1985 Buick Regal Grand National Coupe 2-door 3.8l on 2040-cars

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2014 Buick Regal GS

A few months ago I drove the 2014 Buick LaCrosse and wrote up a First Drive review of it. For all of my quibbles with that sedan (and I had a fair number), I understand that it speaks to the heart of what new Buick loyalists like in a car; it's roomy, has a cushy ride and is as placid as a summer's morning at highway speeds.
Those qualities, while undeniably desirable, don't mean a whole lot to me personally. I prefer sedans that conjure up words like "nimble," "punchy" or even "raucous" on occasion. So, directionally, the high-performance GS version of the 2014 Buick Regal is more my cup of tea than any other car in the company's current range.
In fact, I'd already come to know the Regal GS from its 2012 model year introduction, and grown more than a little fond of the sporting sedan in its original front-wheel-drive, six-speed-manual guise. The fast, sweet-handling car with well-sorted controls may have suffered from a slight identity crisis in terms of pricing (and may still), but it was undeniably fun to drive. So, when I heard that the GS was coming to market for 2014 with optional all-wheel drive (albeit only in combination with a six-speed automatic transmission), I was stoked to have another go and concentrated my driving impressions on the AWD car.

Car technology I'm thankful and unthankful for

The past few years have seen a surge of tech features in new vehicles — everything from cloud-based content to semi-autonomous driving. While some of it makes the driving experience better, not all tech is useful or well thought out. Automakers who are adept at drivetrains, ride quality and in-cabin comforts often fail at infotainment interfaces and connectivity. From testing dozens of vehicles each year and in the spirit of gratitude, here are three car tech features I'm thankful — and a trio I could live without. Thanks Connected search: This seems like a no-brainer since everyone already has it on their smartphones, but not all automakers include it in the dashboard and as part of their nav systems. The best ones, such as Toyota Entune, leverage a driver's connected device to search for a range of services and don't charge a subscription or require a separate data plan for the car. I also like how systems like Chrysler Uconnect use Yelp or other apps to find everything from coffee to gas stations and allow searching via voice recognition. Apple CarPlay and Android Auto: It took two of the largest tech companies to get in-dash infotainment right. While they have their disadvantages (you're forced to use Apple Maps with CarPlay, for example), the two smartphone-integration platforms make it easier and safer to use their respective native apps for phoning, messaging, music and more behind the wheel by transferring a familiar UI to the dashboard — with no subscription required. Heated seats and steering wheels: I really appreciate these simple but pleasant features come wintertime. It's easy to get spoiled by bun-warmers on frosty mornings and using a heated steering wheel to warm the cold hands. I recently tested a 2018 Mercedes-Benz E400 Coupe that also had heated armrest that added to a cozy luxury experience. Bonus points for brands like Buick that allow setting seat heaters to turn on when the engine is remotely started. No thanks Automaker infotainment systems: Automakers have probably poured millions into creating their own infotainment systems, with the result largely being frustration on the part of most car owners. And Apple CarPlay and Android Auto coming along to make them obsolete. While some automaker systems, such as Toyota Entune and FCA's Uconnect, are easy and intuitive to use, it seems that high-end systems (I'm looking at you BMW iDrive and Mercedes-Benz COMAND) are the most difficult.

Buick Enspire EV crossover concept claims 370 miles of range

For the Beijing Auto Show, Buick is showing yet another crossover, this one in concept form. It's called the Buick Enspire, and unlike the rest of the brand's crossovers, this one is all electric. It's more than just a repurposed Bolt EV, too. Instead of the Bolt's 150 kW and 200-horsepower motor, the Buick has a 410 kW motor, which equates to 550 horsepower. Buick claims the motor will get the crossover to 60 mph in just 4 seconds. The Enspire isn't all about performance, though. It would also have a very healthy claimed range of 370 miles, topping that of the longest-range Tesla. Fast charging is supported, with Buick saying it can recover 80 percent of its charge within 40 minutes, though the company doesn't say how potent the charger used for that number is. It also apparently has support for wireless charging. This Enspire concept is rather pleasant looking, too. It has smooth, elegant curves draped on a body with a very wide, aggressive stance. The grille is an interesting evolution of Buick's current design, exaggerating the current crossbar into large wings that spread into the lights, and trading the vertical slats of the main grille for a solid illuminated insert. The rear taillights are also distinctive in how they comprise one long, slender line that form a pseudo spoiler in the rear hatch. The interior is plenty swoopy, too, with a number of futuristic touches. It has an OLED touchscreen for infotainment, and the windshield features augmented reality capabilities displaying road information and navigation routes. Luxury touches include real wood arm rests and center console. Whether we'll see a production Buick with the capabilities of the Enspire is anyone's guess. Surely to have that level of power and range would make it immensely expensive, similar to or surpassing the Tesla Model S and the Jaguar I-Pace. That would be rarefied air for Buick. But we wouldn't be surprised to see either an all-new crossover, or a redesigned current model, sporting the designs seen on this concept. And many of the cues will likely spill over to other Buick products. And while the performance seen in this concept might not reach production, we also wouldn't rule out an electric Buick of some sort, probably a crossover in the near future. General Motors has made it very clear it's going to push electric vehicle development, and a Buick crossover would be a good choice for a few reasons.