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First Drive: 2012 Buick Verano

I thought I ran over  a chipmunk. It was hard to tell. I haven’t run over many rodents in my lifetime, but I imagine a chipmunk to be somewhat of an unnoticeable obstacle if it was left to grotesquely festoon the pavement upon an encounter with a wheel of Buick’s first-ever Verano — GM’s next take on a compact vehicle for the storied brand, and it’s just what I happened to be driving at the time of my chipmunk encounter, which ended up living to cross another street.

This Is Not A Chevy Cruze

Don’t ever mistake this car to be a rebadged Chevrolet Cruze. But there is a resemblance. The biggest similarity between the two are the well-built bones of GM’s Delta II compact vehicle architecture. As such, dimensions of the Verano are listed at 183.9 inches long, 71.5 inches wide, and 58.4 inches tall. Those numbers are on the high end for something considered a compact vehicle. It’s also fairly heavy, at 3,484 lbs. — which could totally pass for midsized. Also giving the impression of a larger vehicle are 10 standard airbags, and a generous 15.4 cubic feet of trunk space — a figure that can easily fit at least two people, as observed in the photos below.

Certainly there will be ignoramuses that will see the vehicles as the same model with minor change-ups (the stereotypical badge engineering practice), but this case would honestly be like comparing my college football-playing little brother with my female cousin who is an interior design major. They may share similar genes, but there are major differences between both.

Just by looking at the Verano, you can tell that it proudly stands as its own vehicle. The front fascia is distinctively Buick, with the traditional waterfall grille and oval-shaped headlamps accompanied by a tasteful blue halo light in each one. The back has a flair all its own, with a pair of chrome lines accenting the taillamps — a feature we here at GM Authority have sophomorically coined as “assbrows.” The sides display a proportioned belt line, complimented by a sheet metal crease near the bottom of the doors and multi-spoke wheels. All in all, the car looks graceful and inviting if not a tad conservative.

The engine behind the Verano’s well-appointed front fascia is a 180 hp, 171 lb.-ft. 2.4-liter Ecotec  that you won’t find in the 138 hp Cruze — but rather the larger Buick Regal and other vehicles unrelated to the Verano. There are four disc brakes, polished 18-inch wheels — both features just so happen to be standard — and the Intellilink infotainment system, which brings smartphone connectivity to the table and lets users stream Pandora and Stitcher Smart Radio through the Verano’s optional 9-speaker Bose sound system. The system also utilizes voice-activated commands to place phone calls, and change tracks and radio stations without ever having to take any hands off the steering wheel. The new features are activated by simply touching the wheel-mounted button, but commands must be said with precision, otherwise it’s simply easier and less frustrating to change songs manually.

Quietly Standing Out

Plush front seats and headrests that could moonlight as pillows further expand on the Verano’s emphasis on comfort, and the full-grain leather that can be found in the larger and more expensive LaCrosse has trickled its way into the cabin of the Buick entry-level sedan as well. But cloth seats are present in the base model, and there isn’t much electronic seat adjustments to be found in any trim level. The car is also seemingly missing ample AC ventilation for rear seat passengers and the vents designated to blow on the driver’s and front passenger’s windows stuck out as distinctively crude compared to the rest of the cabin, which even features fabric-wrapped A-pillars.

Despite these minor gripes, the engineers tasked with soundproofing the Verano deserve more than just a few pats on the back, as the hype of the Verano’s quietness wasn’t found to be exaggerated. This $23,470 base-price compact sedan managed to deafen noise, vibration and harshness (NVH) levels comparable to vehicles much larger and quite a deal more expensive. Truth be told, if I did run over that chipmunk, there’s probably a very good chance I wouldn’t have felt or heard anything, anyway.

Triple-sealed doors, a laminated windshield, driver and front passenger windows, sound deadening foam stuffed wherever it would fit, aerodynamic paneling along the underbody, tuned chambers designed to muffle the engine’s exhaust note, and other unique features all contribute to providing the Verano with its unique selling point: it’s numbingly quiet. And while the Verano’s adequate handling reflects the vehicle’s hushed features, it’s far from being incompetent.

An Unassuming Performer

Four standard disc brakes will press with enough ferocity to bring the Verano to a standstill from 60 miles per hour in just 124 feet. Impressive, for a car that doesn’t necessarily suggest much performance, though the brake pedal did feel a tad spongy. Additionally, the Watt’s Z-Link rear suspension system proved itself more than just capable during the hours of intense driving through the mountainous regions in the lovely state of Oregon. No, I didn’t get to eat at Portland’s world-famous Voodoo Donuts, but If I really wanted a bacon laden oily cake dipped in caramel and covered in Fruit Loops, I’d just make it myself. The coffee out there is damn good, though.

