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2016 Buick Cascada First Drive

Florida became a state in 1845. It is the third most populous state in the United States, home to the most-visited theme park in the world. It is where you'll find every convertible ever sold in the United States, be it a pasty white Infiniti M30 or a Lamborghini. And soon, many examples of the 2016 Buick Cascada will call it home. Florida is full of Buicks. Wonder if anyone bought a Rendezvous Ultra? It's in Florida. The Buick Reatta, the company's last convertible before this? Also there. Buick, however, is eager to get those who better remember Bush vs. Gore than Nixon vs. Kennedy to ask, "That's a Buick?" Which is how we arrive at the Cascada. The Cascada isn't so much a new Buick as a car that's new to Buick. It's been on sale for about three years as the Opel Cascada in Europe, along with badge-engineered siblings sold by Vauxhall and Holden in other parts of the world. Buick took that time to make several hundred changes to the Cascada for US consumption and then found it without many rivals. The Chrysler 200 convertible, Volkswagen Eos, and Volvo C70 would all be prime targets for the Cascada here, were they not all dead now. Buick's gamble is that these Chrysler, VW, and Volvo (also Saab, for that matter) customers are looking for somewhere to go next. The Cascada isn't so much a new Buick as a car that's new to Buick. One thing is certain: the Cascada is eye-catching to Floridians. I had no fewer than six people in Miami and Key West walk up to me and ask what kind of car it was, or even say, "That's that new Buick convertible, right?" Despite being three years old, the Cascada's looks have aged pretty well. And it's been spared many of the tacked-on details, like fake portholes and chrome wheels, that were adhered to the Regal when it made its trip over from Opel-land. Top up or down, the Cascada is attractive. Unlike the Audi A3 or BMW 2 Series convertibles (the former being the Buick's prime target), there's no abruptness to the design, no sharply ending lines. The Buick looks relaxed in a Palm Beach or Palm Springs way, even on the inside with the convincingly stitched dash top and standard heated leather seats (one of the pieces redesigned for the Buick). That being said, the pattern on the seat material is a misstep, looking like it was inspired by Aunt Flora's 1972 patio furniture. Then it's surprising that you don't exactly sink into the Cascada. While the seats are mounted low, they're not pillow soft.

Buick Avenir will be made...as a trim level instead of a car

Almost two years after Buick showed the gorgeous Avenir concept, the company announced the Avenir name will reach production. Specifically, it will be a top-tier trim level for 2018 model year Buicks. It's taking a page from GMC's Denali, Lincoln's Black Label, and, well, plenty of examples of extra-fancy sauce. This is disappointing news for fans of the concept, but they can take solace in the fact that the Avenir's good looks are starting to rub off on production Buicks, such as the new LaCrosse. For those interested in what this new Avenir trim will bring to the table, it's a similar formula to what many other auto brands are doing. Buick specifically compares Avenir with the Denali trim for GMC. Models with the trim will get a special 3D mesh grille inspired by the Avista concept, large wheels and unique trim finishes outside. Inside, Avenir models will receive a nicer interior, which Buick generically described as having "unique seat details" and "modern trim materials." Cars equipped with the package will also get a smattering of Avenir badges. Avenir looks like a win-win: interested buyers get some extra cachet and bragging rights and Buick gets to load high-profit options on it cars and SUVs. Buick's inspiration for the Avenir trim is a bit strange, though. The company says it is "inspired by Buick's evolving customer base," which includes women and owners of competing products. Apparently both groups are buying Buicks in greater numbers, and the company also says that many of their customers opt for the most expensive trims. While it seems straightforward to tailor a package for luxury-seeking buyers, we're not sure what would make a package specifically appeal to women and people with competitors' vehicles. That being said, Buick isn't as patronizing as Cosmopolitan was with its car. In fact, quite the opposite. With Avenir, Buick is cashing in on new customers that willing to pay for luxury plain and simple, without any pandering. Related Video: Auto News Buick Luxury denali buick avenir

2021 Buick Envision First Drive | A successful sequel

The 2021 Buick Envision inaugurates the second generation of what GM's premium division hopes will become the staple of its all-crossover lineup. The original Envision, while reasonably competent, suffered from ungainly styling and struggled to separate itself from its reputation as the built-in-China Buick. Bundle that with a brand that has (at best) an on-again, off-again relationship with being interesting and you have a recipe for “Who cares?” No longer, says Buick. While itÂ’s still assembled in China, the 2021 Envision gets a new platform, a new powertrain, and a complete styling overhaul. Feeling a little deja vu? ThatÂ’s reasonable. Buick gave us a promising first look at the new Envision last summer, but thanks to, well, you know, 2020, weÂ’re only now getting our hands on the final product, and if we were intrigued in June, weÂ’re impressed in February. BuickÂ’s first attempt at a compact CUV was not particularly impressive, especially when it came to design. The Equinox-in-a-dinner-jacket thing never really worked and weÂ’re happy to say that the second effort is a huge improvement. The new look is genuinely attractive. Like the Enclave, the Envision borrows cues from the Avenir concept whose name BuickÂ’s product planners appropriated to denote the brandÂ’s top-trim variants. It works. Power comes from a 2.0-liter, turbocharged inline-four producing 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque as its only available engine. Front-wheel drive is standard; a twin-clutch all-wheel-drive system is optional. Both setups utilize a nine-speed automatic transmission. Your author managed an average of 23 mpg over the course of a 60-mile test loop against EPA estimates of 22 mpg city, 29 mpg highway and 25 mpg combined. FWD models are rated at 24/31/26, respectively.  Size-wise, the Envision is a bit of an odd duck. One could teach an undergrad course on GMÂ’s two-row crossover ecosystem, but suffice it to say that itÂ’s a bit more closely related to the Chevrolet Blazer than it is to the Equinox this time around, despite being closer in size to the latter. Within the luxury realm, its length and wheelbase are a few inches shorter than those of larger compact models like the Volvo XC60, Acura RDX and BMW X3, but its rear legroom is greater than them all. It's actually closer in that measurement to the midsize Lincoln Nautilus.