Buick hits the bullseye with sporty Regal GS

A menu of Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen on the Business page of The Sacramento Bee’s website – www.sacbee.com/news/business/article4005306.html

Sacramento, California -- I figured that the man in the parking lot knew cars, evidenced by the exquisitely preserved 1960s-vintage Corvette he was driving.

He strolled on over to my ride and, unprompted, offered: "Looks like Buick has a winner."

Nowadays, you don't hear that too often.  But alas, I had to agree with him.  The exquisitely styled, new-for-2018 Buick Regal GS with all-wheel drive certainly checked all the customer-pleasing boxes in my week with the vehicle.

My Regal GS was particularly stunning in bright-as-the-sun "Sport Red" paint.  Inside, the red was set off perfectly with ebony touches and accents.  Yup, it looks good.

It drives good as well, with a 3.6-liter V-6 engine easily handling all challenges thrown at it.  The 310-horsepower power plant generates OK gas mileage at 19 miles per gallon in the city and 27 mpg on the highway.

Simply said, this is a premium sport sedan that lives up to that fun-to-drive label.

An impressive list of standard features can be had for the starting price $39,065.  My ride was seriously dressed up with extras that included a premium Bose sound system, a strong infotainment system (with navigation), adaptive cruise control and a power moonroof.

Those options pushed the price on the tester to a hefty $44,110.

Have to say that it felt good to drive an American-made car (with a long-standing history) drawing so many thumbs-up signs and nods of approval from passersby.

I was not a fan of the start/stop technology, which was abrupt and jarring.  I get the point of conservation, but my nerves were jangled by the hard shutdowns, which resembled stalling.

Buick has positioned this Regal GS to compete with the equivalent Audis, BMWs and others on the roadways, and it does that quite well.  It offers a large dose of luxury for a comparatively affordable price -- a tough niche in which to compete.

Are there plenty of luxury-loving motorists out there who also love a big spoonful of performance in an American-made, daily-driver sedan?  My guess: absolutely.

Mazda6 offers refined midsize sedan experience

A menu of Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen on the Business page of The Sacramento Bee’s website – www.sacbee.com/news/business/article4005306.html

Sacramento, California -- Solid, dependable ... Mazda6.

The words go hand-in-hand, with the Mazda6 consistently ranking high in my book of practical midsize sedans.  A recent run in a 2018 Mazda6 Signature did nothing to change my opinion.

Smooth and aerodynamic styling was accentuated with an eye-catching "Soul Red Crystal" paint job. Inside, Chestnut Nappa Leather was luxurious and comfortable.

Motorists have been after Mazda to ramp up the horsepower curve from the basic 2.5-liter, four-cylinder power plant with around 185 horsepower.  Mazda has kindly obliged with a 2.5-liter turbo-4 that puts out an enthusiastic 227 horses.

It's a definite improvement. The tested Mazda6 darted quickly off freeway entrance ramps into tight spots and moved out of harm's way with just a slight nudge on the accelerator at speed.  It's a very secure feeling behind the wheel.  Also, it was instantly responsive in tight highway traffic and on crowded city streets.

The tester was generously equipped with LED headlights, ventilated/heated front seats, paddle shifters and a full boat of safety features, all for a bottom line $36,435.

The current-generation Mazda6 scored a max five stars in federal government safety ratings, and the fuel mileage was pretty fair at 23 miles per gallon in the city and 31 mpg on the highway.

The tester had so many positives and drove so pleasantly that I was inclined to think that this Mazda6 would be a comparative steal for a family otherwise contemplating a much more expensive full-size car.  Indeed, it ranks right there with the Toyota Camry and Honda Accord models that seemingly fly off dealer lots 12 months a year.

Mazda crows that its Mazda6 delivers "a refined experience befitting of a far more expensive car."  That's a sales pitch, but it also happens to be true.  That's just how I felt about the tester when I was driving it.

Bottom line: If you're looking for a reliable midsize sedan, this Mazda6 should definitely be on your test drive list.

Kia's new Stinger is a road-burning zinger

A menu of Mark Glover’s AutoGlo car reviews can be seen on the Business page of The Sacramento Bee’s website – www.sacbee.com/news/business/article4005306.html

This review first appeared in the August 2018 edition of the Northern & Central California Cruisin’ News published out of Folsom, California – mg
 

Sacramento, California – If you have two-time Indianapolis 500 winner and two-time Formula One world champion Emerson Fittipaldi putting your auto manufacturing company's new creation through its paces in a TV commercial, it better be a serious performance machine.

 

Fortunately, the all-new 2018 Kia Stinger is every bit of that, and then some.

My tester was the 2018 Kia Stinger GT2 AWD V6 with a 3.3-liter, twin-turbo engine rated at 365 horsepower.  Some call the four-door model a hatchback.  Kia prefers "fastback sport sedan."  I call it fast.

This one is special. The performance characteristics of the tested Stinger were so outstanding that I was impressed far beyond my expectations.

It's not so much that it's fast off the line -- which it is -- but what it can do when the revs are up.  You can be sailing along at 60 miles per hour on the freeway, and a small blip on the accelerator blasts you into another time zone.  The response is so instant, so robust and so pleasing to the ears (a throaty roar) that surrounding cars just disappear from consciousness.

I've driven plenty of high-performance motor vehicles, but this Stinger on the move is one of the best I've ever driven.  Kia touts the amount of time and research it put into developing the Stinger's performance DNA, and it's no idle boast.  It's that good.  And yes, fun.

My ride was nicely equipped with a somewhat hefty bottom line of $52,300.  Nice perks included a power sunroof, a head-up display and leather trim.

The Stinger package competes against primo foreign sports car makes with special goodies that include quad exhausts and distinctive, bright-red Brembo performance brakes, world-class stoppers to be sure.

Fuel mileage is not so bad, given the engine power: 19 miles per gallon in the city and 25 mpg on the highway.

The rear hatch area holds a fair amount of cargo, but the seating area in the back seats is going to be a tight squeeze for large-size adults.

Even with four doors, the exterior look of the vehicle broadcasts performance, with sleek, angular sculpting on the front end and a nicely constructed tail section, complete with a subtle, extended spoiler.

The safety features are plentiful and state-of-the-art. As usual, the Kia warranties are exceptional.

OK, you can buy this car as a family sedan and a daily driver commuter, but the truth is that you want it for the performance rush it provides.  You don't go to the racetrack for the food; you go for the thrill.

That, in a nutshell, is why you would get a Stinger for your driveway.

Top-flight Lexus reviewed in latest Cruisin' News

Check out my review of the 2018 Lexus LS 500 F-Sport AWD sedan in the latest, September 2018, edition of the Northern & Central California Cruisin’ News, published out of Folsom, California, by John Sweeney and Evonne Sotelo.

The “Hot Laps” reviews, along with my "Oil Drips" observations on anything with wheels, appear monthly in the publication.

To subscribe to the Cruisin’ News, visit www.cruisinnews.com, call (916) 933-0949 or send an e-mail request to cruisinnews@mac.com. Mailed requests for information should be sent to Cruisin’ News, P.O. Box 1096, Folsom, CA 95763-1096.