Buick Regal

si88

peufan,

Tried the carsdirect.com (great site) and it was very close. My price was about $53 less than the cars direct (invoice) price. The lease option still looks higher though. Must be because of the 1.9% financing. If I could afford the payments than I'd go with their 0.0% for 48 months, but thy're slightly higher.

Next question is which color to choose. Dealership has 2 to choose from with identical features. One is the sterling silver metallic w/ graphite interior, the other is white w/graphite interior. Does the white get too dirty, too fast? Silver would seem to hide the dirt better.

Thanks for your input,

si88

jackjt

Sounds like a fair deal top me too.

AS for color, if you are set on the chrome wheels, get the white one. I personally don't like the chrome wheels with the Sterling Silver Metallic color. I have a Olympic Edition 01 GS which is Sterling Sliver without the chrome wheels and really like both the car and the color.

matrixfrog

Hey, got anymore video of the syclone? God, I wish I had that truck.

michaelpsu

I have a white Century.....although I prefer the silver or tan colored ones in terms of appearance. I will tell you though that the white does not show dirt as much as some other colors. But, when you go to wash it, you realize how dirty it really was!! There is some serious road construction going on about a mile from where I work, and everything is dusty. My car really does not look too bad, but my coworker's blue Neon looks like crap. One benefit to the white is that since it is not metallic, you really do not see too many chips or swirl marks on it. My Mom has an Olds 88 that is tan metallic, and it shows everything.

As for the price...I used to sell cars, and let me tell you, the dealer is ALWAYS holding something back in the price. You should ALWAYS try for another $500-800 off of the quoted price. Dealers make more money than the public realizes. That is why I am not in that business any more...I did not like taking advantage of buyers, and that is exactly what 90% of dealers do.

Good luck!!!

Bushwack

OF COURSE DEALERS TAKE ADVANTAGE OF BUYERS!! In fact, I'll go a step further and say 99% of all people in sales take advantage of buyers. That's why being an informed buyer makes all the difference. But as a buyer, you must also realize that the seller has a family just like you..needs to put food on the table just like you..and so on. One should always go after the fair deal. Not the deal that becomes a ball buster.

Otherwise, you become just as bad (if not worse) then the seller. It's all about making the economy go round and round and round and..

armtdm

I think it is too high given that the cars are triple stacked in the lots. I purchased a 2000 Buick GSE loaded (492 miles on it) in February 2001 (granted, last years model and they had a $2000 incentive) MSRP of $28???? for a flat $23,000. I basically said look, I don't need a car, I am not crazy about the color and the styling is so so. I offered $23,000 take it or leave it, they left it until the end of the month and the sales manger called back and said if the offer still stands I will take it.

So the deal is invoice price less incentives and rebates and look into taking part or all of their holdback of 2-3% as well. They need to unload cars.

rcarboni

I can't believe you are trying to defend car salespeople. IMHO, they are completely useless parasites, and they should starve while being tortured before I give them another dollar from my pocket. But hey, let me tell you how I really feel about them sometime... hehehe.

si88, the silver/graphite sounds like a whole lot of grey shades going on. If you're into monochrome, go for it. The white looks good with that silver lower trim, but I don't like the all-white, and depending on where you drive, the areas behind the wheels will always look dirty.

ronny_55

I got the very same car that you are looking at for a negotiated 24,500 in mid Feb this year. Make them an offer and walk away from it, They will call you back. Remember that every doller that you give to the dealer for that car, is another dollar that you wont have to spend for whatever you want.

leomort

a good buy used? are they reliable? would you recommend one used? Thanks for the input.

Leo

etharmon

None of the Buick dealers near me are triple stacked in Regals. 8 GSs was the best I could find and this was at a dealer that is one of the largest in the region.

pacinpelo

Year? Mileage?

Bushwack

I am not defending the profession. I'm defending the rights of any person making a an honest living to put food in his mouth.

I deal with "salescum" (as I affectionately call them) on a daily basis with high ticket item$. No matter how I feel about them personally or the product they are trying to sell me, I realize that their motivation for the sale is to put food in their mouths. As long as *I* know I have made a fair and honorable transaction, I consider it a good deal. After all, I'd be a fool to buy ANYTHING without properly investigating what I'm spending my hard-earned dollars on. If someone is made a fool of by a sales transaction, 98% of the time it is the buyers fault for not doing the proper research.

