Used 2019 Buick Cascada

The 2019 Buick Cascada convertible looks to be off to a good start, with sales exceeding those of the the Audi A3 and A5 convertibles combined. Maybe the Cascada has found a sweet spot, sporty enough to satisfy most drivers without the large price tag of its BMW and Audi competitors, yet more sophisticated than the hyper-masculine Ford Mustang and Chevy Camaro. Powered by a 200-horsepower 1.6-liter turbocharged engine, the Cascada isn’t going to pose much of a challenge to the above mentioned competitive set, but with the only other sub-$35,000 4-passenger convertibles being the diminutive Mini Cooper, VW Beetle and Fiat 500, it appears the Cascada has the dance floor all to itself.

This is the perfect car for that lazy Sunday drive up the coast. With top down you can feel the sun on your face, hear the waves crashing into the sand and smell the salty sea air. The 2019 Buick Cascada is sporty, but it isn’t a sports car. It’s a cruiser, not a bruiser. At 4,000 pounds, the 200-horsepower convertible is adequately spunky, delivering good acceleration with only the faintest hint of turbo lag. Its 6-speed automatic transmission isn’t exactly state of the art, but its gear changes are smooth. Still, the Buick is slower than its rivals with a 0-60-mph time of over 8.0 seconds. We also wouldn’t pit it against a BMW 2 Series in the corners, despite its standard 20-inch wheels and tires. But the roomy and comfortable Buick Cascada is a fantastic Sunday drive companion, with a smooth ride, a rigid structure and lightly weighted and responsive steering.

The 2019 Buick Cascada’s interior is a pleasant place with room for four average-size adults. The front seats are extremely comfortable, elegantly styled with subtle patterns and contrasting stitching. Things aren’t so harmonious when it comes to the dash, however, with a dated design littered with small black buttons controlling the audio and climate controls. With the top in place, Buick’s Quiet Tuning keeps road noise to a minimum. Retracting the top opens the cabin to the full force of rushing air, as well as removes nearly four cubic feet from the generous 13.4-cubic-foot trunk.

At nearly 185 inches in length, the Cascada is 10 inches longer and several inches wider than a BMW 2 Series. This added size gives the Cascada a strong presence, with sculpted sides, pronounced wheel arches and a swooping rear quarter punctuated by a winged Buick crest logo. Regrettably, the Cascada’s bold design doesn’t carry over to the front-end styling, with a rather generic GM headlight and grille design that reveals the Cascada’s Opel heritage. The car looks best with its top retracted, but even when in place, the 2019 Cascada displays a classic hardtop profile, especially with all its windows rolled down.

AUTOMATIC ROLL-OVER POP-UP BARS
Because not everyone is comfortable with the idea of zipping along without a protective metal roof overhead, Buick equips the 2019 Cascada with a set of spring-loaded roll bars. The system will deploy if the airbags activate, or if the car senses a rollover event is eminent.

DRIVER CONFIDENCE PACKAGE
Standard on the Premium and Sport Touring trims, this package includes such essential driver assists as Forward Collision Alert, Lane Departure Warning plus front and rear parking assist, automatic high beams and rain-sensing wipers. Oddly, there is no adaptive cruise-control option.

To enhance the new Buick Cascada’s appeal, both base and the Premium variants come with a bounty of up-line features that complement the excellent soft top, and a full range of power assists. Highlighting that formidable roster are auto-controlled high-intensity headlights, heat-reflective leather upholstery, a heated steering wheel and seats, Buick’s IntelliLink system with a 7.0-inch color display, OnStar with 4G LTE and Wi-Fi hotspot, Siri Eyes Free for iOS phones, a navigation system, dual-zone climate control, a rearview camera, Rear Park Assist, electric seatbelt presenters, dual 12V powerpoints, and spring-loaded/pyrotechnically activated pop-up roll-over bars behind the rear seat linked to the car’s seatbelt system.

Options are a relatively rare commodity on the 2019 Buick Cascada. Save for a few extra-cost exterior colors, all versions of the Cascada convertible are mono-spec offerings. The only upgrades included on the Cascada Premium and Sport Touring models add Forward Collision Alert, Lane Departure Warning, front as well as rear Park Assist, tunnel detection for the automatic-headlight control, Rainsense automatic wipers, front/rear air deflectors, and a unique “diamond-graphic” finish on the wheels on the Premium and a Sterling Silver finish on the Sport Touring. The popular Dark Effects Package adds dark exterior trim, red interior stitching and piano-black interior trim.

There’s just one powertrain for all three variants of Buick’s 2019 Cascada convertible: a 1.6-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder that drives the front wheels through a 6-speed automatic transmission. Part of GM’s new-generation Ecotec family, this free-revving four boasts direct injection and continuously variable-valve timing that help it turn out 200 horsepower — a heady 125 horsepower per liter. It also develops 207 lb-ft of torque from 1,800-4,500 rpm, which can be cranked up to 221 lb-ft in 10-second bursts thanks to an overboost function. A remapping of throttle response also helps enhance the car’s pleasantly brisk acceleration. The modest downside to that enthusiasm is fuel economy. With EPA ratings of 21/29-city/highway mpg, the Cascada falls well shy of best in class.

1.6-liter turbocharged inline-4
200 horsepower @ 5,500 rpm
207 lb-ft of torque @ 1,800-4,500 rpm (221 lb-ft @ 2,200-4,000 rpm w/overboost)
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 21/29 mpg