It’s a pretty tough market for those looking for a mid-size convertible without a luxury price tag.
These days, you would be hard-pressed to find an option that is not a compact, muscle, or luxury car that is available as a convertible. That is, until Buick rolled out its all new 2016 Cascada. The Cascada fills a huge gap in the convertible market, providing enough room for four and decent cargo space at an appealing price.
The Cascada is built with a strong, rigid foundation which makes for a very stable and smooth ride, even with the top down. While it’s not the most sporty ride on the market, the Cascada brings a lot of positive features to the table.
You can comfortably seat four in the Cascada, albeit, seating in the rear would be most comfortable for those who are on the small side. The Cascada also boasts a good amount of cargo room, which can be expanded by folding down the rear seat backs. The same cannot be said about many, if not most, of other convertible options.
Similar to the luxury competitors, the Cascada has an elegant, upscale look which translates with either the top up or down. It’s sleek and is smoothly sculpted — even its taillights are wrapped around the body for a more seamless design.
The Cascada comes in two trim levels — 1SV and Premium.
The base 1SV comes standard with some of the following: a one-touch power soft top that can be engaged up to 31mph speeds, USB media interface and aux jack, seven-inch touchscreen display, navigation system, remote engine start, leather upholstery, voice controls, rearview camera, smartphone integration and Onstar.
The Premium trim includes the Driver Confidence package which includes forward collision alert, lane departure warning and parking assist. The Premium trim also includes front and rear seat air deflector, as well as other features.
The interior of the Cascada is replete with fine soft-touch materials and easy-on-the-eyes muted tones. There are several controls, including a joystick to control the audio.
How the Cascada performs on the road is perfectly adequate. It is powered by a 1.6-liter turbocharged inline-4 engine that boasts 200 horsepower and 207 pound-feet of torque. Its MPG is 20 city/27 highway. The transmission is smooth and can easily wind between cars in traffic with much more ease than expected from a car weighing in at nearly 4,000 pounds.
The only downside to the Cascade is its low stance, which makes potholes and bumps on the road fairly evident.
The 2016 Buick Cascada is just what we need in the convertible segment. Currently, the option for an affordable convertible with enough room for four and cargo is nearly nonexistent in the American market. We are left to choose between convertibles that are too small, too expensive or too sporty. However, Buick has successfully bridged that gap with a elegant convertible that looks equally as good with its top down, as it does up. Not only is it an attractive car, but it also provides a great ride at an even better price.
The MSRP for the 2016 Buick Cascada starts at $33,065.
