1997 Buick Regal Review
Price Estimate: $523 - $817





+3
Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
Pros
- Full load of standard equipment (including ABS and traction control), superb powertrain, good looks
Cons
- Unproven reliability and resale value
What’s new
The complete redesign of the Regal means Buick finally has a viable entry in the midsize sedan marketplace. The standard equipment list is long, including ABS, traction control, dual-zone climate controls, heated exterior mirrors, retained accessory power and battery rundown protection.
For sale near Lafayette, LA
Vehicle overview
In 1990, Buick released a sedan version of the Regal coupe to do battle with the Ford Taurus, Toyota Camry and Nissan Maxima. Shortsighted in terms of design and engineering, the Regal sedan won few converts from established domestic and import nameplates. Tight times delayed replacement of Buick's lame duck, and by 1996, the Regal's main selling point was a strong 3800 Series II V6 engine. Sales were limited to die-hard Buick buyers and rental fleets.
Now, Buick has released a new Regal sedan. The slow-selling coupe has been excised from the lineup, leaving LS and GS versions of the four-door. The new Regal is larger in nearly every dimension, and is manufactured to reduce squeaks and rattles by tightening the structure of the car with one-piece side panel stamping and cross bracing behind the instrument panel. A full load of standard equipment and reasonable prices make the new Regal very competitive, and should entice buyers who might normally limit themselves to Toyota or Nissan showrooms to at least visit a Buick store.
Think of the new Regal as Park Avenue Light, or Century Deluxe. LS models are powered by GM's tried and true 3800 Series II V6, which puts 195 horsepower to the ground via the front axle. Move up to the GS, and you're getting a real sport sedan equipped with a supercharged V6 making 240 horsepower. Buick says the GS will be the focus car of the lineup, and with good reason. At a starting price of $23,495, the suave, speedy Regal GS is an excellent argument against purchasing a Honda Accord LX V6.
Basic styling is shared with the lower rung Century. Regal gets unique front styling, and barely different rear styling. LS models are distinguished by a chrome accented grille, while GS models get blackout trim and sharp 16-inch alloy wheels. Inside, an attractive interior beckons. Heated leather seats are optional, as is an integrated child safety seat. Both cars get traction control, but the system on the GS works at all speeds rather than at lower speeds like the unit on the LS.
Good things are happening at GM. However, sharing platforms between multiple divisions is likely to continue to be a problem, despite recent efforts at establishing strong brand identities for each division. Pontiac's Grand Prix and Oldsmobile's new Intrigue share Regal's underpinnings and basic structure. Grand Prix is obviously the driver's car with a youthful image. Intrigue is conservatively styled and import-oriented in focus. So where does that leave the Buick Regal? Mark Hines, assistant brand manager, says Buick is focusing on 40-49 year-olds with families who want a blend of performance, dependability, and safety. Basically, Buick is going after buyers who snap up thousands of Camrys every year.
The current Camry is plainly styled, just like the new Regal. The Camry is a safe car, just like the new Regal. The current Camry also has an outstanding reputation for reliability and resale value. Can the Regal compete in this arena as well? Time will tell. For now, we can only say that the Regal is an excellent value, and with 240-supercharged ponies under the hood, the GS model is our recommendation.
Cost to Drive
Monthly estimates based on costs in Louisiana
$170/mo for Regal GS
Regal GS
vs
$146/mo
Avg. Midsize Car
See Edmunds pricing data
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Buick Regal Owner Reviews
Most Helpful Owner Reviews
Trending topics
Dangerous
3.75 out of 5 starsGeorge Connor, 02/10/2003
1997 Buick Regal LS 4dr Sedan
In the last 3 months our steering went
out on my family twice putting us in a
very dangerous position. Did GMC stand
behing there product-"no" my vin
identification is not within the range
of the federal recall. Please do not
buy a GMC product if you value your
safety. I have my car waiting for its
second repair, but i refuse to put my
family behind the wheel(or lack … of)
again. I have a useless Car.
Good ole 3800's
5 out of 5 starsteleport, 11/27/2013
1997 Buick Regal LS 4dr Sedan
I bought this car in October 2012 with 160K miles on it for 1300 dollars. It's beat up, neglected, and been abused by it's previous teenage owners.
The engine is 16 years old and has never let me down. I replaced the water pump and two faulty coolant elbows. All four struts were pretty shot, and I replaced the rear ones. I did pads and rotors all around.
Total spent for parts is under … 500 bucks including oil changes. I'm getting close to 170K and haven't touched it since I did the original work when I bought it. I'll do plugs/filters in the spring and let that carry me to 200K.
The 3800 series II is easy to work on - I have little mechanical experience.
Update: The timing chain stopped being a chain in June 2015. The engine had 201k miles on it. The only work additional work I had done to the car before it's death was regular maintenance like pads/rotors/oil change. I put a lot of miles on this car - 50+ a day commuting, and plenty of driving on the weekend. Until the day the camshaft and crankshaft stopped talking - it never failed me.
Best I've had
4.88 out of 5 starsHarry, 05/24/2005
1997 Buick Regal GS 4dr Sedan
I bought this car used with 40K miles on it from a local dealer. I've only had 2 problems with it that required a shop's intervention and it hasn't left us stranded. With over 93000 miles on it, I've only noticed 1 intermittent squeek or rattle, the doors still click closed, the engine still starts with just a touch of the key and I couldn't be happier with it. The supercharger adds that … extra kick and the engine isn't hard to modify for those who want some extra HP.
I love it so much I'm getting another on
4.63 out of 5 starshappywithmybuick, 05/24/2005
1997 Buick Regal GS 4dr Sedan
We ordered this car new in '97, put 140,000 miles on it with NO problems. We sold it to our neighbor for his college bound daughter and we just bought a used 2004 with 14,000 miles on it. They discontinued the car so I couldn't find a new one. I could not find a car that performed like this one in its price range. I was even willing to spend more and drove the Acura TL. I didn't … like the ride nor the performance as well as the Buick. I feel so strongly about this car I had to let people know what a great find it is. Buick did a poor job of marketing it or they would have sold more. Even Consumer Report rates it high. That's unheard of for an American car.
1997 Regal Highlights
GS
Engine Type | Gas |
---|---|
Combined MPG | 19 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $170/month |
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 16.7 cu.ft. |
Drivetrain | front wheel drive |
Safety
NHTSA Overall Rating
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.
- Frontal Barrier Crash RatingOverallNot RatedDriver4 / 5Passenger3 / 5
- Side Crash RatingOverallNot Rated
- Side Barrier RatingOverallNot RatedDriver3 / 5Passenger3 / 5
- Combined Side Barrier & Pole RatingsFront SeatNot RatedBack SeatNot Rated
- RolloverRolloverNot RatedDynamic Test ResultNo TipRisk Of RolloverNot Rated
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Small Overlap Front Driver-Side TestNot Tested
- Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side TestNot Tested
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – OriginalAcceptable
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – OriginalNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Roof Strength TestNot Tested
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintNot Tested
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