2020 Buick Regal

Buick has always been a premium brand, one that brings upscale cars into the market. Granted, most of these cars have been Chevrolets dressed in business clothes, but it doesn’t dimish their value by a single bit. Still, they haven’t been exceptional cars either. So, what does the Regal Sportback bring to the table that other cars don’t? For starters, the Regal is now German made, which in layman terms means ‘superior build quality’.

If you are inclined to know more about the car, lets first understand the competition as well. In the same space as the Buick Regal Sportback, you have heavy hitters like Honda Accord and Kia Optima, and other cars as well, like the exciting Ford Fusion and super spacious Chevy Malibu. Then there is the Toyota Camry, the best selling car of all time. To be honest, the Buick has its work cut out for it.

The 2020 Buick Regal Sportback features 6 trims, with varying features list on each. The Regal, Preferred, Preferred-II, Essence, and Avenir trims feature front-wheel drive setup. The Preferred-II, Essence, and GS trim feature all-wheel drive.

Trim	Base	Preferred	Preferred-II	Essence	Avenir	GS
MSRP (FWD)	$25,995	$28,595	$32,695	$34,795	$36,195	-
MSRP (AWD)	-	-	$33,090	$35,190	-	$39,995
Engine	2.0L Turbo Inline-4	2.0L Turbo Inline-4	2.0L Turbo Inline-4	2.0L Turbo Inline-4	2.0L Turbo Inline-4	3.6L V6
Key Features	9-speed auto with Manual	Same features as ‘Base’ but with the following additions or replacements	Same features as ‘Preferred’ but with the following additions or replacements	Same features as ‘Preferred-II’ but with the following additions or replacements	Same features as ‘Essence’ but with the following additions or replacements	Same features as ‘Avenir’ but with the following additions or replacements
	60/40 Split-Folding Rear Seat	Leather-Wrapped Steering Wheel	40/20/40 Split-Folding Rear Seat	Leather-Appointed Front and Rear Seats	Quilt-Stitched Leather-Appointed Seats	3.6L V6 Engine
	Quiet Tuning Technology	Auto-Dimming Rearview Mirror	Dual-Zone Automatic Climate Controls	Heated Driver and Front-Passenger Seats	3-Dimensional Grille, Black Ice Finish	Intelligent All-Wheel Drive with Active Twin Clutch
	Rear Vision Camera	Eight-Way Power Driver Seat with Two-Way Lumbar	Heated, Leather-Wrapped Steering Wheel	8-Way Power Passenger Seat with 2-Way Power Lumbar	19" Aluminum Wheels, Pearl Nickel Finish	19" Cast Aluminum Wheels with Technical Gray Gloss Finish
	Halogen Headlamps with LED Signature Daytime Running Lamps	N/A	18" Machined-Faced Aluminum Wheels with Painted Pockets	N/A	Driver Confidence Package and Sights and Sounds Package	High-Performance Heated, Ventilated Bucket Seats with Massage, Integrated Head Restraints and Power-Adjustable Bolsters
	Buick Infotainment System with 7" diagonal color touch screen	N/A	Fog Lamps	N/A	LED Cornering Headlamps w/Auto Leveling	Brembo Front Brakes
	Teen Driver Technology	N/A	Buick Infotainment System with 8" diagonal color touch screen	N/A	N/A	Rear Decklid Spoiler, Air Dams, Ground Effects and Pass-Through Exhaust
	Keyless start, push-button	N/A	Sport Seats with Leatherette Bolsters and Cloth Inserts	N/A	N/A	Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert†
	Engine control, stop-start system	N/A	N/A	N/A	N/A	Front and Rear Park Assist

We Recommend

The base trim has everything you need in a budget executive sedan, and we recommend you go for it. That said, the 3.6 V6 is a real heart stealer if you love to drive yourself to the nearest racetrack every once in a while.

Under its handsome sheet metal is a turbo 2.0-liter inline-four with front-wheel drive and a nine-speed automatic; all-wheel-drive models get an eight-speed. Handling is composed but less athletic than its rivals.-Car and Driver

Engine and Transmission

The job description for an engine includes only two main attributes, produce power and sound nice. Buick’s turbocharged engine does one of these wonderfully and manages to not disappoint with the other criteria. Can you guess which is which?

Transmission duties are handled by a slow but smooth 9-speed automatic. You could command the gear changes yourself with the gear stick (no flappy paddles sadly). Upshifts happen relatively quickly, but downshifts are extremely disappointing.

