2011 Buick Regal Cxl Turbo on 2040-cars

Auto blog

GM trademarks 'Sport Touring' for Buick Regal, LaCrosse

Discovering trademarking or patents from automakers always fascinates us since the filings hint at the possible future of motoring. Based on two recent applications, Buick has something possibly brewing for two of its sedans, because the company now has the trademark for Sport Touring on the Regal (pictured above in GS trim) and LaCrosse. According to GM Inside News, both trademarks are dated April 27 and are simply described to the US Patent and Trademark Office as being for "motor land vehicles, namely, automobiles." That doesn't narrow things down at all. However, since the moniker is specifically for both sedans, Sport Touring might be a new trim or special edition for them. Buick had no comment when reached by Autoblog. Of course, there are a whole host of automotive trademarks that are claimed that end up with no actual vehicle in showrooms. Unfortunately, we just have to wait to find out if this is another case like the Buick Enclave Tuscan where the filing offers a preview of the future or a situation like the still long-awaited return of the Supra.

2022 Buick Enclave Review | More style and features doesn't mean better

The Buick Enclave has been updated for 2022, and it delivers some added style and additional features, it also doesn't do anything to lift Buick's three-row SUV beyond average for the segment. For the most part, the 2022 Buick Enclave is the same as it was when this generation launched for the 2018 model year. On the plus side, it has a powerful V6 and a smooth transmission. The cabin is incredibly spacious, and additional standard safety features are certainly welcome. The base price is also quite low for three-row premium SUVs at just under $44,000. Where this biggest of Buicks falls short is in the finer details. The engine isn't well isolated, allowing coarseness into the cabin. The cabin also doesn't rise to the level of Lincoln, Acura, Infiniti and Volvo -- brands that aren't exactly the upper crust of luxury, but certainly beyond Ford, Chevy or Honda. For instance, while its controls are easy-to-use, the buttons and knobs feel low rent and are obviously shared with cheaper GM models. There isn't anything that makes it particularly stand out from the competition, either. So while the Enclave is spacious, affordable and decent enough to drive, we think there are nicer options wearing luxury badges as well as vehicles like the Kia Telluride and Hyundai Palisade that surpass it in their uppermost trim levels.  Interior & Technology | Passenger & Cargo Space | Performance & Fuel Economy What it's like to drive | Pricing & Features | Crash Ratings & Safety Features What's new for 2022? The Enclave gets a variety of small updates mainly consisting of styling changes and feature additions. The exterior features new front and rear designs with new LED lighting front and rear. New wheel designs and exterior colors are also available. Inside, it's nearly identical to last year's model except for a new steering wheel, new push-button shifter and updated seat designs. A variety of other features have been added either as standard or as options such as a wireless phone charger, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, a power sunshade for the rear sunroof, a front camera, head-up display, rear-pedestrian alert, adaptive cruise control, rear camera mirror and surround view camera. Furthermore, lane-keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, rear cross-traffic alert and automatic headlights are now standard. What are the Enclave interior and in-car technology like?

Junkyard Gem: Heavily personalized 1997 Buick Skylark Custom Sedan

Normally I wouldn't be much interested in a third-generation GM N-Body (a family that includes the Chevy Malibu and Olds Achieva) spotted in the junkyard, though a case could be made for such a vehicle's historical significance. This '97 Skylark, however, arrived in a Northern California self-service wrecking yard well-plastered with stickers, reflectors, and other personalizing touches, making it an interesting document of its time and place. It appears that both of the original white fenders got mashed and then replaced with blue ones, almost certainly obtained cheaply at a yard like this one. If you're not going to paint your new fenders to match the car, then you're already well down the slippery slope to making the car a giant mobile canvas to display your interests. A 20-year-old GM N-Body, regardless of how nice it was when new, isn't worth much, and you could stretch a line of these cars from Lansing to Lahore with all the used-up Ns sitting in American wrecking-yard inventory right now. Perhaps it was the grandchild of the car's original owner who indulged in White Widow cannabis and listened to Siouxsie & the Banshees. The odds against finding the original window sticker in a car like this are mighty long, but here it is. Sold new at Putnam Buick in Burlingame. It appears that this car spent most of its final decade in or near Mill Valley. Mill Valley is a mere 30 miles from Burlingame, or about three hours of Buick driving (you have to go past SFO, through San Francisco, and across the Golden Gate Bridge, a journey featuring apocalyptically terrible traffic at just about any time). Drive east across the Richmond-San Rafael Bridge and you'll get to this Skylark's final parking space, about 20 miles from Mill Valley. This car lived its whole life near the shores of San Francisco Bay, and it will die there. Feathers and a political-party charm adorn the headliner. This car's final owner had a practical side, as we can see from the many reflectors and lengths of safety tape. Just the thing for avoiding a T-bone wreck in the dead of night! "Essentially, Skylark embodies all of the features customers expect from a Buick, in a smaller package, with a very attractive MSRP."