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2012 Buick Verano

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Curious about the newer model? Check out the 2013 Buick Verano

Overview

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2012 Buick Verano Review

By Micah Muzio

KBB Expert Rating: 7.1

The 2012 Buick Verano is a compact near-luxury sedan that shares its core architecture with the Chevy Cruze. For some, mentioning Cruze and Verano in the same sentence dredges up haunting memories of GM"s "badge engineering" era; a dark period where subpar cars were shared among countless GM brands, distinguished only by grilles, trim and other superficial details. Thankfully, times have changed, as the Verano is distinctly delineated inside and out from its compact platform mate. For a comparatively modest price the 2012 Buick Verano offers much of the luxury, technology and comfort found in other entry-luxury vehicles, making it an appealing option in this era of inconspicuous indulgence.

You'll Like This Car If...

You might like the 2012 Buick Verano if you're a young professional looking for a new car to reward your success without substantially increasing your debt. The 2012 Verano might also appeal to current luxury-car owners who want to downsize without giving up all the comforts to which they've grown accustomed.

You May Not Like This Car If...

If you think a luxury sedan is incomplete without a cavernous interior you may not like the Buick Verano. Along with compact exterior dimensions come reduced interior dimensions, a reality most apparent in the rear seats. If you require a spacious cabin the roomier Buick Regal is worth a look.

KBB Expert Ratings

Overall Rating

7.1
Driving Dynamics

6.8
Comfort & Convenience

7.2
Design: Interior & Exterior

7.2
Value

7.4
Safety

7.9

How It Ranks

#24

out of 35

MPG

#13

out of 35

Horsepower

View all rankings

Consumer Rating

8.5 out of 10

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consumer ratings

What's Significant About This Car?

The 2012 Buick Verano represents yet another mile-marker on Buick's path to relevancy. Coming to market with youthful looks and a starting price around $23,500, the Verano stands a good chance of wooing younger buyers who might not have considered a Buick in years past

Driving the Verano

2012 Buick Verano Front angle view photo

Driving Impressions On paper the Buick Verano's non-independent torsion-beam rear suspension seems a bit low-brow for a Buick, even with its stabilizing Watt's-link setup. However, on the road, the Verano's suspension works...

just fine, gracefully absorbing surface imperfections without that floaty feeling familiar in Buicks of the past. Along with a smooth ride we enjoyed the vehicle's fluid, responsive steering, a noteworthy achievement considering the Verano uses an efficiency-enhancing electric power steering system, which in many cars results in artificial steering feel. With a 180-horsepower four-cylinder engine and a 6-speed automatic transmission, acceleration in the Buick Verano is acceptable, though we're guessing the upcoming turbocharged engine might encourage us to change that "acceptable" to "great." In current form we wouldn't describe the 2012 Buick Verano as a sports sedan but it does provide the kind of comfortable and capable driving we think entry-luxury buyers will appreciate.

Favorite Features

Quiet Tuning
Buick makes a big deal out of its efforts to reduce interior noise, collectively labeled Quiet Tuning - and rightly so. The 2012 Verano features an impeccably-quiet cabin that will no doubt elevate occupant comfort and perceived vehicle quality.

Buick IntelliLink
Younger buyers love their connectivity and Buick knows it. That's why Buick equips all 2012 Veranos with IntelliLink, a system that lets the driver control the smart phone through a standard 7-inch touch-screen display. The system not only enables hands-free calling, but also stream music and podcasts from Internet audio services, including Pandora and Stitcher.

2012 Buick Verano Details

2012 Buick Verano Dashboard, center console, gear shifter view photo

Interior

In look and feel the Verano's cabin channels the essence of its larger sibling the Buick LaCrosse. Like the LaCrosse, the smaller Verano features an interior outfitted in high quality materials and rich colors, with comfortable seats and an artfully drawn dash that flows gracefully into the doors. Less pleasing is the layout of the instrument panel, which features a confusing array of similar looking buttons, a fault partially countered by the bright, easy-to-use and intuitively-arranged 7-inch touch-screen interface that controls the audio system. Front-seat passenger space and trunk space are both good for a vehicle of the Verano's size but rear-seat leg room is tight, making it less than ideal for larger occupants.

Exterior

The Buick Verano shares its fundamental architecture with the Chevy Cruze but that's a fact largely obscured by the Verano's unique styling. With an athletic and tasteful exterior the Verano projects an appropriately-premium on-road aura, in spite of its compact dimensions. Standout details include standard 18-inch wheels, a tasteful body line that dips toward the front of the car and technologically-appearing headlights with stylishly-subtle blue iris-like projectors.

Notable Equipment

Standard Equipment

Some of the standard features offered on the 2012 Buick Verano include leatherette-trimmed seating, automatic climate control, an electronic parking brake, steering wheel audio and cruise controls and remote engine start. Among the roster of standard safety features are stability control, traction control, OnStar with stolen vehicle location and automatic crash notification, and a whopping 10 airbags, including front- passenger knee airbags and rear-seat side-impact airbags.

Optional Equipment

The 2012 Buick Verano's option list includes a heated steering wheel, heated seats, navigation, a nine-speaker premium Bose audio system, moonroof, premium 18-inch wheels and leather-trimmed interiors available in Ebony, Cashmere and the tasty-sounding Choccachino themes. Keyless push-button engine start is also available, though we would prefer the button be placed in the typical ignition location rather than next to the radio controls on the dash.

