When General Motors shuttered Pontiac in 2008 as part of their corporate restructuring program following the near-meltdown of the automotive industry, we were stunned to see that Buick, of all nameplates, had managed to survive. It wasn’t that big of a shock, namely due to Buick’s success in China, but here in the States Buick had been left languishing on the vine too long, with rehashed Chevrolets in “Elderly Special” trims for far too long. But for the last couple of years, the brand has managed to get it’s act together: the “That’s not a Buick!” ad campaign was catchy without being too campy or flashy, the company’s concept-car game has been incredibly strong (and we’re still not happy that we aren’t getting an Avista coupe, if you’re reading this), and without much pushing, the company has made strong gains in sales. How strong? By September 2016, Buick will have sold 1,046,746 vehicles, over 200,000 more than at the same point last September.
With upcoming products such as the Avenir-styled Buick LaCrosse and successful models such as the Envision and Enclave, we suspect that this year will be another sales success year, and we’re always happy to see an American nameplate do well. But a question, Buick: When will you pay attention to those who have a performance streak?
They really need to build the Avista. They need to get the guy that designed it to do all new cars,they really “get it”.
They have been offering a turbo Regal with three pedals, too. That was a pretty brave choice. Unfortunately I can’t afford one, but after picking up an older Regal GS as an everyday beater and being pleasantly surprised at how well it drives, I’d definitely consider a new Regal GS with a manual if I had the cash.
As a Buick fan, I’m delighted.