Getting back to the sale of the '01 GS, I though it was a fair price given the recent research *I* did on a purchase of a '00 GS. As for ARMTDM buying a '00 GS for $23K 6 months after the model year close out, that's an exceptional price....even though it took a few days/couple weeks from the time he tended his offer until it was accepted. For my loaded GS in Sterling Silver (minus heated seats), taking into account a Buick rebate and other incentives (excluding GM dollars), I paid $23,700 back in December, 2000. The car had 21 miles on it with a manufacturing date of June 2000.

leomort

haven't pick anything out as yet. I was looking for a 2 year old car or newer, so that would be a '99 or 2000. Anything I should look out for? ANy model year to stay away from? I wouldn't get the supercharger as I don't want to put premium fuel in it. Thanks for the help.

Leo

michaelpsu

I was just speaking from my personal experience in auto sales. When I worked there....all of the sales people were paid on commission only. The dealer and the managers were not interested in deal unless they could hit a "home-run" (their words exactly) on it. I agree that you need to be an educated consumer so that you do not get taken advantage of. Many times though, you cannot find all of the important information that is out there. Remember that even if you buy a vehicle at invoice less any rebates and incentives, the dealer still has "holdback" and "advertising moneys" that they get to keep. Back in '97, this ranged from $600 on a new Cavalier to over $3000 on a new Suburban. The dealer/owner gets this, but the sales person does not get paid commission on it, which really is not fair. This is more than enough for the fat lazy dealer who does not show up until noon and leaves at five (I know that this is a stereotype!) to make. Remember too that they make TONS of money on parts, service, and body work. At our local Buick dealership, the salespersons are salaried, and believe me, it shows. They are willing to spend a great deal of time with you to make sure that you are buying the car that is right for you, and that you understand all of the features on the car. As such, they are the most respected dealers in this area.

I know that the dealer needs to be able to pay his bills, but I have yet to see any who are hurting. Maybe I am just too nice of a guy to be able to make someone pay more for something than they really need to. That is probably why I am not in the business any more. You really need to watch yourself on used cars too....while I was there one of the salespeople sold a used Saturn at a $4000, yes $4000 gross. The selling price was only a little over $12000. I felt like I was going to be sick. I felt so bad for the young couple who were buying it. I knew that they could barely afford the car anyway. Afterwards, the managers and the owners were all sitting around laughing about it like crazy. I felt like smacking them all. This just goes to show you....the majority of those in the car business are truly scumbags!!

si88

Well I thought I was getting a pretty good deal and now I'm confused. My dealership has only 3 GS's and believe me thats the most in the area. I think the $26,150 is a fair price, actually below invoice acording to edmunds.com and carsdirect.com. I think that if I don't buy the one I want today than it will be sold over the weekend. I looked at one 3 weeks ago and it had sold, but luckily they got more in this week. My dealership is one that I trust. But after reading michealpsu comments of having salespeople laughing at ripping people off has me worried. I guess I could play "hardball" and offer $24,500 and walk, but it took me several hours research and negotiating to get it to $26,150. I dont want to rape them or get raped, just a fair deal on this car. I did ask if they could change out the chrome wheels for me to save an extra $500. Haven't heard back from them yet. I was going to do the deal today, turn in my 4-runner and pick up the GS, but what should I do? I really like the car, but not if they are laughing at how they screwed me out of thousands.

PLEASE ADVISE!!!

