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2021 Buick Envision's bold design means small space gains, a few big losses

So far, every preview we've had of the 2021 Buick Envision compels us to believe that it isn't playing in the same league as the current Envision, nor is it playing the same sport. The chiseled, crisp exterior is matched by an interior that, in pictures at least, sends a genuine premium message. GM Authority got early intel on dimensions for the new crossover, the numbers showing that the only close relationship between the current and the new Envision is in size. According to GMA, the 2021 Buick will be 185.5 inches long on a wheelbase of 109.4 inches, it'll stand 74.1 inches wide without mirrors, and 64.6 inches tall. Front and rear tracks are matched at 63.3 inches. That makes the new version 1.8 inches longer than the current five-seater, with a wheelbase stretched 0.9 inches, while width is 1.7 inches wider but overall height is 2.2 inches lower. The track has been expanded by 1.3 inches front and back. The four-trim lineup will be base, Preferred, Essence and Avenir. Buick's website pegs the current Envision at the single curb weight of 3,755 pounds. GMA writes that the new car comes in at 3,685 pounds in base form, or 3,932 in top Avenir trim. Those could all represent weights for front-wheel-drive models. AWD will be optional on all but the base 2021 Envision. The price for edgier design is a tiny cut in interior room in front. In the coming crossover, front headroom shrinks 0.4 inches to 39.6 inches, front legroom shrinks by 0.5 inches, front shoulder room goes down by 0.3 inches. Front hip room gains 0.7 inches, however, Occupants in the row behind get a tiny bit more space in two dimensions, rear headroom going up 0.4 inches, rear legroom by 1.8 inches, Rear shoulder room gets shaved 0.7 inches, and those haunches on the 2021 model take a bite out of rear hip room, that spec dropping by 5.7 inches to 47.4.  Cargo room sees a slight dip, too, there being 25.2 cubic feet of space behind the second-row of seats compared to 26.9 feet available now. The gap grows with the rear seats down, the coming Envision able to swallow 52.7 cubic feet behind the front row, the current Envision managing 60 cubic feet.  When product starts showing up on dealer lots, we're to expect a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder under the hood with 230 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, shifting through GM's nine-speed automatic transmission. GMA believes pricing will start around $34,000, which would be about $500 more than the current Envision.    

Junkyard Gem: 1990 Buick Reatta

General Motors built some interesting sporty cars during the late 1980s and early 1990s, as the company attempted to claw back market share from European manufacturers of high-end two-doors. There was the mean-looking Oldsmobile Trofeo, the Turin-to-Hamtramck Cadillac Allante, and the gadget-packed Buick Reatta. Here's an example of the latter car, wearing Maui Blue paint and residing in a Denver self-service wrecking yard. There was a lot to like about the Reatta, but the powertrain came as a disappointment: the ancient, rough-running pushrod Buick 3.8-liter V6 engine, driving the front wheels through a four-speed automatic transmission. The 3800 engine made 165 horses in 1990, which wasn't bad for that year, but Reatta money would have bought you a new 1990 BMW 3-Series with a tuneful 168-horse DOHC straight-six. The Buick V6 was something of an Albanian grain-thresher motor compared to the engines in the Reatta's European rivals' cars: rugged but crude. The pre-1990 Reattas came with Buick's amazing touchscreen computer interface, which may have scared off the most conservative Buick traditionalists. This car had more typical-for-1990 controls. Only 6,388 Reatta coupes were made for 1990, so we're looking at one rare Buick here. Handcrafted by these artisans in Lansing. Related Video: Featured Gallery Junked 1990 Buick Reatta View 15 Photos Auto News Buick Convertible Coupe Luxury

Buyers resent low inventories, prices over MSRP, study says

Vehicle inventory low, vehicle transaction prices high, customers fretting … welcome, J.D. Power, to the era of supply and demand. In a recently published survey from one of the auto industryÂ’s top analytical firms, findings show that customers' satisfaction with vehicle purchases in the United States this year has dipped for the first time in 10 years. The 2022 U.S. Sales Satisfaction Index (SSI) Study found that overall sales satisfaction has dropped to 786 (on a 1,000-point scale) from 789 in 2021. In that year, higher than expected trade-in values softened the effect of new vehicle price increases. But in 2022, on top of trade-in prices shrinking, many dealers elected to charge more than the ManufacturerÂ’s Suggested Retail Price, a factor that did not sit well with buyers. “When dealers charge more than MSRP, particularly with long-term loyal customers, they risk a potential long-term negative effect on customer advocacy and service business," said Chris Sutton, vice president of automotive retail at J.D. Power. Satisfaction among buyers who paid more than sticker price is 757, while satisfaction among those who paid the sticker price or less is 850, the Power report said. The lack of dealership inventory was also a customer irritant, J.D. Power found, a point that automakers and their dealers may want to consider. Many have maintained, or considered maintaining, a smaller inventory in the wake of the pandemic, keeping costs down and driving more customers toward factory orders. Regarding those consumers shopping for electric vehicles, the survey said that more than a third of them “failed to get instruction on EV charging before they left the dealership, which notably affects satisfaction.” Said Sutton, “Salespeople donÂ’t need to show gas-powered vehicle buyers how to fill their tank, but they do need to show EV buyers how to charge their vehicle.” There are positives to the Power conclusions, however, especially for Alfa Romeo dealers. The Italian brand ranked highest in customer satisfaction among premium brands with a score of 833, with Porsche a very close second (831) and Lexus (819) third. Alfa is on something of a roll these days, with its compact Tonale crossover due for release in the spring, and a new sports car in the works. Meanwhile, in PowerÂ’s “mainstream brand”” segment, Buick ranked first with a score of 825, followed by Dodge (816) and Subaru (804), all performing higher than the industry average.