Test Drive: 2012 Buick Verano

By Kevin Harrison

I don’t understand how everyone knows everything there is to know about dogs. Specifically, I don’t understand how seemingly everyone’s knowledge of dog breeds is so matter of fact. They act as if it’s just something you should know like how you know that spaghetti is Italian, or how you know that ice cream is supposed to be cold or how you know that Big Bang Theory is the worst show on television. If you are a dog lover, by all means your knowledge of dogs is understandable. However if you are generally indifferent towards dogs, why would you know what a Artois Hound or a McNab is supposed to look like?

It’s funny how sometimes people just assume certain things are common knowledge. And we’re all guilty of doing it. For instance, I didn’t realize that the majority of people don’t quite understand automotive journalism. The type of questions I get on a regular basis generally confirms what I do is some sort of mystery:

“So car companies pay you to write about their cars?” Er, no.

“It must be nice to drive a brand new car for free each week.” Actually we still need to pay for gas and cleaning.

“Do you get to choose what kind of car you get to review?” Only in the sense that you can decline a press car, but no, we can’t pick and choose what we get to drive.

So, in realizing that people may not know the ins and outs of how this works, I’ll offer up another bit of info. Sometimes automotive journalists miss out on certain press cars. Whether it be due to scheduling conflicts, or because the press vehicle has a serious mechanical failure or was involved in an accident or simply because it’s time to retire a press vehicle from the fleet. I almost missed the opportunity to try the new Buick Verano due to the latter. The Verano had done its paces and the kilometers were starting to get high (for a press car, that is). I wrote an email to Garry, whose job is (among many other things) to shuffle the press cars to journalists in Atlantic Canada, asking that they delay retiring the Verano for a week so I could try it.

Why would I want to try a Buick so badly? Well because aside from the Regal GS, the Verano is probably the most interesting product to come from the brand in a long time. A small Buick is a bit of an oxymoron to some people and it’s also another one of those pesky assumptions that most people have: Buicks are all big cushy barges. In fact, they are not, at least not any more. Buick as a whole is churning out some interesting product.

So, I got my wish and as a result I am the last journalist to give the Verano a go. Was it worth it?

The Verano is generally handsome in an understated way. There’s not a whole lot about it that makes it an eye-catcher, however I’d wager for most people generally interested in the Buick brand, that’s perfectly fine. The design mimics the larger Regal with a sculpted side profile, waterfall style grille and rather good looking 18 inch optional wheels that help the Verano stand out a bit more. Where the design falls short is some typical tackiness you’d expect such as fake hood louvres, blue rings around the projector headlamps and it’s a bit difficult to get over those faux chrome eye brows over the tail lights.

Inside, the layout is quite attractive and unlike the Regal, the button layout isn’t as overwhelming. The materials feel of high quality and the seats are quite comfortable. There is a decent amount of interior room as well as cargo room. Buick claims 405 L of cargo room with the seats up which beats out the Acura TSX and Lexus IS. My tester also came with a clear info screen which is very easy to use, as is the satellite radio. There is also an optional 9 speaker Bose stereo but unfortunately for me, being the last journalist to try out the stereo, one of the speakers was blown likely due to other journalists testing the stereo to its limits. This created an annoying buzzing sound which spoiled an otherwise quiet ride. Well, that and the fact that the driver’s side seat belt tensioner seemed to creek a bit at times. But Buick prides the Verano as being the quietest vehicle produced in its history. How did they do it? Well they used an extra 12% of “quieting” technologies. What the hell does that mean, you ask? I’m not quite sure, but aside from the blown speaker and odd creek every now and then from the seat belt, the Verano is noticeably quiet and comfortable.

That quiet and comfort induces a rather relaxed driving style, something that I’m not normally accustomed to. While my driving style isn’t intensely aggressive, I’m not exactly the type to sit back and relax while on the road.

The Verano gets a 2.4 litre 4 cylinder engine which produces 180 horsepower and 171 pound foot torque. This is adequate power for around town and it is well suited to the standard six-speed automatic, which shifts smoothly and when it’s supposed to. There is a manual mode but given the Verano makes you feel like you’ve just taken a sedative, you likely won’t feel the need to shift the gears yourself. For those looking for a bit of fun, the Verano will be coming with a turbocharged engine and a six speed manual quite soon. When the engine is pushed it emits a rather loud whining noise as if you’ve just stepped on its hair or something. This quickly brings you back into your relaxed driving style. But despite the audible complaints from the engine, there is decent pull when need be.

The Verano is based on the Chevrolet Cruze and when I tested it, I came away impressed with the Cruze’s handling abilities. The Verano doesn’t quite have the same abilities since it is set up for luxury, but it can still handle itself with composure in an emergency handling situation. Besides, it’s a far better handler than Buicks before it.

The Verano’s fuel consumption is rated at a rather high 9.9 L/ 100 kms city and a more reasonable 6.2 L/100 kms highway. During my mixed driving with the Verano, I returned a reasonable 8.7 L/ 100kms.

At this point, if it seems like I’m liking the Verano to a snooze-mobile, which is what people typically accuse most Buicks of being, I’m honestly not. It’s far from being that typical sleep inducing kind of Buick actually. It’s a good looking, roomy, luxurious family sedan that feels solid and well built. As I mentioned, I couldn’t help but drive it in a sedate way because doing otherwise would seem foolish and just plain out of sorts. It’s a bit like going to an African drumming concert and getting the urge to get up and dance, even though you never would otherwise. There’s just something about it which makes you conform. And to be honest, it’s one of the nicest Buicks to come along in a long time.

But for all the things that the Verano does well (and there’s a lot) there’s something about it which I’ve never really experienced in a car before. It felt like I was driving an appliance. I would never liken any car as such because I’m a car guy and I see more in cars than their literal definition. The Verano seemed to lack a certain something which is difficult to put into words. I felt disconnected when driving it. It didn’t love it and I didn’t hate it. It simply felt like just a ‘car’. I prefer cars that make you feel some sort of emotion when driving, regardless of what that emotion is. For instance, my hatred of the Fiat Panda is something that later became endearing. The feeling that the BMW M3 gives me with its near perfection borderlines on sexual enticement. But with the Buick, there was just nothing.

With that said, I can still appreciate the Verano’s worth. GM smartly priced the Verano smack dab in the lucrative price point; it starts at $22, 595. That’s an excellent deal for this sort of car, even if some of the goodies are going to be omitted at that price, but even with the extras, a decently equipped Verano can be had under $30,000. As a unique premium family vehicle, the Verano does the job and does it well. People like myself looking for that character will likely have to wait until the Verano Turbo arrives. For those who want simply a nice car, the Verano is tough to beat. In the meantime, I hope the Verano is enjoying its retirement from brutal auto journalist flogging.

Price As Tested: $31,735

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