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Opel Cascada close to getting green light for US

For a company with a long tradition of grand touring convertibles, it's almost unseemly that General Motors doesn't offer a properly relaxed four-seat convertible in North America. There's the Chevrolet Camaro, of course, but it's not big on rear-seat space and it doesn't offer that sort of serene demeanor that many open-air buyers crave. We're thinking of something more refined and, dare we say, elegant. Something a bit closer to the Opel Cascada.
The General's front-wheel drive convertible went on sale in Europe this year, and while it seemed like a natural fit for its Buick brand in America, it's never been sold here. That may be about to change, however. Back in June, CEO Dan Akerson hinted he'd like to see the Cascada available in the US, and now there's word from Edmunds that importation "could happen soon." That's according to an unnamed insider at the company.
It's almost unseemly that GM doesn't offer a relaxed four-seat convertible.

Top-of-the-line 2018 Buick Regal TourX costs $43,795

Buick has unveiled an online configurator for the 2018 Regal TourX wagon, and it shows that picking the full suite of premium options puts the sport wagon at $43,795. That prices it under its Regal GS Sportback sibling and competitors like the Volvo V60 Cross Country and Audi A4 Allroad. The luxury hatchback starts at $29,995 and is available in three trim options: TourX 1SV, Preferred ($33,575) and Essence ($35,945). All are powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that puts out 250 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque and drives an eight-speed automatic transmission. Intelligent all-wheel-drive with active twin-clutch, start-stop technology and 18-inch painted aluminum wheels are also standard. There are eight exterior color options, including Sport Red and Summit White for no extra charge, and two options for the interior at no extra charge. Driver Confidence package options come with things like LED headlamps, 4-way lumbar seat adjuster and rear park assist for $1,725, and various driver-assist technologies including adaptive cruise control and forward collision alert for an additional $1,190. A panoramic moonroof will set you back $1,200. At 73.5 cubic feet with the second-row seats folded down, Buick says the TourX boasts more overall cargo space than the Subaru Outback, Volvo V60 Cross Country, Audi A4 Allroad and BMW 3-series Sport Wagon. The rear hatch area offers 32.7 cubic feet with the seats up.Related Video:

J.D. Power study sees new car dependability problems increase for first time since 1998

For the first time since 1998, J.D. Power and Associates says its data shows that the average number of problems per 100 cars has increased. The finding is the result of the firm's much-touted annual Vehicle Dependability Study, which charts incidents of problems in new vehicle purchases over three years from 41,000 respondents.
Looking at first-owner cars from the 2011 model year, the study found an average of 133 problems per 100 cars (PP100, for short), up 6 percent from 126 PP100 in last year's study, which covered 2010 model-year vehicles. Disturbingly, the bulk of the increase is being attributed to engine and transmission problems, with a 6 PP100 boost.
Interestingly, JDP notes that "the decline in quality is particularly acute for vehicles with four-cylinder engines, where problem levels increase by nearly 10 PP100." Its findings also noticed that large diesel engines also tended to be more problematic than most five- and six-cylinder engines.