The Buick Verano: Definitely not your grandfathers car

The Buick Verano: Definitely not your grandfather’s car

POSTED BY: Corey Herscu | Follow Me

July 3, 2024

When I was growing up in late 80′s to early 90′s Toronto, my parents shared a trusty grey Buick Skylark. As luck would have it, the only other people who drove me around at that time were my grandfathers (may they RIP), and they too drove Buick Skylarks. The trend was unreal at the time. Not sure what it was about the popular GM-made brand - possibly price - but that’s all I really knew at the time and learned to appreciate it.

Fast forward 20-something years and Buick still holds the distinction as the oldest active American make.

Through trials and tribulations, line-up consolidations and GM’s notorious chapter 11 filings, Buick maintained composure and was designated a “core-brand” - thus cementing its future.

All this happened over the time of my Honda to Honda post-adolescent life. So when GM invited me to test drive their 2012 Buick Verano, I was a little intrigued (I mean, my zaidy’s (grandfathers) are both long-passed, who else would own a Buick, right?). I jubilantly accepted the offer to see what Buick was bringing to the table in 2012, and of course, for the nostalgic value.

My first impression upon getting the car: wow, just wow.

This does not look like a Buick to me

Comfortable, spacious, and sporty - definitely not my grandfathers car anymore. Taking design cues (both inside and out) from current in-market cars like Acura and Lexus, the Buick Verano re-instates Buick’s street cred as a drive-worthy ride.

Now, the aforementioned is all well and good, but NOT the reason why I took the Verano in the first place. Let me introduce you to “Intellilink“, Buick’s answer to in-car Bluetooth connectivity.

So far, I have not had an easier experience connecting my phone(s) to any system. It was THAT easy.

In three steps, my phone was connected; two more a call was being placed. I didn’t need to repeat myself, didn’t need to speak “slowly and clearly”, it just worked. The menu was also a breeze. Easy navigation, and surprisingly, everything was where it was supposed to be. I actually let my father take the car out for a day and he couldn’t stop raving about the very same things. For someone who is furthest from tech savvy that you will ever meet, he found it surprisingly easy to navigate through, though loaded with all the features on would expect from a $25k+ car.

Calls came through clear and when plugged in via USB, RDIO worked seamlessly; album art even showed up on the screen. The only real downfall was the gas - it drank it like it was hot water on a cold day.

Overall:

Driving the Buick Verano proved to be a great experience, and re-instilled my faith in the OG brand. It’s always nice to see a classic brand make a come back, and in this case, Buick proves that they’re here to stay.

For more information on the Buick Verano visit GM.ca