I just traded my 2012 Verano Leather with
nav, split multi-spoke wheels, and sunroof for a 2013 Verano Premium
with nav, intellilink, all-weathers, cargo net, sunroof, and split
multi-spoke wheels. Both automatic. Both diamond white tricoat.
Yup, I liked my Verano *that* much.
It was this or a Cadillac ATS. I chose this, because I would have had
to pay over $50k for an ATS + more to re-do the exhaust, wheels/tires,
and custom work to insulate it for road noise. With the Buick I get a
personally preferred exhaust/wheels/tires right out of the box + most
ATS features, for a MUCH lower price tag.
Notable additions that drove my decision, with comments:
Intellilink available with Nav
--I love being able to wirelessly play music without an aux cable.
--It pulls album art/song name and displays on-screen!
--Pandora!
--Movie showtimes (I don't know yet if this is using my phone or using OnStar).
--NOTE: The navigation is no longer loaded from an SD Card in the
center console. I don't know what this means in terms of upgrades or
upgrade cost. OTOH, the navigation experience loads a lot faster now,
which is nice. Or maybe the SD Card slot is somewhere else on the car
now? If so, I haven't found it.
Refined UI
--The UI seems...clearer. The font is nicer.
--The nav looks much more detailed.
--Options are a little better organized, only slightly so.
--Overall it seems a lot more responsive.
Turbo and performance
--I always missed the power of my V6 Infiniti G37x. Now I essentially have it, with better MPG.
--The transmission seems more refined from 2012, it seems to shift more like when I would shift it as a Manual.
--The suspension is tighter, but not uncomfortably so, turns just seem
less "floaty". I sense less body roll and I don't bottom out as easily
going in and out of steep driveways.
--Steering is more responsive and I like the extra degree that I feel
connected to the car. It is just enough sport edge, while maintaining
the luxury-journey feel.
--The brakes seem a little nicer as well, I don't know for a fact if
they are, and maybe its just the mechanisms behind the now chrome sport
pedals, but they seem tighter.
Dual-exhaust
--Last summer I was going to shell out $1,000 for custom work to give my
'12 Verano Leather a dual-exhaust appearance. Now I don't have to.
--It has a much more guttural exhaust note/tone now, I like it.
--It seems to have *less* exhaust "smoke" on a cold start-up, maybe its
placebo. But pulling UP and out of my driveway on cold mornings I would
actually have to stop periodically and let the smoke or whatever it is
clear. Maybe it is just because there are two pipes and it dissipates
faster.
Blind spot, cross traffic, back-up camera monitoring
--I missed the back-up camera from my Infiniti's, this is much
appreciated because I suck at parallel parking and I have a long
driveway that I back out of.
--I've never owned a car with Blind Spot alert, it is actually really
nice. I drive on the freeway a lot each day and do a lot of
lane-changes just to get where I'm going and this extra level of
protection is nice.
--I've never owned a car with cross traffic alerts. At the end of my
driveway, though, this should be helpful "just in case". Better safer
than sorry.
Smart key
--The smart-key system is better on this. The 2012 didn't always
recognize touches, it was also a white square that stood out from the
door handles. It also had a bad delay. This new one fixes all that by
using a chrome-color-matched button that not only has the benefit of
tactile feedback, but also seems to respond instantaneously.
Misc.
--Rear-spoiler is a nice addition.
--The start button is now a silver color to give it contrast from the
dash. This is actually a welcome addition, when valets or friends would
drive my car, it took them FOREVER to find the start button.
--Glove box top shelf is now removable, but as such, also doesn't seem
to stay put as well. Also, it doesn't hold pens the same way and for
the particular pen I was keeping there, it doesn't exactly fit. Not a
big deal, but again, thought I'd mention it.
--Still "Buick-quiet". As much more connected to the road as this
feels, the cabin is still nice and quiet. I commute A LOT and this is a
necessity for me.
--The horn sounds different...maybe its just me? It sounds more succinct.
--They gave me all-weather floor mats to go with my carpeted ones. Much appreciated, especially here in the pacific NW.
--Where the heck did my Tone button go?? Probably buried somewhere in options.
--My Verano Leather had a weird issue where lowest brightness would make the dashboard lights flicker. Seems fixed on this.
--The turn signal is a little easier to flip.
--Same split multi-spoke 18's. These are hands-down one of the best
looking factory wheels on a car I've ever seen. I really like them.
It's these: http://i.imgur.com/rXItb.jpg
Things I wish I still, but aren't a huge deal
--Color-keyed trunk button...on/near the trunk itself
--Lumbar seat adjustment
--Front parking sensors (I will probably add these myself aftermarket in the future)
---
All the benefits below and after trade-in and a variety of other discounts, I am only paying $29 more a month.
Totally. Worth. It
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