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2018 Buick Regal TourX vs. wagon competitors: How it compares on paper

To the great joy of auto enthusiasts nationwide, wagons are back! Well, at least there's a few more of them. The latest is the 2018 Buick Regal TourX, which we just had our first drive of and found to actually be quite good with pleasant handling, solid power and plenty of space. But, how does the TourX compare to other cladded wagons? Well, let's dive into the specs and fire up the ol' spreadsheet maker for Buick Regal TourX vs Subaru Outback vs Audi A4 Allroad vs VW Alltrack vs Volvo V60 Cross Country. True, some are from mainstream brands and others are from luxury marques, but Buick straddles both realms, so it's appropriate to look at them all. Of course, there's more to these cars than just the numbers, but they're still important, and in the case of this class of crossover-aping wagons, can vary more than you'd expect. So check out the specs in the chart below, which are followed by more analysis and photos of each. Discover and compare other wagons and crossovers with our Car Finder and Compare tools. Engines and Transmissions When comparing powertrains, the Buick is far-and-away the winner as far as torque is concerned, and is in a nearly three-way tie for horsepower. Its 295 pound-feet of torque is 22 lb-ft more twist than the next-most-grunty Audi A4 Allroad. And in regards to power, the Buick's 250-horsepower engine is only down 6 hp to the most-powerful Subaru and its optional naturally aspirated flat-six, and just 2 hp less than the Audi. At the bottom of the pack is the Subaru Outback with the standard naturally aspirated flat-four, which only makes 174 hp and 174 lb-ft of torque. That may not seem too bad compared with the VW Golf Alltrack, which only makes 170 hp and 199 lb-ft of torque, but the VW is much lighter by between 200 and 300 pounds. Transmission-wise, there's quite a bit of variation in the group. The Regal TourX and the Volvo V60 Cross Country rely on eight-speed automatics, all Outbacks use CVTs, and the Alltrack and Allroad have dual-clutch automated manual transmissions with six and seven gears, respectively. But for people that want to shift for themselves, the only option is the Volkswagen, which offers a traditional six-speed manual transmission on the Golf Alltrack. Cargo and Interior Space One of the main reasons to buy a wagon is for the body style's large cargo capacity. And for the most space for things and stuff, you'll want to check out the Subaru and the Buick.

Toyota GT86 engineer Tada recounts how sports car came to be

Because the Toyota GT86, Scion FR-S and Subaru BRZ coupes are now a reality, it's almost hard to imagine the struggle that had to happen within the large, conservative corporate structures at both automakers for the joint project to even get off of the ground.
Speaking to those struggles on Toyota UK's Toyota Blog, GT86 Chief Engineer Tetsuya Tada enlightens us with a recap of the sports car's earliest origins. For Tada, the first stages of the project must have seemed almost as dreamlike as the final product is to drive.
Said the Chief, "I had been working in the minivan department engineering new product, but a month after the meeting I was summoned. 'Forget about minivans,' they said, 'you are now working on the sports-car project.'"

2016 Subaru BRZ and STI get Hyper Blue for new limited special editions

Blue fits as well on a fast Subaru as red does on a Ferrari or silver on a Mercedes-Benz. The color just clicks somehow with the Japanese automaker's performance models, and apparently the company knows it. This fall for the 2016 model year, the BRZ and WRX STI are getting new Series HyperBlue limited editions with an exclusive cerulean shade as the major selling point. Pricing is being held until closer to launch. Limited to 500 units, the 2016 Series HyperBlue BRZ is a follow-up to 2015's Series Blue edition. Hyper Blue looks to be a much lighter shade than Subaru's famous WR Blue, but the new color is still fairly attractive. The tone covers the entire exterior but is contrasted with black for the 17-inch wheels, badges, and mirror covers. The exclusive hue is carried inside too for the seat bolsters, headrests, stitching, door trim, and a mix of blue and black leather on the steering wheel. So if you're in, you're all-in. All BRZs get some other tiny tweaks for the new model year, too. A rearview camera is now standard, and Subaru's upgraded 6.2-inch Starlink infotainment system is available. More power is rumored as part of a more thorough refresh for the 2017 update. With production limited to 700 units, a few more Series HyperBlue editions of the 2016 STI are going to be on the street. Although, there aren't as many tweaks for them. Of course, the new color covers the outside, and it's also offset with black on the 18-inch BBS wheels, badges and mirror caps. Blue stitching brings the color into the interior, and Subaru's seven-inch navigation system with a nine-speaker stereo is standard for this version. Related Video: SUBARU TO OFFER LIMITED EDITION SERIES.HYPERBLUE BRZ AND WRX STI MODELS Limited to 700 WRX STI & 500 BRZ BRZ receives upgraded SUBARU STARLINK® Multimedia Rear Vision Camera now standard on BRZ Exclusive Hyper Blue exterior paint and interior trims Cherry Hill, N.J. - Subaru of America, Inc. has announced the 2016 Series.HyperBlue limited edition available exclusively on BRZ and WRX STI models. As a follow up to the 2015 Series.Blue BRZ, the 2016 Series.HyperBlue cars feature exterior paint in Subaru's exclusive Hyper Blue with matching interior trim. Production will be limited to 700 WRX STI and 500 BRZ cars for the United States. Vehicles will go on sale this Fall.