Buick Regal Ls Vs. Mercury Sable Ls- Motor Trend Magazine

Road TestFunny thing about the onset of middle age, it can have strange effects on one's mind. Before you know it, the initial period of high-intensity lusting after some exotic two-seat road burner gives way to a time where more rational thoughts prevail. Assuming that all goes well with the transition, you'll emerge knowing deep down inside that pickup trucks and sport/utilities are great vehicles to borrow from the neighbors when a legitimate need arises, but a roomy, comfortable sedan is more likely to provide far superior real value for the money spent. Sound like your situation? Then the new Buick Regal LS and Mercury Sable LS deserve some meaningful consideration.

Both of these upscale front-drive four-doors share a similar mission: To attract a broad spectrum of "40-something" buyers, people of both sexes with appropriately elevated levels of income and taste who can appreciate a high degree of subtle sophistication. There are loads of mechanical and dimensional parallels to be found here, as well.

In addition to identical cylinder counts and drivetrain configurations, the Regal and Sable are almost spot-on in size, weight, wheelbase, and interior volume. Numerous engineering improvements by both manufacturers, including a move to single-piece side stampings and enhanced noise-abatement efforts, have yielded cars that are tangibly stronger, stiffer, quieter, safer, and more dynamically competent than their predecessors.

Newest kid on the block is the Buick Regal. On sale this spring as a '9711/42 , it represents a clean-sheet design spun from GM's new midsize W-body platform, which also served as the stepping-off point for the new Pontiac Grand Prix and the upcoming Oldsmobile Intrigue. Completely redone for the '96 model year, the Mercury Sable shares a common platform with its more down-to-earth kin, the Ford Taurus.

Our test cars were both well-appointed LS models, the trim level people are most likely cross-shop and the one that allowed the closest match of comfort and convenience trappings while ensuring powertrain parity. The Sable is available in G, GS, and LS flavors, but only the latter packs a 3.0-liter DOHC Duratec V-6 that makes 200 horsepower and 200 pound-feet of torque in place of the 145-horse/170-pound-foot 3.0-liter OHV Vulcan V-6 mandated in the two lesser trims. The Regal hierarchy, on the other hand, ascends from LS to GS. Both carry a 3.8-liter OHV V-6, however, the LS uses a naturally aspirated version of GM's Series II 3800 that cranks out 195 horsepower and 220 pound-feet of torque, while the GS only comes with a supercharged variant boasting output numbers of 240 and 280, respectively. Although the Mercury and Buick V-6s are both backed with an electronically controlled four-speed automatic overdrive transmission, only the Regal comes with driver-defeatable traction control, a feature not offered on any Sable.

Regardless of marque, LS badging brings numerous standards including dual airbags, power windows/locks/mirrors, a tilt steering column, air conditioning, and a retained power feature. Our Buick, which based at $20,545, also arrived with leather upholstery, Y56 sport suspension, and the SC1 Prestige Package (cruise control, premium sound system, keyless remote, power driver's seat, and redundant radio controls in the steering wheel, to name the highlights), bringing its as-tested total to $23,034. In LS livery, the Mercury starts at $22,080, but leather, a full-size spare tire, and Preferred Equipment Package 462A (which included keyless remote, anti-theft system, premium audio system, cruise control, four-wheel anti-lock disc brakes, plus a host of lesser goodies) bumped our car's bottom line to $25,550.