“© [e's also si AN all-new Buick Regai was introduced this past May, the first | major update of this mid-sized, front-whee!- drive sedan since 1988. The new Regal shares a common platform with the Buick Century, Pontiac Grand Prix and Oldsmobile Intrigue, and its exterior styling is almost identical to the new Century. . ’ To differentiate the Regal from the Century, the Regal is equipped with a bigger standard V6-cngine or optional | supercharged V6- engine. five-passenger seating instead of six, a different inte- rior with more features such as wood interior trim and _ dual zone climate control, a console-mounted shift lever instead of a column shifter, a ~. firmer suspension for better " handling, and more perfor- * gnance features such as four- * wheel disc brakes and option- al traction control. © ; The’ t Regal, which Buick cails a “premium sports ' sedan,” starts at $27,795 ~ while ‘the Century starts at | $24,545. Compared to the previous “ ° Regal, the new sedan is big- cr, TOOMier, More powe er-equipped, and better-” * : proportioned, It’s longer by 63 mm (2.5 in.) with a wheelbase that has been stretched 39 mm (1.5 in.). ignificantly (54 . mun/’2. Lin. isa ine) he 72. . kilograms (1 eavicr, “The two-door model has been a discontiaued. the new /Regal’s . ; body is Pin aa thesame width, the front track is wider .: . by 64 mm (2.5 in.) and the. . rear track is wider by 83 mm (3.3 in.). This signiticantly, wider track, combined with a , fully independent suspension, firmer shocks, and a stiffer © -"S. body structure has improved “the Regal’ s ride, handling, - straight-line tracking, and sta- bility tremendously. The ’ uplevel Regal GS model, .. .. which has farger 16- inch tires “and a firmer suspension, has even sportier handling. '. The base Regal LS has a ; Playground | for Saturns | “IN the spirit that has come to typify othe . Saturn = Car ~ Company, Saturn owners are invited to participate in a Saturn Car Fundraising Rally this Sunday in Burnaby. The = newest’ — Saturn Playground project is the donation of computer equip- ment and books to. the Vancouver Oral Centre, and -Morrey Saturn Saab Isuzu is inviting all Saturn owners to bring the kids along for a fan- filled afternoon of family activ: ities. To take part in the noon to 3 p.m. cally ar the Burnaby ‘Foreshore Marine Park gall i- 888-4-SATURN, “engines are extremely “under strong acceler- Friday, July 4, 1997 — North Shore News — 38 REDESIGNED fe for the first time In 10 yerrs, the all-new Buick Regal has more interlor room, improved ride and handling, and, a choice of arged 240 horsepower 3.6-litre v6 engine, Prices start at $27, 795. Test drive the new Regal at Regency Pontiac | Buick Cadillac GMC, 1160 Maine Dr., North Vancouver (985-6333). two engines: a 195 ho standard 3.8-litre overhead valve V6 engine with 195 horsepower (up from 170 horsepower in the ‘96 Regal Limited). The Regal GS has a standard supercharged 240 horsepower 3.8-litre V6 engine (which replaces the standard 3.8 liter V6 in last year’s Regal Gran Sport’ modcl). This is the same _ supercharged engine offered . in the Riviera and Park Avenue Ultra. “Both these quiet and smooth — even the super: ° charged engine emits minimal whine from the supercharger ation. The base engine has plenty of power for comfort- able cruising and passing, but the supercharged engine ~ makes driving more fun because of its superior responsiveness. On the high- way, both engines rev at a comfortable 1,800 r.p.m, at a 2.6-litre V6 and a su steady 160 km-h (62 m.p.h.). A smooth-changing four- speed automatic transmission with push-button Performance and Norimalt modes is standard equipment. Because of its tail hi gearing, both Regals o! reasonably good fuel econo: my when cruising (up to 7.3 1/100 km/ 39 m.p.g.), but around town, fuel consump- transverse tion drops to 12 or 13 litres per 100 km (22 m.p.g.) at the very best. All Regals have standard magnetic variable-assist power way . front © steering which improves steering feel and responsive- ness, and standard four wheel ” disc brakes with ABS for.” quicker stops. For, improved winter traction and stability, two different traction contro! systems are offered on the LS _ and GS, one more sophisti- cared than the other — how- ever it’s not a necessary safety feature on a hefty, front- ‘Buick Regal technicai data Base price (LS): $27,795 Price as tested (GS): $33,429 ‘Type: four-door, five-passenger mid- size sedan Layout: . engine/front-wheel-drive Engine:. 3.8-lire OHV V6, super-. charged; Horsepower: 240 @ 5200 p.m. Torque: 280 @ 3600 r.p.m. Transmission: four-speed automatic Tires: P225/60R-16 Length: 4983 mm (196.2 in.) Width: 1845 mm (72.7 in.) Height: 1438.mm (56.6 in.) Trunk: 473 litres (16.7 cu: ft.) Fuel consum: 1/100 km (35 m.p.g;) . Warranty: Three years /60, 000 km wheel-drive car like this which already has lots of trac- tion. Two useful new features are offered on the Regal: “A DIFFERENT KIND of COMPANY. A DIFFERENT KIND «CAR ‘Our sticker price actually sticks SATURN SL $14,403 OR LEASE “*YFhon in 93 2 PER MORREY SATURN SAAB. ISUZU 294- WILLINGDON: ‘4 LOUGHEED IN BURNABY Se BDEALER 9131 _ a SATURN SWI $16,113. Payments based on 36 mus/60,00 km. lease with $1,000 down or trade plus taxes, TP. $7,948 at 6.1% financing. : City —~. 13.1 1/100 km (22 mpg.) Hwy — 8.1 “grind protection” which prevents the starter from operating while the engine is running, and « low tire-pres-' sure warning indicator. The Regal’s interior is well Jaid-cut with ahorizonral, wraparound theme actewor- thy for its lack of chrome trim and minimal wood trim. ‘The round instruments and controls are well-positioned, and outward visibili- y is excellent. The ONE stats are sup- portive and comfort- able, but I wasn’t impressed with the - firmness of the rear _. seats (which are mounted higher for better visibility). There's plenty of front and rear legroom and acres of headroom. The trunk is huge (16.7 cu. ft) and there is a ski pass-through in the center rear armrest, but the rear seat does not fold down. Standard equipment on the Regal LS, which starts at $27 195, includes five-pas- _ senger seating with a console 7 “shifter, air-conditioning, air, filters in the ventilation sys- tem, power door locks and, . power windows with a dri- ° ver’s express-down feature, a ' variable intermittent wipers, tachometer, AM/EM stereo . - cassette, remote keyless entry _ with “ panic” button, heated Ee, outside mirrors, fog : battery run-down tection, and 15-inch tes The Rega) GS ($31,249). adds the supercharged engine, a beerer : throttle /brake traction con- “trol system, 16-inch tires and. ees alloy wheels, firmer suspen- . sion, two-tone exterior paint, ; leather upholstery, power dri-.- ver’s seat, and a trip comput- er which displays instant fuel economy, vehicle range and oil life. The new Regal is priced - well when you compare it with the previous model. The. price of the base Regal LS is. up just 1%, while the Regal GS, with its new super- charged V6 engine, i is up x. At Saturn, the price on the window is actually the price of J the car. We like to call it no- J haggle pricing. And VG means that every person G who buys a Saturn pays SATURN the same price. It also means you can still buy a new car for under $15,000 or lease from only $193 per month.