mmarshall

Most of you already know my respect and admiration for the Buick nameplate, which goes as far back as my teen-years (and that was a long time ago LOL), at a time when many of my schoolmates (except for my best friend, who also liked big luxury American cars) were into the late-60s muscle-car scene. I had a big (used) Buick Electra 225 in college, which I absolutely loved in spite of it being old and well-worn, and then a smaller Buick Skylark, which had belonged to the second wife of one of my late mother's cousins after his first wife passed away (he had previously sold my Dad a used Cadillac Sedan DeVille). But, because of a number of factors, too many to go into detail here about (not the least of which was the marked deterioration of GM's quality, engineering, and fit/finish) it was to be decades before I owned another Buick, although I owned two other GM products, brand-new, in the meantime...a Chevy Citation (which was a disaster) and a Saturn SL-2 (which was a far better experience....one of the most unique cars I ever owned). Then, after that, I saw (but did not own) a whole series of GM small-cars come and go, including the Cavalier, Sunfire, Cobalt, Ion, Catera, etc..... all of which had the quality, personality, or feel of overcooked pasta. The long-awaited Chevy Cruze finally did show some serious improvements, particularly in the interior and overall fit/finish, but I was still not quite convinced.


So, when I saw the first ads and images for Buick's' then-new Verano in late 2011, my first thought was "Well, that's all we need.....another poorly-built, over-hyped, Blah-Blah GM compact that, this time, insults even the Buick nameplate". I didn't even give it a second-thought....until I did some research and found that, despite claims from some sources that it was just a redone Chevy Cruze, I could see from the interior (which was almost identical) and other clues, that this was NOT a redone Cruze, but a rebadged German Opel Astra. Opels, at that time, had a reputation for solid, durable construction and good materials, at the cost of weight...they tended to be heavy. So, when they started arriving at dealerships late that winter or in the early spring of 2012, I went in to take a look.

And, Boy, was I surprised. The interior, was, in fact, almost 100% Opel, there was very little of the usual cheap GM plastic inside outside of a couple of the stalks, the doors shut with solid thunk-precision, and the whole interior, compared to most GM products (and even Buick's own flagships Encore and Lucerne), felt like it was carved out of a block of granite. The seats were extremely well-padded and over-stuffed, large enough to fit by big frame well, though the cloth-inserts were a little scratchy in feel, and there were some uneven lumps in the overstuffed padding. It was evident that this was, in fact, a small German sedan with a Buick/GM drivetrain, Buick logos on it, and the well-known Buick Quiet-Tuning sound-insulation process. A test-drive showed that, by the standards of most compact sedans, even in this upmarket/premium class, this car would make less road or wind noise than an Egyptian Mummy...it was library-quiet inside (comparable to my old Cadillac-based Electra) except for some faint revving-noise from the GM Ecotec non-turbo 2.4L four and the low-profile tires over bumps in cold weather....the tires would noticeably smooth out and be quieter in warm weather.

Then, Buick started running ads featuring NFL quarterback Peyton Manning behind the wheel of a Verano...Buick had done ads before with golf-pro Tiger Woods, but then had dropped Woods after the scandal. More ads came out with the theme....."THAT's a BUICK?"...trying to convince potential buyers that this was not Grandpa's car. And, perhaps, the crowning-accolade came when Donald Trump (who, at that time, was a well-known businessman before he went on to become President), made an ad for this car, used his own name, and remarked about the excellence it showed for a car of its modest class......Trump had a reputation for being picky, hard to please, and firing people left and right.

So, the time came to move on from my Subaru Outback (which I had kept for some six years, and, being retired, did not need its superb winter traction any more), and a local Chevy/Buick/GMC shop had a Crystal-Red-Pearl Verano in the showroom (an extra-cost color) with a darker/lighter-gray two-tone interior. They opened the front door of the showroom for me for a test-drive, and, that was it....sold. This car was even more of a bargain for what it cost.....only around 25-26K (don't remember exactly) out the door. It was more solidly-built than some other GM products costing twice as much.

