20 Cars Similar to the Buick Verano
The Buick Verano was designed by General Motors as a compact sedan for its Buick lineup in 2010. On January 10, 2011, it debuted at the North American International Auto Show as part of Buick’s preview of what was considered its 2012 model. Not since 1998’s Buick Skylark did the brand market a compact vehicle to the consumer. In Spanish, Verano means summer. This model shares the same platform as the Chevrolet Cruze, as well as the Chevrolet Orlando, and the Opel/Vauxhall Zafira Tourer. There are three generations of the Buick Verano that have been marketed as a compact four-door sedan. During the production run of the second generation from 2015 until 2021, the Verano also came as a five-door hatchback. This particular model has more in common with about twenty other cars that are similar to Buick’s Verano, including its own General Motors relatives. Now going into its third generation, the Verano has jumped from its previous 166-horsepower performance to 181. The vehicle is now powered by a 1.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. The exterior design isn’t much different than its previous generation, aside from the hatchback option. The transmission of the second generation Veranos came as a six-speed manual, a six-speed automatic, or a seven-speed dual-clutch CVT.
When Buick opted to discontinue the Verano lineup in 2017 the explanation from General Motors was it felt it couldn’t compete with the changing dynamics of the consumer market. The story has it the North American driver is shifting away from cars and sedans, which has prompted companies like GM to shift their focus to better accommodate their demands. The twenty cars reviewed in the article are as recent as the 2023 version of models that still have much in common with the Verano. Although the second generation of Buick’s prized compact car may be discontinued as of 2017, the Verano Pro is a 2021 model, so this is also taken into consideration as we go over a collection of 2017 models that shared Verano’s features as well. The 2017 Verano, when it was first introduced to the consumer market started at the base price of $21,065 USD.
1. Acura ILX
In 2017, when the Buick Verano was introduced to the consumer market, it was compared to the 2017 Acura ILX. Where the ILX lacks in luxury compared to the Verano it makes up for in performance as a four-door sedan. The 2017 Buick Verano came out as a model that had a city fuel mileage of twenty-one miles per gallon while ILX’s was measured at twenty-five. On the highway, it was thirty-one for Verano and thirty-five for IPX. Both of them could seat five people and both of them came as front-wheel drives. Unlike the Verano, however, the ILX had an auto-shift with manual overdrive compared to the automatic with manual shift. Its base price point at the time was $27,990 USD. As for the 2022 lineup, the Acura ILX starts at $27,300 USD as a 201-horsepower machine that gets this from its inline four-cylinder engine.
2. Audi A3
A 2022 Audi A3 is considered one of the most appealing compact luxury cars currently on the market. Capable of seating five people comfortably, this comparable model to the Buick Verano starts at $37,895 USD. Like the Verano, it is a four-door sedan. It is, however, an all-wheel drive so this is the only real difference between the two. The A3 has a 2.0-liter turbocharged engine that can 201 horsepower with a city fuel mileage of twenty-eight miles per gallon. On the highway, it’s thirty-six miles per gallon.
3. Chevrolet Cruze
The Chevrolet Cruze comes from General Motors, as does the Buick Verano. If there is any model that has the most in common with the Verano it would be this one. The Cruze has been in production since 2008 and was designed as a four-door compact sedan. In 2011, it also came as a five-door hatchback before it came in the form of a station wagon in 2012. The Cruze replaced the North American Cobalt, the internationally sold Optra, and the Holden Astra which was designed for the Australian market. When SUVs became more popular, the Cruze was eventually phased out. Only in Argentina now does the Cruze lineup continue to be produced. In China, it was replaced by the Monza while in Mexico it is referred to as the Cavalier. Both the Cruze and the Verano used the same D2XX platform. As of 2019, the production of the Cruze has been discontinued, two years after the same was done with the Buick Verano.
4. Honda Civic
When it comes to compact vehicles that sport the four-door sedan design, the Honda Civic has remained a popular fixture. Like the Verano, the Civic has been a front-wheel-drive that also came in the form of a hatchback. Unlike the Verano, Honda continues to produce the Civic as a fan favorite among North American drivers, as well as worldwide. The latest lineup has its base model come as a four-cylinder engine capable of 158 horsepower while the turbocharged option outputs 180 horsepower. The 2022 lineup starts at $23,645 USD. The fuel economy of the Civic is at thirty-one miles per gallon in the city and at thirty-eight miles per gallon on the highway.
5. Honda Insight
The Honda Insight currently comes as a compact four-door sedan that has a hybrid engine capable of 212 horsepower. Like the Verano, it is a front-wheel drive. The starting price of this 2022 lineup starts at $25,760 USD.
6. Hyundai Accent
The 2021 Hyundai Accent shares the same level of sophistication as the Buick Verano and has a starting price tag of $16,000 USD. The four-cylinder, 1.6-liter engine can deliver 120 horsepower and it comes either as an automatic or manual front-wheel drive.
7. Hyundai Elantra
The Hyundai Elantra is a front-wheel-drive compact sedan, just like the Buick Verano. It has a four-cylinder, 2.0-liter engine capable of producing 147 horsepower. There is also a turbocharged hybrid model that can produce 139 horsepower. The starting price of a 2023 Elantra is $21,595 USD. The miles per gallon performance is forty-nine in the city and fifty-two on the highway.
