We are not new to Buick’s and if you have read us for awhile, you’ll know that we LOVE taking them on family travel getaways and because of having two kids in tow when we head to the East Coast, we have never opted to try out the ever so elegant and luxe Buick Cascada. Until recently that is…..
Thanks to the PR and marketing folk at Buick, we were given the opportunity to drive the 2017 Buick Cascada convertible on a recent romantic getaway to Beverly Hills. Let’s just say — it couldn’t have been a more perfect choice for our escape.
The Buick Cascada parked down the street from the Beverly Hills Hotel in a residential neighborhood
The Buick Cascada
Standard on a Buick Cascada is a 1.6L SIDI Turbo 4 cyclinder engine and a six speed automatic transmission. We love that their other useful options such as the forward collision alert, which is standard in Buick cars now as well as a Lane Departure Warning (super useful when driving in busy cities), Rear and Front Park assist, automatic wipers and automatic on and off headlamps.
Credit: Buick
The Drive
So, how does she drive? First off, she’s FUN to drive. With the performance of a 1.6L 200-HP turbocharged engine, the Buick Cascada lets you feel the unmistakable thrill of the open road — top up or down.
It’s super sporty and you feel it with its lowered chassis, so the ride is ever so smooth as well. The StabiliTrak electronic stability control technology, 20-inch wheels and a HiPer Strut front suspension help ensure your ride is as responsive as it is smooth.
Us cruising through Beverly Hills in a Buick Cascada with the top down
Driving through a Beverly Hills residential neighborhood
Around the corner from Rodeo Drive
Fun in the Sun
Because it’s a convertible, when you want to put the top down (and we did often because the weather was so gorgeous), not much will fit into the trunk of the car. When we came from the airport, we had most of our luggage in the trunk, so opted for to close the roof.
Once your luggage is in your hotel room however and you’re all checked in, it’s time to play.
Down the road from the Beverly Hills Hotel
In front of the docks in Marina Del Rey
Inside: Comfort & Luxury
The Buick Cascada has luxurious perforated leather-appointed 10-way power-adjustable front seats, electronic front safety belt presenters and dual-zone automatic climate controls, all of which add comfort and an amazing experience to any trip.
Note that while it wasn’t windy enough for us to use the divider feature (note below), it’s an option. This is a must do when it’s either very windy or when you simply want added protection from the wind — it also protects your items in the back seat from blowing away, a smart feature.
Credit: Buick
Technology at your Fingertips
The Buick Cascada also has advanced technologies including a built-in OnStar 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot capability to help keep you connected on the go.
We have taken Buicks a lot (every time we use them, the more we fall in love with the brand), and we always use the OnStar feature which is a potential add-on, a great idea if you have kids or a single woman traveling alone.
We have called for random things like, “what’s the wifi code?” and “how do we put the top down?” when we had to use the convertible feature for the first time.
There are also handy conveniences like the useful myBuick app, which allows you to lock, unlock, and remotely start your vehicle. This is particularly useful if you live in a colder climate or if you are walking to your car late at night and want to get a head start at unlocking your car before you get to the door.
Credit: Buick
The Buick Infotainment System which we always use as well, allows you to play your favorite music or make hands-free calls—and connect in style with its seven-inch-diagonal color touch-screen. We LOVE this screen.
They also offer hands-free turn-by-turn navigation, so when Google maps lets you down (this happens often, at least for us), Buick has you covered.
Credit: Buick
Credit: Buick
You can use their standard Rear Vision camera to easily back up since it shows you what’s behind you and provides onscreen track paths in real-time to help guide you. Think it as a forward-thinking way to go backwards. BRAVO!
Credit: Buick
Safety
While we were testing the 2017 model, the 2018 Buick Cascada is out and offers plenty of luxury convertible safety features to bring you the peace of mind, especially if you’re traveling with kids.
The really great Forward Collision Alert system detects that a front-end collision situation is imminent while following a detected vehicle, meaning that the system alerts the driver to a potential crash. It also alerts the driver if the driver is following a detected vehicle much too closely. It can be a little sensitive at first, but you quickly get used to it within an hour or so.
Something they refer to as Lane Departure Warning provides alerts to help drivers avoid crashes due to unintentionally drifting out of their lane when their turn signal is not activated. This is especially useful late at night or for long rides when you may be tired on the road.
Other features that you can opt for the car include things like Automatic Crash Response, Emergency Services and Roadside Assistance, Turn-by-turn navigation as noted above, Advanced Diagnostics and Hands-Free calling, which we used a lot during our trip. We LOVE this feature.
Elegance at its Best
While safety, comfort and technology is at the top of their feature list, one of the things I love most about the Buick Cascada is its aesthetic beauty. Elegance at its best, not only does the car boast a smooth and glorious ride with all the bells and whistles you’ll ever likely to need, but its gorgeous — inside and out.
Credit: Buick
We were given a bright red Buick Cascada convertible during our Beverly Hills trip, however the car has a number of other elegant color choices, like Silver Metallic (shown below), Rioja Red Metallic, Carageen Metallic (a deep rich green), Dark Moon Blue Metallic (a bit like a rich navy), Summit White, Black and something they refer to as Smoked Pearl.
The Buick Cascada Sport Touring with Dark Effects Package is available with these exterior colors: Summit White, Ebony Twilight Metallic, and Sport Red. You can also get a gloss black finish on the side mirror caps, unique body color accents, a bold black grille, and 20” alloy wheels.
Credit: Buick
How does it do on gas mileage you wonder? In the city, the Buick Cascada gets around 21 mph and on the highway, around 29 mph.
Visit the main Buick site for more information on all their luxury vehicles, including info on the latest Buick Cascada.
Buick Cascada near Beverly Hills Hotel
Buick Cascada just off Rodeo Drive
Rodeo Drive
Other Reading: See a couple of our other Buick Reviews:
- Driving a Buick LaCrosse in the Dead of Winter
- The Buick Enclave on the East Coast
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Note: the folks at Buick gave us a Buick to test out when we were in Los Angeles, but we were not told what to write or say — all opinions expressed here are entirely our own. Truthfully, we LOVE this car!
Renee Blodgett is the founder of We Blog the World. The site combines the magic of an online culture and travel magazine with a global blog network and has contributors from every continent in the world. Having lived in 10 countries and explored nearly 80, she is an avid traveler, and a lover, observer and participant in cultural diversity.
She is also the CEO and founder of Magic Sauce Media, a new media services consultancy focused on viral marketing, social media, branding, events and PR. For over 20 years, she has helped companies from 12 countries get traction in the market. Known for her global and organic approach to product and corporate launches, Renee practices what she pitches and as an active user of social media, she helps clients navigate digital waters from around the world. Renee has been blogging for over 16 years and regularly writes on her personal blog Down the Avenue, Huffington Post, BlogHer, We Blog the World and other sites. She was ranked #12 Social Media Influencer by Forbes Magazine and is listed as a new media influencer and game changer on various sites and books on the new media revolution. In 2013, she was listed as the 6th most influential woman in social media by Forbes Magazine on a Top 20 List.
Her passion for art, storytelling and photography led to the launch of Magic Sauce Photography, which is a visual extension of her writing, the result of which has led to producing six photo books: Galapagos Islands, London, South Africa, Rome, Urbanization and Ecuador.
Renee is also the co-founder of Traveling Geeks, an initiative that brings entrepreneurs, thought leaders, bloggers, creators, curators and influencers to other countries to share and learn from peers, governments, corporations, and the general public in order to educate, share, evaluate, and promote innovative technologies.
