By Frank S. Washington
LOUISVILLE, KY — Sometimes the best in the bunch may not appear that way at the outset. But I think the 2013 Buick Verano Turbo may be the best car in the brand’s arsenal as it changes its product line to more contemporary offerings.
The Verano itself has been on the market less than a year which says something about the speed at which Buick is making itself over. To me, the turbocharged rendition of Buick’s entry level sedan is something special.
The 2.0 liter four cylinder turbocharged engine generates 250 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque. The engine can be mated to either a six-speed automatic transmission or a six-speed manual gear box.
I never got the chance to drive the manual but I found the automatic turbocharged Verano to be a snappy compact sedan. It can get from zero to 60 mph in 6.2 seconds and it gets 20 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway when equipped with a manual gear box. You lose a mile in highway driving with the automatic at 30 mpg but you get it back in the city with 21 mpg.
I found this car a pleasure. With that much power under the hood, you’d think the Buick Verano turbo was difficult to drive. But there wasn’t any torque steer in the front wheel drive sedan under normal acceleration. The engine was quiet except for when I pressed my foot on the metal with authority. Even then power was smooth, delivered quickly, the transmission was decisive and my Verano Turbo moved down the road authoritatively.
Handling was really impressive. This area is riddled with two lane twisting highways and I thought the Verano handled them well. But as with everyday driving the unexpected can and does happen.
We had to detour because of a fire and I found myself on a two-way one lane road that at times didn’t look like a road and appeared not to have received any repairs to its surface since it was laid down who knows how long ago. Anyway, my point is that this pock marked, uneven, warped road tested the Verano’s chassis for stiffness as well as noise, vibration and harshness. The Verano passed.
This car was well equipped. Our test vehicle featured push button start/stop, a heated steering wheel, six-way power seats, heated side view mirrors and dual zone climate controls.
Creature comforts included Buick’s IntelliLink system that is standard on Verano models with navigation systems. Satellite radio, internet music streaming and voice command were included in the comforts.
I particularly liked the private feature on the Bluetooth phone connection. You can move a paired phone off of the Verano’s audio speaker system. In other words, you can have a private conversation, if someone else is in the car. That can prevent some really embarrassing moments.
And perhaps the most important thing about the Buick Verano is that on the way to the airport, we had a passenger. My driving partner was behind the wheel so I was in the front passenger seat. The gentlemen got in and I neglected to ask him did he have enough room and he never asked me to move my seat up.
In other words, the back seat of a Verano can accommodate full grown adults with little to no adjustment of the front seats. That’s not bad.
The normal Verano is equipped with a 2.4-liter four cylinder engine that makes 180 horsepower mated to a six-speed automatic.
Now the tri-shield crew at Buick has put a more powerful sibling on the road in the form of the Verano Turbo. It cost $29,990. My only quibble was that I didn’t a chance to test this car with a manual transmission. Maybe they’re listening.
Frank S. Washington is editor of AboutThatCar.com
This was printed in the January 13, 2013 – January 26, 2013 Edition
