2012 Buick Verano Review

Despite its commuter-car roots, the 2012 Buick Verano drives and feels more like a luxury car, which makes its starting price all the more attractive.

Parent company GM sunk big cash into developing the smash-hit Chevrolet Cruze, but wringing a Buick from the same platform seemed dubious. A Toyota Corolla with leather, after all, does not a Lexus make. But here's the difference: To begin with, the Cruze is no Corolla; this Buick is no Chevy clone, and GM's latest whack at the below-$30,000 luxury piñata could pay off.

The front-drive Verano sedan comes in Base, Convenience and Leather trims, with the Base trim level's price overlapping Chevrolet's top-of-the-line Cruze LTZ. An automatic transmission and four-cylinder engine are standard. We tested a well-equipped Verano Leather.

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Driving on Grades
Reduce speed and shift to a lower gear before starting down a long or steep downgrade. If the transmission is not shifted down, the brakes might have to be used so much that they would get h ...

Loss of Control
Let us review what driving experts say about what happens when the three control systems—brakes, steering, and acceleration—do not have enough friction where the tires meet the road to do what the ...

Adjusting the Speakers (Balance/Fade)
AUDIO: To adjust the balance between the right and the left speakers, push and release the AUDIO knob until BAL (balance) displays. Turn the knob to move the sound toward the right or the left s ...