior belies its modest price and it is very roomy. Like the Regal, it has a small turbo motor. It seems to be a real value at a discounted price of less than $21,000.

 

I used to get the $50 GM test drive offers all the time. Many times, the salesperson would allow me to validate without driving the car, saving both parties' time. One time, also, I drove a then brand new Tahoe, and the salesperson gave me a fake code--I got the $50, believe me.

Anyway, one of the above was a Regal GS--we got out of the parking lot, and I just turned around and went back immediately. It was that bad. I couldn't even feel any resistance at the steering wheel.

If you've seen any of my comments in the car chat, I am actually a Buick fan (my wife and I met Chef Ming Tsai at a Buick event and had our pics with him). But that doesn't give them a free pass. The new Regal wagon looks good, but the motor looks so cheap from pics--looks like a person could slice their hand open with some of the sharp edges.

 

I'm changing my recommendation to the Accord as well. I test drove one a couple months ago. That is a great sedan.

 

I saw one at the gym and said the rear isn't that ugly....then I said the back isn't as bad as I thought, and then I saw the nose. It's like that BMW F look that seemed to have been "cool" back in 2012, but is once again out. I wish Japan would improve their aesthetics....

 

When driving my Miata I hear all these cars at red lights turn off and then turn back on when they take their foot off the brake. Really? How much wear and tear can these starters take? Would drive me crazy. How do I know when my car really dies or just shuts down 'cuz it's trying to save a few drops of gasoline? I don't ever see me driving one of those. I'll pass.

 

I actually like that feature, seriously....I think it adds a solid 1 to 1.5 mpg to my commute (I had a long term BMW 328i loaner that had it). They are intelligently designed where you certainly get heat the entire time, and AC for much of the time, and if you repeatedly are stopping and going like in traffic, it does not shut off.....plus the systems are designed to constantly stop then start. I feel much better and less annoyed when at stop lights with such cars...

 

Are you serious?!

 

my boss' S550 has the auto stop feature and it really bugged me, but then I got a rental car a couple weeks ago with the feature, a Jeep, and I grew to quite like it. You can easily control whether it activates or not by how you use the brake pedal. Keep the brake depressed a bit harder and the engine will turn off, let up a bit and it will quickly start. At least that was the Jeep implementation. Would be curious to know if Lexus is using this feature.

I wouldn't worry a bit about the parts durability on something like this....if Toyota is doing it you can bet they thoroughly tested the heck out of that starter and other parts.

 

My wife's RAV4 Hybrid has the stop/start feature. I have found it to be seamless and not the least bit irritating. Most likely, it's something that all vehicles will have within a few years. How that will impact starter longevity is unknown, but she probably won't own it long enough to find out!

 

Not really....