MM Test-Drive: 2012 Buick Verano
01-04-12, 01:07 PM
#1
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
MM Test-Drive: 2012 Buick Verano
Note: some of these comments are now out of date, as I sampled later Verano models.
I've been interested in the Verano for some time now. Finally got a test-drive today.....though I will include the first part of the report, for reference, from the last static (showroom) write-up I did:
I've been waiting to get a first-hand look at the new Buick Verano compact. One of the first ones in the D.C. area was in a local showroom today, so I went out to take a look at it.
A little further than I would have cared to drive, but it was worth it. I was VERY impressed with this car, even though I didn't get to actually drive one yet (I plan to when possible). For the money (the one I looked at was only 24K) I was as impressed with it (if not more so) than with the also-impressive Kia Optima I reviewed several months ago. With the Verano, GM seems to have FINALLY gotten away from El Cheapo, El Plastico interiors and started doing a nicely-finished interior with materials more in line with what we saw back in GM's hey-day....the 1960s.
The Chevy Malibu, Cruze, and Sonic all have relatively nicely-done interiors, but the Verano seems to use even better materials inside........more so than Buick's own flagship La Crosse. Yes, a few cheap interior and exterior parts remain (such as awkward manual seat-adjustment controls), but they are few and far between. From just the showroom experience, I had almost no real complaints with it.....just the usual gripes with many of today's vehicles (no body-mouldings, manual hood prop-rod, temporary spare tire, etc.....). To put it bluntly, IMO, this is the nicest, most high-quality Buick interior (despite its compact dimensions and tight rear-seat) I have seen in a long, LONG time. The Enclave has a lot of glitz and imitation-wood, but, underneath, uses cheapish materials.
The bodywork and exterior trim/chrome was a touch in quality above other recent Buicks too. The front doors shut fairly solidly, but not with quite the thunk the rears did (Buick is advertising a special-process inside the doors that makes them close with a more-solid sound). The paint was extremely well-done (almost to Lexus standards), but the Red Tint Crystal paint job on the car I looked at cost extra. And for now, only five colors are offered...a letdown, though that nice Buick Dark-Bronze seen in the ads will be added later. I didn't drive it, but the press-reviews say that the double-laminated glass, double-insulated firewall, triple-sealed doors, thick wheelwell insulation, and even special engine-quiet treatments make it drive as quiet as King Tut's tomb.......I'll see if this is true when I drive it. I noticed it had 45-series tires, which, by themselves, aren't conducive to ride-comfort, but the Verano (supposedly) has a softer suspension than the firm-riding Regal (while keeping the good handling)....again, I'll check that on the test-drive. The car has also been panned for not having enough power with its 180 HP N/A 2.4L four and 3400-lb weight, but, of course, auto-mags and enthusiasts NEVER have enough power, no matter what you put under the hood.
I'll have more to say after my test-drive, but at first glance (and from what I've read in reviews), I'm very impressed. __________________
Well, I finally did get a Verano test drive today......on the same red one I looked at in the showroom and described at the start of this thread. They had moved it outdoors in order to make room inside for a top-line LaCrosse. Still probably the only Verano listed in the local area....there seems to be a number of them still on order, but a back-up on actual deliveries.
Like most vehicles I drive, I ended up having mixed feelings about it. Since I myself am very interested in this car, not just checking it out or reviewing it for someone else, I had read a number of press-reviews about it both in car-mags and on the Internet....and I compared my findings against what they wrote. All of the reviews stressed the tomb-quietness from Buick-specific extensive sound-insulation techniques. I personally did not (quite) find it what I'd call tomb-quiet, though it is without question the quietest car I've driven in this size and price-class (25K). Wind-noise is very well-damped, though some road/ tire-noise (not a great deal) can be heard on coarse surfaces. The ECOTEC four, which is started up with a VW-style flip-out key/metal-fob idles with the smoothness and silence of whipped-cream, especially once warmed-up (you'd think it was a Lexus V8)....and, on this cloudy, below-freezing day, it did need some warm-up. But it does produce some exhaust noise under acceleration....Buick's heavily-advertised double-firewall insulation doesn't filter all of it out as RPMs build. There were some comments in the press about the power-level, and that they felt it need more engine (a 2.0L Turbo is coming later in the year). The rated 180 HP and 177 ft-lbs. of torque is OK for normal driving, lightly loaded, but won't win many drag-races (but cars like this, of course, are generally not designed for performance......the owners don't care about that). I, personally, though would have prefered a small V6...not necessarily for the added power-level, but simply for less noise under accelaration, though I also test-drove another V6 LaCrosse today, and did not find it much quieter under acceleration either. But I could easily live with the four as a daily-driver.
