Buick Has High Hopes For Regal TourX - Can The Wagon Make A Comeback?

"Cutting edge SUV brand"...ok. Not sure what's so "cutting edge" about their SUVs.

Anyway, this Regal wagon is pretty nice looking. Personally, I'd stretch my budget for a V90.

The "wagon" is the predominant form of vehicle being bought today - although YOU call them CUVs or SUV - they are simply raised station wagons - and they do not even all have 4 wheel drive.. This is one of the few times in my life when I do not have one (but I have a mini-van) - and I raised my kids with 3 seat wagons with rear facing third seats. Most of these were full size - carried full size sheets of plywood flat on the floor (Even the Suburban does not do that now) -

When the Taurus first came out - I bought one of the first Station Wagons as well - and had several of them - even of the later ones that had that awful curved glass in the back. THey were good riding - had reasonable power for the time - could handle most situations - and I could always tie things to the roof racks too. Maybe the IDEAL family car. I really believe it was the second design of that Taurus Wagon - with the wierd glass - that turned people off to station wagons. THe first Taurus wagon sold well - the second did not. If it had more normal styling - we might still have them

And for years I always wanted to go on a vacation from the East coast - driving the Northern states across to Washington to see the National Parts of the Upper WEST - and then come back through Arizona - through Texas - a few weeks - and they would have been the ideal for doing that.

IF I did not have my Mini-van - I would be buying that Buick - I often drive them in Europe. I love it. It is smaller than what I truly want though. But I cannot see buying a small car that is not a station wagon - and once had a fleet of Mercury Lynx wagons for my kids.

Eventually time will catch up with the People buying CUVS - and a station wagon will be the answer to a better - easier handling - more like a car - all purpose vehicle again.

Tom: I see a station wagon as a sedan with the trunk replaced by an enclosed space and its own door. The occupant ergonomics are identical between sedans and station wagons.

SUVs are not just station wagons on stilts (i.e., "raised station wagons"). An SUV's passenger cell height is increased to allow for much more upright seating, and with legs more naturally angled, which lots of people prefer to the car / stationwagon ergonomics. Also, in most cases, the station wagon has proportions in which the rear end is extended with a large rear overhang, while SUVs typically have a shorter rear, that's more like a hatchback.

Steve - The basis for an SUV or a CUV was of course - the Suburban like vehicles - which when I was young - we called a Station Wagons. BacK then cars were indeed different from what they are now - more upright seating - overhangs were different - all were built on separate frames - And if you compare directly based on what cars became - I can see your point. The problem is - I am clearly older than most people here - and look from a different point of view - remembering that my first car was built BEFORE WWII.

The fact is - the basic layout of a Station Wagon is really the same as an SUV - a Passenger space - and a raised roof over the cargo area - with a "hatch" that opens the entire rear to input cargo. Note - the first station wagons had no such hatch - they had a "Tailgate" like a pick up - with a window above to see through - that likely opened Upward. It was later that the window could open (into the tailgate) when driving and lower down with the tailgate.


One thing I do not understand - on a different subject - is that for some reason many of my posts are being duplicated when I post them only once - I have tried to be careful to prevent it - but it is still happening. This rarely happened before (I do live in the middle of nowhere - and we do have many power failures here) - but If anyone has an idea why this would happen (I am thinking of changing my keyboard) - I would appreciate a heads up -I do not know what to do.

The "wagon" is the predominant form of vehicle being bought today - although YOU call them CUVs or SUV - they are simply raised station wagons - and they do not even all have 4 wheel drive.. This is one of the few times in my life when I do not have one (but I have a mini-van) - and I raised my kids with 3 seat wagons with rear facing third seats. Most of these were full size - carried full size sheets of plywood flat on the floor (Even the Suburban does not do that now) -

When the Taurus first came out - I bought one of the first Station Wagons as well - and had several of them - even of the later ones that had that awful curved glass in the back. THey were good riding - had reasonable power for the time - could handle most situations - and I could always tie things to the roof racks too. Maybe the IDEAL family car. I really believe it was the second design of that Taurus Wagon - with the wierd glass - that turned people off to station wagons. THe first Taurus wagon sold well - the second did not. If it had more normal styling - we might still have them

And for years I always wanted to go on a vacation from the East coast - driving the Northern states across to Washington to see the National Parts of the Upper WEST - and then come back through Arizona - through Texas - a few weeks - and they would have been the ideal for doing that.

IF I did not have my Mini-van - I would be buying that Buick - I often drive them in Europe. I love it. It is smaller than what I truly want though. But I cannot see buying a small car that is not a station wagon - and once had a fleet of Mercury Lynx wagons for my kids.

Eventually time will catch up with the People buying CUVS - and a station wagon will be the answer to a better - easier handling - more like a car - all purpose vehicle again.

I'd give it a 2-3" lift and make it more Allroad-ish in appearance. It will sell to a more thoughtful customer who wants space without the weight of an SUV.

Buick is totally foolish if the choose not to make a Regal TourX Outback, Allroad, or CrossCountry.

Without grey plastic wheel arch trim and without silvery, fake plastic skid plates, no one is going to buy this vehicle.

Ooohhh...just took a closer look - the seemingly black-painted "off-road" trim which you need a magnifying glass to see, does not really put this in the "Cross Country" class.

Buick should glue on some leftover grey Pontiac Aztec trim and these babies will fly off the lot.

Isn't Volvo coming out with their V90 Wagon again. I do not recall if this thing is AWD. If not it should be an option. Then all that is left is to raise it 3 inches and presto you have Buicks answer to the Subaru's Outback and the V90.

No

Dodge Magnum was a flop, but maybe Buick customers are different or Buick needs all the help it can get.