20Mar
Looking at pricing information at reputable listing sources like Edmunds and Autoblog, the average used price for the 2020 Buick Regal in good condition hovers around $20,000 to $29,000. For example, a 2020 Buick Regal Sportback Essence 4dr Hatchback with 8,055 miles is currently priced at $28,990 on Edmunds, another with 20,888 miles at $23,500, and another with 29,390 miles at $23,839.
The Buick Regal is a long-running premium midsize car that Buick made since 1973. Though discontinued in the North American market, the car lives on in China alongside other endangered sedan species like the Excelle, LaCrosse, and Verano.
For the 2020 model year, representing the nameplate's final lap in the US, the Regal introduced goodbye niceties like updated seats, dual-zone climate control, 18-inch wheels, and heated steering wheel– all standard equipment on all models. Below are some of the best features of the 2020 Buick Regal.
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1. A Regal Exterior Design
Buick offered the Regal in five trim levels: the base model, Preferred, Essence, Avenir, and GS. Even by today's styling standards, the 2020 Regal, particularly the GS model, still looks majestic. The automaker described it as "Buick's most dramatic expression of design and dynamics."
It featured a unique sport front and rear fascias, side skirts, and a rear spoiler. The Regal includes Buick's signature winged grille flanked by standard LED daytime running lights and available LED headlights. Unique 19-inch wheels and performance brakes with Brembo front calipers enhance the model’s sporty look and performance.
The exterior design also features a sport-tuned exhaust system, a power-sliding panoramic moonroof (available option), and a variety of exterior color options. The GS looks even better in the optional Satin Steel Gray Metallic color.
2. The 2020 Buick Regal's Peppy V6 Powertrain
Regal TourX engine bay
The standard powertrain was a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine that made a decent 250 horsepower and 260 lb-ft of torque. Not bad for a sedan that weighed around 4,000lbs. However, things get a lot more exciting with the 3.6-liter V6 powerplant propelling the GS variant.
You wouldn’t be wrong to see the GS model as a sleeper car, just like the LaCrosse, especially the 2008 super sedan. It’s not just about the car’s power but also the impressive acceleration and cornering. This mill, featuring direct injection, cylinder deactivation, and stop/start technology, blessed the 2020 Buick Regal with 310 ponies and 282 lb-ft of torque.
A 9-speed automatic transmission routed that power to the car's intelligent AWD system with an active twin clutch. The 2020 Regal may have some downers, such as the somewhat lazy pedal response (when equipped with the 4-cylinder engine) and lazy steering feedback, but owners praised the 4- and 6-cylinder engines as strong power mills, paired with a smooth-shifting 8- or 9-speed A/T.
3. An Impressively Versatile 2020 Buick Regal
Buick Regal Hatchback trunk
Some people already familiar with Buick’s premium-class position in the automotive market might feel a bit underwhelmed by the 2020 Buick Regal’s overall interior ambiance but the GS model suffered no such shortcoming. It’s a downright premium sedan with a premium interior and impressive versatility, whether you have the Sportback or TourX version.
This is because the hatchback offers ample cargo room to transport a load of stuff in style, just as the TourX wagon body variant offers a lower cargo liftover height to make loading the trunk easier. Every owner appreciates this feature even if they haven’t noticed, whether the Regal is used as a family car or not.
Notably, another shortcoming of the 2020 Buick Regal is probably the extra-cost safety features one too many. These features might just come standard on the GS trim, as opposed to costing extra.
Be as it may, the extra cost for these optional safety features is noticeably cheaper compared to Regal’s competitors, such as the Cadillacs CT5, CT4, and CTS. To even begin the discussion, the 2020 Cadillac CT5 asked for $36,895 as the starting MSRP, whereas the 2020 Buick Regal started at $25,370. The GS started at $39,070, though.
Also, the 2020 Buick Regal’s versatility extends to the choice of performance seats on the GS model. Granted, some shoppers might prefer comfort seats to complement the luxury experience, but the heated sport (performance) seats hint at a versatile sleeper sedan that can gently take the kids to school one moment and transform into a woke beast the next.
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4. The Many Standard Features Of The 2020 Buick Regal GS
Speaking of extra-cost optional features, the GS trim of the 2020 Buick Regal offered a satisfying list of standard features.
They include dual-zone automatic climate control, active noise cancellation, Teen Driver Mode, keyless open and keyless push-button starting, remote start, and a heated steering wheel. The power-sliding panoramic moonroof with power sunshade doesn't come standard but is certainly worth the little cash. The Teen Driver Mode, which we’ll discuss in a bit more detail shortly, betrays this car’s not-immediately-recognized beastly nature.
