There was a time in history when a Buick station wagon was the quite literally the master of the road. So much so in fact that Buick called it the Roadmaster. But somewhere along the way, American car buyers fell out of love with wagons and then later it seems, with cars entirely. Thus when Buick announced the latest generation of the long running Regal nameplate, the two variants were badged as the Sportback and TourX. The latter is a Regal station wagon in all but name and anyone that likes driving but needs some added utility, should really be taking a serious look that this machine.
When planning for the launch of the launch of the latest Regal, Buick product planners clearly saw that brands such as Subaru, Volvo and Audi had achieved a measure of success by hiking up wagons by an inch or so and applying some wheel arch extensions and calling them crossovers. Sadly, based on sales figures, people going into Buick showrooms don’t seem to buying into the whole TourX as crossover charade. Through the first nine months of 2018, only about 11,000 Regals were sold, an improvement over the 2017 generational transition year but still well behind the LaCrosse which is about to be axed.
Given that the U.S.-market Regal is imported from Germany and built by Opel which is no longer part of GM since being sold off to PSA a couple of years ago, it seems likely that unless sales pick up dramatically in the near future, this model’s days are probably numbered. Buick also makes Regals in China, but the trade tensions between the current administration and Beijing makes that an unlikely alternate source.
The TourX sits on the same 111.4-inch wheelbase as the Sportback but carries an extra 3.4-inches of bodywork behind the rear axle. Combined with a roof that extends straight back rather than sloping down, it offers considerably more space for carrying larger cargo like antiques from an estate sale or a dog crate or two. In general I have long favored midsized station wagons over the equivalent sedans because they add this extra utility without really sacrificing car driving dynamics as a more SUV-like crossovers do.
Since the TourX only gains one-inch in height relative to the sportback, the impact on handling is pretty minimal. Personally I could do without the essentially non-functional wheel arch extensions and front fascia augmentation meant to make this look more like an SUV. I’d be more inclined the get the conventional Opel Insignia wagon which blends the extended roofline with the rest of the Sportback detailing, but its not offensive enough to entirely turn me off.
Overall, aside from the faux-SUV details, I’m quite fond of the design of the Regal TourX. I think it has great proportions and remains a very sleek design. The latest iteration of the Buick grille fits in well and the sharper creases give this new Regal a bit more of an upscale presence than the last iteration. Details such as the chrome side-glass trim that extends down and hooks through the taillights appear to hold the roof down.
Inside, the dashboard looks more modern and premium than the last generation. The contrast stitching on the leather for the steering wheel, shifter boot and seats is a nice visual touch. The round analog gauges are clear and readable although they lack the configurability of a fully digital cluster like Audi uses. On the other hand, knowing that all the important information will always be in the same place also has benefits.
The infotainment system is straightforward and responsive although the interface is limited to the touchscreen and some voice recognition rather than any sort of central controller for audio, navigation and settings. The screen is bright and sufficiently contrasty for all lighting conditions. A rotary volume knob is centrally located directly under the screen while a panel below that includes physical knobs and switches to manage climate control as all properly designed interiors should.
The rear seat offers plenty of room for three adults and 32.7 cubic feet of your stuff will fit between the power tailgate and the seat back. Folding the split rear seats flat more than doubles that volume to 73.5 cubic feet. For comparison, the Envision crossover only offers 57.3 cubic feet of cargo volume with the back seats folded.
While the Regal Sportback is offered in either front or all-wheel-drive formats, all TourX wagons get the twin-clutch all-wheel-drive system. Wagons are all powered by GM’s latest 2.0-liter, four-cylinder turbo engine paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The TourX is about 10-inches longer overall than the Envision, yet at 3,708-pounds, it is 200-pounds lighter than the crossover. Combined with the 259-hp and 295 lb-ft generated by that engine, the performance is more than adequate under all conditions.
Unlike many all-wheel-drive cars (and make no mistake, despite the crossover branding this is a car) which use viscous couplings to direct some torque to the rear axle, the Regal uses a twin-clutch transfer system. This is more efficient and can provide increased power transfer but I occasionally found that under hard acceleration, a bit of a jerk could felt as it engaged. It's possible this was in fact a rough shift, but other vehicles I've driven with this eight speed didn't seem to exhibit this behavior so I'm inclined to attribute it to the transfer mechanism. It wasn't what I'd call particularly objectionable, but it was noticeable.
One of the reasons often given by customers for buying SUVs or crossovers is the ability to tow a trailer. The Envision does offer a modest 1,500-pound tow rating but the Regal doesn’t have any official rating. If you install a hitch, it’s likely to be limited only to carrying a bike rack. Something like the is wagon also isn’t going to be pursuing any Jeep Trailhawk crossovers down off-road trails either, but frankly most buyers never do that either.
After losing our old dog to the ravages of time, my wife and I took the Regal for a road trip across Michigan to procure a new puppy. Over several hours of driving, I can say that this Regal is as excellent a choice for road trips as it is for commuting around town. The radar-based adaptive cruise control makes for smooth and effortless ride in pre-holiday traffic.
Like an increasing number of vehicles today, the Regal was equipped with rear corner radar sensors for blindspot monitoring and cross traffic alert. In general, in a world of parking lots populated with SUVs and big pickups, cross traffic alert is one of my favorite driver assist features. Getting visual and audible alerts when another vehicle is approaching down the aisle while backing out can be extremely handy. However, in the Regal, these alerts didn’t appear until the vehicle triggering the alert was already in my visual range. The blindspot monitor worked better, but I’d like to see Buick take a stab at recalibrating the sensors to improve this functionality.
The choice of 18-inch wheels with 235/50R18 tires for the TourX, means it had more sidewall than found on many contemporary vehicles. The benefit of that is some added compliance that along with the strut front and multi-link rear suspension makes for a comfortable ride, even on an unpaved rural road. While this is no Camaro or Corvette, the Regal has able, responsive handling with decent steering feedback. The extra inch of ride height compared to the Sportback doesn’t seem to manifest itself in noticeable body roll.
Over the course of a week including that cross state road trip, the Regal TourX averaged 24.5 mpg, in line with the EPA ratings of 21 mpg city, 29 mpg highway and 24 mpg combined. That’s comparable to the Volvo V60 Cross Country and Audi A4 Allroad and 2 mpg better than the Envision with AWD and the same 2.0-liter turbo engine.
The 2019 Regal TourX starts at $30,000 which includes standard AWD. The top Essence trim level starts at $36,000 and my test example went for $42,200 including delivery. Given the slow sales of the Regal, you can probably negotiate a much better deal that could be in the low 30s for a well equipped example. If you don’t need off-roading or towing capability, the Regal TourX is an excellent alternative to taller utilities that anyone that enjoys driving should seriously consider. It’s not a Roadmaster, but it can definitely master the road.
