Envista lovely bit of cheap chic
It’s one thing to make a cheap car; many automakers do it. But it’s quite another to make a cheap car that will turn heads when it pulls up to one of those fancy restaurants with the pretentious monosyllabic names like Gouge.
Yet Buick’s newest car, the 2024 Buick Envista, might just do that. It looks expensive when in fact the price for its Preferred model starts at $23,495. It’s also offered in mid-level Sport Touring (or ST) and top-of-the-line Avenir trim, with latter squeaking in just below $30,000.
The 2024 Envista replaces the wartlike 2022 Encore in Buick’s lineup. It’s a substantial 14.1 inches longer and 1.5 inches wider but 3.7 inches lower. This makes for its far more pleasing appearance. But it’s also 11.5 inches longer and 2.7 inches lower than the pricier Buick Encore GX, Buick’s most popular U.S. model.
Up front, the 2024 Envista wears the newest face of Buick, one cribbed from the Buick Wildcat concept car. Base models have a horizontal slot grille and LED lighting meant to visually enhance its width, while other models receive a diamond-patterned grille. Its sloping back gives it a strikingly athletic look, as well as an air of sophistication.
Like the exterior, the Envista’s interior appears premium. Fashionistas will particularly appreciate the pleasing Midcentury Modern shape of the Envista’s screen, which houses an 8-inch digital gauge cluster and an 11-inch infotainment screen. Wireless Apple Carplay and Android
Auto compatibility are standard, while a built-in Wi-fi hotspot and optional wireless phone charging is available. It all works flawlessly and is easy to understand and operate.
That said, the Envista’s
seats betray the vehicle’s price, being just as flat and unsupportive as they are in the Chevrolet Trax, with which the Buick shares its underpinnings. Interior ambiance is slightly better in the Buick than in the Chevrolet, but not significantly.
Space is good in both rows of the Envista.
There are a still a lot of hard plastic surfaces and little padding, but at least they’re smartly textured.
Front-wheel drive is standard. All-wheel drive is not available, and towing is not recommended.
While the 2024 Buick Envista’s shape suggests speediness, its performance belies that. Around town, acceleration is sufficient, and it feels peppy enough as the driveline delivers good low-end grunt. Yet entering freeways requires strategic planning and care. And its engine gets vocal when pushed, but settles down
for cruising.
Standard driver-assistance safety gear includes standard lane-keeping assist with lane-departure warning, automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, forward collision alert, following distance indicator and automatic high beams. Adaptive cruise control, rear parking assist, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-change alert with side blind-zone alert and rain-sensing front wipers are optional.
Body roll is well controlled for the most part, becoming pronounced when pushed to extremes. Similarly, steering feels precise, but lacks feel, not unusual in this day and age. Braking is good, with a firm pedal that’s easy to modulate. While its performance won’t engage driving enthusiasts, others will be perfectly satisfied, with a demeanor that mimics many compact crossovers at this price point.
While it performs no better than the Chevrolet Trax, which is some $3,095 to $5,795 less than the Buick, it’s hard to argue with the Envista’s appealing good looks. Given that most driving is mere slogging through clogged urban and suburban arteries, its performance is more than sufficient for the life it will live.
Better yet, it will make you look good while you’re doing it.