1992 Buick Regal Gran Sport review from North America

The following problems came with the vehicle when I bought it used:

The dash lights do not work, making it impossible to see how fast the vehicle is moving at night. Professional mechanics can't even find the source of the problem.

The antenna was broken off. Motorized telescoping antennas are fragile, so this is a common problem. This hasn't been replaced yet. A new motorized antenna will cost about $35.

The turn-signal switch does not activate the right-hand turn signal when engaged. It must me held upward with force to keep the signal blinking. This has not been repaired yet.

The right-side button that operates the motorized mirrors does not work. It has not been repaired.

The factory fog lights do not work. It appears as if poor design allowed water to get to them and corrode them very badly. These have not been replaced yet.

The headliner was coming down in the rear. Glue fixed this problem in no time.

The third stoplight does not work. It is either an electrical problem or there is some slim chance that every single bulb has burned out. It has not been repaired yet.

The following mechanical problem occurred after I acquired my Regal:

After two months of ownership, the engine began idling erradically while in neutral or while stopped and even stalls out sometimes. A $70 diagnostic test did not reveal any problems. Any number of things could be causing this problem.

I acquired my black 1992 Regal Gran Sport 2-door in March of 2004. It is a replacement for my previously mint-condition 1993 Chevrolet Lumina Euro 2-door that I wrecked in January of 2004. The first-generation Lumina and the Regal share the same body style, designated the W-body.

The first thing I noticed while inside the Regal is the attractive styling and unique design of the interior. The driver's seat is 6-way power-adjustable and is very comfortable.

There are four storage areas inside the vehicle. One is on the ceiling, a second is in the console, the third is behind the shifter with a sliding lid, and the fourth is the glovebox, which houses the passenger's cupholder and the spare change holder. The driver's cupholder is in front of the console.

One thing that surprised me was the Regal GS's ability to tightly corner the turns. The factory-upgraded shocks greatly reduce lean when going into turns. However, the turning radius is quite poor. This isn't a car you'd want in a crowded city loaded with pedestrians.

Acceleration while in first and second gears can out-do that of other vehicles of similar size. However, once it shifts into third, the quick acceleration dissipates. At the quarter-mile drag strip I was getting 17.6 to 17.8 seconds at 76 miles per hour with a full tank of gas, a loaded trunk, 114,000 miles on the engine, and no modifications.

Overall, I feel this was a good purchase for $1800, despite all the electrical problems that came with it. It looks good when clean and has enough power to get the job done.