Less-easy to live with, though, is the driving position for a guy my size. It's one thing to sit in the showroom and write-up a car from the inside....on the road, an uncomfortable driving position generally makes itself more-felt. It was somewhat difficult (though not impossible) for me to find a really comfortable driving position like, say, the one I have in my Outback, despite the fact that this steering-column telescopes and my Outback's doesn't. No matter how low I adjusted the seat cushions (manually...no power-seats are offered) and moved the steering-column, the top of the steering wheel obscured part of the two small secondary gauges above the speedometer/tach (but I liked the nice ice-blue lighting color in the gauges). I had to lower the rake-angle of the seatback a little more than I like to clearly see all the gauges.
The stereo controls were nice easy-to-operate *****/buttons, but the video screen readouts and touch-screen popints were a little complex. Stereo-sound is about what you'd expect for a Buick...good, but not quite Lexus-grade. Overall seat-comfort is good for a compact, but does not compare with the softness/plushness of the older big Buicks (Lesabre, Electra, Park Avenue, Lucerne, Roadmaster, etc...). Here I also disagreed with some of the press-reviewers. They found the seats plush and cushy.....I didn't, though they were fine for everyday use. Some of the reviewers also mentioned an overly-spongy brake pedal, others had no problems. I agree with the latter group.....the brakes felt fine to me, with no sponginess, and almost German-Sport-sedan firmness. There were many good comments in the press-reviews on the excellence of the electric power-steering system, and again I agree. There was a decent amount of road-feel, and, if anything, too much sensitivity. The front-end seemed almost twitchy, and instantly responded to even small steering-inputs. I found it even more sensitive than the Regal's, which is a purpose-designed sport-sedan (of course, the Verano is several hundered pounds lighter than the Regal, and that explains some of it).
More of it, though, is explained in the Verano's 18" low-profile 45-series, which are classically un-Buick, and they do quicken up the steering-response. But, at the same time, unlike past big Buicks, they do allow some suspension/wheel impact-harshness over sharp bumps....and the shorter wheelbase allows a little more ptching. Still, this is not an uncomfortable car to ride in, and would combine relatively pleasant highway-cruising (on a smooth-surface) with a little fun in the twisties, on a winding road, if one gets the urge to do so.
The 6-speed automatic is a huge improvement over the old 4-speed automatic in the big Buick Lucerne. It is relatively smooth-shifting (but not as smooth as some other GM automatics), and has good flexibility. It has an automanual sport-shift feature for manual-control, but, in the version I drove, lacked shift-paddles. One thing I don't like about the shift-lever (and I had the same complaint in the larger Regal) is that the lever does not pop into position right next to its P-R-N-D-L indicators......you must rely solely on the position-indicator lights.
So, overall, quite a nice small car from Buick.....and, IMO, a bargain. No, it clearly does not equal past Buicks in ride-comfort over bumps, and is somewhat cramped inside for big/tall people like me, but, otherwise, seems to be a great buy for the money. Its steering and road-manners are far more suited to winding roads than the older Buicks (without the excessive body-lean and understeer)....although that, to an extent, can also be said for its bigger-brothers Regal and LaCrosse (and the LaCrosse rides somewhat smoother and is less-cramped inside). Even fully-loaded Veranos don't cost more than about 29K....and mine was $24,500. Its interior materials, IMO, are noticeably more-durable and better-assembled than any other Buick currently in production (and above those of most other GM vehicles). But, of course, many GM vehicles, particularly in their first-year of production, have teething problems....let's hope this one is an exception.