y2112yz

Well,
It has been two weeks since having owned my 2001 GS. I got it at CarMax for $20,598 with 12,390 miles on it. I have only really two complaints, the Goodyear tires that they put on this car. The just don't grip real well. Does anyone have suggestions on a tire that handles well, and is good in the rain and snow?? I had General Tires on my last car and I didn't have any problems. I could take off like a rabbit in the snow and rain. Of course my last car didn't a SC3800 in it either!! I had the old 3.1 V6 in my Lumina, big difference in motors!! WOW. Filling up with 93 octane gas kind of hurts, especially at 2.30 a gallon here in the suburbs of Chicago. I knew that going in buying the car, but what can you do. Thank goodness for the Amaco card....
I am happy with my selection and I haven't got a lot of grief for buying a Buick from the people at work, considering I will be 28 in June. Most of them drive imports anyway. Yuck.. My grandfather has owned a Buick from 1951 until he passed away in 1998. And he never had any problems. The best thing from my standpoint is dusting these young guys in there Honda's with the big mufflers that sound like a souped up lawnmower!! It is funny to see there face when I dust there butt's from a light!!
Now the real test is the roadtrip back to Iowa to see how it does on the highway. I am getting like 19.3 mpg now just back and forth to work, which is not too bad. Considering a co-worker has her son's Grand Prix and the computer in the center says 15.9 mpg.
The only thing I would change overall would be the Goodyears...

yurakm

2001 Regal appeared only in September on dealer lots. And already 12.5k miles on odometer! Interesting, why people are selling practically new cars? Buyer beware.

Bought my 2000 GS last fall - it was October 6, if I remember it right - and put only 6.5k on the car. Including the 1000 mile trip to Niagara Falls two weeks after buying. I live in Connecticut.

The Goodyear Eagle LS tires were OK through the winter. It was rather wet, and there was a lot of snow too for New England. But, of course, the tires were absolutely new. Have no idea how they will behave after another 10-20k miles. Read several times, that the tires live only 20k or so on Regal.

Any case, I already decided that the next tires will be Firehawk SH-30. Installed them on my other car, a 98 Malibu, and like them very much. Absolutely outstanding wet cornering / traction, and excellent dry one. The snow traction is only very good, but this is less important in our places.

one2one

I replaced the Eagle LS tires on my Intrigue with Michilen Pilot XGTs. Noticable difference. The Goodyears were "S" rated; the Pilots are "H" rated. I got the chance to use them in snow and ice this past winter. Didn't even feel like there was anything on the ground. But the Intrigue has felt like that from day one :-) You'll love them. I paid about $112/tire on sale at Sears. Plan on purchasing some more for the wife's Bonnie.

Someone on the Intrigue forum put on AquaTread III's and have had good success.

99gs

leomort: I think buying a 2 year old regal is the way to go. GM takes it on the chin compared to the far eastern brands as far resale value goes. Why not take advantage of that by buying a used GM car. The low new car prices put even more pressure on the sellers to cut the price. I wouldn't buy one from a dealer. I have had very good luck buying cars from individual owners. You have to be more patient and search a wider area, but more often than not I've been screwed by purchasing from dealers. Usually someone that's selling themselves are proud of the condition of the car. Records are still important though. I don't know of any particular items to look out for on the regal. I purchased a 99 and have had it about a year with no problems. Its also nice to find one that still has a years worth of bumper to bumper warranty left.

L8_Apex

It's been a while since I've posted. Thought I'd let you know how the Regal's been...

The GS went out to Nelson Ledges a few weeks ago. I turned about fifteen or twenty laps in three five to seven lap sessions. I didn't want to break it; it's primary transportation and besides, that's what my buddy's 911 is for... Needless to say, it was the only Regal there but the company was good: a C4S, a 325is, the 911, a Supra Turbo, '72 2002 tii, '73 911 RS, a '95 Impala SS (six one laps and fast around the track given its aircraft carrieresque size) and a brand spankin' new WRX. (The WRX is entered in the One Lap this year. It was getting shaken out...)

Also needless to say: understeer was the name of the game though the brakes endured much better than expected. As a matter of fact, I think one of them no longer needs turning. I forgot to disable the traction control during the first session so after a lap or two, it did so on its own. It returned after cooling down for a half-hour. I experimented with several tire pressures but due to concerns for the street-life of the tires, ran 40/36 most of the day on the Z-Rated Dunlop SP5000's, which are fantastic, BTW.

The car hit about 101 to 102 on the back straight before my survival instict (and concern for the well-being of the Regal) kicked in and required that I brake for the right-hand kink followed by the hard left. It was fun and I just wanted to see how the car did when pushed to the limit. Understeer and a little instability under braking but, for as soft as it is, competent. My buddy, following in the 911 indicated that the body roll, from the outside, wasn't as bad as he would have expected and that once I could get my foot in it coming out of the corner, it pulled strongly. It was way outclassed but performs better than most expect.

