After enjoying its best sales year ever, moving more than a million cars in its lineup in North America and China, Buick's Regal proved itself among the high lords in the realm of the premium cars -- the Buick Regal Premium pulled even with the Mercedes-Benz C250 and fell a point shy of the BMW 328i in the latest road tests released by Consumer Reports.

The front-wheel-driver version of the 2014 Buick Regal Premium was upgraded to 259 in horsepower and 295 in torque, enhancing its performance while sticking to the price range of its predecessor. That boost in performance and its nearly unchanged manufacturers suggested retail price (MSRP), saw the Regal Premium standing out in its class and helping change the perception of the vehicle line among the luxury car crowd.

With a MSRP of $50,470, the BMW 328 was said to have earned a score of 86 out of 100; the $43,195 BMW 328i scored an 84. The significantly more affordable Buick Regal Premium, $34,485, scored an 83, as did the $40,750 Mercedes-Benz C250, and the $39,920 Volvo S60 T5 earned 80 out of 100 points.

Consumer Reports stated the Regal Premium had a more European feel to it, linking its impression of the car to a German design developed by General Motors' Opel division, which was based in Rüsselsheim, Hesse, Germany.

"The Regal is a thoroughly developed and satisfying midsized sports sedan that's more reminiscent of a German sports car than the softly sprung luxo-barges that Buick was once known for," said Jake Fisher, Consumer Reports' director of automotive testing.

Consumer Reports also praised the Volvo S60, though the car didn't perform quite as well as the Regal Premium and still bore a higher price tag. The consumer advocacy group heralded the eight-speed automatic transmission and four-cylinder engine of the S60's E-Drive powertrain as Volvo's new standard, stating that it expected the automaker to do away with previous schemes soon.

But, again, the true star of Consumer Reports' latest road test was the Regal Premium. The consumer advocacy organization lauded the Regal Premium for standardizing more of its previously optional features, heightening its fuel economy and improving its controls.

"If you still think of Buick as a brand only for octogenarians with a taste for whitewall tires and vinyl roof treatments, the Regal will change your mind in one test drive," stated Consumer Reports. "It's a thoroughly developed and satisfying midsized sports sedan that's more reminiscent of an Audi A4 than a softly sprung luxo-barge."