2019 Buick Regal Sportback Review: Stylish Uran Cruiser
The Regal Sportback is a midsize crossover sedan that brings together the stylish guise of a sporty sedan with the sleek sloped roofline, and the superior cargo practicality, typical of a purpose-built hatchback. It's fundamentally based off of the European-rooted Opel Insignia, essentially only differentiated by its signature three-shield Buick badge. The Regal Sportback is available in either front-wheel or all-wheel-drive, with a nine-speed automatic transmission that manages the 2.0-liter turbo four-cylinder engine's outputs of 250 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque for FWD models; an eight-speed automatic transmission handles an extra 35 lb-ft for AWD models. The Regal Sportback is a stylish urban family cruiser with a commodious cabin and super practical cargo bay, but with subpar gas mileage and low standard specification levels, it falls behind its rivals as an all-rounder, especially the venerable Honda Accord.
What's the Price of the 2019 Buick Regal Sportback?
The Base Regal Sportback carries a sticker price of $25,070, followed by the Preferred which is at $27,670. The Preferred II has an MSRP of $29,770 and is the first model in the lineup that can be optioned in AWD, which costs an extra $2,000. Then there's the Essence which is priced at $31,770 and the all-new top-spec model, the Avenir, which is at $35,270. All those prices are excluding any tax, registration, or licensing fees as well as Buick's destination charge of $925.
2019 Regal Sportback Exterior
Dimensions
| Length | Wheelbase | Height | Max Width | Front Width | Rear Width | Curb Weight |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 192.9 in | 111.4 in | 57.3 in | 73.3 in | 62.8 in | 63.0 in | 3,748.0 lbs |
2019 Regal Sportback Performance
Handling and Driving Impressions
As with most Buick vehicles, the Regal Sportback has more of a penchant for ride comfort than sporty performance and handling. It comes fitted with a comfort-tuned suspension which deals with most bumps and imperfect road surfaces reasonably well while not feeling too floaty or disconnected from the road either. Body composure is a little compromised in favor of the softer ride, especially over larger undulations and around corners at higher speeds - but not to a detrimental extent. The steering effort is light throughout, unfortunately, even at higher speeds, which means a lot of correcting will have to be made to keep a straight line. Its responses are otherwise accurate and the light effort is suitable for cruising around town. The brakes are easy to modulate and deliver smooth responses that also keep the Regal Sportback stable even under hard braking.
2019 Regal Sportback Interior
2019 Regal Sportback Trunk and Cargo Space
Warranty
| Basic | Drivetrain | Rust-Through | Corrosion | Roadside Assistance | Maintenance Note |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 4 Years / 50,000 Miles | 6 Years / 70,000 Miles | 6 Years / Unlimited Miles | 4 Years / 50,000 Miles | 6 Years / 70,000 Miles | 1 Year/1 Visit |
Verdict: Is The 2019 Buick Regal Sportback A Good car?
The Regal Sportback is a middling vehicle, ranking amongst the average in CarBuzz's catalog of midsize vehicles. It's comfortable on the road and is a semi-luxurious way to get from A to B, but it offers no excitement and its sporty guise is a mask to what is actually a rather sedate ride. The Sportback does offer a unique advantage though, in its sedan/hatchback design - offering a commodious cabin for passengers along with a highly practical and versatile cargo area. The infotainment system may be slightly outdated, but it's still user-friendly and inclusive of full smartphone integration as standard. It's a mixed bag when it comes to safety, though there's an impressive consignment of ten stock-fitted airbags, there are no advanced driver assists included as standard, except on the top-spec Avenir. However, with the Regal Sportback's subpar gas mileage, excluded advanced safety features, and low spec levels, most of its rivals offer greater value at the standard level. Its cavernous cabin and superior practicality as a midsize offering are not enough to make up for its value overall.
What Buick Regal Sportback Model Should I Buy?
Though the priciest model from the lineup, the Avenir is well-worth the premium. It carries a bespoke appearance to the rest of the lineup and comes better specced at the standard level with comfort, convenience, and advanced driver-assist features. Keep the standard front-wheel-drive system for the nine-speed automatic transmission with which it comes - it's a lot more refined than the eight-speed automatic, delivering smoother performance and notably better fuel economy as well. With most of the lineup's available packages already optioned on the Avenir, it only leaves the Driver Confidence Package II available, which we do recommend as it contains the prime selection of advanced driver assists.
2019 Buick Regal Sportback Comparisons
2019 Buick Regal Sportback vs Buick Regal TourX
The Regal TourX is around $3,000 more than the Regal Sportback. Through its appearance, it's meant to be the more rugged and off-road capable variant from Buick, but it's only misleading as a faux-by-four. It comes with the same underpinnings as the Regal Sportback but with the unrefined eight-speed automatic transmission made stock, which means poorer driving dynamics and frustrating gas mileage compared to the FWD Regal Sportback. The TourX is also only slightly more practical than the Sportback, with 1.2 cu-ft. of additional cargo room offered behind the rear seats; it does, however, offer added practicality in that it has a max tow capacity of 1,000 lbs. The TourX lineup doesn't offer an Avenir trim though, which is similarly priced to the top-spec TourX but comes vastly better equipped. Apart from that, neither vehicle really offers any notable advantages over the other. Still, the Sportback is the more sensible vehicle in its design, and offers slightly better value for the money, making it our recommended pick.
2019 Buick Regal Sportback vs Honda Accord
The Regal Sportback trails far behind the Honda Accord which is one of the segment's leading offerings. It's around $1,000 cheaper than the Regal Sportback at the base level and despite having a weaker 1.5-liter engine at that level, it's far more fuel-efficient and offered with a six-speed manual gearbox that could appeal to the lovers of driving. There's an equally potent 2.0-liter engine within the Accord lineup as well, which is still more fuel-efficient than the Sportback's and is paired to a far more refined ten-speed automatic gearbox. There's a whole lot more practicality offered by the Sportback though, with double the cargo capacity offered behind the rear seats. While the Accord may not match up to the Regal Sportback in the way of infotainment functionality, it quickly catches up with the rest of its specification levels. The Sportback doesn't reach the same level of standard safety and driver-assist features found on the Accord. With the Accord also getting superior safety ratings from both major authorities, it's already the clear winner as a family commuter and in value - while the Sportback does offer far greater cargo practicality, the Accord is the better all-rounder, which makes it the more sensible daily commuter.