2014 Buick Verano

[heymrdj]

Out with the Dart, in with the Verano. Man I love new cars. :$

http://imgur.com/a/FmLpG/all

 

[Mermaidman]

That's quite an upgrade. You can't have had the Dart for very long?

 

[Fenixgoon]

how do you like it? what did you compare it to? what sold you on it?

 

[LTC8K6]

No 2.0L Turbo?

 

[kitatech]

The Verano is actually one of the cars I'm considering 5-10 years down the road should the Camry gives up the ghost...with a manual tranny though...

 

[HitAnyKey]

Interesting upgrade. Planned or was the Dart giving you issues?

 

[Insomniator]

I still don't understand/get/buy Buick's attempt at a new image.

 

[Leyawiin]

I still don't understand/get/buy Buick's attempt at a new image.

There are only so many old people to buy them. Gotta try something to expand the market. I'd consider a Verano - read they extremely quiet.

 

[NutBucket]

And even Shaq fits in it!

 

[LTC8K6]

It's a Cruze that you can get with 250HP and a 6 speed manual. And then you can presumably tune on it further...

 

[heymrdj]

Everyone, so sorry for checking out, it's rare that I post and run. But a sick dog and some work emergencies really put me out today.

So on with the questions.

That's quite an upgrade. You can't have had the Dart for very long?

Had the 2013 Dart for 1.5 years (January 2013).

how do you like it? what did you compare it to? what sold you on it?

It's an absolutely amazing small car. We looked at the 2015 Chrysler 200C, Lexus IS250, Ford Fusion, 2014 Toyota Camry SE, and Acura ILX. The winner was all the mix of features at its pricepoint. Everything on even the base model is standard (blind spot, fog lights, rear camera, touch screen infotainment, heated seats, alloy wheels, onstar with applink remote start and management system ect).

No 2.0L Turbo?

No got the 2.4L N/A instead. The turbo models are a good bit more money, and the 180HP in this car is surprisingly potent.

 

[heymrdj]

The Verano is actually one of the cars I'm considering 5-10 years down the road should the Camry gives up the ghost...with a manual tranny though...

You should! It's an amazing vehicle, and since Buick put it out they put out even more refinements. The 2014's are really really nice.

Interesting upgrade. Planned or was the Dart giving you issues?

Completely unplanned. Dodge started making some offers to basically put us in another lease (15-20K mile Darts are selling like hotcakes and dealers want them back). When we first were shopping the gf wanted a Verano but didn't want to pay quite that much money every month. So as we entertained some offers, Buick came in and made an offer we couldn't refuse. Basically this car was cheaper than her fully loaded Dart, and we only needed to pay off 600$ of negative equity, there was just no way to say no!

There are only so many old people to buy them. Gotta try something to expand the market. I'd consider a Verano - read they extremely quiet.

This car is a whole new level for quiet. I can hardly explain it, the only thing quieter was the Lexus, but the Lexus was another 13K!

 

[heymrdj]

So as I was saying we were getting some offers, and the gf wanted to entertain some and just waste some sales man time (we love to go car shopping and we pretty much go full out once every 3 months or so). We weren't dissatisfied with the Dart, but there were a few things she didn't like:

2.0L engine is super slow and sluggish (ties to the transmission programming). In 2013.5 Dodge put out the "GT" engine, a 2.4L, as an option. Then, with no warning, for 2014 Dodge removed the 2.0 completely, leaving only the 2.4L. Dodge knew what they did putting out a car that tried to get great MPG's, while in real world it got horrible city MPG just due to the high amount of drive train strain.

It had been in about 6 different times for different things. A few were quality (frozen UConnect screen, rusting brake caliper clips that coated the wheels in rust, and loose insulation pin). Dodge was great and taking care of that.

Freezing gas door. The gas door is electrical (rotating arm pushes the door). The problem is the door arm sat in a divot that would fill with water by day and freeze at night. What we would then end up with, in winter, was a door that couldn't be opened. I'd normally come home from work, work on it with warm water and a hair dryer, and get gas for the girl. Dodge's response? "Well, do you have a garage?". There will never be a day where I find it acceptable for a car not to last at least 5 years with no issues while remaining outdoors the whole time. Our garage is storage, not car. So we had to live with this freezing door issue.

She didn't like the Camry because it came in 0 interesting colors (I agreed), and Toyota interiors seem to be very plain.

ILX and Lexus couldn't be optioned out in our price bracket.

Corolla was too teenage, no refinement or features available for refinement.

We were out Saturday BSing around and I was like "Hey lets check out a Buick again, I remember how much you loved the Verano.". So we went and checked them out. Right away I was blown away by the new things the 2014 had. All the safety things were standard, like blind spot, cameras ect. The get up and go was perfect to her, and downright spunky compared to the Dart. The engine was quieter and more refined (which is was what she wanted, the one thing when we were shopping the Dart that she compared to he other compacts was the fact that Darts get raspy "cooler" mufflers, especially the turbos). And then the ride, the ride was so quiet, so smooth, the interior is wonderfully done for the price bracket. She fell in love immediately, and my girl has a well educated head on her shoulders, I know when it's not just infatuation, when it's true love for a car.