As always......Happy car-shopping.
MM
I've been interested in the Verano for some time now. Finally got a test-drive today.....though I will include the first part of the report, for reference, from the last static (showroom) write-up I did:
I've been waiting to get a first-hand look at the new Buick Verano compact. One of the first ones in the D.C. area was in a local showroom today, so I went out to take a look at it.
A little further than I would have cared to drive, but it was worth it. I was VERY impressed with this car, even though I didn't get to actually drive one yet (I plan to when possible). For the money (the one I looked at was only 24K) I was as impressed with it (if not more so) than with the also-impressive Kia Optima I reviewed several months ago. With the Verano, GM seems to have FINALLY gotten away from El Cheapo, El Plastico interiors and started doing a nicely-finished interior with materials more in line with what we saw back in GM's hey-day....the 1960s.
The Chevy Malibu, Cruze, and Sonic all have relatively nicely-done interiors, but the Verano seems to use even better materials inside........more so than Buick's own flagship La Crosse. Yes, a few cheap interior and exterior parts remain (such as awkward manual seat-adjustment controls), but they are few and far between. From just the showroom experience, I had almost no real complaints with it.....just the usual gripes with many of today's vehicles (no body-mouldings, manual hood prop-rod, temporary spare tire, etc.....). To put it bluntly, IMO, this is the nicest, most high-quality Buick interior (despite its compact dimensions and tight rear-seat) I have seen in a long, LONG time. The Enclave has a lot of glitz and imitation-wood, but, underneath, uses cheapish materials.
The bodywork and exterior trim/chrome was a touch in quality above other recent Buicks too. The front doors shut fairly solidly, but not with quite the thunk the rears did (Buick is advertising a special-process inside the doors that makes them close with a more-solid sound). The paint was extremely well-done (almost to Lexus standards), but the Red Tint Crystal paint job on the car I looked at cost extra. And for now, only five colors are offered...a letdown, though that nice Buick Dark-Bronze seen in the ads will be added later. I didn't drive it, but the press-reviews say that the double-laminated glass, double-insulated firewall, triple-sealed doors, thick wheelwell insulation, and even special engine-quiet treatments make it drive as quiet as King Tut's tomb.......I'll see if this is true when I drive it. I noticed it had 45-series tires, which, by themselves, aren't conducive to ride-comfort, but the Verano (supposedly) has a softer suspension than the firm-riding Regal (while keeping the good handling)....again, I'll check that on the test-drive. The car has also been panned for not having enough power with its 180 HP N/A 2.4L four and 3400-lb weight, but, of course, auto-mags and enthusiasts NEVER have enough power, no matter what you put under the hood.
I'll have more to say after my test-drive, but at first glance (and from what I've read in reviews), I'm very impressed. __________________
Well, I finally did get a Verano test drive today......on the same red one I looked at in the showroom and described at the start of this thread. They had moved it outdoors in order to make room inside for a top-line LaCrosse. Still probably the only Verano listed in the local area....there seems to be a number of them still on order, but a back-up on actual deliveries.
