Safety, Features & Styling

With top crash-test scores across the board, the Verano is a Top Safety Pick from the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety. Standard features include 10 airbags, plus the antilock brakes and electronic stability system required on all new vehicles starting with the 2012 model year. Click here for a full feature list. Being a new car, the Verano doesn't have a reliability trail, but the year-old Cruze does and it stinks. Overall reliability is well below average. GM has work to do.

The Verano starts around $22,500, overlapping the well-equipped Cruze LTZ but undercutting the TSX, C30 and A3 by $2,300 or more. Standard features include dual-zone climate control, faux leather upholstery and a touch-screen, iPod/USB-compatible stereo with Buick's IntelliLink system. Climb the trims and you can get keyless access with push-button start, heated front seats, a power driver's seat, genuine leather, a navigation system and a moonroof. A power passenger seat, however, is unavailable.

Loaded to the gunwales, the Verano tops out around $29,000. That's still short of the base TSX.

    See also:

    Lower Anchors and Tethers for Children (LATCH)
    The LATCH system holds a child restraint during driving or in a crash. This system is designed to make installation of a child restraint easier. The LATCH system uses anchors in the vehicle and at ...

    Safety Belts
    Refer to the following sections for important information on how to use safety belts properly. ► Safety Belts . ► How to Wear Safety Belts Properly . ► Lap-Shoulder Belt . ` ...

    Securing a Child Restraint Designed forthe LATCH System
    CAUTION: If a LATCH-type child restraint is not attached to anchors, the restraint will not be able to protect the child correctly. In a crash, the child could be seriously injured or killed. M ...