My wife just drove the car across the state for Mother's Day and averaged over 29 mpg. Can't beat that with a stick...

I'm still kicking around upgrades. Mecham seems to offer the only ECU that works with the Regal and it's temporarily unavailable. In speaking with them about the ECU, exhaust and pulley upgrades were also discussed which yeilded some items of interest. If anyone's interested in what I've learned, email me.

armtdm

Those 4 cyl Hondas with the coffee can mufflers, lowered suspension and oversized wheels are called "RICERS" they believe that putting that crap on the car, Vteck stickers etc. make it go faster when most of the time all they have under the hood is the ole 4 cylinder. Even a V teck has to be reved to 8500 RPM to get the mic going!!!!

yurakm

According to the Tirerack user survey


http://www.tirerack.com/tires/surveyresults/hpas.jsp


Michelin Pilot XGT H4 and Firestone Firehawk SH-30 are very close in user satisfaction, and both are substantially better than other tires in the same All-season Performance category. Pilot have an edge in snow, SH-30 in rain.


I have a reason to believe that the SH-30 tires have a good grip on ice. It happened several times the last winter that I almost could not walk on icy parking lots, but did not feel any problem while driving. Though, I still believe that ice is treacherous and that it is dangerous to drive on ice with any tires.

rcarboni

On my last Regal ('95 CC), I had Michelin X-one's, and I have to say that in wet conditions this is one amazing tire. Never slipped, even at heavy throttle around exit ramps. Great on wear as well. Down side is that they are only 'T' rated, but that does handle up to 118mph.

My replacement selection is most likely going to be Yoko AVS Sport from here:
DiscountTire

michaelpsu

I did not want to scare you....I just want to make sure that you get a good deal! The best thing for you to do is try to find the invoice price on the web, subtract off any rebate or incentives that apply, add $100, and stand FIRM. Maybe you will want to even offer less than that, just in case there is a "factory to dealer incentive" that the public does not know about. Just make sure that you do not pay more that the before-mentioned "firm" price. If you walk in to the dealer with a copy of an invoice...they will know that you are on the ball, not someone sleeping waiting to be "raped." Sometimes they will even show you their invoice. Also remember that often times deleting options really does not bring down the price very much. If the chrome wheels have an MSRP of $500, invoice is probably like $250, so you might as well keep them! Always remember too that it does not hurt to shop every dealer in a 100 mile radius....just call them and tell them exactly what you want and ask them for the best price that they can do. Dealers are VERY competitive...and will do ANYTHING to steal a sale from another!!

michaelpsu

In March I replaced the original General AmeriG4S tires on my '99 Century with Michelin Symmetry tires. I only had 30,000 miles on the Generals, but they were almost bald. I do drive a little more aggressive than the typical Century driver, though. This was the best $400 (Wal-Mart) that I have ever spent! The tires are much quieter, the car's ride and handling are much improved, and I have no complaints about wet traction. I now have 34,000 miles on the car...and the tires show no wear at all. I know that 4,000 miles is not that much, but the Generals were wearing considerably at 6,000. I know that most of you are looking for something along the lines of a high-performance tire, but these are really good. In fact, today I parked next to an Intrigue a new set of Symmetry's...with the whitewalls out...AAGGHH!!

tex99gs

I just took over a lease on a '99 black GSE. Just drove 900 miles in the car and am thrilled. Was in immaculate shape with only 22000 miles. Got a great deal since no money down and can turn in in 11 months. But if my first week with the car is any indication, I just may be buying it from GMAC when the lease is up. At 75 MPH I averaged 29.5 MPG. So far on my commute I'm getting 22 MPG. Very acceptable considering the power. The GSE is a perfect compromise of a sedan - excellent power, decent handling (gotta ditch those Goodyears), conservatively stylish, room for five, excellent fuel economy, and in my case, a tremendous value. I'm only 31 and not at all ashamed to be driving a Buick, so one thumbs up for the General.