Under the Hood

In its first model year the 2012 Buick Verano comes with one engine, a 180-horsepower 4-cylinder matched to a 6-speed automatic transmission. A more powerful turbocharged model is on the horizon but, for now, the current engine provides acceptable performance - at least for those who accept 0-to-60-mph acceleration in the mid 8-second range. Among compact sedans the Verano's highway fuel economy of 31 mpg is below average, especially in light of the larger Buick Regal's 36-mpg highway economy. The Regal's superior efficiency is due in large part to its mild-hybrid E-Assist powertrain, a technology we hope is applied to the Verano in the future.

2.4-liter in-line 4
180 horsepower @ 6,700 rpm
171 lb-ft of torque @ 4,900 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 21/32

Pricing Notes

Buick executives didn't play up the value angle during our introduction to the 2012 Verano but we think a starting price around $23,500 could be the Verano's trump card. Even in its highest trim level, the Buick Verano checks in at less than $27,000, making it a bargain when compared to such entry-luxury options as the Lexus IS, Audi A3 and Acura TSX. For the latest pricing information be sure to check out the KBB Fair Purchase Price, to see what others in your area are paying for a Verano. When it comes to resale values, we expect the 2012 Buick Verano to offer long-term residual numbers similar to the Audi A3 but worse than the Lexus IS and Acura TSX.

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2012 Buick Verano Consumer Reviews

Overall Rating

8.5

Out of 10

Based on 8 Ratings for the 2012 - 2013 models.

Review this car

Value

8.5/10

Quality

8.8/10
Reliability

8.8/10

Performance

8.1/10
Comfort

9.1/10

Styling

9.0/10

Want to be in my car all the time

By mom awesome (OH) on Friday, May 17, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 7,500

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "quiet comfy"

Cons: "not the greatest mpg, but worth the ride"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 9

"Great comfortable ride. Quiet. Seats like a puff marshmallow. I've driven/ridden in other cars (toyota, honda) and their seats are like hard cardboard compared to Buick. Has everything you'd want, standard, like usb,aux, touchscreen, ect. Really enjoying this car. It also takes E85, which has been saving me around 50 cents per gallon compared to regular fuel. I've been getting 19 city."

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Very Smart Buy

By Fidel (TX) on Wednesday, April 03, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 4,500

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 8/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 9/10

Pros: "Great price, interior and toys are wonderful"

Cons: "Back seats are on the small side..."

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"I have owned this vehicle for approximately 3 months, and the more time goes by, the more I realize what a smart buy it was. MPG is not the greatest, but it is not bad either. The interior is awesome - I think it is very comparable to my brother's BMW at a MUCH lower price. The vehicle handles great, and it provides for a pleasant drive to work every morning..."

8 people out of 8 found this review helpful

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Horrible car

By UpstateCornhole (NY) on Saturday, March 02, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 3,000

10 2.0

overall rating 2 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 2/10
Value: 3/10
Reliability: 5/10
Quality: 1/10
Performance: 2/10
Styling: 5/10
Comfort: 6/10

Pros: "Looks good"

Cons: "Poor gas mileage"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 1

"I have driven this car only 3,000 miles and it is terrible,gas mileage is bad - only 25-26 miles on the highway ! When making a right hand turn the car almost stalls out ! Car should not be listed for more than two passengers, with the seats back there is no room left in the back seat"

3 people out of 16 found this review helpful

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The Verano is stylish, reliable,and comfortable

By dc (GA) on Saturday, February 09, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 20,000

10 10.0

overall rating 10 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 10/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: 10/10
Quality: 10/10
Performance: 10/10
Styling: 10/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "Great Price, Fuel Economy, Stylish"

Cons: "No power seats"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 10

"I have three kids and the buick fits us comfortably. I love the Onstar and built in touch screen satellite radio. The mpg is great and the fuel is very reasonable. The leather seats trimming is a plus. Overall I love my 2012 luxury car."

9 people out of 9 found this review helpful

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perhaps the best car in class from GM

By as seen on tv (DE) on Wednesday, January 30, 2013

I own this car - My approximate mileage is 200

10 9.0

overall rating 9 of 10rating details

Reviewer Ratings

Overall Rating: 9/10
Value: 10/10
Reliability: Not Rated
Quality: 9/10
Performance: 8/10
Styling: 9/10
Comfort: 10/10

Pros: "fantastic price, library quiet, high lux & tech"

Cons: "mpg, acceleration, rear seat leg room"

Likely to recommend this car? (1-10): 9

"I took delivery on my base Verano earlier this week. $22,000 out the door, about a $2,000 discount to the sticker with delivery charges. this car is based on the cruze platform, but is closer in size to the malibu, and has a 2.4 liter engine unavailable in the cruze. the fake leather is shockingly realistic. the car is vault like quiet (triple laminated glass, a hundred pounds of sound deadening material). the intellilink system has bluetooth, a rear view camera, XM, CD, onstar, pandora, USB and more - all standard on the base model. mileage is running around 28 mpg around town. "Barely average" according to other reviews. And at 180 hp this isn't going to blow away any civic SI's or BMW 328s. But get this - this car is dimensially larger than a 328 or civic, has MUCH higher content and technology; 18 inch allow wheels, and much quieter. Sharp looking too. I do have gripes - but I accepted these going into it, they weren't a surprise. gas filler is on the right. parking brake is a funky button on the console, not a proper handbrake. no overhead bin for sunglasses or garage remote. donut spare (at least it has one at all); knee room in the rear is tight if you put the front seats all the way back. The trunk is huge - they could have taken 4 inches out of that and used in the rear seat. This car will not out-accelerate or out corner a 328. But it beats it for NVH, standard content, and warranty. And did I mention it stickers for $24,000 (I paid 22) vs. $37 for a base 328? I am in a $215 a month zero down 39 month lease. This is another concern - I usually don't keep a car quite that long. I don't like leases. But $215 a month is great."

8 people out of 8 found this review helpful

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