Overview & Reviews

When a carmaker reskins an existing car as a more upscale model, the result traditionally offers little to recommend it over the less expensive corporate twin. This is decidedly not the case with the Buick Verano. Although it's based on the Chevy Cruze, this entry-level Buick is bolstered with more than a few key upgrades.

In addition to more sophisticated styling and a nicer interior, the Buick Verano also boasts a larger engine, a quieter ride and the availability of luxury features not offered on the Chevy. It all comes together harmoniously, as the Verano is a good example of Buick's efforts to produce more modern and engaging vehicles that maintain the style, comfortable ride and quiet cabin expected of the brand.

Current Buick Verano
The Verano is a compact luxury sedan that comes standard with a 2.4-liter four-cylinder engine rated at 180 horsepower and 171 pound-feet of torque. It drives the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission. A 250-hp turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder is also available, and it's definitely the more appealing engine as it provides much better acceleration with a minuscule fuel economy drop. Six-speed automatic and manual transmissions are available with it.

There are four trim levels: base, Convenience, Leather and Premium. Highlights of the base Verano include 18-inch wheels, dual-zone automatic climate control, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, Bluetooth (phone and audio streaming), a six-speaker sound system, OnStar telematics and Buick's Intellilink electronics interface and smartphone integration. The Convenience Group adds features including rear parking sensors, heated front seats, a power driver seat and a variety of driver warning systems (blind-spot, forward-collision, lane-departure and rear cross-traffic). The Leather Group adds keyless ignition and entry, a heated steering wheel,  leather upholstery and a Bose audio upgrade. Finally, the Premium Group is exclusive to the Turbo model and combines the Leather and Convenience features with a rear spoiler. A sunroof is optional on all Verano models, and a navigation system is optional on all except the base.

In reviews we've been impressed by the Buick Verano's precise steering and surprisingly athletic handling. Performance is more than adequate for daily driving, but the 2.4-liter is underwhelming for an entry-level premium sedan. The Turbo model is the better choice. One of the Verano's greatest strengths, however, is its compliant and quiet ride quality. Whether on a thousand-mile road trip or just running errands around town, the Buick Verano is pleasant for drivers and passengers alike.

The Buick Verano's handsome cabin provides room for four adults (though legroom in back is a bit tight for tall folks) and the overall fit and finish is on par with other entry-level luxury sedans. This Buick also offers leading-edge technology via its Intellilink system that allows streaming Internet radio like Pandora and Stitcher. Operation of Intellilink and other systems is intuitive thanks to a sharp, standard touchscreen and (admittedly abundant) accompanying buttons.

Used Buick Verano Models
The Verano debuted in 2012. In 2014, safety features such as forward-collision and lane-departure warning systems were added to the options lineup and heated front seats became standard on all Veranos except the base model.

User Reviews:

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  Satisfied Buick Owner - 2014 Buick Verano
  By Michael - April 28 - 6:20 am

  This is my 5th Buick. Ive had two Regals and two Park Avenues. I wanted to get the Lacross just because I like a car with extra space but I find this car just a luxurious and just a comfortable as the Lacross. Its packed with safety features and for being a compact car, it rides and feels like a full-size car. If you love Buicks, this car will meet if not exceed your expectations.

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  Great Car - 2014 Buick Verano
  By Alicia - April 16 - 2:54 am

  Great car - limited room in back seat but I dont have kids so not a big deal for me. Front seats very comfortable.

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  Once a Buick, Youlll Never Go Back - 2013 Buick Verano
  By PJ - January 7 - 10:12 am

  If its good enough for Payton Manning, it was good enough for us. After three years, we traded for a Buick Encore, which for us is easier to enter and exit. The Verano is still five stars with us.

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  Beautiful car! - 2014 Buick Verano
  By Pamela Cates - January 4 - 6:48 pm

  Beautiful car! I have had this car for a month now and so there is a lot about it I still dont know. But I do love the car it handles well feels nice and I feel safe. I like it safety features and back up mirror. The only problem I have is because my legs are short, its hard for me To get in and out of the car Unless I change the seat position. I dont like having to change it every time I get in or out. This car has a lot of technology and I have not yet familiarized myself with all of it. I do believe that it will all be helpful and that I will love it. The more I drive it the more familiar Ive become with the car and its workings. Im very happy about the car. I feel like Ive stepped up in the world!

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  No! Just no, - 2014 Buick Verano
  By Debra - May 30 - 9:43 am

  Sorry to say, this car is awful! I regret buying it! You can find better, for the price else where.