8. Infiniti Q30
The subcompact Infiniti Q30 was a luxury car product from Nissan that had a production run from 2016 until 2019. It used the third-generation Mercedes-Benz A-Class platform to create as these two companies partnered up to produce what was actually a five-door hatchback, much like the Buick Verano. Just like the Verano, it was a front-wheel-drive model and could seat five people inside. There were two different transmissions available at the time where the manual was a six-speed and the automatic was a seven-speed. The engine was able to produce 208 horsepower, both as a front-wheel-drive and as an all-wheel-drive.
9. Kia Forte
The 2022 Kia Forte, starting at $22,885 USD, is a 147-horse-powered four-door sedan that can comfortably seat five people inside. There is a GT version of this model that has a horsepower output of 201. As far as compact sedans go, the Kia is the frugal driver’s equivalent to the Buick Verano.
10. Kia Rio
Just like the second-generation Buick Verano, so is the Kia Rio as far as the option between a four-door sedan or a five-door hatchback was concerned. Also a front-wheel-drive model, the Kia runs on 120 horsepower from its four-cylinder engine design. It can also seat up to five people. Starting at $17,000 USD, the Rio has much in common with the Verano as a modern-day option to the discontinued model. Many vehicles sharing their characteristics are leaving the market. While Verano has already done so, Rio is still in the game, at least for now.
11. Lexus IS
When the 2017 Lexus IS was introduced as a compact four-door sedan, it was base-priced at $37,825 USD. As the most expensive of the lineup that compares to the Buick Verano, the IS model featured all the best luxuries a family car could ask for. In the city, it had a nineteen miles-per-gallon rating while on the highway it was at thirty-two miles per gallon. However, the Lexus was a rear-wheel-drive machine, not a front-wheel, so this is the one key difference between the two models. Like the Buick Verano, Lexus IS has been discontinued in the U.S. 2020 marked the final year of this particular model.
12. Mazda Mazda3
Starting at $21,000 USD as a five-door compact hatchback, the 2022 Mazda Mazda3 is just like the Verano with its front-wheel-drive option. However, it also has the all-wheel drive alternative. The Mazda3 lineup has three different engines to choose between a 1550horsepoer, a 186-horsepower, and a turbocharged 250-horsepower. Like the Verano, it can seat up to five people.
13. Mercedes-Benz CLA-Class
In 2017, Mercedes-Benz came out with its CLA-Class model as a compact, yet spiffy, four-door sedan. Starting at $32,400 USD, the CLA shared the Verano’s front-wheel0-drive feature, as well as the five-seat passenger feature.
14. Mitsubishi Mirage
With a base price of $15,000 USD, the Mitsubishi Mirage is a five-door hatchback that has much in common with the second-generation Buck Verano. Granted, it’s only at 78 horsepower at three cylinders but this still makes the grade as a capable family car that can comfortably hold up to five people.
15. Nissan Sentra
The Sentra has been a solid Nissan fixture for years as a well-designed compact sedan. Comfortably seating up to five people, the latest models from the popular brand starts at $20,000. The four-cylinder engine features a 149 horsepower performance level and is also a front-wheel drive, just like the Verano.
16. Nissan Versa
Nissan’s Versa is just as cute as the Buick Verano as a compact four-door sedan. In 2022, it won Best Subcompact Car for the Money with U.S. News & World Report which started at $15,380 USD. Like the Verano, it can hold five people inside and has a front-wheel drivetrain. The 1.6-liter four-cylinder machine operates at 122 horsepower with a five-speed manual transmission.
17. Toyota Corolla
Just like the Toyota Camry, the Corolla has been a popular choice among drivers for many years. Sold as a four-door compact sedan or as a five-door hatchback for as low as $20,425 USD, the exterior of this model has much in common with the Buick Verano. There are also two different four-cylinder engine options to choose between the 139-horse-powered 1.8-liter and the 169-horse-powered 2.0-liter. The gasoline-powered models have a city mile per gallon rating of thirty-one while it is thirty-eight miles per gallon on the highway.
18. Vauxhall Astra
Since 1980, the Vauxhall Astra has been sold as a compact family car from its production plant in Cheshire, England. Going into 2021, the Astra has since entered its eighth generation. Based on the third-generation EMP2 platform, this has a hybrid version that has a 180-horsepower engine while the combustion version is measured at 225 horsepower. Throughout the European market, the Astra is the Buick Verano equivalent that features much of the same body design, as well as on-road handling.
19. Volkswagen Jetta
From Volkwagen’s camp, the Jetta has remained a solid fan favorite as a four-door compact sedan car ever since it was first brought to the consumer market in 1979. This front-wheel-drive vehicle can either be handled as an automatic or manual, pending on the driver’s preference. The 2022 lineup features a turbocharged four-cylinder 1.4-liter engine that delivers 158 horsepower. At $21,460 USD, the Jetta can comfortably seat up to five people and pose as a comparable option that has much in common with the Buick Verano.
20. Volvo S60 B5
As a 247-horse-powered compact four-door sedan, the 2022 Volvo S60 B5 has much in common with the Buick Verano. It can hold five people inside, no problem. It has a city fuel economy rating of twenty-six miles per gallon and a highway fuel economy rating of thirty-five. It does, however, come as an all-wheel-drive in addition to the front-wheel drive. The 2022 models come as either a mild hybrid or a full hybrid.