However, as with any vehicle, ownership and miles did reveal some glitches in its design and assembly, although it never left me stranded or refused to start. The trunk-lid (which some other Buick owners also complained about at the time), once in a while, for the first couple of years, seemed to have a mind of its own, and would pop open sometimes for no reason at all, though it stopped doing that after about the second year. The drive-shafts and front-end harmonics, for some reason, would produce a very small but noticeable vibration while accelerating through the 10-20 MPH range in certain gears. There was a hesitation and then a noticeable bump in the transmission while downshift/accelerating and/or in right turns in some gears and speed-ranges....that was common to some of the GM 6-speed automatics. The electric power-steering, at times, had a noticeable burr/obstacle to it across dead-center...you had to click it across that burr. The car was later recalled for that, but, by that time, my car had pretty much cured itself and I didn't notice it any more. Back-seat legroom was more comparable to a small coupe than a sedan....but I never carried anyone in back. Perhaps, potentially the most serious glitch, however, was oil-consumption from prematurely-worn rings. I didn't really notice it until about the 20,000 mile mark, when the level on the dipstick started dropping after oil changes. I check my oil often enough that it never got low enough to damage the engine, but other owners of GM vehicles with this engine did have some serious issues, including a neighbor of mine (she was on our condo-board) with a GMC Terrain, who eventually traded it for a new Ford Explorer. I don't think these engines were ever officially recalled for those bad rings, but, as I write this, there is a class-action-suit on them for that oil-use issue, just as with some fairly recent Subaru engines.

I kept this car for five years, though, and got a lot of enjoyment out of it in spite of its oil-use and quirky transmission, and the car, inside and out, seemed as solid and well-built the last day I owned it as the day I picked it up.....not a single squeak/creak or rattle. It was a LONG wait from my Buick days in college to my recent Buick Ownership...but worth it. Still, if I had a choice in the Verano's design, I would have done some things differently....a V6 engine or a better-qualty four, better programming for the six-speed automatic, 55 or 60-series tires instead of the Bump-O-Matic 45s, and a soft, more Buick-like velour-cloth inside on the seats instead of the rougher-feeling fabric. I would have used REAL Buick tri-color logos (like they do now) instead of that cheap-looking chrome-outline tri-shield. And I would have probably brought back the classic Skylark nameplate for it instead of Verano...it was, in fact, the great-grandson and spiritual descendant of the old Skylark. Still, this car was money sell-spent, and I don't regret a single day of ownership.

And, as Always, Happy Owner-Memories.

MM

Toys4RJill

An interesting vehicle. I think it ages quite well. It served its purpose and GM certainly had a niche for this segment of car. Only competitor I can think of was the Acura ILX.

As I said it ages quite well, on the other hand, the Verano was never good enough to push the Buick brand forward into the modern area. Today, Buick sedans are gone.

And that is just too bad.

mmarshall

One can argue that the Audi A3, in some body-styles, was also a prime competitor. Don't forget...Verano (Excelle) hatchbacks were sold in China....and still are. For a couple of years in row, it was the top-selling vehicle in China....the Chinese just loved lower-priced Buicks that were available to the masses.

The car itself was good enough to....it was easily the best new Buick I had seen in probably 35 years. Unfortunately, it was met by a public that, by 2012, had their mind on other things....including SUVs and larger Buicks (the Lacrosse remained a good-seller for several more years before the large-sedan market crashed). This car led a lot of horses to water......but they just didn't drink.

My thoughts exactly.

oldcajun

I was surprised when you got the Verano. I'm about your size (6'2" 250 lb) and a bit older. When I drove the Verano, it seemed very small and the ride was very stiff. It was very quiet inside, but the jittery ride ruined it for me. My last trip to England I had a Vauxhal which was actually an Opel, which was the US Buick Regal. It was awful. Squeeks, rattles, wind noise, and doors that did not close properly. It was a diesel, so the mileage was good, but it was slow. My impression after talking to some Brits, was that Opel quality control was VW level or worse.

mmarshall

The Regal was based on a different (and slightly larger) Opel platform...the Insignia. I've sampled Regals, in base, GS, and Tour-X Wagon forms, and, while they didn't seem quite as solidly-built as the Verano, all were, IMO, above average in the quality of their materials and construction. However, vehicles can deteriorate if abused.....you might (?) have had a rental one that was trashed out and not properly cared for.

I agree that the Verano's ride, particularly in cold weather, was stiffer than necessary because of the 45-series tires....I said that many times, both when I owned it and in the write-up. But, as the tires warmed up in the spring (and especially in the hot summer) the ride became more Buick-like. My current Lacrosse has 50-series 18-inch tires, a slightly softer suspension, slightly more weight (though the Verano was heavy for its size because of the Opel materials used) and a longer wheelbase...and it is noticeably smoother in cold weather. Also, one question on the Verano......were the tire PSIs correct when you sampled it? Cars sitting on the dealer lot are notorious for having their tire PSIs too high because the PDI employees, whose job it is to adjust the pressures down to Recommended when they come off the transporter, often fail to so so. (Hey, what do you expect for minimum wage or close to it LOL). I've had to bleed air out of tires many times on test-drives, to get an accurate representation of what the ride and handling is supposed to be.