Models	Buick Regal Sportback	Chevrolet Malibu	Honda Accord	Kia Optima	Ford Fusion	Toyota Camry	Hyundai Sonata
MSRP	$25,995	$22,090	$23,720	$22,900	$22,840	$23,845	$22,300
Engine	2.0L Inline-4	1.5L I-4 Turbocharged	1.5L Inline-4	2.4L I-4	2.5L I-4	2.5l I-4	2.4L Inline-4
Transmission	9-speed automatic	CVT	CVT	6-speed automatic	6-Speed Automatic	8-speed automatic	6-speed automatic with SHIFTRONIC
Horsepower	250 @ 5400 rpm	160hp @ 5700 rpm	192hp @ 5500 rpm	185hp @ 6000 rpm	175hp @ 6000 rpm	203 hp @ 6600 rpm	185 @ 6000 rpm
Torque	260 @ 2000-5200 rpm	184 lb.-ft. @ 2500 rpm	192 lb.-ft. @ 1600 rpm	178 lb.-ft. @ 4000 rpm	175 lb.-ft. @ 4500 rpm	184 lb.-ft @ 5000 rpm	178 @ 4000 rpm

Acceleration

The 2020 model isn’t mechanically different from the 2018 Regal Sportback, which is why you could consider the performance figures from the previous models to be carried forward. With an educated guess, the Regal could be expected to perform better similarly specced cars. Final judgment after the figures get tested though.

Models	Buick Regal Sportback	Chevrolet Malibu	Honda Accord	Kia Optima	Ford Fusion	Toyota Camry	Hyundai Sonata
0-60 MPH (sec)	6.2	8.5	7.6	6.8	8.9	7.5	8.5
Quarter mile (sec)	N/A	16.0	15.9	15.2	15.2	15.9	16.4
Emission (Tons/yr. of CO2 Emissions @ 15K mi/year)	7.4	5.9	5.3	6.1	7.1	-	2.4L
Curb Weight (lb.)	3748	3126	3131	3411	3431	3241	3247

Braking

The brakes on the Regal are a full disc set up for the front and rear, and are strong with a great pedal feel. They inspire confidence under hard braking and cornering, only offset by the sedan’s reluctance to downshift in immediacy. Still, it has quite an adequate responsiveness for city commutes.

Models	Buick Regal Sportback	Chevrolet Malibu	Honda Accord	Kia Optima	Ford Fusion	Toyota Camry	Hyundai Sonata
Brake Front (in.)	N/A	11.8	11.5	12	11.8	12	12
Brake Rear (in.)	N/A	11.3	11.1	11.2	11.9	11	11.2
70-0 MPH (ft.)	162	113(60-0)	163	124(60-0)	122(60-0)	122 (60-0 MPH)	TBD

Ride and Handling

As a simple city car, the Buick offers a very plush suspension setup, one that favors ride quality over handling prowess. That isn’t to say the handling is compromised. No sir, that is far from the truth. The Regal handles like a dream, primarily due to its low center of gravity. Although the car behaves its best under city speed limits, you could definitely enjoy taking it for a spin on the highways. It does wallow a little, and there is a little body roll, but it’s so well controlled that it seems like there isn’t. You can keep the driver as well as the passengers happy with this one.

Turbocharging an engine has many benefits. The primary benefit is power, the secondary, efficiency. We’ve already established how great the power is. The efficiency figures are great too, although not segment leading. Even with spirited driving, you could easily pull up to 22 MPG, and if driven carefully, you could ride for upwards of 30 miles.

Models	Buick Regal Sportback	Chevrolet Malibu	Honda Accord	Kia Optima	Ford Fusion	Toyota Camry	Hyundai Sonata
MPG (city)	22	TBD	30	24	21	29	26
MPG (highway)	32	TBD	38	33	32	41	35
MPG (combined)	26	TBD	33	27	25	34	29
Fuel Tank Capacity (Gal.)	16.3	15.8	14.8	18.5	16.5	14.5	18.5

The Sportback’s styling and manners are that of a fastback sedan, with maximized utility and cargo space in an almost-standard four-door shape. With up to 60.7 cubic feet of cargo space, the Sportback reaches almost into crossover territory.-The Car Connection

Seating and Comfort

Interiors are one of the strongest suits of this sedan, with dual tone interiors that give the cabin a roomy and airy feel. The dash is premium, and there are faux wood panels around the gear lever. The optional leather seats with white stitching are simply brilliant, and the heated steering wheel adds even more value to this premium sedan.

Models	Buick Regal Sportback	Chevrolet Malibu	Honda Accord	Kia Optima	Ford Fusion	Toyota Camry	Hyundai Sonata
Passenger capacity	5	5	5	5	5	5	5
Front (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (In.)	39.6/55.5/41.5	40.1/58.5/45.3	39.5/58.3/42.3	39.8/58.1/45.5	39.2/57.8/44.3	38.3/57.7/42.1	40.4/ 57.9/ 45.5
Second (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (In.)	37.8/54.5/34.6	37.5/57.1/38.1	37.3/56.5/40.4	37.8/56.4/35.6	37.8/56.9/38.3	38/55.7/38	38.0/56.5/ 35.6

Cargo Capacity

The space in the trunk wouldn’t blow you away until you fold the seats down. The base trim gets standard 60:40 split folding seats, and trims higher than Preferred-II get 40:20:40 split seats. Even without that, the hatchback tail lends more room to the trunk than a traditional sedan, which is one of the biggest advantages here.

