Convertible time

Buick positions Cascada as an affordable luxury

Buick offers the Cascada as an entry- level luxury convertible — a segment that doesn’t have a lot of intense competition. The Cascada is not a coupe with a removable top, but a stand- alone convertible that returns a drop top to the Buick lineup in the U. S. for the first time in a quarter of a century.

According to Buick Marketing Manager Rob Peterson, several competitors in the convertible market have left, leaving just a few vehicles above and below the Cascada. Competitors include the Volkswagen Beetle Convertible below and the Audi A3 Cabriolet and the BMW Z4 convertible above.

Buick makes it easy for buyers who sometimes feel inundated with choices by offering no purchasable options on the Cascada. Buy- ers can choose between two wheel designs, two leather interiors and six colors — and that’s it. The Cascada’s starting price puts it in within reach of buyers who might not be able to afford more expensive European convertibles. Two Cascada trims are offered: the base trim at $ 33,990 and the premium trim at $ 36,990.

The Cascada is powered by a 1.6- liter turbocharged four- cylinder engine that produces 200 horsepower and 207 poundfeet of torque. The transmission is a six- speed automatic. The engine isn’t what you’d call overpowering for a car with a curb weight of nearly 4,000 pounds, but fuel economy is rated at 20 mpg city and 27 mpg on the highway ( 23 mpg combined).

Cascada has a sleek silhouette with the top up. Lower the top, however, and the Cascada’s shape morphs into a wedge that slices into the wind. And windy it was during a daylong test drive from Miami Beach to Key West in the Cascada. Most of the 134- mile trip was done with the top down, which of course in a convertible is the preferred method. It takes 17 seconds to lower the Cascada’s top, and it can be done at speeds up to 31 mph.

U. S. Highway 1 from Miami Beach to Key West isn’t exactly a curvy or challenging road, so at some points our test drive involved high speeds. The car remained sure- footed and had good road manners even at those higher speeds.

The Cascada also has a windscreen that is easy to pop up behind the seats, and it does a pretty decent job of reducing blowback through the cabin.

The Cascada comes standard with 20- inch wheels and a soft top. No hard- top version is offered. The soft top does a surprisingly good job of filtering outside noises. With the top up, trunk space is 13.4 cubic feet. Lower the top, and the trunk space is 9.8 cubic feet.

The Cascada cabin is roomy and had comfortable front seats. In back, headroom is 36.1 inches, which was tight for my 6- foot- 1 frame. Connectivity is via Buick’s IntelliLink system with a 7- inch color touch screen that features text- message alerts, Siri Eyes Free, navigation, OnStar 4G LTE with a Wi- Fi hotspot, remote start, dual- zone air and a seven- speaker sound system.

A rear- view camera is standard in the Cascada, which has anti- lock brakes and six standard airbags, including front knee airbags and seat- mounted side- impact airbags. Pyrotechnically activated rollover bars behind the rear seat are linked to the airbag system.