Tune was easy to install on my '18 Regal TourX using a cheap Windows 10 laptop, no issues there. Woke the car up a good bit, mostly noticeable at mid to high RPMs. Curious to see a dyno graph comparing the TourX (rather than the torque handicapped FWD Sportback) to the Trifecta tune, as the difference is fairly subtle in my opinion. For a purported ~40hp increase over stock, I was a bit underwhelmed, though I still feel this is a good value for the money spent. Horsepower is not cheap; given the plug and play nature of this tune, it's probably the best thing going if you want an easy way to add power.
Did not gain much in the way of off the line performance, I suspect the car has some serious torque management in the first couple gears (that perhaps can't be defeated or would be unwise to) that really limit performance from a stop. Stomp on the gas at 50-60 mph and it's a whole different ballgame.
As it pertains to shift points, the programming on this is pretty much the polar opposite compared to stock tune, almost to a fault. Normal everyday driving (not in a hurry) with light to moderate throttle, it will often slowly run up to 3500 to 4000 RPM before shifting, primarily in 2-4 gear. Makes it feel like a small displacement N/A engine at times, because revving that high isn't really necessary, perhaps other than having power available at a moment's notice without downshifting. I find myself having to feather to gas pedal to prompt an up-shift in normal driving, and it's very quick to downshift upon a slight increase in throttle-- sometimes giving it the feeling of "hunting for gears." Because of this I have reverted to the stock config (cruise control armed) for most driving, which, by the way, was a wonderful idea to implement. If I want to have fun, I simply hit the cruise control button and enter "performance" mode. I feel the car should have had a performance/sport mode from the factory-- having this feature via this tune was a worthwhile investment, and what additional power is gained is the cherry on top. Also the ASS has never kicked in while in perf. mode, a nice bonus.
I did the best testing I could for fuel economy-- ran a whole tank on stock mode compared to a whole tank in performance mode. Replicated conditions as best I could: usual mostly highway commute, typical late spring / early summer weather, no excessive throttle input, and not allowing ASS to engage while in stock mode. Calculated MPG by hand. In stock mode (cruise control armed) I get about 27.5 mpg average, which is spot on with what I had gotten before the tune. With the cruise control disarmed (performance mode), it drops about 1mpg, yielding somewhere between 26-26.5 mpg.
At the end of the day I'm quite pleased, especially given the ease of use/installation, and that it retains the stock character of the car if you want it. Though I expect I'll be using the performance quite often as it really livens the car up and gives it a sporty feel. Just don't expect night and day performance gains in the way of torque and horsepower-- they are there, but in some driving conditions, it's hard to tell the difference.
2018--2020 Buick Regal - 2.0L Turbo - Advantage
in 2.0L Turbo (2018--2020)
Posted
Tune was easy to install on my '18 Regal TourX using a cheap Windows 10 laptop, no issues there. Woke the car up a good bit, mostly noticeable at mid to high RPMs. Curious to see a dyno graph comparing the TourX (rather than the torque handicapped FWD Sportback) to the Trifecta tune, as the difference is fairly subtle in my opinion. For a purported ~40hp increase over stock, I was a bit underwhelmed, though I still feel this is a good value for the money spent. Horsepower is not cheap; given the plug and play nature of this tune, it's probably the best thing going if you want an easy way to add power.
Did not gain much in the way of off the line performance, I suspect the car has some serious torque management in the first couple gears (that perhaps can't be defeated or would be unwise to) that really limit performance from a stop. Stomp on the gas at 50-60 mph and it's a whole different ballgame.
As it pertains to shift points, the programming on this is pretty much the polar opposite compared to stock tune, almost to a fault. Normal everyday driving (not in a hurry) with light to moderate throttle, it will often slowly run up to 3500 to 4000 RPM before shifting, primarily in 2-4 gear. Makes it feel like a small displacement N/A engine at times, because revving that high isn't really necessary, perhaps other than having power available at a moment's notice without downshifting. I find myself having to feather to gas pedal to prompt an up-shift in normal driving, and it's very quick to downshift upon a slight increase in throttle-- sometimes giving it the feeling of "hunting for gears." Because of this I have reverted to the stock config (cruise control armed) for most driving, which, by the way, was a wonderful idea to implement. If I want to have fun, I simply hit the cruise control button and enter "performance" mode. I feel the car should have had a performance/sport mode from the factory-- having this feature via this tune was a worthwhile investment, and what additional power is gained is the cherry on top. Also the ASS has never kicked in while in perf. mode, a nice bonus.
I did the best testing I could for fuel economy-- ran a whole tank on stock mode compared to a whole tank in performance mode. Replicated conditions as best I could: usual mostly highway commute, typical late spring / early summer weather, no excessive throttle input, and not allowing ASS to engage while in stock mode. Calculated MPG by hand. In stock mode (cruise control armed) I get about 27.5 mpg average, which is spot on with what I had gotten before the tune. With the cruise control disarmed (performance mode), it drops about 1mpg, yielding somewhere between 26-26.5 mpg.
At the end of the day I'm quite pleased, especially given the ease of use/installation, and that it retains the stock character of the car if you want it. Though I expect I'll be using the performance quite often as it really livens the car up and gives it a sporty feel. Just don't expect night and day performance gains in the way of torque and horsepower-- they are there, but in some driving conditions, it's hard to tell the difference.