As for those safety features we mentioned earlier, the GS came standard with ten airbags, including frontal and knee for driver and front passenger, seat-mounted side-impact, and head-curtain for front and rear outboard seating positions.
Other standard safety features include a Rear Vision Camera, Front and Rear Park Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert.
4a. How The 2020 Buick Regal’s Teen Driver Mode Works
The Teen Driver Mode promotes safe driving habits and provides parents with tools to monitor and encourage responsible behavior behind the wheel.
Parents can set a speed warning alert that activates when the vehicle exceeds a pre-set speed limit. Owners can also set a maximum speed limit to make sure the car cannot exceed a pre-set speed.
What else do teens tend to abuse? The sound system, of course. So, the 2020 Buick Regal’s Teen Driver Mode includes an Audio Limit so parents can set a maximum volume limit for the audio system to minimize distractions. Parents can view a report that includes information on the distance driven, maximum speed reached, and any safety features activated during the trip.
The Mode also includes a Buckle to Drive feature that requires the driver and front passenger to fasten their seat belts before the vehicle will even shift out of park. Finally, the Teen Driver Mode allows parents to access a report card summarizing the teen's driving behavior.
To activate Teen Driver Mode, you’d need to use the pre-registered key fob to set up the system. This is one feature any family car worth its salt should have, and it is one of the best features of the 2020 Buick Regal. Not even the best midsize car for families, the 2024 Toyota Camry, boasts of a similar teen driver monitoring tech.
4b. A Regal-First Safety System
For the record, the Buick Regal was the first Buick model to offer GM’s active hood pedestrian protection and safety system as standard equipment. This technology was designed to sense an imminent collision with a pedestrian while traveling at 16 mph to 30 mph.
Detecting such an imminent impact, the system, thanks to a pyrotechnic actuator, lifts the back of the hood to 4 inches to minimize the force of the impact and potentially reduce injury.
The system debuted on the Opel Insignia in 2017 and made its first appearance on the Buick Regal in 2018. GM would offer the thoughtful technology as standard safety equipment for the first time on the Regal.
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5. The 2020 Buick Regal’s Driver Confidence Package
Though not featured as standard equipment, the 2020 Buick Regal’s Driver Confidence Package offered plenty for the extra cost of $1,090. The pricing and content of the Package varied between trim levels, though.
The Driver Confidence Package was available not only for the GS model but also for the Preferred, Essence, and Avenir trim levels. It is basically an ADAS suite with advanced safety and driver-assist features such as Lane Departure Warning, Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Alert, Forward Automatic Emergency Braking, and more.
On the GS model, the Driver Confidence Package includes Adaptive Cruise Control - Advanced, Following Distance Indicator, Forward Collision Alert, Enhanced Automatic Emergency Braking, Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning, Front Pedestrian Braking, and Head-Up Display.
The Preferred trim’s Driver Confidence Package brings LED headlamps with auto leveling, cornering lamps, Rear Park Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert.
The Essence Driver Confidence Package includes LED headlamps with auto leveling, cornering lamps, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert plus four-way power lumbar and wireless charging.
Note that the Driver Confidence Package comes in 1 and II variants. For example, the Driver Confidence Package II on the Essence model has different features, including Adaptive Cruise Control - Advanced, Following Distance Indicator, Forward Collision Alert, Enhanced Automatic Emergency Braking, Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning, and Front Pedestrian Braking.
These features comprise a comprehensive safety net for drivers for awareness and support in accident prevention.
What’s Not To Like?
Considering all that the 2020 Buick Regal has to offer, the weight of our complaints against the car shrinks to the point of inconsequential. Nevertheless, let's share them anyway.
We’ve already mentioned the poor responsiveness of the 4-cylinder engined Base Regal’s gas pedal and steering feedback. We also mentioned that some people might expect more from the cabin’s luxurious ambiance, but the sportier GS model tells a better story.
Plus, the Regal compensates for whatever it lacks in premium cabin feel with a built-in 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot as a standard infotainment feature across the board (many of its rivals can't say the same), standard 8-inch-diagonal high-definition color touchscreen (with optional Navigation), Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, USB charge port in the center console, and Buick Connected Access with 10 years of standard connectivity.
These are all standard features, excluding exciting options like Bose premium 8-speaker audio system with subwoofer and wireless charging. Now that the 2020 Buick Regal costs as low as $20,000 in the used car market, it’s a good time to invest in a versatile family sedan that offers great bang for your buck.
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