It’s the two driver-confidence packages that add the most impressive feature content to the Regal. In the first you get blind-zone alert, lane-change alert, cross-traffic alert and lane departure warning as well as a forward collision alert, following distance sensor and the seat memory.

The second gives you adaptive cruise control and automatic collision preparation as well as a safety alert seat – also known as the “good vibrations” upgrade.

Standard features included bi-xenon HID headlights, 18-inch aluminum wheels, fog lights, OnStar, leather seats and steering wheel, remote keyless entry and cruise control as well as my personal favourite thing – a heated steering wheel.

There was also my other favourite thing, a 115v power outlet as well as the 8-inch Intellilink touchscreen with Sirius XM and a nine-speaker Bose premium audio system.

I’m no audiophile, but I could hear every high hat in Ice Ice Baby as I angered the nanna in the much older Buick two lanes over at the traffic lights on Lakeshore, so I figure it’s a good system.

Warranty:
4 years/80,000 km; 6 years/110,000 km powertrain; 6 years/160,000 km corrosion perforation; 6 years/110,000 km 24-hour roadside assistance

Competitors:
Acura TLX
Audi A4
BMW 3 Series
Cadillac ATS
Ford Fusion
Lexus ES
Lexus IS
Lincoln MKZ
Volkswagen CC
Volvo S60

At $47,770 as tested, the Regal isn’t a cheap car by any means, but it does have a luxurious appeal, a worthy engine and a capable chassis. By the time you spec them both identically, this is around $2,000 cheaper than an ATS, but the ATS is a fair bit smaller. Why do I keep measuring the Regal against the ATS? Because one reminded me of the other. Driving the Regal made me think about my time in the ATS. They share the same drivetrain and that shows when you use the pedals in the Regal. I also think they’ll have a similar demographic, people who like those smaller luxury cars with a bit of sporting potential at the same time.

Now, if only they’d get rid of all the brown….

Pricing: 2014 Buick Regal Turbo Premium II AWD
Base price: $39,645
Options: Driver Confidence Package 1 – $1,565; Driver Confidence Package 2 – $1,370; Sunroof – $1,395, 18-inch chrome wheels – $1,050, White Diamond Tricoat paint $995
Freight/PDI: $1,650
Price as tested: $47,770

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