I haven't looked into it but this may be a case like the 'Saturn' Astra where GM 'imports' a pretty dang decent euro car with almost no 'Muricanization to muddy it up.
Longing for a plushy, front-drive convertible? Bummed that you didn’t get a chance to pick up a Toyota Solara or Chrysler Sebring when they still had that new-car smell? Then Buick has a car for you. Meet the Cascada.
The Cascada debuted in Buick dealers in 2016, but it’s not exactly new. It’s an Opel that’s been available since 2013.
What’s new for 2018? More colors: Rioja Red Metallic, Dark Moon Blue Metallic and Carrageen Metallic.
From Buick’s release:
“‘Color is back,’ says Catherine Black, lead designer of Buick’s Color and Trim Studio. ‘While 80 percent of the exterior colors purchased globally are neutrals—black, silver or grey—many customers are starting to move away from these neutral tones and have an appetite for entirely different colors like dark navy and maroon.’ In a segment with limited options, Cascada combines luxury features and additional on-trend color options at an attainable price to give style-conscious buyers more reasons to reconsider Buick.
What color was our test car?
White. Yes, the car in the photos is blue, not white.
I admit, I was kind of a fan of the old Sebring. It wasn’t anything fancy or sporty, but it was a comfy, top-down cruiser for you and your crew. The Cascada more or less continues that tradition.
Stuff that I liked:
A modern, contemporary interior highlighted by comfy seats.
Not much buffeting with top down.
An easy-to-use top mechanism–no latches to deal with.
Standard navigation.
Way easier ingress than, say, a Miata or Corvette.
Distinctive looks. Swap grille logos and it could sub for a Volkswagen.
Good cup holders. (Yes, I went there.)
Stuff that didn’t exactly thrill me:
The suspension is soft. I know that’s par for this course, but a Miata (or BMW) this is not.
Vague, over-boosted steering that can also be called nervous on-center.
Lots o’ buttons in the center stack. I admit, it took me a while to figure out how to change the station.
Poor rearward visibility with top up. Like, really poor.
The shock valving seems off. I’d love to see a little more high-speed damping.
The transmission is a little slow to kick down.
Not much power: 200 horsepower for nearly two tons. You can do the math.
Lotta cowl shake. A lot.
Final thoughts: No, this isn’t a Miata replacement. Don’t even go there. But if you, or someone you know, wants something “sporty” that offers top-down motoring, then maybe this might be worth a look. Call it a possible mid-life crisis-mobile for those who have spent the last 20 years in minivans and the like.
I haven't looked into it but this may be a case like the 'Saturn' Astra where GM 'imports' a pretty dang decent euro car with almost no 'Muricanization to muddy it up.
Looks like a Sebring. Gross...
It's like the mullet of comfy cruiser convertibles...Eos in the front, Sebring in the back.
"Color is back" is a strong statement when red, dark green and dark blue are presented as "exciting" colors. 
No Bueno.
yupididit said:Looks like a Morano. Gross...
Fixord.
Driven5 said:It's like the mullet of comfy cruiser convertibles...Eos in the front, Sebring in the back.
LOL.
I thought it looked OK until I saw the second pic
Forgetting the car itself, that's a really dumb model name. Would have been better if they just called it the "Buick Cascade" rather than naming it after a German techno group...
Incidentally, the music group is considerably better., and probably caters to a younger demographic to boot...
Vigo said:I haven't looked into it but this may be a case like the 'Saturn' Astra where GM 'imports' a pretty dang decent euro car with almost no 'Muricanization to muddy it up.
The Astra is not a decent car. They are one of the biggest pains in the ass to work on.
Also, yeah, Cascada is a dumb sounding name. I thought for a while that it was Cascadia, which sounds much better but was likely a bit too close to Acadia
I was driving around a Miata yesterday. I don't like it, not for daily type driving anyway. I will concede that if you like that sort of thing, I can see why the Miata is your jam, no matter how many hairdresser comments you get from guys at work.
I think this is the same thing. Not many people want this Buick, but if you want a squishy four seat convertible to roll top down on a nice day, this is probably as exciting as the new ND was when it was announced.
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