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Philadelphia Daily News Jonathan Takiff column [Philadelphia Daily News](Philadelphia Daily News (PA) Via Acquire Media NewsEdge) Oct. 31--USED TO BE, people touted Buicks for the "living room" plushness of the upholstery and equally cushy ride. But after a week with a high-performance, high-tech 2015 Buick Regal GS, Gizmo Guy's more inclined to celebrate its living-room-worthy entertainment and communications skills. And to praise the ride's almost maternal protective instincts. In sum, all the cool techy stuff increasingly "driving" new car sales, say market trackers like J.D. Power & Associates. WI-FI EVERYWHERE: Perpetually linked to the outside world via General Motors' OnStar satellites and AT&T mobile 4G/LTE communications service, a Regal offers a great traveling environment for a family focused on gadgets. On a recent cruise up I-95 to the wilds of Princeton, our Regal GS road-test gang was multitasking like crazy through the car's powerful Wi-Fi wireless communications hub. As I drove, I was pulling down Internet-streamed KCRW-FM, from Santa Monica, Calif., and the new Flaming Lips album from NPR Music's website through a Wi-Fi linked iPhone. At the same time, I was wirelessly diverting those tunes, via Bluetooth, to the Buick's warm-toned Bose sound system. A wee bit of station/album information even showed up on the car's large-and-in-charge IntelliLink infotainment touch screen. Meanwhile, our "shotgun" passenger was online shopping and texting on a Nokia 7 tablet. So, yeah, IntelliLink is good to go with Android devices, too. It actually works more efficiently with the Android version of Pandora. The back-seat rider had nose glued to another tablet screen, checking out clips from "Pee-wee's Playhouse" streaming from the Shout! Factory website to tout its "Complete Series" box set. TRAFFIC REPORT: Throughout the entire trip, there were only two momentary dropouts of the Internet music. Pee-wee's play pal said the streaming picture and sound were "mostly amazing" and "never really cut out." Images turned blurry for "maybe a minute" around the Street Road exit. Our Web surfer's only complaint? Buying "too much stuff" during the journey. SAFETY FIRST: With all this media distraction, you might worry that Gizmo Guy would careen into a guard rail or adjacent car. But no chance of that. Voice activation of in-car services -- like call dialing and channel/track selection -- works seriously (and Siri-usly) well in this car, helping keep eyes on the road and frustrations minimal. Sirius/XM Traffic magically dash-displayed the posted speed limit on major roads and gave audible warnings of roadwork ahead. (This service requires a satellite radio subscription.) Pushing the Regal's "GS" drive mode button gave both car and driver a pleasant boost, quickening acceleration and firming steering wheel feedback. The car also was equipped with Driver Confidence Package No. 1, a $1,040 option that blinked and bleeped if I drove too close to the vehicle just ahead or drifted out of my lane. This feature would be kinda spooky and annoying if you do a lot of lane changing, but alerts can be switched off. The car also had a backup camera, as every new vehicle built after May 2018 will require, that makes welcome noises when anything -- posts or pedestrians -- looms close to the bumpers or corners of the vehicle. Everything worked well for me except the side blind-zone alert, which didn't always visually warn (with inset lights) of vehicles I couldn't see in the side mirrors. More precise mirror adjusting might have remedied that. PRICE TAG, PLEASE? Buick packs big-screen navigation and hot new Wi-Fi connection gear into even the most basic version of the Regal -- unlike other makers of midsize sporty sedans that also start at $30,000. And Buick includes five years of OnStar Basic "Safe and Sound" service to unlock and diagnose car problems remotely. Ah, but you do have to pay GM extra ($300 a year) for OnStar "Directions and Connections," activating the GPS and more for hands-free calling plans and Wi-Fi activation. All services are tallied on one bill. AT&T customers with a 4G LTE mobile share plan can add an in-car hub for $10 a month, treating the Regal like another member of the family. Not on an AT&T plan? The most common 1GB Wi-Fi data plan costs $15 a month for an OnStar Subscriber, $20 for a nonsubscriber. That's enough capacity each month to send 10,000 emails with attachments or stream the Web for 70 hours or stream music for 30 hours or stream video for five hours or make 2,800 social media posts. That should be sufficient for most, unless you really start treating this Regal like your living room. Blog: philly.com/GizmoGuy Online: ph.ly/Tech ___ (c)2014 the Philadelphia Daily News Visit the Philadelphia Daily News at www.philly.com Distributed by MCT Information Services |