mmarshall

Thanks. Drives nice, too. But the audio-system is generally more than I can chew.

Give her my congratulations on her purchase.

Here's my Juke review, if you have not already seen it.

https://www.clublexus.com/forums/car...ssan-juke.html

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

i love this ad. he says he's got shoes bigger and more stylish than hybrids.

mmarshall

I bought a plastic-bodied Saturn S-series back in the late 90s because I liked several of their unique features, and their reliability record was somewhat better than that of most domestics at the time. Their customer-service was much better than average.

But Buick, though I liked them when I was young (and owned two used ones in the early 70s, before I was 20), IMO went way downhill in quality in the later 1970s. The Verano is the first U.S.-market Buick since the early 70s that I felt was worth what it cost....though the recent new LaCrosse has a superb chassis.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

friend had one of those - it was the noisiest car on the highway i'd ever been in. he eventually sold it and bought a used ls400. what a difference.

Joeb427

iTrader: (1)

It sure wasn't the roominess of the LaCrosse because Shaq looked cramped.

mmarshall

Well, I agree....but what do you expect? The LS is the epitome of automotive sound-insulation in mass-produced cars, perhaps equalled or approxomated only by the Mercedes S-class. Even with the Saturn S-series, though, there were big differences in the amount of engine-noise between the washing-machine-like early Saturns and those that were in production by the late 90s. Saturn engineers worked for years to get rid of noise in their unrefined 4-cylinders (part of which was caused by the durable but noisy timing-chain), but it eventually paid off. I had no noise-complaints with my 1999.

For what a Verano costs, though (23-29K), it's hard to beat their noise-level. Virtually every review on the Internet and in car magazines remarks on its combination of a reasonably-sharp chassis and tomb-like acoustics. To be honest, though, I wish they would have used slightly higher-profile rubber for a smoother ride over bumps. But the basic ride quality, while not quite as compliant over bumps as the LaCrosse or Enclave, is not uncomfortable by any means....and definitely nice on smooth roads.

mmarshall

The LaCrosse is actually a pretty roomy car inside.....where it is considered marginally full-size by today's standards.

Shaq's frame, though, is just more than full-size. Most of the NBA superstars are at or close to 7 feet tall, and he is no exception.

FrankReynoldsCPA

Yeah...what a difference....one gets 29/40 mpg and the other gets 18/23(but in my experience, it's more 10/25).

One retailed for $10,000. The other for $44,300.




We own both in our family. My dad's old car(now my sister's) is a 99 Saturn SL2 w/auto. I have a 92 LS and my mother has a 91 LS. Our Lexuses ride much softer, make almost no noise on the highway, and are roomier. But since I'm in college, I would much rather have the Saturn right now.....this car is going to break me financially......

mmarshall

I agree. Apples and oranges.....you can't directly compare an S-class Saturn with an LS. They are in two vastly different size/price classes. But, once you do spend the money for an LS, there is (arguably) nothing else like it for a calming, relaxing, stress-free ride home after a hard day at work.

One thing I like about the Verano, BTW, is that it delivers at least a fair amount of the LS's noise-isolation at a vastly lower price.....but not the V8 power or the LS's silky ride.


One (possble) problem, though, with older Saturns, right now and in the future, could be getting new parts for them. The division, of course, went out of buisness with GM's reorganization in 2009, and Federal law only requires something like a 7-year availability on non-safety/emissions-related parts.

FrankReynoldsCPA

We bought the car cheap enough that it isn't too much of a concern...it'll be driven until the wheels fall off and then scrapped.

mmarshall

I'm getting more used to the controls and systems on it now. The only thing still really complex is the audio/phone systems....and I generally don't use a number of those features.

GS3Tek

iTrader: (8)

Congragulations MMarshall
You deserved it and thank you for all the reviews you have done.

Sorry I was late to the welcoming party. Enjoy your new car and in good health.

Do they have an option for the blinker to turn off after 5 minutes if no turns havent' been made???
..............I'm just kidding

chikoo

All the new cars with all thefancy gizmos and bluetooth connectivity need to provide a physical dialpad for the phone.

mmarshall

Thanks. I had considered another Subaru, but nixed the idea after some of what I considered design and marketing-goofs in most of their post-2008 models. I had also considered a Lexus ES350 (after all, CL, outside of CAR CHAT, is mostly a Lexus forum) but I found that the Verano offered the same quietness/refinement at a much lower price, and, being smaller, was easier to manuver and park at close quarters (I do a lot of running-around parking-lots). The ES's ride-softness, admittedly, is somewhat smoother, and its V6 has more torque, but, overall, I thought the Verano was a great bargain.

(BTW, this does not necessarily make me a Buick fan (and, of course, being Opel Astra-derived, it's only part-Buick to start with). I had two (used) traditional Buicks, decades ago, before I was 20....and liked them both. (Like most teens, I also liked the muscle-cars of the 60s era). After that, I had hoped to have another Buick.....but, after the early 70s, their poor build-quality, second-rate materials, and other factors kept me away from them until now. The Verano is the only Buick-badged product I've seen in almost 40 years that I would actually buy as a new car....its build-solidness seems to be a notch above other current Buicks.

Sure...anytime. Glad to help. More reviews coming up, BTW..........as soon as more of the 2013's hit the market.

Thanks again. I will. I enjoy driving it every time I start it up and put it in gear. Though not a perfect car (no car is) It's basically everything I want, as long as winter doesn't get too bad. I don't need an super-expensive or a glamour-car to keep me satisfied.

Buicks don't need that device. Most of their drivers don't use turn-signals at all.

(Yes, just kidding)

mmarshall

There are some signs that that is coming on future vehicles.