Compact Verano sets new course for Buick
When I laid eyes on the Buick Verano, my mind immediately recalled the compact Cadillac Cimarron from the 1980s. The Cimarron was a dolled-up Chevy Cavalier, and it fell far short of the Cadillac name. </p><p>Because the Verano is derived from the Chevrolet Cruze, I thought it might suffer the same fate, but after two minutes behind the wheel I realized that the Verano is a surprisingly nice entry-level luxury compact, in part because the underlying Cruze is a good place from which to start. </p><p>The Verano is nicely appointed, has clean understated styling and is exceptionally quiet due to an acoustic headliner and a firewall that sandwiches asphalt between two pieces of steel. </p><p>Buick stylists lengthened the Verano by nearly three inches, gave it a nose that is almost identical to the Regal, and dropped in the 2.4-liter, four-cylinder engine from the LaCrosse. Its 180 horsepower delivers adequate but not scintillating performance. The transmission is a six-speed automatic.</p><p>Fuel economy is rated at 21 miles per gallon in the city and 32 on the highway.</p><p>Buick says a turbocharged, 2.0-liter engine will be offered in the future, and that should give the car a much more athletic character.</p><p>The Verano comes to market at a time when compact cars are surging in popularity, and rising fuel prices are likely to make them even more appealing. Buick says competing vehicles include the Lexus IS250 and Audi A3. Both are considerably more expensive and have sportier personalities. I would submit that Verano buyers are more traditional and likely to cross shop vehicles such as the Honda Accord and Toyota Camry.</p><p>The Verano is available in three trim levels. Base prices start at $22,585 for the base model, $23,785 for the Convenience Group 2 and $25,965 for the Leather Group. </p><p>The Verano’s leather interior shows this is not a bare-bones compact car. The white test car’s tan-and-brown interior is attractive, but a tad bright for an entry-level luxury car. The center stack has brushed metallic accents and soft-touch buttons. A seven-inch touch screen tops the center stack and contains information for the navigation and audio systems. Buick’s IntelliLink system uses Bluetooth to connect to the driver’s smart phone, and enables streaming audio from Pandora and Stitcher, through the driver’s phone.</p><p>Ten airbags are standard, as are anti-lock brakes, traction control, OnStar with automatic crash notification and brake assist.</p><p>The test car had steering wheel controls for cruise control, Bluetooth telephone and audio. </p><p>The Verano has considerable standard equipment, such as 10 air bags, including front knee bags that are a first for the segment. Driver aids include vehicle stability control, traction control and anti-lock brakes. </p><p><span class="factbox_head">Price</p><p></span>The base price of the test car was $25,965. Standard equipment included heated front seats, keyless ignition, Bose stereo with nine speakers, 18-inch wheels, halogen headlamps and a heated steering wheel. The only option was the white diamond tricoat paint. The sticker price was $27,345. </p><p><span class="factbox_head">Warranty</p><p></span>Four years or 50,000 miles, with a five-year, 100,000-mile powertrain warranty.</p><p> Tom Strongman's email address is tom@tomstrongman.com
The passenger of a 2004-06 Chevrolet Cavalier began to argue with occupants in Carrasco's truck at a red light at Thomas Road and 83rd Avenue.
