Bakersfield Life

Total makeover

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      Ah, there’s nothing like your first new car.
      You give it a name. You detail it every few hours. You parked it far away, in the middle of nowhere, so too-close-for-comfort cars in tight spots wouldn’t scratch it.
      Yes, it was just you and your new car, and some of your friends, of course. Against the world.
       That’s exactly how I felt when I bought my new car — a cute little white coupe — before entering my junior year in college. Well, actually, my sister and brother-in-law co-signed for me to get the car. I was a poor college student so I couldn't really afford to get one on my own.
      But my first new car carried me through my final undergrad years. It was there for me when I got married. And it stood by during my newlywed years — that is, until we upgraded once we began having a family.
        I never forgot about it.
       I was reminded of my first new car recently as I test-drove the 2011 Buick Regal CXL.
       This is a car that I can easily see becoming the first new car for a college student, that 20- to 30-something working professional or a 40-something bachelor looking to move away from a bigger or clunkier gas-guzzler.
       And before you start to imagine the older version of the Buick Regal, which was likely more popular with your grandpa's crowd than your younger buddies, you should know that the new model feels as if it's entered a "total makeover" contest and came home as the winner. Yes, it's that different.
      The body is not boxy. It has a nice curvy, sporty look. As good friend of mine, Albert, said, the body reminded him of a Mercedes style. (He was reminiscing of his Mercedes, which he had recently traded for a hybrid SUV - the things we do for our busybody children with their active school activities and constantly changing athletic schedules.). But that's another story.
      The seats feel like they hug you so it's pretty comfy inside.
      For the music and navigation lovers, you'll be happy to know there is a nearby extra controller you can use to select the navigation, phone or audio screen menus. The controller sits next to the gear shifter that is snug between the driver and passenger seats. The antenna is also built into the fin in the back of the car.
      John Pitre, general manager of Bakersfield's Motor City Auto Center, expects the Buick Regal to be a hit in the U.S. since it's based on GM’s European-market Opel Insignia, which was named European Car of the Year for 2010.
      Theirs is much to be said about the 2011 Regal.
       I can say it has earned the praise of my Goddaughter, a college freshman who drives an used car but can’t wait for the big day become the owner of a brand new car. She joined me in my test drive.
       And it sure made me appreciate the years I had with my little white coupe.