I haven't driven the current TSX so I can't comment on how it compares, but if it offers no more driving enjoyment than this lifeless slug of a Buick, then it's certainly no sports sedan either. I do recall there being much criticism levelled at the introduction of the current TSX - increased size / weight, less responsive steering etc. - as compared with the model it replaced. THAT car was a hoot to drive even if it wasn't a sprint champ. Quick, agile and a superb manual shifter all made for an entertaining and sporty sedan. None of those descriptions would I apply to this 4-wheel double dose of valium pretending to be a sports sedan.
At least in the current TSX you can still get a manual transmission, right? If it came down to choosing between the lesser of two evils, that alone would have me picking the TSX over the Buick. The Regal isn't merely saddled with a less involving atuomatic. It is nearly crippled by a "mileage-oriented" killjoy of a slushbox that wants to upshift yesterday and doesn't want to downshift unless your right foot is mashed ALL the way down. The combination of anemic motor, more-pork-please weight and your prissy 3rd grade shool teacher for a transmission take this car WELL outside the sports sedan arena.
And since this thread isn't about the TSX, the Hyundai Genesis, Sonata or any vehicle which seems ripe for diversionary potshots, let me conclude by saying that this aspect of the review is absolutely 100% SPOT ON:
Unfortunately, the base Regal is let down by its pedestrian powertrain. The engine’s power is only adequate, and while there’s nothing wrong with a car not having the most powerful motor in its class, you’d at least hope for one willing to go all out when pressed. Instead, the 2.4-litre four-cylinder never sounds happy about being run out to its 6,500 rpm redline. Compounding that is the slow-witted nature of this automatic transmission, which also feels completely uninterested in making the Regal go fast. It’s hesitant to downshift when acceleration is called for, and in my car, felt indecisive about the right time to upshift in many situations (which is not something I’ve noticed in other GM cars with this transmission). To be clear, it’s not that the powertrain is poor; it’s simply underwhelming and has no business in a car being marketed as a sport sedan.
Hey, the truth only hurts when it's true.
Jaeger