Originally Posted by andrew
~ well i finally had the chance to drive the gs today... the outcome wasn't as i hoped.
the positives: unique exterior looks, interior layout, supportive seats, brembo brakes, gs design bits.
the negatives: extremely disappointing performance; no thrill acceleration (feels like a 9 second car 0-60).
i would of expected the gs regal (270 hp) to have some get up and go... and it's just not there... full throttle performance feels asthmatic.
oh well... the gs looks good in pics. (my current car parked next to it)...
my friend drove the car as well... and his feelings were mutual.
Andrew/All - during March Madness this year when the Buick was advertising the Regal GS pretty much every other commercial, I'll admit, the car did catch my eye. I thought to myself, "its a Buick, but I'll take the time to look it up at least". But as soon as I did I knew it would never truly appeal to me as I knew it could never truly be an "enthusiast" car (such as AMG, SRT, M, SS, V, etc.), which is really the market Buick should have shot for with this model. By trying to find the middle ground (i.e. appealing to both the practical "appliance vehicle" market of consumers in which practical considerations usually outweigh passion/performance by leaving the car with an underpowered engine, but simultaneously trying to target the smaller, yet usually more vocal and always more passionate, "enthusiast" market, such as those of us on this forum) Buick ended up with a car that wants to be taken seriously by car enthusiasts, but that is too flabby and slow to make the cut. It is by no means light, weighing in at over 3700 lbs, for the 270 hp under the hood. Had my search turned up that the GS was pushing over 300 hp, I would have been much more interested. 270hp is just not enough for the size and, presumably, the non-sporty vehicle dynamics (e.g. suspension) that come standard with many American cars. I am not surprised in your impressions of the car. If Buick is really serious about appealing to the enthusiast crowd, it should stop worrying about the masses (it already has the Base and Premium models for them), and stick a truly powerful engine under the hood that is a special label (such as the SRTs, AMGs out there) that will make gearheads like us think twice before passing the Buick dealership and moving on to other auto manufacturers. If you think I am wrong, think about what Cadillac has done over the past several years with the massive improvement of its V series. Do I think Buick will take this advice? Probably not