Like most vehicles I drive, I ended up having mixed feelings about it. Since I myself am very interested in this car, not just checking it out or reviewing it for someone else, I had read a number of press-reviews about it both in car-mags and on the Internet....and I compared my findings against what they wrote. All of the reviews stressed the tomb-quietness from Buick-specific extensive sound-insulation techniques. I personally did not (quite) find it what I'd call tomb-quiet, though it is without question the quietest car I've driven in this size and price-class (25K). Wind-noise is very well-damped, though some road/ tire-noise (not a great deal) can be heard on coarse surfaces. The ECOTEC four, which is started up with a VW-style flip-out key/metal-fob idles with the smoothness and silence of whipped-cream, especially once warmed-up (you'd think it was a Lexus V8)....and, on this cloudy, below-freezing day, it did need some warm-up. But it does produce some exhaust noise under acceleration....Buick's heavily-advertised double-firewall insulation doesn't filter all of it out as RPMs build. There were some comments in the press about the power-level, and that they felt it need more engine (a 2.0L Turbo is coming later in the year). The rated 180 HP and 177 ft-lbs. of torque is OK for normal driving, lightly loaded, but won't win many drag-races (but cars like this, of course, are generally not designed for performance......the owners don't care about that). I, personally, though would have prefered a small V6...not necessarily for the added power-level, but simply for less noise under accelaration, though I also test-drove another V6 LaCrosse today, and did not find it much quieter under acceleration either. But I could easily live with the four as a daily-driver.
Less-easy to live with, though, is the driving position for a guy my size. It's one thing to sit in the showroom and write-up a car from the inside....on the road, an uncomfortable driving position generally makes itself more-felt. It was somewhat difficult (though not impossible) for me to find a really comfortable driving position like, say, the one I have in my Outback, despite the fact that this steering-column telescopes and my Outback's doesn't. No matter how low I adjusted the seat cushions (manually...no power-seats are offered) and moved the steering-column, the top of the steering wheel obscured part of the two small secondary gauges above the speedometer/tach (but I liked the nice ice-blue lighting color in the gauges). I had to lower the rake-angle of the seatback a little more than I like to clearly see all the gauges.
The stereo controls were nice easy-to-operate *****/buttons, but the video screen readouts and touch-screen popints were a little complex. Stereo-sound is about what you'd expect for a Buick...good, but not quite Lexus-grade. Overall seat-comfort is good for a compact, but does not compare with the softness/plushness of the older big Buicks (Lesabre, Electra, Park Avenue, Lucerne, Roadmaster, etc...). Here I also disagreed with some of the press-reviewers. They found the seats plush and cushy.....I didn't, though they were fine for everyday use. Some of the reviewers also mentioned an overly-spongy brake pedal, others had no problems. I agree with the latter group.....the brakes felt fine to me, with no sponginess, and almost German-Sport-sedan firmness. There were many good comments in the press-reviews on the excellence of the electric power-steering system, and again I agree. There was a decent amount of road-feel, and, if anything, too much sensitivity. The front-end seemed almost twitchy, and instantly responded to even small steering-inputs. I found it even more sensitive than the Regal's, which is a purpose-designed sport-sedan (of course, the Verano is several hundered pounds lighter than the Regal, and that explains some of it).
More of it, though, is explained in the Verano's 18" low-profile 45-series, which are classically un-Buick, and they do quicken up the steering-response. But, at the same time, unlike past big Buicks, they do allow some suspension/wheel impact-harshness over sharp bumps....and the shorter wheelbase allows a little more ptching. Still, this is not an uncomfortable car to ride in, and would combine relatively pleasant highway-cruising (on a smooth-surface) with a little fun in the twisties, on a winding road, if one gets the urge to do so.
The 6-speed automatic is a huge improvement over the old 4-speed automatic in the big Buick Lucerne. It is relatively smooth-shifting (but not as smooth as some other GM automatics), and has good flexibility. It has an automanual sport-shift feature for manual-control, but, in the version I drove, lacked shift-paddles. One thing I don't like about the shift-lever (and I had the same complaint in the larger Regal) is that the lever does not pop into position right next to its P-R-N-D-L indicators......you must rely solely on the position-indicator lights.
