Who Is Going To Buy The Buick Cascada?

The 2016 Buick Cascada may look familiar to Europeans, but it’s something the American brand hasn’t seen in a long time: a halo car (of sorts).

And what a pretty halo it is. Aside from the 20-inch wheels that I’m not particularly fond of, the transition from Opel to Buick didn’t change a whole lot, and that’s for the better. At a time when cars look angry for the sake of being sporty, the relaxed look of the Cascada is somewhat refreshing. It’s a nice car. Does anyone still buy nice cars?

In Europe, Opel targets the Audi A5 Convertible as its prime competition, but in the U.S., it’s likely Buick dealers will target people looking at an Audi A3 Convertible. By extension, they should include the similarly sized and priced BMW 228i Convertible. Both of those cars offer optional all-wheel drive, so that means the Cascada will be a non-starter for New Englanders looking for a year-round car.

Buick can’t expect to charge quite as much as the A3’s $35,600 starting price, even if it offers more standard horsepower and equipment – the lure of the four rings is inexplicably strong. But the A3 also has a different personality. It’s more modern-looking car in a clean-cut, professional way. It’s for people who look good all of the time, or at least insist on making an effort before being seen in public. That’s just not every convertible buyer.

The Cascada shouldn’t be quite that demanding of its owners. It’s a car for people who want to lower the top and drive a convertible in a relaxed way. It doesn’t matter it has “only” 200 horsepower, all it needs is to be comfortable going 37 mph.

The Cascada isn’t for people who buy Mustang or Camaro convertibles, even V6 ones. Those imply sportiness. The Cascada does fall into a space the old Chrysler Sebring and 200 convertibles used to occupy, although without the same Florida rental special implications. For most of the enthusiasts reading this, the Cascada will be too slow or too laid back or too… nice.

Sorry, but when I look at this car that’s the first word that keeps coming to mind. And nice is by no means bad.

Photos: Zac Estrada / Carscoops.com