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:

Voice Pass-Thru
Voice pass-thru allows access to the voice recognition commands on the cell phone. See your cell phone manufacturer's user guide to see if the cell phone supports this feature. To access cont ...

Roadside Assistance Program
U.S.: 1-800-252-1112 TTY Users: 1-888-889-2438 Canada: 1-800-268-6800 As the owner of a new Buick, you are automatically enrolled in the Roadside Assistance program. This program provides techn ...

Compact Dimensions
The Verano measures a smidge larger than the Cruze, with which it shares the same wheelbase. The Buick's footprint falls between the shrink-wrapped Lexus IS 250 and larger Acura TSX, but its styli ...