Veranos on the ground!

[regfootball]

Stopped by a Buick place today and touched a Verano.

Didn't like the color.....red/gray. But the car is sharp. Looks like a larger car, and looks expensive. Parked next to a LaCrosse and Regal in total harmony. The Regal has a more avante garde look, but the Verano does have the looks to sell. Indeed. Makes the Focus look cheap and tawdry.

Through the window, the interior looked consistent in quality to the Regal and the seats and dash look great. All the controls look really similar to the Regal's. Front seat looks spacious, rear looks tight for leg room. Seats looks very well sculpted.

MPG on sticker of course is not eye popping, but sensible buyers will compare apple and apples and find that among non tin boxes, the Verano will stack up fine.

Price to me without leather seats was high, but the upgrade to leather is not much more dough.

There is bound to be a base base Regal out there too that is not much different in price than a loaded Verano. There is less overlap now in the pricing for equivalent models in Buick's lineup, although if you want a 30k LaCrosse, Regal you can get it, and you can also get a Verano darn close to that.

Those wanting a Cruze but not wanting to put up with the small engine madness, this works too.

I still think this is a new age Grand am........perfect sized women's car that is not a Cavalier........but its classy enough to avoid scorn in that way. The Aleros and Grand Ams and Skylarks of the world did not seem to be this well tailored.

Might have to look into some leasing onto this rig........

[GMTruckGuy74]

Cool semi-review of your first dealership spotting. I saw a red one parked in a restaurant parking lot about a week ago and thought it looked great. I too can't wait to check it out in person, even if its not until the Philly Auto Show (going on Sat 2/4). I like the Verano and was hoping the wife would too - at this time I think it would be a good replacement for her '08 G6 sedan (though not in exact size, but for daily commuting in a fuel efficient package).

[vonVeezelsnider]

Still haven't managed to see one myself or get my hands on one for test drive. Various dealers in town list a couple here and there in their inventory but they aren't there when I go looking. Must still be in transit.

[ocnblu]

I hate that "in transit" BS on dealer inventory sites. I'd been stalking my Patriot for a couple of weeks through the dealer's site, it kept sticking "in transit" in my face. Got bored, drove over there... it was at the dealer! After I bought it and brought it home... it remained "in transit" for at least a week afterward.

If you're a dealer and you want to go online, you've got to understand that ppl USE that tool to stalk a vehicle they like and you'd better keep after it and update it as instantly as you can.

Those Veranos are pretty in pictures, I wonder if my local BG dealer has any yet... no use checking their site, unless there are real photos taken onsite.

[thedriver]

We have two on our lot, I sat in the one in the showroom. Pretty nice. Good textures and easy reach to things. Looks a little tall head on, not so sleek next to the Regal, more like an Enclave. We will see if they sell.

[vonVeezelsnider]

I hate that "in transit" BS on dealer inventory sites. I'd been stalking my Patriot for a couple of weeks through the dealer's site, it kept sticking "in transit" in my face. Got bored, drove over there... it was at the dealer! After I bought it and brought it home... it remained "in transit" for at least a week afterward.

If you're a dealer and you want to go online, you've got to understand that ppl USE that tool to stalk a vehicle they like and you'd better keep after it and update it as instantly as you can.

Those Veranos are pretty in pictures, I wonder if my local BG dealer has any yet... no use checking their site, unless there are real photos taken onsite.

When I was in Arizona for a couple weeks last month I went to two dealerships (Liberty Buick and Henry Brown Buick) in the area where there indicated these cars in stock and was told the same "in transit" story (expected to have them in within 14 days), that didn't prevent them from trying to sell me one sight unseen anyway LOL.

When I got home I noticed that there seem to be more of them on the ground in Ontario. I'm sure if I talked to my salesman he'd be able to give me more accurate information and whatnot but I don't want to dangle the carrot too soon so to speak considering I'm not going to be ready to buy for a year or so.

[regfootball]

We have two on our lot, I sat in the one in the showroom. Pretty nice. Good textures and easy reach to things. Looks a little tall head on, not so sleek next to the Regal, more like an Enclave. We will see if they sell.

the Regal will remain distinct to the Verano because even though in size they are close, the Regal is much sleeker design wise. The Verano has a larger greenhouse in relation to the body, and is a little more upright overall. the positioning will all fit into place though. I would imagine a high percentage of Veranos will be trim 1 and trim 2.....selling at lower MSRP's and being showroom bait. This car is so much sharper than say, a Camry, it's not even funny. It just doesn't have size on its side.

[Drew Dowdell]

It just doesn't have size on its side.

I'd say it does. For many people, a smaller car that is comfortable on the road and not a penalty box is a holy grail. There are a lot of people in my age group that find the camry way too large. One friend in particular expresses frequent hatred towards his mom's "boat" Camry... yet he is a Toyota buyer himself.

[frogger]

Not my cup of tea as it leans a little too much towards comfort and traditional styling vs sport and modern (I'd see myself in a GLI before this), but I can see it having a market... ES350 certainly does well along side the IS250.

