The all-new 2012 Buick Regal GS presents a serious challenge to a strong field of competitors in the sport/luxury sedan segment. How does this new high-performance machine stack up against the Infiniti G25? A careful look yields a clear winner.

 

The 2012 Buick Regal GS is taking aim at sport/luxury sedans that many consider top-tier models. There’s no question that this segment offers admirable performers including the Infiniti G25. Pricing is close with the more powerful, roomier 2012 Buick Regal GS showing an MSRP of $34,835 and the 2012 Infiniti G25 Sedan coming in with an MSRP of $32,600. Looking at all the Regal GS offers that the Infiniti G25 does not provide strongly tilts the value equation in favor of the new Buick.

 

Both the 2012 Regal GS and Infiniti G25 offer seating for five and luxuriously appointed interiors. However, the Regal GS bests the Infiniti G25 in front-seat shoulder room (56.7 inches versus 55.6 inches) and rear-seat legroom (37.3 inches to 34.7 inches), and the Regal GS also has a larger trunk at 14.2 cubic feet versus 13.5 cubic feet for the Infiniti G25. These are differences you and your passengers can feel. Perhaps the biggest difference you’ll feel, however, occurs when you step on the accelerator pedal.

 

In the 2012 Buick Regal GS, a high-output, direct-injected and turbocharged 2.0-liter ECOTEC four-cylinder engine puts 270 hp and 295 lb/ft of torque at your right foot’s command. The 2012 Infiniti G25 delivers 218 hp and 187 lb/ft from its 2.5-liter V6. One test drive will convince you that the difference in driving feel is as big as the gap between those numbers suggests.

 

Buick says the 2012 Regal GS will accelerate from zero-to-60 mph in just 6.7 seconds. For the record, Car and Driver magazine achieved an even quicker 6.2 seconds in its tests, versus 7.3 seconds for the Infiniti G25, which it termed “tepid” acceleration for this class.

 

Attached to that winning performance, the Buick Regal GS offers two compelling bonus features. First, the 2012 Regal GS returns EPA fuel economy estimates of up to 20 mpg in the city and 32 mpg on the highway, which is rather stunning for a car of its performance caliber. Second, the much less powerful Infiniti G25 delivers ratings of 20/29 mpg. Buick, moreover, recommends Regular grade gasoline for the 2012 Regal GS while Infiniti recommends more expensive Premium grade fuel for the G25.

 

The Buick Regal GS also offers a choice between a six-speed manual transmission and a six-speed automatic, the latter with Driver Shift Control for the shifting command of a manual without the clutch. The Infiniti G25 comes with an automatic, period. Many driving enthusiasts prefer the choice.

 

On the topic of driver control, the 2012 Buick Regal GS comes equipped exclusively with the Interactive Drive Control System. By selecting from among “Standard,” “Sport” and “GS” modes, you tailor the suspension settings and steering sensitivity. As you might guess, selecting GS mode takes handling performance to its sporty height.

 

The Buick Regal GS maximizes handling performance with standard 19-inch alloy wheels with wider and lower tires than the Infiniti G25 and its 17-inch wheels. The Regal GS also offers 20-inch wheels with summer performance tires while the Infiniti G25 does not offer a wheel/tire upgrade package. In addition, on the Regal GS, you’ll find world-renowned Brembo^® front brakes with four-piston calipers on larger ventilated discs than those of the Infiniti G25.

 

If the Regal GS performance story seems to dominate, rest assured that the 2012 Buick Regal GS also delivers a decisive luxury advantage over the Infiniti G25. The regal GS comes with 12-way power front seats while the Infiniti G25 has eight-way driver and four-way passenger power front seats. Both cars come with automatic climate control systems, but the Regal GS features a dual-zone system, plus humidity and sun sensors to deliver finer control over cabin comfort. The Buick Regal GS will delight your ears with its standard, nine-speaker harman/kardon^® premium 336-watt, 5.1 Matrix Surround Sound system. The Infiniti G25 gives you a six-speaker audio system, offering no upgrade options.

 

The Infiniti G25 offers nothing in the way of connectivity like the standard Buick IntelliLink system, which connects your smartphone to a full-color, seven-inch touch-screen display radio via Bluetooth^® or USB port. With IntelliLink, you can stream audio through such services as PANDORA^® Internet Radio and Stitcher SmartRadio^®

 

Finally, the Buick Regal GS, like all Buick models, comes standard with OnStar safety, security, convenience and connectivity services; the Infiniti G25 does not.

 

Come in and experience the knockout punch from the 2012 Buick Regal GS.