2001 Buick Lesabre Limited on 2040-cars

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Buick Regal, Hyundai Sonata

Toyota is ramping up production of an all-new 2018 Camry and spending over $1 billion – with a "b" – at its Georgetown, Ky., plant. That investment speaks to the popularity of midsize sedans, despite sales inroads made by crossovers. While Accord and Camry are givens in the segment, less attention is paid to Buick's Regal and Hyundai's Sonata. And if shopping for a midsize sedan with a $30,000 budget, you should pay attention. Both offer a compelling combination of attributes and can be well equipped for that price point. Finally, both are due for either a major redesign (Regal) or aggressive freshening (Sonata) in the 2018 model year. Both Buick and Hyundai will be offering incentives 2017s, but Hyundai's program is more aggressive, with up to $6,000 in savings (as this is written). BUICK REGAL: For those seeking exclusivity at well below an "exclusive" price, there is the Regal. Designed by GM's Opel as the Insignia, the version sold stateside keeps most of its Eurocentric nature. It doesn't pretend to be an Audi or BMW, but it provides something more German than Volkswagen's Germany-by-way-of-Tennessee Passat. A Regal, in all-wheel-drive 'Regal' trim, supplies you with a turbocharged 2.0 liter and 6-speed automatic transmission. Its 259 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque propel the 3,600-pound Regal with authority and respectable efficiency. Despite its relatively low curb weight, the Regal feels substantial, with a heavy feel behind the wheel and a quiet authority going down the road. Inside, you'll find an interesting mix of Old World and New Detroit, with informative gauges, a center stack that dominates the instrument panel, supportive buckets up front and a reasonably spacious rear seat. The Regal's interior volume is respectable (97 cubic feet inside, while the trunk has 14 cubic feet), but this remains a better environment for young families or empty nesters. Those with a lot of kids or stuff should shop Buick's about-to-be-redesigned Enclave or midsize Envision. For the 2017 model year, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto have been added. The Driver Confidence 1 package (optional) includes Forward Collision Alert, Lane Departure Warning, Lane Change Alert, Side Blind Zone Alert, Rear Cross-Traffic Alert, Following Distance Indicator and memory seats. Driver Confidence 2 has Collision Preparation with Collision Mitigation Braking and Full Speed Range Adaptive Cruise Control. It's all good stuff.

GM to add 1,200 workers at 2 Michigan factories

DETROIT — General Motors is adding 1,200 jobs at two Michigan factories to build midsize SUVs and two new luxury sedans. GM said Friday that its Lansing Delta Township plant will get a third shift and 800 more workers to build the Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave SUVs, which have three rows of seats. The Lansing Grand River plant will get a second shift and 400 more workers to build two new Cadillac sedans, the CT4 and CT5. Employees laid off at other GM factories will fill the new jobs first, then workers will be added, GM spokesman Dan Flores said. The company has not determined yet how many new people will be needed, he said. Both additional shifts will start working sometime between April and June, the company said. Lansing Delta Township now employs about 2,500 salaried and blue-collar workers, while the Grand River plant has 1,400. GM sold more than 147,000 Traverse SUVs in the U.S. last year, a 0.4% increase from 2018. Enclave sales were up 3% to just over 51,000, according to Autodata Corp. Related Video:

Junkyard Gem: 1964 Buick Special sedan

During the 1960s, the most mainstream possible vehicle for American streets was a GM-built sedan, either a full-sized B-Body or a mid-sized A-Body. These cars flew out of showrooms by the millions during the decade, and the angular 1964-1967 A-Bodies (including everything from the affordable six-cylinder Chevrolet Chevelle to the maniacal Pontiac GTO) remain sought-after by collectors to this day... provided that they're two-door hardtops. The post sedans just don't get much attention in 2018, and that's why this fairly solid 1964 Buick Special sedan didn't get rescued on its way to this sorry fate in California. Its final days before it washed up in this self-service wrecking yard, nestled between GM iron a third its age, some used-car lot failed to get $1,199 for this '64. The interior looks good, much better than what you'll see on most unrestored cars with better than a half-century on the calendar. If this car had been a Skylark two-door hardtop, its story would have had a happier ending. The decklid suffers from the kind of rust that California cars get when they sit outside for decades and the weatherstripping goes bad, and then someone at the junkyard pried it open to look for trunk goodies. There's likely to be more rust under the window trim, too. The engine was long gone by the time I got here, but it would have been a 225-cubic-inch V6 or a 300-cubic-inch V8 when new. The upscale 1964 Skylark was the same car, mechanically speaking, but it a more luxurious interior and snazzier body trim. The car that follows the fun anywhere... and above all, it's a Buick! Related Video: Featured Gallery Junked 1964 Buick Special sedan View 14 Photos Auto News Buick Automotive History Classics Sedan