Might the GS be the perfect car?

[adam728]

 

[shs92645]

View attachment 32471

Well done!!!

 

[ZB Commodore Owner]

Is the Regal GS (Commodore VXR) the perfect vehicle? Probably not but I sure as hell don't know what I'd choose to replace my RSV with from what's on offer in the new car space.

This is quite a good review of the VXR. 2018 Holden Commdore VXR Review | Practical Motoring

This excerpt I think sums the car up.

Off into the corners then and at a medium pace the VXR is typical of a modern-day sports saloon – frankly, rather boring because it does exactly what it’s told with minimal effort and the whole point of a sportscar is challenge and reward. You turn, brake and accelerate as you wish, with the car following your commands to the letter, instantly. Personally, I like to work for my pace, be that having to drive around a bit of understeer, be careful tipping the car in and out of corners while playing with weight shift, and especially being able to lean on the power pedal out of bends to help rotate the car. You don’t get to do any of that in the VXR as at a fast cruise, it’s all done for you so it’s relaxing, safe speed but not exciting.

But if you do want exciting then the VXR can in fact deliver. It just needs to be driven a bit harder, and this is where I was rather surprised. I was expecting the car to give up, start to understeer, electronics to kick in, brakes to fade, and start to develop the sort of traits it is no fun to play with. That didn’t happen.

Instead, the VXR just got better and better. The brake feel is brilliant, you can get right to the edge and feel the point of lockup. The gearbox goes into what I call beast mode where it holds excitingly low gears and changes as quick as a scalded cat. The steering is direct, not the best at feedback, yet more than up to the task of directing your journey at speed. But the best bit is the cornering.

The VXR is an incredible direction-changing machine, mostly but not entirely thanks to its torque vectoring rear drive. You can abuse the car – come into a corner, jump off the brakes and then turn in which would be the classic way to induce terminal understeer. In the VXR, you just go around the corner as planned. On the other hand, if you take a corner correctly – which would be reducing the braking force as you turn in (trailbraking) – then you go around the corner at speeds which don’t so much surprise than shock. The VXR would, I feel, handily see off a Subaru Liberty 3.6R and WRX, both of which are renowned for mid-corner grip. It’s an amazing point-to-point country car too, as the adaptive suspension handles pretty much anything even on 20″ wheels, the all-wheel-drive is so effective, and it’s comfortable. At the end of the drive one of the Porsche drivers mentioned the “good but bumpy roads”…well, they weren’t bumpy in the VXR!

 

[ready2fly]

Pretty sure Acadia is still made in Spring Hill, TN. (Mexico made vehicles start with a 3 in the VIN.)
What do you think of the 21 Acadia's new shifter buttons/pulls?

Buttons make things easier. My friend bought a slightly used 2019 Terrain SLT, it has a very similar setup. I like the design. It opens up a lot of space up front that used to be occupied by the shifter.

 

[D2R]

Buttons make things easier. My friend bought a slightly used 2019 Terrain SLT, it has a very similar setup. I like the design. It opens up a lot of space up front that used to be occupied by the shifter.

When I tried the Invasion's longitudinal layout setup, I accidentally set the parking brake instead of putting the vehicle in Drive. 🤣 😱

 

[G-848620]

Yes the GS is the car... my 2018 GS v6 only has 12,000 miles on it, been hit up by several gm dealers wanting to by it.... my son had a 2018 Ford f150 pickup with 200,000 miles on it , the dealer gave him $12,000 cash....the truck looked new.. used car prices are crazy. Shop around new car prices are crazy too...

 

[LLninja]

Back to the thread topic, although I think the Gs is a mighty fine vehicle, for a sporty sedan, I think there’s no beating a Pontiac G8/GTO, Chevy SS, Holden Commodore with a big V8 and a manual tranny. That was on my dream list before I bought the TourX

 

[D2R]

Back to the thread topic, although I think the Gs is a mighty fine vehicle, for a sporty sedan, I think there’s no beating a Pontiac G8/GTO, Chevy SS, Holden Commodore with a big V8 and a manual tranny. That was on my dream list before I bought the TourX

Apples and tomatoes though. 😅

 

[saab93driver]

The GS was a good car for the money, especially after discounted. Nothing's perfect, while well equipped compared to the TourX it was still dumbed down a little equipment wise compared to what other markets got but at least you got actual buttons in front of the shifter that worked but any interior color you wanted, as long as it was black. In a weak moment I almost bought a new one last summer from a S. Florida dealer to add to the stable but came to the conclusion that when I do pull the trigger I want something a bit different and more upscale. Besides that I really didn't want another European orphan to feed.

 

[LLninja]

The GS was a good car for the money, especially after discounted. Nothing's perfect, while well equipped compared to the TourX it was still dumbed down a little equipment wise compared to what other markets got but at least you got actual buttons in front of the shifter that worked but any interior color you wanted, as long as it was black. In a weak moment I almost bought a new one last summer from a S. Florida dealer to add to the stable but came to the conclusion that when I do pull the trigger I want something a bit different and more upscale. Besides that I really didn't want another European orphan to feed.