Before I get too caught up in my travel experience, I should note that the Verano’s 0-60 time falls in at under 9 seconds, which is not something the car’s target market would care much about, but they may appreciate the vehicle’s maneuverability. The spirited performance of the Verano on the winding roads is perhaps the biggest surprise of the car. A quiet cabin was expected. Intuitive technology was expected. But the car’s athleticism reminds me of the soft-spoken kid in class who never looks for trouble, but goes to boxing lessons after school. You wouldn’t know what you were in for, until you messed with him. But where the car shines in on-road aptitude, it comes across as “just alright” in fuel economy.

Only 31 MPG

Listening to the opinions of other automotive writers during lunch, it seemed that they all agreed that a major selling point for the Verano is going to be its fuel economy. While they may be right, an estimated 31 miles per gallon is not a stellar number for a compact car these days. Yes, competitive models in the segment may post similar or even lower numbers, but they are also more performance oriented; quicker in the straights and more powerful. Buick would like us to think that some rivals to the Verano are the likes of the Lexus IS, Audi A3 and Acura TSX, even though they all come across as a different car on paper and on the road, as well as in marketing. But most importantly, consumers are more conscious of fuel economy numbers more than ever before. Some food for thought: the 2012 Chevrolet Camaro V6 with 312 horsepower boasts a near-equal 30 mpg highway rating. Make of that what you will.

Consider that — if you wanted — you could get a loaded 2012 Cruze LTZ and get 38 miles per gallon on the highway with similar performance numbers, though your ride won’t be as relaxing. Additionally, the Verano’s 2.4L Ecotec can be found in larger GM vehicles such as the Chevrolet Malibu and GMC Terrain, yet their fuel economy numbers are slightly better than what we see in the compact Verano. So while the Verano may stand out among other premium compacts, it seemingly underachieves when looking at vehicles just within the GM family.

This could be due to the circumstance that the all-new 2.5L Ecotec isn’t quite ready for production, as it will make its debut in the 2013 Malibu sometime next year. There’s also the expectation of mating the 2.4L Ecotec with an eAssist application, as seen in the larger Regal and LaCrosse. Additionally, an eAssist Verano is mentioned in the GM Authority Future Product Guide. Whichever scenario pans out, the fuel economy of the Verano should rise in the not-too-distant-future.

The GM Authority Final Word

Plush, comfortable and capable. But most importantly, the 2012 Buick Verano is possibly the quietest car available for under $30,000. With seemingly no mirror rivals currently on the market, the hushed Verano looks to carve its own little niche in an otherwise performance-oriented compact luxury segment. While it’s great in those respects, the car should feature more content if it wants to reflect Buick’s premium message, even if it means raising the base price. Look for it to roll out of GM’s Lake Orion, MI assembly plant next month.

Photo Credit: Manoli Katakis

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Former staff.

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Comments

  1. Like this article, the Verano seems to be getting generally good reviews from what I’ve seen so far.

    Reply
  2. Manoli, good article; from a price advantage it looks like a great deal. We could wish for more power I guess but at the end of the day for price it seems to be a relevant compromise.

    What was the compromise between fabric and leather like, is it night and day. How many versions of the car did you drive.

    If I was to pick a competitor I think I would choose the new VW Passat, specs are almost identical.
    I personally don’t purchase VWs, the one I had back in the day was total garbage.

    Reply
    1. I drove each version that was there. Both the leather and cloth seats bolstered the same, but the texture of the leather was top notch. Some would agree with you on VW Passat or loaded Jetta customers eyeing this model, but is VW really the brand Buick needs to go after?

      Reply
      1. I think the Passat is going after the camrys and accords. Not premium compacts like the Verano. and Jetta is more of a Cruze competitor instead of Verano

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  3. Here is what I think, Buick has 2 cars that speak to two different demographics the Verano and the Regal, this is a good thing. The Regal is more man focused where the Verano is chick focused. Here is what happens consumer husband and wife go to GMC / Buick dealer wife goes and checks out new Buicks because the neighbor picked up a Regal, but then the sales person directs her to the Verano. After the husband checks out GMC he comes over to see what wife is looking at. He likes the Regal but wants his wife to be happy, they test drive the Verano and both like the plush interior, the wife chooses the Verano enough said.

    Reply
    1. But don’t ever tell this to my girlie. She’d take the Regal over the Verano like she would take a diamond ring over one found in a McDonalds’ family meal. 🙂

      Reply
  4. The Verano will cater to the demographic of the higher end Camrys, Accords, Altima’s maybe even the Sonata this is a good thing. Many people will see the Buick as a Value premium over these vehicles.

    Reply
    1. Why do you compare this premium compact to mainstream midsized vehicles?

      Reply
      1. If I were to mention a direct competitor, it would be the Lexus IS and Lexus HS, along other premium compact models such as the Acura TSX, Volvo S60, BMW 3er, and — of course — the MB C-Class and Audi A4. Heck, even the ATS is a competitor.

