2018 Buick Regal TourX : Review

The Buick Regal is all-new for 2018, and we recently reviewed the first vehicle in the Regal family, the Sportback. You may recall that we found it to be quite nice, but lacking that little extra something to get us excited. That sharp-looking wagon pictured above posed on dirt with its plastic cladding promised to deliver that excitement we were looking for. We recently ventured out to Sedona, Arizona for a first-drive behind the wheel of the 2018 Buick Regal TourX.

“Regal TourX is a crossover in the truest sense of the word, with the drive dynamics of a car and the versatility of an SUV,” said Duncan Aldred, vice president, global Buick and GMC. “Additionally, it continues a trend set by the Cascada and Encore of bringing Buick’s contemporary design and attainable luxury credentials to new segments where customers are looking for more. TourX enters a vibrant segment with passion and youthful energy where drivers are able to experience the new Buick.”

To be honest, just letting us drive on dirt is enough to get us excited, but we also have a soft-spot for wagons, especially of the rugged all-wheel-drive variety. The Buick Regal TourX really does have much in common with its hatch-back brother, the Buick Regal Sportback. Since we have recently reviewed the later, we’re going to focus primarily on what is different about the wagon version for this feature.

Exterior

You’ll notice the roof rack with bikes in the photo below, which helps to highlight one of the most important features about the TourX, or any wagon for that matter. That is the ability to access the roof rails (standard) easily to mount equipment, because the roof is lower than a crossover or SUV. We’re told that wagon owners actually use their roof racks more than crossover drivers, and that does make sense.

With 3.4 inches in additional length, the Buick Regal TourX really is just the wagon version of the Regal Sportback, but for whatever reason the styling works better for us on this vehicle. Buick seems to be toeing the line between a luxury wagon and something more rugged that you’d have no problem getting dirty. Please enjoy our Instagram photos from our day driving the TourX below, and we’d like to thank Buick for the other photos in this feature.

The front-end styling is nearly identical, and most of the exterior difference comes in the extended wagon back. We’re particularly fond of the chrome strip that extends from the roof line down the back windshield. We found the rear 3/4 angle to be quite striking when we followed another TourX out of Sedona. The black plastic cladding around the wheels can be polarizing, but we tend to like it. We found the Sport Red to be the most stunning color, but also appreciated the way the White popped in our photos surrounded by Red Rock State Park.

Interior

The interior of the Regal TourX appears to be identical to the Regal Sportback. They even used the same interior photos in galleries for both vehicles on the website. So we’re going to quote our previous review:

The 2018 Buick Regal TourX’s cabin takes a driver focused approach, with the center stack skewed towards the driver for a cockpit like feel. The available 8-way power driver seat can also be leather appointed with contrasting stitching. The cabin is spacious and comfortable, and there is plenty of storage available for both driver and passenger. While premium materials are used throughout the cabin, we were left a bit underwhelmed by the interior in the Buick Regal TourX when compared to some of its luxury competitors. We found the interior pleasant, but nothing grabbed our attention to really excite us.

A 7-inch infotainment system with Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility is standard, but our tester included the 8-inch screen with embedded navigation. Standard features also include push-button start and entry, hill start assist, 10 air bags, universal home remote, and heated side mirrors.

The real difference comes in the versatile wagon back of the TourX, with a stunning 73.5 cubic feet of cargo capacity, up from 60.7 on the Sportback. That is more cargo space than the Volvo V60CC, Audi A4 Allroad, BMW 3-Series Sport Wagon, and the Subaru Outback. Standard on upper trim levels is a hands-free power lift-gate which has a Buick tri-shield logo lamp that illuminates the ground beneath the sensor.  So if you’re looking for plenty of easy to access space for your bags in the back, and accessible roof rails for your equipment on top, the TourX has you covered with both.

Performance

The Buick Regal TourX has a standard 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine that produces 250 horsepower and 295 lb-ft of torque. We drove it extensively on the highway from Phoenix to Sedona, and found that it did really posses the drive dynamics of a car. The turbo had no problem climbing mountain roads at elevation, and we were left even more impressed with the engine than we were after our initial test of the Sportback in Texas. However it was the dirt roads in Red Rock State Park that we were most looking forward to.

All-Wheel-Drive (AWD) is standard on the Regal TourX, as is the 8-speed automatic transmission. Compared to a normal AWD system, the impressive twin-clutch system can provide torque to either rear wheel, giving drivers more confidence and helping them feel more connected to the road in all driving conditions. Confidence is a word used in the press-kit to describe the AWD system, and after pushing it to the limit on some fun dirt roads, we found that word is entirely appropriate. It’s obviously not a serious off-roader, but the TourX can satisfy the needs of many weekend outdoorsmen, transporting them to their hiking and biking trails, or the ski slope.

Additionally, the Regal TourX is offered with a slew of safety features:

Driver Confidence I package adds popular active safety features including Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert, Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Rear Park Assist. A more advanced Driver Confidence II package adds Front Pedestrian Braking, Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning, Forward Collision Alert and Adaptive Cruise Control with Forward Automatic Braking.

Overview

The Wagon is making a comeback, and we’re glad to see that Buick is helping to make it happen. In a market crazed for crossovers, we think the 2018 Buick Regal TourX offers an interesting alternative for buyers who are looking to combine the drive dynamics of a car with the versatility of an SUV. Pricing for the TourX begins at $29,070, with a fully loaded model costing around $42,000. The TourX is not the most rugged wagon on the market, nor is it the most luxurious. It offers a well-done combination of both at a compelling price that could draw cross-shopping with competitors in both worlds.

Our drive partner for this Buick adventure was Sofyan Bey of Redline Reviews, and we enjoyed helping him film his video review that you can watch below :