I'm curious what car you would get that is a bit different and upscale (also curious what your stable of cars includes). For me it would probably be a Cadillac CT4 or CT5. A V or a Blackwing would be an added bonus. Then there's the thought of just going all in on a Subyukonade to have 1 vehicle do everything (cargo, tow, passengers). Saving my pennies until I have enough and make the decision to pull the trigger.

 

[saab93driver]

I'm curious what car you would get that is a bit different and upscale (also curious what your stable of cars includes). For me it would probably be a Cadillac CT4 or CT5. A V or a Blackwing would be an added bonus. Then there's the thought of just going all in on a Subyukonade to have 1 vehicle do everything (cargo, tow, passengers). Saving my pennies until I have enough and make the decision to pull the trigger.

I've been considering a CT5, maybe even a CT4, I don't really need the rear passeger space but either would have to be something more than 2.0 engine and I want them optioned well, not a base level so the price will go up. I had my eye on a lightly used CT6-V Blackwing V8, that's a total different universe performance and pricewise but I didn't like the interior color enough to spend that much money on it, and it's an even bigger orphan car as far as engine goes. CT6-V is arguably collectable with the limited number of Blackwing V8 engines built but I'd want to enjoy it too much to have it be that kind of investment. As far as current vehicles I have 3 later model Saab 9-3s (sedan, wagon and 'vert), one is a daily driver with over 200K miles so it's days are limited, a Honda Element and a BMW boxer motorcycle.

 

[shs92645]

I test drove a CT4 V and was put off by the sound of the engine although the car handled very well. I am at work today and just picked up an S5 and drove it for 30 minutes. Great pickup but the overall steering and handling didn’t feel much different than my GS for the 20k+ price difference.

 

[D2R]

I test drove a CT4 V and was put off by the sound of the engine although the car handled very well. I am at work today and just picked up an S5 and drove it for 30 minutes. Great pickup but the overall steering and handling didn’t feel much different than my GS for the 20k+ price difference.

(Whisper voice: It has a 4 cylinder pickup truck engine.)

 

[ready2fly]

I test drove a CT4 V and was put off by the sound of the engine although the car handled very well. I am at work today and just picked up an S5 and drove it for 30 minutes. Great pickup but the overall steering and handling didn’t feel much different than my GS for the 20k+ price difference.

That's the thing. Our Regals are so good that you have to spend double or triple to actually get something considerably better. Truly a hidden gem!

 

[adam728]

(Whisper voice: It has a 4 cylinder pickup truck engine.)

Or is the pickup sporting a 4 cylinder car engine?

Hmmmm.....

 

[D2R]

Or is the pickup sporting a 4 cylinder car engine?

Hmmmm.....

The L3B engine came out on the 2019 Silverado/Sierra and then the 2020 CT4.
Chicken or egg first? 😛

 

[RegalMN]

I indeed didn't exist in the 80s so I know nothing about those crappy products in history. On the other hand, that's more than 30 years ago. I understand that your experience still sticks around but that objectively does not negate the quality of those brands today.

On the other hand, if companies don't keep up with the competition, they are going to fade out. After about 3 years on the market for both, it's 100% clear now that the Stinger GT has won the competition against the Regal GS. It's rated the best large car in Canada in 2018, it sold more, is still being sold, had better powertrain, better equipment, and better warranty. The Regal GS is a cool car and I'm happy with it, but my impression with GM seeing what they've done with this car is that they simply don't care.

The biggest mistake for any company, and this applies to any person as well, is to live on the glory in the past.

Alfa Romeo Giulia would be my choice over the Kia. Similar price but way cooler styling, and without the embarrassing Kia badge.

 

[2007LucerneCXL]

2018 MY but worth a read on the Alfa.

Redirect Notice

While the Regal and TourX may have problems, the Alfa seems to have all of them in one vehicle.

 

[sburch23]

Owned two Rivieras and a W-body GS at the same time. The GS was definitely sportier. Easier to maneuver, better handling and acceleration than the Rivs. The Rivs were awesome long distance cruisers.

 

[LLninja]

I've been considering a CT5, maybe even a CT4, I don't really need the rear passeger space but either would have to be something more than 2.0 engine and I want them optioned well, not a base level so the price will go up. I had my eye on a lightly used CT6-V Blackwing V8, that's a total different universe performance and pricewise but I didn't like the interior color enough to spend that much money on it, and it's an even bigger orphan car as far as engine goes. CT6-V is arguably collectable with the limited number of Blackwing V8 engines built but I'd want to enjoy it too much to have it be that kind of investment. As far as current vehicles I have 3 later model Saab 9-3s (sedan, wagon and 'vert), one is a daily driver with over 200K miles so it's days are limited, a Honda Element and a BMW boxer motorcycle.

Consider an older CTS Coupe or CTS-V Coupe. Not 4 cyllinder engines and no rear passenger space. Another car I would seriously consider is an ELR. I’m kicking myself for not buying the one I rest drove in sept 2019, but at the time I was in no position to buy one and use it as a daily driver. Today, without a daily commute, it would be a museum piece that I take out every now and then for fun. But I didn’t know then what I know now.

my wife is enamored with the Jaguar F-Type coupe (not convertible).