So, overall, quite a nice small car from Buick.....and, IMO, a bargain. No, it clearly does not equal past Buicks in ride-comfort over bumps, and is somewhat cramped inside for big/tall people like me, but, otherwise, seems to be a great buy for the money. Its steering and road-manners are far more suited to winding roads than the older Buicks (without the excessive body-lean and understeer)....although that, to an extent, can also be said for its bigger-brothers Regal and LaCrosse (and the LaCrosse rides somewhat smoother and is less-cramped inside). Even fully-loaded Veranos don't cost more than about 29K....and mine was $24,500. Its interior materials, IMO, are noticeably more-durable and better-assembled than any other Buick currently in production (and above those of most other GM vehicles). But, of course, many GM vehicles, particularly in their first-year of production, have teething problems....let's hope this one is an exception.
As always......Happy car-shopping.
MM
Last edited by mmarshall; 08-15-12 at 08:01 PM.
01-05-12, 10:38 AM
#6
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Depends on the source. Some say yes, some no. I'd vote for the latter. It's pleasant stuff, IMO, but admittedly somewhat fake-looking to me. I don't think Buick could afford to use real wood on a car with a starting price of only 23K.....but it does help dress up the interior. And it is something that its sister Chevy Cruze lacks.
01-05-12, 10:39 AM
#7
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Trending Topics
01-05-12, 01:31 PM
#9
Lexus Champion
According to Consumer Reports the Chevy Cruze (Verano's cousin) has "Much Worse Than Average" Reliability and isn't Recommended.
If someone is considering the Verano it might be a good idea to wait a while and see if the reliability improves. Maybe give it a model year or two.
If someone is considering the Verano it might be a good idea to wait a while and see if the reliability improves. Maybe give it a model year or two.
01-05-12, 03:12 PM
#11
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
small luxury cars are hard to make look good unless they have very little room. one's that are small but still try to provide good space end up looking 'puffed up' typically. this is no different. but as small luxury sedans go, i think it's not bad looking with some nice trim details and a great interior.
01-05-12, 06:57 PM
#12
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
According to Consumer Reports the Chevy Cruze (Verano's cousin) has "Much Worse Than Average" Reliability and isn't Recommended.
If someone is considering the Verano it might be a good idea to wait a while and see if the reliability improves. Maybe give it a model year or two.
If someone is considering the Verano it might be a good idea to wait a while and see if the reliability improves. Maybe give it a model year or two.
One thing, though, that may help the Verano is that it uses a number of different parts from the Cruze in the drivetrain, body, and interior...it is not just a simple rebadged clone like the GM upmarket compacts of the past. And, it appears to be more solidly screwed-together, with more-durable parts, than other Buicks. But, yes, I agree, GM and Chrysler are notorious for first-year engineering and assembly defects.....some of them, of course, of the type that you won't (or can't) catch on a simple walk-around inspection. The Verano's own big-brother LaCrosse was delayed a couple of months on its introduction while the factory worked out some electronic problems in the dash. I remember havng to wait for a LaCrosse review for that very reason....and for the new Ford Taurus, which also had factory-build problems holding up its introduction right about the same time.
Last edited by mmarshall; 01-05-12 at 07:09 PM.
01-06-12, 08:59 AM
#14
"The popular Chevrolet Cruze compact car, for instance, was ranked as the least dependable car in its class, as was the Chevrolet Malibu and the all-wheel-drive Buick LaCrosse. No GM models ranked best-in-class for dependability." from CNN yesterday.
01-06-12, 04:01 PM
#15
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Malibu is NOT reliable:
"The popular Chevrolet Cruze compact car, for instance, was ranked as the least dependable car in its class, as was the Chevrolet Malibu and the all-wheel-drive Buick LaCrosse. No GM models ranked best-in-class for dependability." from CNN yesterday.
"The popular Chevrolet Cruze compact car, for instance, was ranked as the least dependable car in its class, as was the Chevrolet Malibu and the all-wheel-drive Buick LaCrosse. No GM models ranked best-in-class for dependability." from CNN yesterday.
Consumer Reports, which I consider the best reliability source available, has the Malibu on its Recommended list, which means at least an average or better reliability rating. The FWD LaCrosse has been more reliable than the AWD model....in fact, one of the things I mentioned in my write-up, above, was that Buick does not make as reliable an AWD system as Subaru.