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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.

Should Subaru have a premium brand?

A lot of people love Subarus, and that audience is only getting bigger. Subaru sold 647,956 vehicles in the U.S. in 2017, up from 615,132 units in 2016; 513,693 in 2012; and 187,699 in 2008. You get the idea. It's a relatively small brand, but a growing one. It's also one of the top brands in terms of customer loyalty, and in terms of conquest sales. From Q2 2015 to Q2 2016, Subaru gained 3.5 customers from other brands for every customer it lost. Recently, Riley, a listener to the Autoblog Podcast, wrote in and asked why Subaru doesn't have a luxury brand. Reading the email, neurons began firing immediately, and a whole bunch of new thoughts rushed in at once, mingling with old data in my brain. Indeed, why doesn't Subaru have its own luxury brand? My initial conclusion was that it just didn't make sense for the brand. It's too small of a company to warrant another brand. The higher-end offerings — namely top-trim Ascents — are probably the ceiling at the moment. If those can sell consistently, then maybe it would be time to toy with luxury-leaning models the way Hyundai did before spinning off Genesis (and perhaps adopt a wait-and-see attitude with regard to that potential competitor.) A luxury brand might dilute the value of Subaru's mainstream offerings, giving it the look of a budget brand, but luxury models within the brand could do the opposite. ... Unless ... What if Subaru's luxury brand was all electrified? Subaru is a company that is genuinely concerned with sustainability and environmental issues. Famously, its factories are zero-landfill facilities, and the company takes part in a multitude of environmental initiatives both on its own and with various partners. This mirrors the values of a large part of Subaru's customer base, who have earned a reputation as outdoor adventurers who love nature — and dogs. It's no surprise to see Subaru overrepresented on the roads of Denver, Portland, Ore., and Burlington, Vt. Subaru doesn't offer any plug-in models yet, but they're in the works. As of now, we can expect them to be based on current nameplates. What if Subaru gave its upcoming Crosstrek PHEV the luxury treatment and a new brand name ("Pleiades" would be the easy grab). Sure, Subaru retains customers really well already, but what happens when people outgrow Subaru? At least they have the option of the Ascent, but I'm interested to see how many Subaru owners move on to luxury brands (I'm in the process of finding those answers).

Subaru recalls 100K turbocharged models for fire risk

The Basics: Subaru is recalling a total of 100,127 turbocharged cars over a fire risk. The affected vehicles include the 2007 to 2009 Subaru Legacy and Outback, 2008 to 2014 Impreza, and 2009 to 2013 Forester. All of the cars are equipped with the 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The Problem: The turbocharged vehicles have a faulty relay that could cause the secondary air injection pump to fail. If the relay fails, the pump would work continuously, possibly overheat, and melt, increasing the risk of a fire. Injuries/Deaths: None have been reported. The Fix: Subaru dealers will replace the defective secondary air injection pump relay at no charge. If you own one: Subaru will notify affected owners to schedule a fix. Owners can also call Subaru's customer service line at 1-800-782-2783 to confirm if their vehicle is affected. Related Video: News Source: National Highway Traffic Safety Administration Government/Legal Recalls Subaru Crossover Hatchback SUV Sedan