Looks

Enticing younger buyers into Buick showrooms is job No. 1. While the Enclave crossover and the recently redesigned LaCrosse have chipped away at the average age of Buick owners — it's down from 72 to 64 — the curvy Regal should lure in shoppers at least a decade or three younger than that.

The Regal we see in the U.S. is identical to a German GM design called the Opel Insignia. In fact, Buick proudly states that the two are virtually identical, save for the grilles and a few light treatments. That's likely because it would have been hard to complain about the original look. The front is modern and unoffensive, the profile and rear quarter bring BMW to mind, and the rear looks like it came from Acura — from before when that brand forgot what a curve was.

Taken in all at once, the Regal looks like a more expensive car than its $26,245 base price suggests. My hotel room was perched directly above the test fleet of Regals I piloted for this review, and while I worked from my hotel balcony I saw too many joggers and passers-by to count crane their necks to check out the row of sedans. Many even stopped to peek in the windows.

The Regal's look is an elegant one that's hard not to take note of in any of the six typical colors it's currently available in: white, silver, beige, dark gray, dark blue and black. Unfortunately, the dark red that's so attractive on the LaCrosse isn't yet available on the Regal.

    See also:

    Parental Control
    This button is located behind the video screen. Press this button while a DVD or CD is playing to freeze the video and mute the audio. The video screen will display Parental Control ON and the p ...

    When the Light Is On Steady
    This indicates that one or more of the tires are significantly underinflated. A Driver Information Center (DIC) tire pressure message may also display. See Vehicle Messages for more informati ...

    Remote Keyless Entry (RKE) System Operation
    The transmitter functions will work up to 20m(65 ft) away from the vehicle. Keep in mind that other conditions, such as those previously stated, can impact the performance of the transmitter. ...