Models	Buick Regal Sportback	Chevrolet Malibu	Honda Accord	Kia Optima	Ford Fusion	Toyota Camry	Hyundai Sonata
Cargo Capacity (lb.)	19.2	15.8	16.7	15.9	16	14.1	16.3

Sharing much of its platform with the latest Chevrolet Malibu, the shapely Regal is larger yet lighter than before, with more accommodating rear quarters.-Car and Driver

Weight and dimensions

There aren’t many things to complain about in terms of the Regal’s exterior. Its inches towards the top of the segment in terms of real estate it occupies. It is also quite heavy, with the base model claiming just under 1.9 ton.

Models	Buick Regal Sportback	Chevrolet Malibu	Honda Accord	Kia Optima	Ford Fusion	Toyota Camry	Hyundai Sonata
Curb weight (lb.)	3748	3126	3131	3219	3411	3241	3247
Length(in)	192.9	193.8	192.2	191.1	191.7	192.1	191.1
Width(in)	73.3	73	73.3	73.2	75.6	72.4	73.4
Height(in)	57.3	57.6	57.1	57.7	58.1	56.9	58.1
Ground clearance (in)	N/A	TBD	5.3	5.7
Wheelbase (in)	111.4	111.4	111.4	110.4	112.1	111.2	110.4

Design and styling

The 2020 model has the same styling and design as the 2018 Buick Regal Sportback, with minimal changes. The sleek headlamps are pretty and the front grille features the Buick logo in the middle and two chrome stripes running outwards on the sides.

The hatchback style trunk offers immense practicality. You get 17-inch wheels as standard, with two 18-inch options available. The top GS trim has beautiful 19-inch wheels, which perfectly complement its additional power.

Safety Features

The 2020 Model comes loaded with plenty of safety features as well, the most important of which are listed below:

• Anti-lock Brakes
• Stability Control
• Front-impact Airbags, Driver And Front Passenger
• Side-impact Airbags, First And Second Row
• Knee Airbags
• Seatbelt Pretensioners
• Theft-deterrent Security System
• Forward Collision Alert
• Rear Cross Traffic Alert (Optional)
• Lane Keep Assist With Lane Departure Warning (Optional)
• Front Pedestrian Braking (Optional)
• Lane Change Alert With Side Blind Zone Alert (Optional)
• Onstar In-vehicle Assistance

NHTSA and IIHS Ratings are Unavailable

Buick Regal vs Honda Accord

Honda Accord used to be an almost perfect vehicle. It has now lost its V6 stick shift version, which hurts a lot, but the inline-4 isn't bad either. The Accord has as well built cabin, just like the Regal, along with a similar Sportback silhouette. The visual appeal is quite different though. The Honda tries to be very ‘futuristic-modern’ type of car, while the Buick is a very classy design. The Accord has a little more space on the inside, but the Regal trumps it with its premium feel. Other than that, these are pretty similar cars, although the Regal inches ahead in terms of performance while the Accord wins in the fuel economy department. In the parameters that matter, the Regal is a better choice.

Buick Regal vs Toyota Camry

How does the best selling global sedan fare against the Buick? Well, the easy way to understand it would be this; the Toyota Camry is very similar to the Honda Accord, only not as good. Surprising? Yes! It’s weird to see that the Camry offers slightly less space, power, and gas mileage than the Accord. Personally, the Buick is still the better pick of these two, unless you really want to save yourself a little gas money.

Buick Regal vs Chevrolet Malibu

As Buick and Chevrolet are both owned by GM, it shouldn’t be surprising to know that both the Regal Sportback and the Malibu share the same platform. The biggest difference is their market placement; the Buick is placed at the premium end. The top trim of the Chevy Malibu is powered by the same turbo inline-4 motor that comes standard on the base level Regal. The Top trim Regal, however, is a whole other story. Due to its smaller engine, the Malibu is more economical to drive. It also has slightly more interior space, which is a little surprising. The Malibu is also a sweet looking car, although the Buick simply takes the cake there.

 

Apart from its lovely handling and relative higher luxury, at a relatively affordable price. It is also quite a pretty car, which is an added bonus. But in this budget-conscious segment, you have a few other options that might more sense to you. Ford Fusion is cheaper and better to drive, Chevrolet Malibu is cheaper and better value, and Honda Accord is cheaper and more spacious. If any of these qualities outweigh the price of having a Buick insignia on the hood of your car, then go for it.