Edited January 17, 2012 by frogger

[hyperv6]

We have had them here for about 2 weeks.

The key here is everyone does not want large cars anymore. The reason many older people drive large cars is the fact that is all that you can buy luxury in.

I think the key here will be price and better than average MPG. This car will appeal to younger buyers as they will not have to have a major car payment to have a comfortable car. It will appeal to older people on fixed incomes that their 401ks are not paying what it once was. Counter to some comments the Economy as a good while to recover and that is if all goes well. This is not a it's all better in 6 months deal. That means cars that present great value will be popular. Hyundai are good cars but great values. If GM can offer great cars at good values they can win back buyers. The Verano offers just this.

I think once the 2.0 Turbo arrives as well as the 2.5 this car will take off.

[ocnblu]

"I think once the 2.0 Turbo arrives as well as the 2.5 this car will take off. " Good one, hyper! They should burn a little rubber when they take off with those engines, if you turn off the traction control.

I think old folks prefer large cars because the ride just is not there in a small car. The Verano is a sweet Buick, though, for a 4-door sedan.

[regfootball]

a manual trans in this car may have had me at hello.....lol

[hyperv6]

"I think once the 2.0 Turbo arrives as well as the 2.5 this car will take off. " Good one, hyper! They should burn a little rubber when they take off with those engines, if you turn off the traction control.

I think old folks prefer large cars because the ride just is not there in a small car. The Verano is a sweet Buick, though, for a 4-door sedan.

No these engines are not going to make them the second coming of the GN. But they will be better refinded engines with better power that will make them better acceptable to many past V6 and V8 buyers.

The Verano rides very well like a larger car ride but it also still handles well. It is not a road racer but it is not a boat either. The reviews point out that the only major weakness was the lack of power.

[vonVeezelsnider]

a manual trans in this car may have had me at hello.....lol

The 2.0T will be getting a 6-Speed.

Nonetheless I would argue that the size would be a benefit, lots of people my age and somewhat older who are otherwise unattached, like Drew said, see even cars like the Camry and Malibu as too big.

[regfootball]

I sat in a Verano today.......

I sort of am mixed about the car......I do like the car quite a bit. But size wise it is dern close to the Regal. Interior is smaller and less comfy / natural than the Regal which is to be expected. The level of quality in the Verano inside of course is not as good or as interesting as the Regal. However, for the segment and price it's pretty alright.

Could have been the color combo....light gray interior. I don't think this interior in this color seems very Germanic and maybe it's not supposed to. But it almost has more of the old Buick feel with those lighter colors. Not like a blue hair interior....just very conservative and sedate and such.

Way nicer than a Cruze inside, and the back seat has more room. The seat bottoms are low but even with that, the seats are fairly comfy. The front ones in particular are of better shape and quality than a more mainstream compact. Touch points not quite as good as a Regal though.

I guess a quicker summary would be to say its got a bit of a puff cruiser aura to it, and maybe a little Lexus to it too. Probably about what folks might expect. And pretty alright for the price. Just that sporty, it's not.

I saw one with a black leather interior and i think it was more flattering. The vinyl + cloth on the seats were ok but could have been better I think.

Front windshield really has more of a rake to it than you would guess from just pics.

Edited January 26, 2012 by regfootball

[vonVeezelsnider]

I sat in a Verano today.......

I sort of am mixed about the car......I do like the car quite a bit. But size wise it is dern close to the Regal. Interior is smaller and less comfy / natural than the Regal which is to be expected. The level of quality in the Verano inside of course is not as good or as interesting as the Regal. However, for the segment and price it's pretty alright.

Could have been the color combo....light gray interior. I don't think this interior in this color seems very Germanic and maybe it's not supposed to. But it almost has more of the old Buick feel with those lighter colors. Not like a blue hair interior....just very conservative and sedate and such.

Way nicer than a Cruze inside, and the back seat has more room. The seat bottoms are low but even with that, the seats are fairly comfy. The front ones in particular are of better shape and quality than a more mainstream compact. Touch points not quite as good as a Regal though.

I guess a quicker summary would be to say its got a bit of a puff cruiser aura to it, and maybe a little Lexus to it too. Probably about what folks might expect. And pretty alright for the price. Just that sporty, it's not.

I saw one with a black leather interior and i think it was more flattering. The vinyl + cloth on the seats were ok but could have been better I think.

Front windshield really has more of a rake to it than you would guess from just pics.

I think the interior pallette is one of the reasons I would prefer this car over the Regal, even if the plastics, as you'd expect, aren't quite as good. I've lived with an all black interior in my Impala and Cavalier and I am so sick of it. I don't like all black, to me it's really drab and dark. I don't like being there. I would say that maybe 10% of the Regals on the ground up here have that nice Cocoa/Cashmere colour which I really love, the rest are just black. Now that they use a brown or black carpet with the lighter colored interiors the argument that it's easier to keep clean is out the window too. In a midlevel Verano, I am assured not to have to deal with all black, which would sadly be a deal breaker for me, especially in the Regal where there isn't any woodgrain or brushed steel accents, just more "piano" black as accent trim. By this metric, even the Gray/Black, while not my favourite choice, is much more ameanable than the alternative in the Regal which actually loses points with me for being too germanic for my tastes.

