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Top Ten Entry-Level Luxury Cars Under $45,000
 
As you have seen by now, we have a tendency to rank cars differently than other car sites. While we love practicality as much as the next site, at TopSpeed, we put speed, performance, and that certain sparkle above the size of the trunk and the back seat. With entry-level luxury cars, finding the gems between the boring sales rep vehicles can be a pretty hard task. We have so many terribly dull sedans that are only good for taking you down the motorway to work and that’s about it. We aren’t looking for that. We don’t care about sales, we don’t care about popularity, we care about how these cars drive on the track and in the real world. We are aware that a point to point car is what most people will like, but we want an entry-level sedan that provides excitement on that everyday journey. Something that can make you smile and enjoy the drive home. A car that will make you take the back roads. Over the course of this series we have jumped price by $10,000 each time, starting from $20,000 with the small cars and then $30,000 with the midsize. For this test, we are jumping by $15,000, to make the price cap at $45,000. Hit the jump to see what our top ten entry-level luxury vehicles are. Full story OnStar and General Motors now allow you to start you car or honk your horn right from your smartphone
Live up north and want to turn your car on to warm it up before you get in? Live down south and want to get in your car when it has reached a comfortable cooling temperature? Well, OnStar, together with GM, have made this possible by the expansion of their mobile app technology. Owners of most new 2011 Chevrolet, Cadillac, Buick, and GMC vehicles will have the ability to turn on their car, honk their horns, work their lights, and lock and unlock their doors straight from their smartphone. Gone will be the days when car owners will have to be within a certain distance or even have their keys with them to utilize the capabilities of a traditional vehicle key fob. These GM brand specific apps will not only provide these vehicle key fob services to you, but they will also provide key diagnostic information right at your fingertips. This information will include fuel tank level and range, remaining oil life, current and recommended tire pressure, and lifetime average miles per gallon. Not satisfied yet? The apps will also be able to provide car owners with current odometer readings, vehicle VINs, and OnStar account numbers right from the phone! A little scary? Absolutely. Kind of cool? Absolutely. What do you guys think? Leave your comments down below. Hit the jump for the full press release. Full story Top Ten Under the Radar Cars For 2010
There are certain vehicles that just sell well. Take the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry for instance. No matter what happens or how good the competition is, these two will sell well for their companies. We’re not saying that there is anything wrong with these two models, except for the Camry, which is dull as a dishwasher, but a buyer needs to look at what else is on the table. The first choice might not be the best choice. In many cases, the cars that are often ignored are the better buys. These are the dark horses of the automotive world. These are cars that fly under the radar of the American public. Below are our ten best cars that aren’t quite known to the general public. Sure, us car people know about them, but your average consumer might be unaware. This list is not a top ten; so don’t think that one is better than ten, because it might not be. There are a few models on the list that won’t be under the radar for long, but as of now, we still consider them dark horse models. Hit the jump to see the list. Full story . Baby Buick spotted on U.S. soil
Back in 2008, there was a buzz in the air about Buick bringing a small car to the U.S. side of the pond. Now, about two years later, the buzz has been spotted and it comes in the form of China’s Buick Excelle. This small sedan, expected to be even smaller than the Regal, is reported to be produced at GM Orion plant which is expected to produce about 60,000 of these puppies. There are plans for the Buick to be sold in Europe, but sources say the main markets will be that of China and the U.S. The Baby Buick may feature engine options from under the hood of the Chevy Cruze which means we may expect to see a four-cylinder, 1.6, and 1.8-liter gasoline engine and a 2.0-liter turbo diesel. A lithium-ion battery may also be in the running if Buick is seriously considering attracting more buyers. A hybrid or electric vehicle seems to be a good investment to make if auto brands want to take their auto making futures seriously. Buick has not been able to revive its brand successfully and the move for a smaller sedan over to the states and the elimination of trim-level badging may be just what they need to increase their market share. Buick plans for 3 new models, but at an easy pace
The entry-level luxury brand, Buick, is gaining sales momentum and using it to expand its lineup. Following the success of the 2010 LaCrosse (sales up an astonishing 214%) and the Enclave (sales this year have jumped 30%), Buick has revealed at the Buick Immersion Program at the Tech Center a plan to come out with a compact car and small crossover which would round out their lineup. As of right now, Buick models stand at the Regal entry-level luxury/sports sedan, the LaCrosse mid-size luxury sedan, Lucerne full-size luxury sedan, and Enclave full-size luxury crossover. Before we see smaller Buicks driving around, we will get to feast our eyes on the all-new midsize Regal due to come in the next few months. Brian Sweeney, U.S. Sales and Service Vice President for Buick GMC says the new models from Buick will allow them to utilize 47% of the market. "We are starting to gain some traction in sales," said John Schwegman Buick’s U.S. marketing vice president, Buick-GMC, "but we’re not declaring victory yet." Hit the jump for the full story. Full story 2010 Buick LaCrosse CX gets new Ecotec 2.4 liter Engine