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  Fun to Drive - 2013 Buick Verano
  By James Bruno - February 16 - 3:10 pm

  This is a great little car. Enough room for two passengers and plenty of trunk space. No problem on a long drive. The seats are comfortable and it is a solid car and quite

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  Unknown Diamond - 2013 Buick Verano
  By Suzanne - August 11 - 7:11 am

  I LOVE this car!!!! I had been a three SUV (Jeep) person since 1991. When it came time to purchase a new car in 2012, I found the Verano by accident. I bought the 2012 Leather edition on the spot and was happy as a clam until the Turbo edition became available in 2013. Maybe it was stupid financially, but I traded the 2012 for the 2013 Luxury edition Turbo. Dumb move financially or not...Im VERY happy I did. This car is AWESOME! It has every bell and whistle possible, drives like a dream, (quite and suspension) comfortable, good gas mileage, ease of controls, nice looking, etc...I look forward to car drives. Since 2013, the car still looks new. The interior has NO issues. Leather seats show no wear and I am obese! The trims and all are still like new and no little screws or parts have ever come off... very well made! To report complaints, it is that the back seat leg room is tight and the headlights dont seem very bright at night. THIS IS A SUPER DIAMOND of a car.

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  luxury for less - 2014 Buick Verano
  By Chris Chestnut - April 19 - 1:15 pm

  Excellent power and handling I love this car

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  Better than Asian cars - 2013 Buick Verano
  By young professional - October 17 - 6:07 am

  Purchased certified pre-owned 2013 Buick Verano with 30K miles on it exactly 1 yr ago in August 2016 and I am still happy with it for the MOST part. People complain about the grill but I think it looks expensive and unique. My younger brother thought it was a Bentley at first glance. In my opinion, the grills on the Asian cars all look the same. The size of this car makes it easy to maneuver and park. Smooth quiet ride that Buick is known for. However, the acceleration is lackluster. I preferred the 2013 Regal Turbo but I couldnt afford it. The Verano is just fine otherwise, but if you have an extra 3K to spend, get the Regal Turbo. After 1 yr of ownership ive put an additional 11k miles on the car, ive had to change the front driver tire twice. And the fake leather seats on the convenience trim stain really easily, not very convenient. One day, the car died on me and i jumped it. One hour later it died again and i had to jump it again. It didnt die on me again after that but i took it to the dealership the very next day. And they said they couldnt find anything wrong with it and there was nothing wrong with the battery. Those were the only bad things to happen so far. I do enjoy the service i receive for scheduled maintenance at the dealership.

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  Among The Best In Its Class - 2016 Buick Verano
  By Neward Thelman - September 18 - 11:08 am

  The Verano is based off the same GM platform as the Chevy Cruze Limited, yet it feels like a completely different car. Driving it you feel greater power right off the bat. No, its not sports-car-Camaro power, but I disagree with the Edmunds review that accelerations merely adequate. The Verano feels more powerful than either the Cruze Limited or the new Cruze for 2016, possibly because the entire car feel much more solid, thus dissipating less energy in parasitic vibrations. The Verano gives you a sure, solid feeling on the road. An important contributor toward that end is the stark difference in streering and handling between any of the Cruze models and the Verano. The short of it is that the Cruze - particularly the newly redesigned 2016 Cruze - feels incredibly insecure and unstable during fast accelaration or highway speeds, while the Verano is almost the opposite of that. Its steering and handling feel stable and secure, with only a mere trace of lost of control to clue you into the fact that its built with electronic - rather than traditional mechanical - steering. To take the point further, compared to any of the [now many] Cruzes, the Verano is rock solid. With the handling nicely under control, the suspension provides and excellent combination of road feel balanced against absorbtive comformt. In other words, it handles beautifully, without turning you into scrambled eggs while doing so. The interior is, as youd expect, at or near luxury car levels. Its quiet and plush. Some might object to the two-tone white-on-black color scheme [Buick calls the interior grey - but its pretty much white], but that seems to be the thing with luxury cars. The designers of the Verano did, however, make one major mistake. The steering wheel blocks your view of the instrument gauge cluster. No matter how far you tilt it up or down, youre just not going to see the speedometer, nor much else of your guages. Having taken such apparent care with the design of the car, howd they screw that up? Good luck with speed cops on the road. A more minor issues one of personal taste. I found the front grill to be almost aggresively tasteless, with Buick taking its vertical design a bit too far. The grill extends upwards and folds into the hood, and its made of plastic. So, you get a lot of plastic grill in your face everytime you approach your car. Overall, I thought the Verano was very nice small vehicle, that - at least as far as driving impressions go - leaves its stablemate Cruze well behind and makes the Corolla and the 2016 Civic almost non-competative [especially the almost shockingly crude, cheap-feeling, and sounding Corolla]. The other question is, of course, reliability, and its only on that measure that the latter two may [or may not - who knows?] have an edge.