Two 1965 Buick Skylark Sport Wagons on 2040-cars

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2024 Buick Encore GX First Drive: Fresh from cosmetic surgery

About a year ago, Buick showed us its stunning Wildcat EV concept. While that sporty coupe might never see the end of a production line, it signaled a new direction for the brand’s design. For 2024, Buick gave its most popular model in North America, the Encore GX small SUV, a fairly substantial visual refresh. While it doesnÂ’t get the WildcatÂ’s electric powertrain, the refreshed ute is the first in the lineup to borrow its design cues. It also finally gets the Avenir trim, the epitome of style and luxury previously applied to other Buick models, along with some tech upgrades. So while weÂ’re still not able to get behind the wheel of an electric Buick, the Â’24 Encore GX Avenir AWD landing in our driveway gave us the chance to see what a nip and a tuck can do to elevate this baby Buick crossover. This new face is easy on the eyes, looking more modern and athletic than the previous version. Gone is the somewhat frumpy and bulbous old fascia. Now, we get a sharp nose emblazoned with an all-new logo — the encore GX is the first production car to sport this fresh take on the Buick shields. Below that is the new grille in all its unbroken mesh glory, surrounded by shiny chrome in this Avenir trim. A pair of swoopy winged LED headlights reside just below the elegantly creased hood. From the side, the Avenir gets big, 19-inch aluminum wheels in a Pearl Nickel finish, with that new logo in the center. It also gets body-color fenders as opposed to the black on some of the other trims. In back, we see the new logo repeated prominently again, with the LED taillights looking almost as if theyÂ’re pointing it out. Below that is the brand name spelled out large. At the bottom is what looks like a black diffuser, but we canÂ’t imagine it does much but make the car look sporty. Inside, the big news is the new dual-display “virtual cockpit”, with two screens under a single sheet of glass. On the right side is the 11-inch infotainment touchscreen, on the left is an 8-inch digital instrument cluster. We like the layout of the infotainment home screen, which is easy to use and configurable. Certain information in the infotainment can be sent to the driverÂ’s display — if you want to keep close tabs on your battery voltage, for instance. Prefer the familiarity of your phone? Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard across trim levels. Praise be.

2018 Buick Regal TourX starts right around $30,000

The all-new Buick Regal is coming, and it's ditching the sedan bodystyle in favor of two liftback variants. This week, CarsDirect reported pricing on the more interesting of the two, the Regal TourX. While we're waiting on an official confirmation from Buick, at $29,995 (presumably before destination), the lifted-wagon will significantly undercut competitors from BMW, Volvo, and Audi. With standard all-wheel drive and a powerful turbocharged inline-four, the Regal TourX has the potential to steal som sales from the Europeans. CarsDirect bases its report on the latest Buick order guides. All versions of the Regal TourX come with all-wheel drive and a turbocharged 2.0-liter inline-four making 250 horsepower and 265 pound-feet of torque. The only available transmission is an eight-speed automatic. Push-button start, active-noise cancellation, and 18-inch wheels are part of the package. The Regal TourX Preferred bumps the price to $33,575. For the extra few hundred dollars, you get an auto-dimming rearview mirror, leather-wrapped steering wheel, power driver's seat, and door sill plates. There are also more colors available than on the base model. Further options include a $1,240 driver's assistance package with blind-spot monitoring, rear park assist, and cross-traffic alert, and a $1,200 panoramic moonroof. A fully loaded, top-trim Regal TourX rings in at $38,860. Direct competitors are difficult to name. The pricing is above something like the Volkswagen Golf Alltrack, but far less than the Audi A4 Allroad, Volvo V60 Cross Country, or a BMW 3 Series wagon. It ought to offer more power and refinement than a Subaru Outback, but we'll have to wait to drive it before we can make a final call. Related Video: Featured Gallery 2018 Buick Regal TourX: New York 2017 View 12 Photos News Source: CarsDirectImage Credit: AOL Buick Wagon buick regal tourx

2015 Buick Verano gets styling tweak, loses 6-speed manual

Well, all good things must come to an end. For 2015, the Buick Verano's experiment with a manual transmission will cease, as the American manufacturer has announced it will discontinue the 6MT in the turbocharged version of its compact sedan. According to Buick, the take rate on the Verano Turbo 6MT was (unsurprisingly) low, leading to its discontinuation.
That's not the only bit of news for the Verano, though. After a few years on the market, Buick has seen fit to refresh the popular sedan. The visual changes aren't huge, really, with subtle tweaks to the headlights and taillights. We'd bargain that the average passer-by wouldn't notice a difference between the two.
The main aesthetic change is a new appearance package, available on the mid-range Convenience and Leather option groups. Unimaginatively called just that - Appearance Package - it offers up a new paint color, Desert Dusk Metallic, as well as a grille treatment and a rear spoiler. The new package is, however, limited to naturally aspirated models.