San Diego Union-Tribune (Sunday)
BIG STYLE, SMALL SUV
Buick’s entry-level Encore GX is making a huge impression, both inside and out
Buick’s entry-level Encore GX is making a huge impression, both inside and out.
The new 2024 Buick Encore GX may be petite. But it has presence. Parked in the middle of downtown Charlevoix, Mich., over a busy Memorial Day weekend, the premium brand’s entry-level compact SUV turned heads. “Never seen that before. What is it?” said one passerby. “That’s a Buick?” said another, echoing the brand’s catchy ad campaign.
Buick has come back sheetmetal in between. from the dead thanks to an Headlights are almost SUV model-line makeover — unnoticeable — the and the entry-level Encore small mid-mounted beams and three-row Enclave in are like dimples on either particular. The 2024 models side of the wide-mouth continue the momentum grille. with all-new designs inspired In keeping with this spare by the Wildcat electric new design (look, gramps, coupe concept. Encore no more portholes on the and Enclave are not electric, side of the hood), the Encore which is a good thing since GX is badged with the new, EVS are not ready for prime simplified three-shield time (will they ever be?) Buick logo that was first when it comes to road trips. seen on the Wildcat. The
I left Oakland County cabin’s lines are also easy on with a full tank of gas and 370 the eyes with a sculpted miles of range, enough to get 19-inch display engorged me nonstop to Charlevoix with an 8-inch gauge cluster with fuel to spare. And that and 11-inch infotainment was a good thing since I hit a touchscreen display. traffic-choked I-75 at 3 p.m. Driving the Encore GX is Friday headed north. Normally as serene an experience as a 31⁄2-hour journey, it viewing its lovely aesthetics. would take us five hours in GX purred along I-75 traffic, and my wife and I headed north with a quiet were in no mood to spend cabin insulated from the more time sitting at electric 1.3-liter three-banger up chargers for another 35-60 front. When needed to merge minutes refueling the battery into traffic or make a quick as we would in, say, a passing maneuver, the turbocharged similarly-sized Chevy Bolt mill provided a EUV. And that’s assuming healthy 174 torque managed no wait lines on a busy holiday by a liquid-smooth ninespeed weekend. automatic transmission.
Like the Wildcat (and recently redesigned Enclave), This is no BMW X1 or GX sports thin cat’seyes Mazda CX-30 Sport, however running lights at the — your lead-foot reviewer’s top of the front fascia and a preferred vehicles low grille across the chin. in class — but the Buick The effect is a futuristic brand is not seeking motorheads. Transformer robot face — It wants customers echoed by the rear lights and longing for style and comfort diffuser — with nicely scalloped — not G-forces and stoplight launches.
Indeed, underneath its new wardrobe, the standard GX is basically a last-gen Chevy Trax. Same 102-inch wheelbase, same 1.2-liter or 1.3-liter three-banger, same front-wheel-drive-based platform, same cramped rear seats. For the same price, you could get the new, handsome Chevy Trax Activ — on an updated chassis — that adds 4 more inches of wheelbase and 2 more inches of rear legroom. Ooooo, I like that new Chevy.
Which is why you should start your Encore GX shopping with the all-wheel-drive version — a $1,500 option (available on all three trims: Preferred, Sport, Avenir) that’s unavailable on Trax.
Starting at $29,350 on the base Preferred trim, the GX AWD will allow you to navigate Michigan’s endless winters with confidence. Just don’t go drag-racing any BMW X1s out of stoplights. Bimmer earns its $8K premium over the Encore by throwing mud on you with its 295 pound-feet of torque.
If that doesn’t concern you, then my top-trim Avenir tester suits Buick’s country-club vibe just fine. Load its comfy interior with leather seats, auto windshield wipers and cellphone charger, and it’ll ring the register at $39K. That’s in the affordable premium luxe sweet spot — eight grand south of a comparable BMW X1 and 12 grand north of a Chevy Trax Activ.
Despite giving up legroom and cargo space to the remade Trax, the Encore GX has a neat trick that Trax lacks: A forward-folding front seat.
In downtown Charlevoix, my wife spied a big, wide rug she wanted to take home. No problem.
I flattened the front passenger seat, f lattened the second-row, 60-40 split seat, then opened the hatch and shoved the rug all the way through the cabin to the front dash. Mrs. Payne sat in the left rear seat for the ride home next to the rug. That magic front seat can also be used as an ottoman for, say, a leg that’s been operated on. Like when I had a knee replacement a few years back and my wife drove me home — my stiff right leg laying over the flattened front seat.
Such attention to cabin detail is typical of GM products, and the Buick shares the intuitive steering wheel controls found in other vehicles from the automaker. Those ergonomics extend to the back side of the wheel, where you can adjust radio volume with your right hand — and scroll stations with your left.
Alas, that ergonomic attention is missing when it comes to rear visibility, and the Encore has one of the worst C-pillar blind-spots of any compact vehicle I’ve driven. A standard 360degree view would be a nice solution to this problem — especially given the Buick’s premium luxe market.
Alas, GM (and Buick) are stingy when it comes to tech. The 360-degree camera will set you back an additional $1,095 as part of an advanced technology package that also includes adaptive cruise control. For a company trying to lead the industry into a self-driving future with its Cruise and Super Cruise technologies, the lack of standard ACC is another, ahem, blind spot. Especially when you consider that ACC comes standard on a Mazda CX-30 for just $24K.
With the demise of the base Encore, Encore GX is Buick’s entry-level offering. For now. That will soon change with the introduction of the fastback Envista compact SUV starting just below $24K.
But Envista will be FWD only. If it’s an entry-level premium compact you’re looking for with AWD below $40K, then Buick is a compelling choice. Especially if your hubby is planning knee surgery.