On winter tires (don't need em in Texas), Car and Driver reviewed some in an edition several months back - can probably find the article on their website.

yurakm

yesterday evening and again today, sitting in a row on a small parking on Crown street, New Haven, CT. This is directly across the street from my work. Very small lot - 10 cars or so. Just behind the Luis Lunch, the place where American hamburgers were invented and fist served in 1896(?).

Either 2001 model, or 2000 GS. I saw them only from front. Two of these Regal bear MA license plates, the third the NY plate of new design. All the three have 16-inch wheels, no sunroof. One is silver, the second is Burgundy (the same color as the mine), and the third is of a very nice dark-silver color. I believe, the color is named "bronze must".

Very unusual view. Never see three new Regal in row even on a dealer lot.

yurakm

Had an annoying dash rattle from the day one with my 2000 Regal. A month ago it was fixed under warranty - it took whole three days at dealership. Recently the same rattle came back, and I brought the car to the dealership again this morning.

Called the service adviser this afternoon. He told me they decided to replace the whole dash pad. Will receive the detail tomorrow.

Dash pad. Hm. Never hear the wording. It is interesting, what is it?

jackjt

AS I may have mentioned before, I have been experiencing a muffled backfire on my 01 GS. It had been happening on a regular basis. Took it in to the dealer recently and wouldn't you know it, it wouldn't backfire. The dealer kept the car overnight and still no backfire. It's been a week now and the GS hasn't backfired. The only thing I can think of that is different, is that I changed the brand of premium gas that I use. Since switching to another station, no problems.

Any thoughts on the backfire problem?

rhinnc

My wife car has 10000 miles on it. I very seldom drive the car, only when it needs gas or servicing. I noticed a slight pulsating when braking from a high speed and also when turning going very slowly. I seem to remember reading here a while back about other people having this problem. Is there a TB for this? My wife called the service advisor at the dealership, she was told the rotors might not be covered under warranty. Also, while in cruise control and you move the turn signal lever it will disengage the cruise control.

Thanks for any help.

one2one

I would tend to agree with you that it was the station you were pumping from that caused your problem. I had an '89 New Yorker that was running fine. I pumped from a particular Texaco station and took a cruise down I-95 from Philly into Delaware. After driving at highway speeds for 30 minutes the car starts sputtering and jerking to the point I had to pull over. After numerous unsuccessfull starts, 15 minutes later I was able to get on the road but still misfiring. Stopped using that station and went to Sunoco and had no problems after that.

yurakm

1. Had the disengaging cruise control problem from the very beginning with my GS.

There is a electrical switch inside the steering column, under the steering wheel. Everything controlled by the stalk - turn signals, high beam, washer, cruise control - is wired through the switch. A complicated part, and anything complicated is not reliable almost by definition.

Dealer replaced the switch under warranty and the problem gone. A half-day work.

There was one complication, though: the part is expensive, and dealer had to order it. It makes sense to double-verify he received it already when appointed. My car was sitting in the shop through the weekend, with disassembled steering, waiting for the switch delivery expected Friday afternoon.

2. The brake rotor warping is not covered by warranty.

Though, the early warping usually means either manufacturing defect, or the wheel lugs were tighten too strong. There was a posting on one of the Edmunds board, that GM have a policy to replace the rotors under warranty provided tire rotation was performed at dealership only. There is a TSB on the subject.

No luck if you rotated the tires at independent mechanic.

In my experience (with other car, 98 Chevrolet Malibu), the warped rotors are not a safety item. They are probably even somewhat more efficient than the good ones. The problem is the rotors are eating the pad, and wore them out early.

I bought the car used, with 15k miles. The rotors were already warped, but then I did not know the symptoms. Had to replace the brakes at 22 or 23k, when the pads wore to metal.

Would I have to buy myself the replacement rotors for GS now, I'd probably switch to more efficient, premium aftermarket parts. Like these:

http://www.motorsports.westserver.net/cgi-bin/miva?Merchant2/merchant.mv+Screen=PROD&Store_Code=MP&Product_Code=SSR&Category_Code=BHC

they offer also a full package:

http://www.motorsports.westserver.net/cgi-bin/miva?Merchant2/merchant.mv+Screen=PROD&Store_Code=MP&Product_Code=SSR_FULL&Category_Code=BHC

but the rear rotors are not so important as the front ones.

rcarboni

I also use Sunoco 94 exclusively. Many "discount" gas stations get the dregs which can contain oil, water, etc. Older stations that haven't upgraded their underground tanks may also have contaminants in the gas.

yurakm

yesterday. Hope this time it will nor return.

