Buick Verano, a little over a week later...

New positives:

• If you adjust the windshield wiper speed faster and they aren't mid-swing, they will swing.  This is perfect given that I usually know I need to adjust it faster when I'm approaching no-visibility.  Also, adjusting the speed *down* doesn't cause them to wipe.  Also perfect, since I generally do that when the windshield is drying up.  Nice touch.
• Remotely starting the car does not turn off as soon as a door is opened.  This is different than, say, Toyota's which actually shut off as soon as a handle is pulled.  I prefer it.  Keep in mind, you can't drive off until you sit in the car with the key and push the power button anyway - so the car is still safe.
• Average fuel economy has dropped from around 26-27 to 24.6 right now.  Still better than my previous car which averaged 19.2.
• Heated seats and steering wheel heat up *fast*.  My Infiniti took minutes upon minutes, especially on a cold day.  These tend to heat up practically before I leave a parking lot.
• The way the doors shut.  It's smooth and solid.  I shouts stability and refinement, and I like it.
• The factory tinting to the windows is nice.

Some negatives:

• Navigation, Weather, Traffic, etc. cannot be operated unless the radio unit is turned ON.  So the only way to use the touch-screen features (including access to any options) is to have the radio on.  If you don't want it on, you have to turn the volume to 0 or press the mute button to continue operation.  When the radio goes off, so do the touch-screen features.
• As previously mentioned, you also cannot dim the touchscreen independent from the other dash back-lighting.  For me, the perfect nighttime touchscreen brightness is unfortunately at the same all the dash/meter back-lights go completely out.  Not exactly ideal.
• The left/right blinker switch is too stiff.  Maybe I am not used to GM vehicles in general (I come from Toyota, Mazda, Infiniti, MItsubishi) - but it takes quite a bit of force to click it on to signal.
• Voice commands related to navigation, weather, and traffic relate to and only work with OnStar.  For example, if I say "traffic" I would expect to go to the XM Traffic menu, but infact, it dials up OnStar.  If I say, "cancel route" while using the touchscreen navigation, it will say there is no route because it is expecting to cancel an OnStar Turn-by-Turn route.  There is no way to configure these commands, thus, they are useless for my use case.
• Hardly any cup holders!  Might not be a big deal for some, but there are only two for the front and two for the back (and only if the middle armrest is down).
• The "joystick" you think might be used to navigate menus is a useless addition.  The reason being, you can't push it in to select things.  It also doesn't let you navigate menus.  In fact, the only thing I've figured out that it does is let you move around the crosshairs while viewing the map.  Also, the dial surrounding it can be used to select things (versus pushing the joystick itself in), but it is recessed so pushing it in to select takes a little finesse while driving.

Oddity:  There's a black knob on the dash panels that one would normally use to cycle through the various informative screens near the speedometer - however - this doesn't cycle.  In fact, its only purpose so far seems to be to clear or reset whatever screen you're on.  The funky part about that is that to get to those various screens you use the left steering column lever buttons, which also includes a clear button.  I can't for the life of me figure out if there is a point to that extra knob.

Possible goodbye:

Unfortunately, the back pain is actually starting to become unbearable.  The aches have become shooting pains.  And whereas they would go away shortly after exiting the car and walking around, they're now sticking with me for hours.  This is despite attempts at using a lumbar cushion and a bottom-seat ergonomic cushion.  I sit while at home and work, and experience 0 pain.  5-10 minutes into driving this car now, the pain becomes...well...painful.

This is likely going to be a deal-breaker for me.  Tomorrow I am going to look into possible service options to remedy this.  But to be honest I think I just want to walk away.  As such, I am also going to look at another car and, depending on how the numbers work out, I may be saying good bye to the Buick Verano.

Don't get me wrong.  For its price and class, it really shines.  I would definitely recommend this car to people (granted they aren't as seat-picky as me).  But I bought this car for myself, to use as a commuter vehicle, and I since can't go 5-10 minutes in it without feeling like I've just been beat in the back with a bat, I think it has to go.  As much as I like the car and want to love it, it just doesn't seem like it is going to work out.

It has been fun.