The Magnasteer (magnetic speed-sensitive variable-assist power steering) set-up is easy to deal with when driving in the city as its over-assistance permits one-finger turning. When cruising on the highway, assistance is thankfully reduced. The Magnasteer tends to create a disconnected and artificial feeling at all times.

The Allure's road handling behaviour is confused. On smooth roads and highways, the car gives the impression that it is firmly planted on the road. A bumpy street will find the Buick floating over the dips like a good old Buick, whereas small cracks are amplified and filter there way into the cabin. Finally, the car rolls enormously in curves. All this to say that the ride is neither comfortable nor sporty. Nevertheless, this is still the best riding and driving Buick I have ever tested. The chassis is quite nice, nowhere near as marshmallowy as other Buicks of the past. Impressively, there was only one dash rattle to be heard that came from its centre portion.

Safety

The car has standard dual front air bags, optional side curtain air bags, available ABS brakes (standard on tested CXS), optional traction control (standard with CXS), the Onstar communication system and seatbelt pre-tensionners. The NHTSA (National Highway Traffic Safety Administration) awarded the car 5 out of 5 stars (a perfect result) for both front passengers in a frontal impact and 3 out of 5 stars (an average result) for both front and rear passengers in lateral impacts. The IIHS (Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) has not yet rated the Allure.

Conclusion

It is nice to finally see something completely new and different in Buick dealers. And if Buicks are to move from being the brand preferred by retirees to attracting younger crowds like they are in eastern Asia, GM must keep new and bolder designs coming.

The Allure is certainly an interesting proposition, more so than the Pontiac G6 in my opinion. Typically, brand new GM products develop growing pains in the first year which usually makes them a risky buy. I am not going to state the contrary however I can narrow down my concern to the 3.6L V6 engine. Not too long ago, a DOHC high-output GM V6 had many teething issues and was very costly to fix. Regrettably, GM has not yet understood that a good warranty is of key importance to most car buyers. Because of the short 3 years / 60 000 km coverage, I would strongly recommend the purchase of an extended warranty.

Good stuff:
Impressive 3.6L
Styling

Not so good stuff:
Magnasteer
ABS optional at $25,290