As far as Opel quality, no, they are not the most reliable products long-term...that, of course, usually goes to Toyota and Lexus. But IMO (and I respect your views if they are different) they do their interiors out of solid, impressive materials, have Thunk-closing doors, and try not to give their vehicles a tinny feel. That was one of the things that sold me on the Verano, though I'll admit that I was not particularly satisfied with the GM powertrain in it, or the tire-size.

Johnhav430

Is this a Cruze equivalent? I had a couple rentals and they were actually decent believe it or not, for the time excellent EPS. We once were given a Encore loaner, and other than being way too small, the fit/finish was excellent. It prompted me to look it up. I think this was maybe 5 years ago so I was surprised to find it was made in Korea and designed by a Chinese woman in her late 20's, which sorta made sense, why it seemed to be a step up on the inside.

mmarshall

In terms of being an compact sedan, yes. In terms of platform-wise, yes and no. The Cruze was only very loosely-related to the Opel Astra platform, while the Verano, except for the power train, was a much stronger rebadge...in fact, the Astra/Verano interiors were virtually identical except for logos, seat-padding, and dash-lighting color. A Chinese version of the Verano, called the Excelle, was also sold as a hatchback version. And a turbo version of the Verano sedan, with a 6-speed manual transmission, was also briefly sold here in the U.S., but dropped before the N/A version was.



The Encore was well-built, had good/fit/finish, and arguably was the most plush small crossover in its class. But IMO, I agree with you that it was it was too stubby in its looks, and had an engine that was simply too small and underpowered, even with the turbo. The latest Encore GX, which is just slightly larger, is a much better-looking effort inside and out, but the two 1.2L and 1.3L turbo-three-cylinder engines are even more of a joke, and give more low-speed noise/vibration than the previous Encore's 1.4L four-cylinder turbo.

Nevertheless, I still like the Encore GX, even with its Mickey-Mouse powerplant....but I think that Buick is going to be forced to upgrade the engines some next year, or for 2022....we'll see.

Toys4RJill

I test drove a Verano for fun, just before the model was canned. It was OK...ride was average. Poor fuel economy as well. I did like the dash with all the buttons and switches. And it was a neat thing at the time that Buick had a turbo. I'd much rather have my Matrix that is far peppier or my little Corolla which rides better...more fuel efficient as well...and a better value for the $$$

Felix

Least w/ the Buick version of the later Cruze you could of gotten a detuned version the earlier 260 hp ecotec, which was used in the 2 year only Cruze SS sedan of '08-'09.......w/ the no lift shift thanx to the pcm algorithm....Remember the chinese leader that rode in a Buick in the '20's? IDK 'bout right now, but Buick has been huge over in China. I briefly looked at the Regal GS, which had the hyper struts, similar to the Focus rs Revoknuckle.....Another rare 2 yr only was the '08-'09 Lacrosse super w/ a LS4....across between the GXP & the SS....GXP front brake & the SS's rear brakes....IIRC it only came in two colors....Really a bummer GM used the glass(weak) trans in them thou. Those Encore's work good for some ppl, IDK 'bout the newer GX version, but the earlier ones were manufactured by Daewoo on the same platform as the sonic..Oh & remember when the earlier Cruze's were big in the British touring car series?

mmarshall

The Cruze and Verano did not come from the same platform.....that did (and still does) confuse some people. The Verano was essentially a rebadged European-designed Opel Astra sedan with a GM powertrain and Buick sound insulation. The Cruze was derived from a Korean Daewoo platform also shared by Holden.


The Chinese appreciate the way they drive.


I'll give you a little tip...it's easy to spot a 1Gen Lacrosse V8 by its four fender-portholes instead of three on the V6s. That's an old Buick tradition going back decades....top-level versions get four holes (or imitation-holes)

The former Encore and Chevy Trax came from the Euro-designed Opel Mokka, but you're right...the Sonic also shares some of it. The newer GX (and Chevy Trailblazer) is a totally different, and slightly larger VSS-F platform.

I'm very impressed with that platform.....I myself have a new GX on order, awaiting delivery.