Just by looking at the seats as well, I can tell they'll fit my form better than the ones in the Regal, which between the few of them I've been in at any given time since they came out, I found hard to adjust in a way in which I was comfortable. The thigh support especially has always felt off in that car for some reason, a sensation that of all the GM vehicles I've driven at least semi-regularly (W-Impala, Epsilon Malibu, Cobalt/G5, Cavalier, U-Body Venture, W-Regal) I have never experienced.

Then again I've always kind of preferred a puff cruiser myself so my opinion is probably skewed, isn't it?

[regfootball]

i think you'll like the Verano seats.....for some reason they remind me some of the Lucerne seats.....

BTW, sat in the GS Regal yesterday.....those seats are awesome.....

[vonVeezelsnider]

i think you'll like the Verano seats.....for some reason they remind me some of the Lucerne seats.....

The big flat seats in the Lucerne and the 2006-08 Impalas have always been supremely comfortable for me, so yeah I'll probably like them on the Verano too LOL. Not sure what that says about the average guy my age who would then probably complain about the lack of side bolsters LOL.

I actually finally managed to see one up close today although it was just on the lot so I can't comment on the interior. It was a loaded Leather model with White Diamond Paint and Sunroof as well as the top-spec wheels. Looks really nice up close and I lke the satin texture of the greenhouse trim. Low point would be the ventiports which I believe look really cheap and tacky as they are. If you're going to use them as trim you really should make them look like more than afterhought.

[regfootball]

seats have sort of a curved shaping to them, so they have some bolstering, but it's not that rigid linear shaping that the Japan cars have......

[frogger]

Hopefully the ventiports are just 3m taped on and could be removed with a bit of heat and floss

[Turbojett]

lookin like a fool with your Buicks on the ground.

okay, okay, okay, i have to go bat my head against a wall now.

[ocnblu]

Dude every time I visit this thread I'm hearin' that damn song in muh HEAD.

[vonVeezelsnider]

For those interested in seeing, the dealer where I saw the white/black 1SL has some pictures up as there aren't many pictures out there of the black interior. One thing I'm just noticing now, and I have to give Buick and GM mad props for this, is that they have finally learned that one grain/style of woodgrain doesn't go best with every interior color choice. Here you see a darker, driftwood/dark brown looking grain which is different than the they use in the Cocoa/Cashmere and Chocochino trims (more of a traditional walnut). I believe the Gray/Black uses the same wood as the one pictured here.

[ocnblu]

Seats look mad comfy.

[vonVeezelsnider]

Seems there was an early change in the interior configuration on the Verano from as it appeared on this early production version (for the better IMHO).

I managed to finally track one down in a showroom so that I could evaluate the interior, it was equipped just like the early-build one pictured above except with the forged painted wheels (same black interior 1SL model). Except the center insert on the dash was the medium gray in colour instead of all black. Maybe they realized there wasn't enough contrast with just the one colour and have decided to shake things up. I can't say I'm complaining.

Other Observations:

-Switchgear is really an improvement over the Cruze and previous Buicks, all the buttons feel very substantial and turn with a reassuring and heavy "click". The buttons are more rigidly set and don't flop about sideways as you move your hand over them sideways.

-Dash and front door materials are good, but not quite to the level of those on the Regal. Like the Regal, the rear doors are finished with less trim and in less appealing plastic (about the same grade as the Cruze) than the front doors, but everyone is doing stuff like this these days so I can't really single Buick out for this. Have to give them points for at least throwing a little trim and still having the nice stitched armrests even on the rear doors. They have paid attention to the lower IP as well, it would seem; the plastics on the glove compartment door and lower door panels are almost as good as the stuff on the upper IP of the Cruze.

-Rear seats were a surprise to me in a good way. I was expecting more tight accommodations than I found. As a guy of about 5'11 of more or less average build, adjusting the seats and steering wheel to my driving position I found there was ample room for someone even maybe three inches taller than me to be quite comfortable in the back. It's like a good midsize car. While the back seat of my Impala is clearly wider and can seat three across more comfortably and realistically, I found these seats to be actually more accommodating for a few reasons. One is that while the Impala has more knee, leg and hip room, the big PITA sitting in the back is that you can't get your feet under the seat in front of you which along with a small door opening makes ingress/egress a big pain. The Verano has the underside of the seats cut out deeply so my feet just slid in comfortably a-la the Epsilon and H/G-Body Cars. The other main problem with the Impala's back seat is that the seat cushion is too low and meets the seat-back at a strange angle which I found not to be present here.

-Front seats are also a big improvement over the Regal. I assumed my frame would probably fit them better by looking at them but after a little adjustment I would have no problem driving long distances in that seat. The seat cushions don't have the more aggressive bolstering of the Cruze or Orlando but I don't take corners too fast so that doesn't really fuss me.

Next step is a test drive.