Announced at its official launch, the 2010 Buick LaCrosse CX will be offered with a new Ecotec 2.4 liter engine. The LaCrosse CX equipped with the new 2.4 liter Ecotec engine is priced at $26,995. Featuring a direct injection engine, the Ecotec engine delivers a total of 182 hp and 172 lb-ft. of torque. The engine is rated at 30 mpg on the highway and 19 mpg in the city. For the 2011 model year, Buick will drop the 3.0L V-6 engine and will only offer the Ecotec 2.4L and 3.6L V-6 with variable valve timing. AWD will also be offered with the 3.6L-equipped models. Press release after the jump. Full story 2011 Buick Regal
In Europe it is known as the Opel Insignia, but for the North American market General Motors decided to revive a name first used back in 1973: Regal. Sales of the new Buick Regal sport sedan will begin in the second quarter of 2010, and its main competitors will be the Japanese Acura TSX and Swedish Volvo S60. The new Regal will be offered in two different trim levels: CXL and CXL Turbo, with prices starting at $26,995 and $29,495 respectively. In 2012 it will get two new versions. The 2011 Regal will be offered only in the CXL trim (additional ones will be added for the 2012 model year). The Regal CXL will be offered standard with a 2.4 Liter Ecotec direct injected four cylinder engine that delivers a maximum output of 182 HP, however a 2.0 Liter direct gasoline injected turbocharged Ecotec cranking out 220 HP will be offered as an option. Both engines will come mated to a six-speed automatic transmission with driver-shift control. There is nothing much to say about the new Regal’s design, anyone can recognize the Insignia underneath the Buick badge. With its aggressive styling and tailored applications of Buick’s signature design cues, such as the waterfall grill, select use of chrome trim and superior fit and finish of the exterior panels. While the interior consists of all the latest technologies to keep it up to date in the 21st century: navigation, Harmon Kardon sound system, internal flash drive (1GB), hard drive with 10GB for music and USB port. UPDATE 09/03/2010: Check out our review of the Buick Regal by clicking here! Full details in the press release after the jump.<
2011 Buick Regal GS
At the 2010 Detroit Auto Show, Buick unveiled the Regal GS Concept - a US version for the European Insignia OPC. Now GM has confirmed that the company will build a high-performance version of the Buick Regal sports sedan. The production version will resemble the concept version and will most likely will feature the same 255HP, turbocharged 2-liter engine. "That is the kind of excitement Buick needs to get a new cadre of buyers into their store," said autos analyst Joe Phillippi of AutoTrends Consulting in Short Hills, N.J. "Maybe Buick won’t be a four-letter word anymore." With the new Regal GS, Buick intends to attract to younger customers, pushing the average age even lower and reversing perceptions that Buick is the brand of choice for senior citizens: "Buick kind of lost its way. We built big, floaty, quiet cars — what our customers wanted at the time. The GS would be the next step, more performance-based," Buick spokeswoman Dayna Hart said. The Buick Regal GS will join the future compact car and small crossover the brand plans to build within the next few years. All of these new models build upon the new, younger image Buick is attempting to create. Buick prepares new flagship coupe
General Motors announced that the Buick line-up will be expanded with a new coupe model in the next few years. The future coupe will be a "statement, all the design cues and everything would drive themselves down into all Buicks." "Buick definitely needs more product in the pipeline. My role is really being a zealot for getting Buick more youthful, more spirited and probing ideas [for] coupes, more expressive vehicles. That is really my job," said John Cafaro, director of design for Buick and Chevrolet. "Buick is kind of going through what Cadillac went through" when it reinvented itself, he said. "Cadillac said: ’What we are doing is not working. Our customers are dying off. We have to carve a new image.’ That is where Buick is right now." 2010 Buick LaCrosse
The 2010 Buick LaCrosse comes in three trim level- CX, CXL and CXS and with a choice of two V6 engines. prices will range from $27,085 to $33,015. The CX is powered by a a new 3.0L direct injection V-6 that delivers 255 hp and and 211 lb.-ft. of torque and is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The CXL gets the same engine as the CX, but adds leather-appointed heated seats, dual-zone automatic climate control, fog lamps, outside rearview mirror with LED turn indicators and puddle lamps, and 18-inch wheels. Intelligent AWD is available. The CXS is equipped with a 3.6L direct injection V-6 that delivers 280 hp and 261 lb.-ft. of torque; the engine is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. The CXS gets a real-time active-dampening suspension; perforated, leather-appointed, heated and cooled seats, and chrome-plated 18-inch wheels (19-inch optional). Starting in the first quarter of 2010, Buick will offer a third engine choice for the LaCrosse CX model: a new direct injected Ecotec 2.4L four-cylinder with prices starting at $26,995. The Ecotec 2.4L four-cylinder engine delivers a total of 182 hp) and 172 lb-ft. of torque. Mated to a six-speed automatic transmission, the new powertrain combination is expected to deliver fuel economy of 30 mpg highway and 20 mpg city. Press release after the jump. Full story | featured reviews:Buick cars reviews2013 2012 2011 2010 2009 2008
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