One of my close friends gets an auto salesman's job.
#16
I can never advise anyone I know to buy a GM of any type without knowing that ALL models have inherent quality issues with ball joints, wheel bearings and tie rod ends... These repairs can become quite costly. I would also bet money that the car is not aligned well from the factory.
The biggest problem I always see with any reviews is that people focus on what engine, interior build quality, etc, but rarely ever talk about how shoddy the parts they use underneath are...
The biggest problem I always see with any reviews is that people focus on what engine, interior build quality, etc, but rarely ever talk about how shoddy the parts they use underneath are...
The Verano is not a typical American-designed GM compact (though it uses a GM Ecotec four). Much of it, underneath the Buick sound-insulation and trim, comes from the latest-generation German Opel Astra.....a car that, years ago, used to be junk, but is now quite highly-regarded. Prevous-Generation Astras were also sold under the Saturn and Vauxhall Astra nameplates....but the Saturn version sold in very low numbers here.
Last edited by mmarshall; 06-18-12 at 09:41 PM.
#17
Congrat's to your friend, but don't go and rush a major purchase like this because he got a new job. I know you want to help him out but I would steer clear of buick, at least for now. They JUST got back in the game. I would give them some time.
Maybe that's just me though. I gave Dodge (Chrysler) a year of research and thorough investigation before I bought my truck...Made sure their new quality standards were up to par with my expectations of a $40,000 truck.
Maybe that's just me though. I gave Dodge (Chrysler) a year of research and thorough investigation before I bought my truck...Made sure their new quality standards were up to par with my expectations of a $40,000 truck.
And, of course, as far as one year goes, that alone is not long enough, in most cases, to gauge long-term reliability.....but it often does indicate if the vehicle was well-assembled at the factory. Factory-goofs from poor fits, misaligned machines/robots, ill-fitting screws/bolts/pins, bad welds, etc.... usually (but not always) show up early in a vehicle's life. Many original design-goofs on the part of the engineers, though, often don't show up until later in the vehicle's life (hopefully before the end of the warranty). And warranties on certain parts are sometimes extended if a pattern of premature failures is noted.
Last edited by mmarshall; 06-18-12 at 09:58 PM.
#18
I haven't seen one verano on the street here in southern california.
I think buick and GM does well in china but horrible here in north america.
I wouldn't touch the verrano due to resale value. It will plummet fast.
I think buick and GM does well in china but horrible here in north america.
I wouldn't touch the verrano due to resale value. It will plummet fast.
#19
SoCal, like my own D.C. area, has so many cars running around that it takes a while for almost any new vehicle to be noticeable. They are the two heaviest-traffic areas in the country.....though several other metro-areas are close.
GM saw that Buick filled the void between Chevy and Cadillac better than Pontiac did. That's why Pontiac went and Buick stayed.
By today's standards, it's not an expensive a car to start with (23-29K, maybe 30 with all options), so one probably will not lose his or her shirt even if depreciation is higher than average.
I think buick and GM does well in china but horrible here in north america.
I wouldn't touch the verrano due to resale value. It will plummet fast.
Last edited by mmarshall; 06-18-12 at 10:30 PM.
#21
Buicks in China have nothing to do with ones you buy in the USA. As to the Verano, isnt it Opel Astra Sedan? If so, not sure that it rides comfortably. Buick in USA is based on Opel models and Opel is company that is currently failing so bad that GM doesnt know what to do with it anymore.
#22
I think Verano is a nice choice. At 183 or so inches long, I found it to be the perfect length for a sedan. Civic is too short and Camry is too long. So the new 3-series, Volvo S60 would also be nice candidates if I am in the market for a mid-sized sedan. Verano and all other Buicks vehicles look a bit too mature for my age(thirties) but probably more suitable for those in their upper forties and older. My only suggestion is wait for the ninth generation Honda Accord, that is, if you want to wait. Hopefully the new Accord sedan would be at least 3 inches shorter than the current one, but even so it would still be 190" long. I miss my fifth gen Accord, so nimble and has perfect size. If you don't mind a big sedan like I do, how about the new VW Passat?
#23
Good luck to your friend. A lot depends on the owners & sales management he's working under. I think some places hire green-peas just to get all their contacts and then they drop them. A lot of family dealership owners are pillars of their community, but treat their employees like dirt. Then again, I've known men & women who have been with the same dealership for ages and do quite well.
#24
Good luck to your friend. A lot depends on the owners & sales management he's working under. I think some places hire green-peas just to get all their contacts and then they drop them. A lot of family dealership owners are pillars of their community, but treat their employees like dirt. Then again, I've known men & women who have been with the same dealership for ages and do quite well.
#25
Yes and no....depends on the model.
It came off an Astra platform....also shared, to some extent, with the Cruze. The dashboard and door-panels are pure Astra, with only very minor differences in Buick trim. I see nothing wrong wth that.....the Astra, unlike some past Opels, seems to be highly-rated in Europe, and won at least one Car of the Year award there.
The American-market version (Verano), of course, is not a pillow-soft traditional big Buick, but it is not as stiff as its big-brother Regal, and, like its other big-brother LaCrosse, is an excellent combination of ride/handling. And the sound-insulation easily sets the standard in the compact-car class. Buick worked very hard on the Verano to keep the noise out.
GM apparantly does know what to do with the Opels. They seem to be making nice Buicks....the division hasn't done this well in decades.
As to the Verano, isnt it Opel Astra Sedan?
If so, not sure that it rides comfortably.
Buick in USA is based on Opel models and Opel is company that is currently failing so bad that GM doesnt know what to do with it anymore.
#26
My only suggestion is wait for the ninth generation Honda Accord, that is, if you want to wait.
how about the new VW Passat?
Last edited by mmarshall; 06-19-12 at 06:00 PM.
#27
Today on the way home from getting my Mazda serviced i stopped into a large Buick-Cadillac dealership to look at the XTS. While in there I sat in a Verano and was impressed. I didn't drive it or spend a lot of time in it, but it had a nice look and feel to both the interior and exterior.
The rep I was talking to said (his opinons only) he feels the Regal is lost in between the Verano and LaCross and wouldn't be surprised if it just became the RS only and was Buick's sport sedan/performance model. Again just speculation only.
The rep I was talking to said (his opinons only) he feels the Regal is lost in between the Verano and LaCross and wouldn't be surprised if it just became the RS only and was Buick's sport sedan/performance model. Again just speculation only.
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