2001 Buick Regal Olympic Edition

I’m sitting in the backseat of this Buick Regal Olympic Edition, pondering why a Regal would need grab handles above all the doors. I surmise that Buick put them there because this is supposedly a very sporty sedan and they wanted buyers to envision passengers gripping tightly as this mid-size Regal rockets them around challenging curves. But since that’s not likely to happen, I figure these grab handles are at least good for practicing our hanging crosses like the male gymnasts doing the rings routine. Well, it is the Olympic edition.
The Good News
OK, so the Buick Regal isn’t exactly the car I would pick to represent athletics’ highest honor, knowing performance cars far more deserving of the revered rings. But let’s not discredit Buick’s marketing ingenuity here, nor deny the Regal’s successful efforts to step it up a bit where driving fun is concerned.

Buick actually created this limited edition to commemorate their “support for athletes competing on the 2000 U.S. Olympic Team.” It features the Olympic symbol on taillamps and floor mats (placement that could send the wrong signal, I realize, but let’s not overanalyze) and comes in a gold, silver and graphite metallic exterior colors with contrasting lower body panels in Sandrift. Fashion designer Joseph Abboud, whose quiet use of dark neutrals I’ve always liked, had a hand in the cosmetics here.

All interiors are taupe leather (very Abboud), and the $1,900 Olympic package adds stiffer suspension, power passenger seat and sunroof, audio upgrade and a few other goodies.

Take away the trappings, however, and you still have the best part: a Buick Regal GS. Equipped with the supercharged V6 producing 240 horses and 280 foot pounds of torque, this sedan moves with assurance. It shares platforms with Buick’s Century, but exudes much more youth thanks to this powertrain and the sportier Gran Touring suspension, not to mention sharper styling.

True to its Buick roots, the Regal also remains comfortable for adults, generous for cargo and familiar for those who like American cars.


Olympic rings or no Olympic rings, grab handles doth not a sport sedan make. This Regal is still first and foremost a domestic luxury car, sporty only by granny’s standards. The Gran Touring suspension robs a little of this Buick’s typically refined ride, but handling benefits. It’s your call.

Gas Mileage
EPA rated at 18 mpg city/28 highway

Price
Manufacturer’s base, $26,095;
Price as tested, $28,110

Is it worth it?
If limited editions are your thing, check out this Olympic Regal. But understand that the symbolism is much more national anthem than muscle in this case. To me, it smacks of a gimmick to drum up sales and/or press interest where there would otherwise be none. The Regal GS doesn’t need this. It’s a worthy domestic midsize sedan in its own skin.