The final diagnosis: "Warped dash panel. Replaced same".

etharmon

How long is the current Regal/Century finance rate promo running?

jjcsky

Hello,

I am a proud owner of a 2000 Regal GSE fully loaded. I love the car and believe, as many of you do, that it is an exceptional value compared to the competitors.

I recently had the misfortune to badly scratch two of the Chrome WHeel Lugnut covers (the cap in the center of the wheel that pops right off). I heard from someone local that my dealer may charge as much as $45 for one.

Does anyone know of a place on the web where i can order this piece? I have checked all over and only found the ability to buy the complete Chrome Wheel, not the lugnut cover.

THanks,
John

rhinnc

Thanks for the detailed information. Would you happen to know what the TB# is? Seems like I read on this board last year there were known problems with the rotors not being "beefy" enough on some models and CM would replace.

Again, thanks.

yurakm

I do not remember the number of the GM service bulletin - otherwise it would be posted already. I remember only that its content was described recently on one of Edmunds boards.

allenr

If you have the GM part number go to this site:

http://www.gmpartsdirect.com/

If you have the part number you can get quote at dealer cost !!. If you don't have the part number a quick e-mail will get you a quote. This place is great I bought several items from them. You have to watch shipping but all in all at great web site. Best find GM locking gas cap list for $25.00 got it from gmpartsdirect for $7.95

Allen

armtdm

Interesting in that the Buick Regal does not show up on this site as a model to order parts?????

yurakm

Not Regal only.

The 98 Malibu is listed, but part are not available. I looked for brake rotors, pads and wipers - just to check.

fastdriver

yurakm-

I have not posted here in a long time. My plans for getting the supercharged Regal sort of went by the wayside- by "accident"! I ended up buying an Acura CL Type S- 260HP! I absolutely love the car! I think it's the best car I have ever owned- especially compared to the Chrysler 300M I had before this!

To see pics of the new car, just click on my name above. All the links are there. Photopoint is the best site to see them all.

Maybe someday I'll meet up with you at Louie's Lunch parking lot! Look for the RED Acura! ;-))

fastdriver

yurakm

I remember some of the pictures - you posted them here, or a link to them. But now there are much more of them.

You bought a very nice car, and very fast one! And are babying it with Zaino, as I can see. Congratulations again!

Would like to meet you. Funny thing, but I work for 5 years across the street from the Louie's Lunch, and still never was here.

fastdriver

yurakm-

I forgot I posted here. Been in that acura-cl.com group so much lately.

Me either and I've lived here all my life!! LOL.... Only about 2 people can fit in there at a time- right? ;-))

Do you get out of work at 5? I can run by today, but I have to wash the Acura! ;-))

fastdriver

yurakm

Yes, I definitely can be here at 5pm.

I am 5"8', 50 year old, overweight, dark balding hairs, in glasses. Light color clothes.

fastdriver

yurakm-

LOL... Look for the shiny CL! See you about 5!

fastdriver

frankk

Looks like the numbers didn't align into nice columns. Here's the link to the story

http://www.usatoday.com/money/autos/2001-05-17-jdpower.htm

L8_Apex

Thanks for posting the info but, due to copyright considerations we'd like it if posts are not copy-n-pasted from other sites. So... it's very handy that you provided the link. Thank you.

Thanks,

L8_Apex
Host
Sedans Message Board

jjcsky

I do not have the part #...Does anyone out there have the part# to the lugnut cover for the 2000 Regal's Chrome wheels?

Thanks

Bushwack

After 7,000 miles, I rotated the tires. Not a few miles from leaving the mechanic, the "Tire Low" warning light came on. To make a looong story short, I succumbed to opening the manual and read that after rotating the tires, the warning light would appear and that it needed to be reset. OK...done.

My question for anyone in the know is...how does the car know the tires were rotated? As of last week, front and rear tires were at 32 psi. So...after the rotation and with all things once again being equal, how does the car know the tires were rotated?