        But herein lies the beauty of the Cadillac-Buick strategy with GM: those who don’t want performance (ATS) can go with the Verano. It’s about the same size and is still luxurious… but in a very different way.

        The Verano has different priorities compared to everything else out there (with the exception of the HS). It wants to be quiet and calm, rather than placing performance first and foremost.

        Reply
        1. Also consider the ILX Concept from Acura.

          Reply
          1. The ILX is interesting, as it’s a closer analogy to the Verano than anything else.

            But I’m not sure why Acura would even head in that direction, though, as the ILX would be way too close to the TSX in size and features. But it would probably be priced in the low $20,000s.

            Reply
        2. Yes, Alex….I was thinking also of the ATS…I wonder how similar they are going to be with the same 2.5 liter by next year….most expensive Verano would not be too much less money than base ATS I would think…

          Reply
          1. Well, the ATS will be quite a different driving experience and its 2.5 will make more power from what I understand… although it may be a 10-20 horsepower difference.

            Reply
  5. good article as usual, I am glad to see the authority doing actual ride and drives, I think you articulated your experiance very well but one thought is you didn’t talk about size and if you would compare these to the audi and lexus brands and if it passes their products or needs more fine tuning or is thier target not those units but others your thoughts are looked at by gm we need your additional thoughts or article two on those thoughts.

    Reply
    1. jd, thanks for the feedback.

      I do believe I mentioned that the Verano was a compact a few times in the write-up, but I can throw in exact L,W,H numbers right now. I also pointed out that the Verano may honestly be the quietest vehicle for under $30K (let alone $25K). It’s hard to directly compare the Verano to the likes of an offering from Audi, Lexus, Infiniti, Acura etc. because the Verano seems to be targeting a completely different demographic then the rest of them.

      It’s also hard to look at the Buick and Audi brands in the same light — both seem to be about completely different things. Therefore, the Verano is playing in its own sandbox in a sense. I attempted to simplify those thoughts in the write-up above by simply saying that the Verano looks to carve its own niche in the segment.

      I did explain those very thoughts to several engineers involved with the program, and Buick’s communications team.

      Reply
  6. Wait is this vehicle a push button start?

    Reply
    1. Yup.

      Reply
  7. Just saying that this seems to me to be the target market, consumers that would normally buy those cars but see the value add in the Verano. Is the Verano that far off from the size of say a Camry or a midsize vehicle appears to be a larger compact;; the line that seperates the two is fading in my mind.

    Reply
  8. This car looks very sharp in crystal red and I like the standard rims it comes with. Only 2 things I would work on. #1, out with the old and in with the new. There has been no confirmation on this yet but as soon as the new 2.5 liter Ecotec is ready, they need to stuff it in the Verano. More power and better MPG’s is always a good thing. #2, the 2013 Malibu gets a color information display between the speedometer and tachometer, so a Buick certainly should too as well ad the Regal. At least ad an option package that includes it. Other than that, this vehicle looks plush

    Reply
  9. Manoli

    I have been waiting for this car for a good long while for it quiet interior drive. I can not stand noise in a car it drives me crazy.

    I noticed early on you said the Verano l is also seemingly missing ample AC ventilation for rear seat passengers and the vents designated to blow on the driver’s and front passenger’s. So in the heat of summer will the car cool down the passengers or will the more or less roast? Especially with the leather seats which I am not fond of because you burn your legs if you sit on the seats in summer. Buick should have built the car with ventilated seats that would be a huge plus factor. I am looking at buying the hi end at S26,850.

    You also said the car will be rolling off production next month so it is safe to say that this car should be ready to purchase before Christmas? It was suppose to come out during summer which to me means Sept.

    As for the fuel economy it way better then the other cars I have been researching in Luxury area. Maybe they will make a hybrid version soon if the Verano does well. That could blow the competition out of the water.

    Great Article
    Thanks
    Jesse

    Reply
    1. Jesse, there is ample ventilation for the driver and front passenger. It’s just that the vents that are designated to defog/defrost their side windows appear cheap, and therefore stick out from the rest of the well-appointed cabin.

      Reply
  10. Okay I understood that when you said that in your blog. You just stated that “BACK SEAT PASSENGERS” do not have ample a/c vents to keep then cool in the back I just find this a bit odd as I live in FL and TX and the summers can get brutal I would hate to have people in the back seat sweating due to lack of a/c.

    Reply
    1. Indeed, there are only floor vents. nothing coming from the ceiling or from the center. Occupants up front are definitely in a different climate zone than the ones in back. To compensate, I would crank the AC/heat up all the way so that the more comfortable air reaches the back of the cabin, though it makes the climate up front more extreme.

      Reply

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