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.

See also:

Performance
The Regal I tested packs the base engine — a 2.4-liter four-cylinder that's good for 182 horsepower. There's no way around it: This is a sedate engine. You probably won't notice that it lacks po ...

Replacing Restraint System Parts After a Crash
CAUTION: A crash can damage the restraint systems in your vehicle. A damaged restraint system may not properly protect the person using it, resulting in serious injury or even death in a crash. ...

Keys
WARNING Leaving children in a vehicle with the ignition key is dangerous for many reasons. Children or others could be badly injured or even killed. They could operate the power windows or other c ...