Fast Take: The 2013 Buick Verano Turbo

2013 Buick Verano

The 2013 Buick Verano Turbo takes a lot of what people associate with Buick, turns it on its head, spins it around, and ends up with something completely unexpected.

Inside it’s all about comfort and luxury. The styling is noticeably upscale with only the sport pedals belying its more powerful engine. There are heated front leather seats with a 6-way power adjustable drivers seat and adjustable head restraints.

There’s dual-zone climate control, a tilt-telescopic steering column, and 60/40 split fold rear seats. The 2013 Buick Verano Turbo also comes with plenty of tech like a 7″ color touch radio, bluetooth and a premium Bose audio system.

Exterior styling on the 2013 Buick Verano Turbo is also very much luxury sedan with smooth, refined, lines but nothing too aggressive. The only things that mark it as a turbo are dual exhausts, a small turbo badge, and a narrow rear spoiler. It doesn’t even try to show off what’s under the hood.

What it’s hiding is a 250-horsepower, four-cylinder turbo that puts out 260 lb-ft of torque and will do 0-60 MPH in 6.2 seconds. That’s 70 more horsepower than its non-turbo 180 horsepower cousin and about 2 seconds faster. The turbo comes standard with a 6-speed automatic but is the only version of the Verano available with a manual transmission at no additional charge.

I drove this car with the manual transmission and found it a smooth shift with an easy, effortless clutch. The gears pretty much find themselves. Third and fourth gear provide plenty of power for quick acceleration while fifth and sixth will have you comfortably cruising on the highway.

Although its luxury sedan styling is quintessential Buick, the sporty and powerful drive is a welcome surprise. The manual transmission let me take full advantage of the car’s horsepower and gave a very cushy ride some kick.

The 2013 Buick Verano Turbo combines stylish good looks and superior comfort with an aggressively sporty engine that will have you taking the long way home just so you get more time behind the wheel.

Nicole Wakelin fell in love with cars as a teenager when she got to go for a ride in a Ferrari. It was red and it was fast and that was all that mattered. Game over. She considers things a bit more carefully now, but still has a weakness for fast, beautiful cars. Nicole also writes for NerdApproved and GeekMom.