So we went in and wheeled an dealed. I knew about the invoice because of a buddy that works for GM. So first offer came in. It was amazing, but with her "trade" the total offer was way too high. Rejected. They come back with another offer, what do you know, they found 90$ a month to take off!. Great, but that was still more than she was paying for the Dart, we walked out and told them hey we got a great car right now, give us a call when you can meet the price, otherwise, see you 1.5 years from now. End of Saturday comes around, he calls again, another 30$ off. Great! But still higher, we'll talk about it.

Monday comes around, he tells me we're at X, which he didn't know was actually only 5$ above what we're paying for the Dart. At this point the price of the car is a good bit below invoice, and the dart is being traded well above KBB. I told him to get the car ready, and we'll be in at 5PM to take it. Gave him a check for the difference in equity to bring her price back to what she already has and that was that.

Kicker is my girl just emailed me to say she contacted insurance, and the Verano is 10.80$ a month cheaper to insure than the Dart because the Dart was classified as a sports car! Now the car is even cheaper . She's so happy driving the car she's always wanted, and it has an amazing air of elegance as I saw her driving it down the street during my lunch break today.

 

[sontakke]

You have been talking monthly payment but never mentioned the remaining number of payments. But all that matters is that you feel you got a great deal.

 

[heymrdj]

You have been talking monthly payment but never mentioned the remaining number of payments. But all that matters is that you feel you got a great deal.

Had 23 payments left on the Dart, which was leased as I mentioned, so it was going back anyways. The Buick is a lease as well. Get bored with cars way too quickly. Leasing allows me to put in as humanly little equity as possible to get the next new car. I can go in and twist them until they wash on the trade in. If if i've purchased it and paid too much in, it's now on me to try to sell the car to the point I can get the equity back.

I don't splurge on much, but cars are my thing. But besides the car I'll be completely debt free besides my student loan by November, so I can afford to have a little fun.

 

[LTC8K6]

You'd think they'd make a Cruze SS with that 2.0T and 6M in it...

 

[heymrdj]

You'd think they'd make a Cruze SS with that 2.0T and 6M in it...

Ford just turned out their stand alone 2.0 ecoboost with a control pack. Can only be mounted to manuals obviously, but I'm waiting to see a Ford Ranger get built with it

 

[Mermaidman]

...she contacted insurance, and the Verano is 10.80$ a month cheaper to insure than the Dart because the Dart was classified as a sports car!

The 2.0 Dart . . . sports car.

I drove the Verano and liked it a lot, except I couldn't find a trunk release button in the cabin. Is there one?

 

[heymrdj]

The 2.0 Dart . . . sports car.

I drove the Verano and liked it a lot, except I couldn't find a trunk release button in the cabin. Is there one?

I know, we both laughed lol.

It does indeed. It is a physical button on the right side of the infotainment cluster. So just under the right corner of the screen, on the top row of super important buttons (has hazard lights and stuff there too) is the trunk release. Gas door is just the push-on-the-door-to-release kind, which if it can't be a simple lip to pull, is the style I prefer. I had issues with the cable driven one in my 2012 Civic (Honda fixed), and nightmares with the electric swim arm style of the Dart.

 

[kitatech]

The Verano is the mid-priced version of the Cruz-Verano-Volt platform...and Buick is taking the lead from Europe's Opel and that could be the best thing for GM...a real world-car that's not a mini-econobox...

 

[Yuriman]

You have been talking monthly payment but never mentioned the remaining number of payments. But all that matters is that you feel you got a great deal.

I'm happy someone is taking new cars off the lot and depreciating them for me. Someone has to deal with the dealers.

 

[heymrdj]

I hear that. I remember dealing with the unknown ownership history, minor nerve wracking scratches and dents on the body, the smell of other peoples bad habits and animals, little missing pieces from people that don't give a damn, and carpet stains from cheap asses that won't buy a cheap 200$ set of weathertech mats.

 

[debian0001]

I'm 29 and I bought a 2012 Buick Regal 2.4L. It's an awesome car and overlooked. I thought of the Verano but I feel like I got a dea for my used car. It had 31,000 miles and 16,500.

 

[heymrdj]

I'm 29 and I bought a 2012 Buick Regal 2.4L. It's an awesome car and overlooked. I thought of the Verano but I feel like I got a deal used for my car.

They are indeed! What model of Regal did you get? My girl wanted the verano for the small size, she really doesn't like driving big cars lol. And getting her to drive a truck? She hasn't been behind the wheel of one in 10 years.

 

[Mermaidman]

It does indeed. It is a physical button on the right side of the infotainment cluster. So just under the right corner of the screen, on the top row of super important buttons (has hazard lights and stuff there too) is the trunk release.

DUH, I see the button now! GM even surrounded it with chrome, and I still missed it . . .