Columbia Loves Buick Regal - So Does Esquire Magazine!

The 2012 Buick Regal GS is coming soon to Columbia, SC.

If you've had the chance to drive the Buick Regal in Columbia, SC, you've probably fallen in love with the  crisp handling, the premium amenities that come as standard equipment, and the distinct styling.  And if you do love Buick's latest premium sedan, you're in very good company--so does Sam Smith in Esquire magazine.

The 2011 Buick Regal, as you no doubt know by now, is the American sibling of the Opel Insignia, a car that found much love in Europe--enough to become the 2008 European Car of the Year.  As Smith writes, "And in this version it does something few American cars have done: take down the competition while reinventing a brand.  Save a few trim changes and minor chassis tweaks, the Regal is undiluted Opel."  Smith goes on to praise the Regal as a return to the glory days of Buick. "Don't remember what that is? Once, Buicks were admirable machines, the kind of comfortable, capable vehicles driven by doctors and fathers. Men might not have lusted after a Buick, but they didn't settle for one, either. Charmingly, the Regal seems cut from the same cloth, albeit updated for the times — it's refined but not distant, sporty but not harsh."

With the more potent Buick Regal Turbo arriving in Columbia, SC, and the Buick Regal GS coming soon, it's easy to find a lot to love about the Buick Regal in Columbia--and Jim Hudson is here with the best selection of Buick Regal sedans in town.

C&D drives the 2011 Regal--do they love a Buick like Columbia does?

2011 Buick Regal CXL in Columbia, South Carolina

The September issue of Car and Driver magazine saw their staff get behind the wheel of a new 2011 Buick Regal. The people of Hogback Road overall enjoyed their time behind the wheel of the reborn Regal over on its home turf of Germany, particularly its smaller size compared with competitors that have grown over the years, although their naturally lead-footed nature meant that the standard 2.4L engine was a little less power than they hoped for.  (They, like us, are waiting on the turbocharged Regal that should be arriving later this year, or even for the not-too-far-beyond-that Regal GS.)

Many Columbia Buick drivers are falling in love with the Regal's slimmer dimensions compared to the larger family sedans on the road today.  What about you?

Columbia Loves a Buick, But What About This Road?

Buick undergoing virtual testing (Source: GM Media)

Columbia is blessed to have roads that are in more or less good condition.  But when the roads get rougher, you still expect your Buick to handle like the world-class car that it is.  Buick engineers put thousands of hours of testing on the roughest roads they can create, but Buick now puts new models to the test digitally even before the first model hits the test track.

Buick Testing for Columbia, SC Drivers

Istanbul native Mine Tasci is part of a team of engineers that created an innovative road scanner that makes a micro-detailed 3D digital representation of some of the toughest real-world road surfaces. Then she drives equally detailed digital Buick vehicles on the digital roads to test for quality and reliability.

"Just like a photo scanner, we can scan the surface of a road to create a three-dimensional digital representation," said Tasci. The scanner works with cameras and a laser to determine a 3D model of a road surface down to 1mm of fidelity.

An interesting application of this new technology involves a road leading to Mexico's Cerro del Cubilete shrine. It's a twisting, rocky path that winds its way up toward one of the most important religious shrines in Mexico. Each day, pilgrims from throughout Mexico are jostled and bumped as they traverse the stone road of Cubilete. 

If ever there was a road that could bring out vehicle rattles, squeaks and vibrations, Cubilete is it. "Customers who drive on that road complain about steering rack noise," said Tasci. "That's why we wanted to recreate this road so that we can test and ensure that our vehicles are up to the challenge of driving on roads like this one."

Buick submits new vehicles to rigorous virtual testing well before a physical prototype ever sees the light of day. Testing on challenging roads like Cubilete allows Buick engineers to find and address issues early on in the development cycle. "In the end, it leads to higher-quality, quieter and more comfortable Buick cars and crossovers," said Tasci.

Try a Buick in Columbia, SC

Jim Hudson Buick is the premier Buick dealer in Columbia, SC for both sales and service.  Recognized as a ten-time Readers' Choice award winner by readers of The State, Jim Hudson Buick serves South Carolina Buick drivers with a great lineup ranging from the all-new, sport-injected Buick Regal to the exceptionally spacious Buick Enclave luxury crossover.  We invite you to experience The New Class of World Class at our showroom located at 7201 Garners Ferry Road in Columbia.

Does Columbia Love a smaller Buick?

Buick Verano teaser from GM

If you're like many Columbia Buick lovers, you probably remember Buick's last run in the compact car segment: the Buick Skylark.  Last produced in 1998, the Skylark's demise left Buick buyers forced to choose a bigger entry-level sedan (first the Century, then the LaCrosse, then most recently the new Regal).

All that is due to change soon, as General Motors has announced a $145-million investment in their Orion Assembly Center last used to build the Pontiac G6.  Once retooled, the plant will create a new small car for Chevrolet and, more important to those that love a Buick in Columbia, an all-new Buick compact sedan dubbed the Verano.  Buick has released just one teaser image of the Verano, seen at the right, but hopefully more information will leak out soon enough.  (Sources are reporting that the Verano should share a platform with the just-released Chevrolet Cruze.)

What do you think?  Is it time for something smaller than a Buick Regal in Columbia?