mmarshall

Thanks.

My old Subie hadn't died yet by any means, and probably had a lot of miles left on it. But it was aging, and the longer I kept it, the less it was worth. I also had some recent repairs, and some other issues like a timing-belt, hose-replacements, and some major-service were soon to come up.

mmarshall

Thanks.

The Buick 4/50 and 5/100 warranties are also reassuring, if anything does screw-up on it. That's a significant step-up from their older warranty.

UDel

Congrats on the new car. I will have to check one out. I have not seen any on the road yet but I do like the looks of the new regal. I have noticed you have always liked Buicks so I am not surprised you got one though I figured you might get another Subaru as you seem to like yours and you seem to be a big fan of AWD. You have said you are a pretty big guy, is the Verano a comfortable fit for you?

If you are not into washing and waxing your car too often or it is a problem where you live you may want to try applying a permanent/semi permanent sealant like Opti Coat 2.0 on your new car.

I have been a fan of a couple Buicks like the Regal Grand National/GNX, the Reatta, the last Riviera coupe. My uncle had a Lesabre I used to ride in a lot and drove a couple times, it was nice. A friends dad had a Roadmaster and it was just as nice as any Cadillac I was in at the time, it was very floaty but had a nice smooth ride and tons of features, it even had a LT1 Corvette engine in it.

ST430

Congrats. Curious why you didn't get an AWD car given you penchant for Subarus and the bad weather there?

mmarshall

Thanks.

Not really. I liked Buicks (and also muscle-cars of all makes) when I was growing up in the 1960s and early 70s, and I owned two used Buicks before I was 20. But, after the early 70s, Buicks deteriorated rapidly in quality (I was casually reviewing cars even back then). For decades afterward, like some other American-brands, they made what I considered junk....though admittedly smooth-riding, comfortable junk. The Verano is the first American-market Buick in decades that I would actually spend my money on.


Yes...but I have to get the seat and steering column exactly right...there isn't much wiggle-room.

Thanks...I know I have a number of options. Our most recent couple of winters here haven't been bad at all, and they haven't used much salt.

Agree on the Roadmaster's ride and comfort, but its suspension was simply too soft for that kind of weight-level. The one I test-drove plowed and rolled like a beach-ball on the slightest steering-input around corners.

The LeSabre, especially the pre-2000 versions, also had a Cream-of-Wheat suspension and bounded up and down over bumps, but its lower weight-level made it a little less Roly-Poly in the corners than the Roadmaster.

Trust me......the Verano's chassis and tires are nothing like that. It has traditional Buick quietness, but combines it with a German-type chassis-response....after all, it is an Opel platform.

mmarshall

Thanks.

I explained that in several posts, but, in short, recent winters are getting less-severe here (with one or two exceptions), and there are several design and marketing features on the newer American-market non-turbo Subies I didn't like...a couple of which were, IMO, deal-breakers.

tmf2004

iTrader: (15)

Congrats Mike,... You finally bought a car after all these years doing reviews for us... Its nice to know that even you can settle on a car with some flaws and still be happy..... Is this a Turbo version?

SteVTEC

Congrats on the new car!

I too was not just impressed but blown away by a recent Buick, a 2011 Lacrosse that I went along for a test ride in when my folks were shopping for a new car. Absolutely top notch interior design. Very modern looking and feeling, with very nice materials. The only thing that stopped it from serious consideration by my folks was the slightly small for the class trunk. All of the other new Buicks look great to me, although I don't tend to see too many on the road as the DC area isn't exactly a big Buick area. I do see plenty of Enclaves though. Co-worker has one, it's very nice!

mmarshall

Thanks.

Well, if you smell good hot coffee long enough on a cold morning, where is some of that coffee going to end up?

Well, after more than 40 years of checking out cars, (I actually started as a teen-ager), I've yet to find the perfect car.....though, for the era, IMO, some of the late 60s GM cars came close, with their main flaw being lousy acrylic-lacquer paint. But there's a difference between a car with flaws that you can easily live with every day as a daily-driver and something that you would only get in and drive as an absolute last resort, to keep from walking. In fact, with the Smart-for-Two, I might just choose walking

No. I didn't want the boosted version. First of all, the Turbo isn't out yet. Second, I don't think this car, for my usual daily-driving style, needs the extra power. Third, I don't want to have to use premium gas like I did with my Lexus IS300. Fourth, the Turbo will not be a bona-fide sports-sedan per se, but the word from Buick is that it will have slightly firmer underpinnings. IMO, the non-turbo Verano's underpinnings and low-profile 45-series tires, though much more responsive than floaty traditional Buicks, are already plenty-firm enough.

Next, year, for the non-turbo model, if the present marketing plans hold up, Buick is going to replace the standard Ecotec 2.4L with a new 2.5L wth slightly more power.

mmarshall

Thanks.

Yes, the difference between the new and older LaCrosse styling, both inside and out, is striking when you see it for the first time. In its chassis-engineering, the new Lacrosse has an almost ideal combination of ride, handling, steering-response, and braking, which is hard to find outside of some German makes. But the interior materials, while admittedly glitzy to look at, are (mostly) just the same old GM light-plastic with a thin surface coat of chrome or wood-tone film on them. Not so with the Verano...the plastics and other materials inside feel substantially thicker and more sturdy than those in other Buicks. That's one reason (among many) why I chose a Verano.

Just look around you. Buicks are extremely popular in this area with the older and retired crowd, though the Verano is, admittedly, aimed at a slightly younger age-bracket. The Enclave is popular with the many families in this area, as the generally high income-levels (especially in Fairfax and Montgomery counties) allow many families and soccer-moms to easily own or lease them.

tmf2004

iTrader: (15)

thanks for the great reply.. Enjoy the new car..

Individual

iTrader: (7)

Congrats MM! Nice choice and looking forward to seeing the pics. It's always interesting to see what kind of car a car reviewer picks out

I8ABMR

Congrats on the new car buddy. I know if you picked it then it must be damn good. I hope you have many happy years with the car

Fizzboy7

Congrats Mike! Not a surprise to hear this news, as you have been drooling over the BeeVee for a while. I think it's a wise (practical) choice that will suite your needs well. Enjoy it in good health and keep on posting/reviewing.

MikeFoxx

iTrader: (8)

These cars look great.... Did a couple triple takes on um driving around.