Car review: 2016 Buick Cascada Premium
Let’s start with a confession -- I’ve got nothing but praise for General Motors and its Buick line for the all-new 2016 Cascada Premium convertible.
Derived from GM’s international Opel line, the Cascada looks sleek, muscular and new and has some sexy lines. Everywhere I went during my week with the vehicle I received a lot of appreciative looks and questions.
I think most folks would agree with me that when you bring Buick up you start thinking about grandpa’s land yacht. Not so with the Cascada.
Now mind you the Cascada is designed to be a comfortable, four-seat mid-sizer that is reasonably priced.
What it is not, however, is anything related to being what I’d call a sports sedan. And, frankly, for the market Buick is going after that isn’t necessarily all that important in the end.
Buick has given the Cascada a 1.6 liter turbocharged 4 cylinder powerplant that generates 200 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 207 lb-ft of torque at 1,800 rpms. Translated this means that the car holds its own, but won’t exactly push you back into your seats when you stomp the accelerator.
Despite the color of my tester, a somewhat uninspired brown called bravely "toasted coconut metallic," I came to like a lot of things about the Cascada including its overall fit and finish and its fast opening and closing soft-top. The top opens and closes, by the way, is a very quiet 17 seconds.
The Cascada does, however, have some seriously inspired sheet metal lines and rides on distinctive 20-inch alloy wheels which combined give it a great new look and choice for stateside consumers..
Inside the cabin you’ll leather-appointed 8-way power-adjustable seats, electronic safety belt presenters and dual-zone climate controls. Consumers will also find a reliable, high-speed Internet with available wi-fi that’s powered by OnStar.
The advanced Buick “IntelliLink” with its seven-inch-diagonal touch screen lets you play your favorite music, make hands-free calls easily and safely navigate to where you want to go.
My Cascada tester delivered adequate gas mileage, getting 20 mpg in the city and 27 out on the highway.
Finally, the MSRP on my tester -- trimmed out as it was -- came in at just over $36,000.
My recommendation is this: If you’re looking for a sexy new ragtop but don’t want to break the bank in the process this Buick may be your ticket.
While the Cascada might not exactly be a fire breathing dragon, it does deliver in the looks department. So, go ahead put the top down, get the Ray-Bans on and have some fun out there.
Jeff Mitchell, who channels F-1 Champion Emerson Fittipaldi in his mind, writes for Gannett Newspapers, Inc. and is based in Monterey County, Calif. with the Californian Media Group, Reach him at jemitchell@gannett.com