We’ve been watching Buick closely over the last couple of model years, and we’re generally quite impressed with the current product portfolio from GM’s premium brand. Now through April 30, 2013, you can take big cash back off of a brand-new 2013 Buick Regal or 2013 Buick LaCrosse luxury sedan.
Buick sometimes gets lost in the shuffle with so many enticing new cars entering the market, but GM’s premium brand has a lot to offer as of late. Take the compact Verano, which receives a very welcome power boost for the new year in the form of the all-new 2013 Verano Turbo.
Like Acura with its new Civic-derived ILX, the Verano can be thought of the more grown-up version of a bread-and-butter compact car, in this case the Chevrolet Cruze. The two cars share a platform and are very close in dimensions, but the Buick comes with all the comfort and convenience features the brand’s buyers have come to expect.
What we didn’t see coming: 250 horsepower and 260 lb-ft. of torque and a 6.3-second 0-60 mph time, plus an available 6-speed manual transmission (a 6-speed auto is standard). Fuel efficiency is passable at 20 city/31 highway mpg.
In essence, GM dropped its 2.0-liter ECOTEC DOHC turbocharged direct-injection four-cylinder closely related to the unit in the Regal Turbo and GS, and Cadillac ATS, into its smallest car model. But thankfully, this isn’t some hack job trying to make a capable cruiser into a garish sport sedan pretender. The front-wheel-drive Turbo retains the Verano’s compliant yet sure-footed ride quality, and other than some subtle visual cues, it looks about the same.
And that’s a good thing. The surprisingly spacious, inoffensive Verano feels more like a downsized Buick LaCrosse than a blinged-out Cruze. Those who demand maximum comfort will appreciate the Turbo’s standard feature list, which picks up where the top-of-the-line standard 170-horsepower Verano Leather Group lets off. You’ll get leather seating, IntelliLink infotainment with Pandora and Stitcher internet radio services, a 9-speaker Bose premium surround sound system, and enough sound deadening for an smooth-as-silk driving experience.
With so much standard content, the option list is short: a power moonroof, a navigation system, a different wheel design, the 6-speed manual transmission and an engine block heater.
Pricing starts at just $29,105 plus destination, just over $2,000 more expensive than the top-of-the-line 2.4-liter model and undercutting the less-powerful Regal Turbo. The Verano Turbo is on sale now.
The 2013 Buick Enclave comes with refreshed exterior styling along with some key new interior comfort and safety appointments that should help spur sales for the 8-passenger luxury midsize crossover. The Enclave has proved a hit with crossover buyers, its comfortable ride and spacious accommodations made better still through a 3.6-liter direct-injection V6 with 288 horsepower.
EPA fuel efficiency stands at 17 city/24 highway mpg, or 16 city/23 highway mpg with the optional AWD. The Enclave comes in 7- and 8-passenger configurations, both at no extra cost. GM’s new dual-flow damping system should make one of the plushest-riding crossovers even smoother, while a full complement of advanced safety features make it more family-friendly than ever.
2013 Buick Enclave Packages and Pricing
The base 2013 Enclave will start at $39,270 including destination charges. Standard feature content includes a 7-inch Color Touch radio with IntelliLink, OnStar, HID headlamps, Rear Parking Assist, a Rear Vision Camera, remote start, a power liftgate and Buick’s industry first front-center airbag.
The Leather Group ($4,015) adds leather seating and appointments with heated power-adjustable seating for driver and front passenger, seat memory settings and GM’s new Side Blind Zone Alert with Cross Traffic Alert, among other features.
The Premium Group ($7,180) features all equipment from the Leather Group, plus 19-inch chrome wheels, articulating headlamps, cooled front seats, a Bose premium surround sound system, power side mirrors and a power tilt-and-telescoping steering column.
Navigation adds $795-1,540 to the price, AWD is $2,000 and a tow package costs $525.
Availability
Alongside its refreshed platform mates the 2013 Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Acadia, the Enclave will go on sale in October or November.
It’s tough to stack up the brand-new 2013 Buick Encore against any competitors, because there really aren’t any. Call it a “subcompact luxury crossover,” or something like that. The Encore rides on a slightly longer version of the new Chevy Sonic platform.
The well-received 1.4-liter Ecotec turbocharged 4-cylinder from the Sonic also makes an appearance, making 140 horsepower for the Buick. The EPA estimates fuel economy for the FWD version at 25 city/33 highway mpg. The Encore’s EPA-estimated $1,900 annual fuel cost matches the 2013 Mazda CX-5 for the best among all current crossovers and SUVs, including hybrids.
A warm and inviting interior full of two-tone leather surfaces and tasteful color accents has plenty space for four average adults, with seating for five in a pinch. Though there are few if any crossovers or SUVs in the U.S. this small, cargo space is respectable. GM’s sound-deadening efforts plus a compliant ride sure to be softer than other small crossovers should make the Encore worthy of the Buick name.
Pricing will reportedly start in the low-to-mid $20,000s when the Encore goes on sale in early 2013.
2013 Buick Encore Quick Facts
Base MSRP: Estimated $24,500
Release Date: Early 2013
Fuel Efficiency: 25 city/33 highway mpg
Engine:1.4-liter Ecotec turbocharged inline-4; 140 hp and 148 lb-ft. torque
Drivetrain: 6-speed automatic, FWD or AWD
Seating: 5 passengers
Cargo Capacity: 18.8 cu.ft. (rear seat in place); 48.4 cu.ft. (rear seat folded)
Curb Weight: 3,190 lbs. (FWD); 3,309 lbs. (AWD)
Buick’s Verano is one of our favorite attempts at a small car that still offers big luxury features. New for 2013, the Verano gets even better with the introduction of Buick’s turbocharged 2.0-liter four-cylinder already seeing duty to great acclaim in the Regal Turbo and Regal GS.
In the case of the Verano, this willing mill makes 250 horsepower at 5,300 rpm and 260 lb-ft. of torque at 2,000 rpm or enough for a 0-60 mph dash in just 6.2 seconds. For the record, Buick’s classic Grand National (pictured above), long considered one of the brand’s best-ever nameplates, featured 245 horsepower in its later, more-potent guise.
A Grand National the Verano Turbo is not. It’s a front-driver for one, though suspension and steering have been calibrated for a much sportier drive. Buick has kept visual interior and exterior cues to a minimum when compared to the standard Verano. The idea here is not to make a game-changer, but just make a great car that much better. But the new car carries on the spirit of that fast, fresh Buick of the 1980s. Along with the new Regal GS, this car proves Buick’s new commitment to sport through advanced technology.
Pricing will start at around $29,000 when the 2013 Verano Turbo goes on sale in Fall 2012.
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