The 2023 Buick Encore GX. You could easily argue that competitors like Kia’s Soul can be bought for less money and are just as pragmatic for urban usage with an advantage in interior design. It won’t make any near-luxury competitor (like Acura or Volvo) sweat with fear. Buick’s claim to fame is a more opulent look. Still, companies like Hyundai and Kia are working tirelessly to develop an appealing design language and support it with quality, while Buick appears to be doing the bare minimum.
Buick still exists in this nation despite the Koreans developing intense devotion to it because of its enormous success in China. In actuality, South Korea, not the United States, where Buick formerly stood for “social climber,” is where the bulk of this car is made. Without foreign markets, Pontiac or Plymouth would have replaced Buick. It probably belongs to a customer in their late 20s or early 30s; I asked my nephew, a self-proclaimed car geek, what he thought about Buick. “That’s still a thing?” he said with a shrug.
Yes, it is, and there is a lot of competition on the market for cars like the Encore GX. One example is the non-GX Encore, which Buick continued to sell over ten years after initially reaching the market. Since 2021, it hasn’t altered, and 2023 will be its last appearance. Although significantly more affordable than their models, the Encore GX goes against the Soul, Subaru Crosstrek, Hyundai Kona, Mazda CX-30, and more expensive compact cars like the Mini Countryman and Lexus UX.
Except for the CX-30 turbo and Kona N, it would not be easy to characterize any of those cars as thrilling, but the Encore GX is unassuming in all its incarnations. It has a 1.3-liter three-cylinder engine with 155 horsepower or a 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine with 137 horsepower. The ideal dish? Choose the 1.3-litre because it comes with all-wheel drive (AWD) and a nine-speed automatic gearbox (A9ST), which is more responsive than the CVT. The nine-speed manual transmission offers somewhat greater giddyup for speedier passing. For driving in the snow, you may also want the downshifting option.
In contrast to Subaru or Hyundai, the Buick attempts luxury. But just that, since the interior’s harsh plastics and mediocre design philosophy don’t even attempt to trespass on Audi territory. Despite this, the Encore GX makes a handy daily driver, particularly in congested metropolitan areas, because of its overall packing, easy-to-swallow driving dynamics, and no-muss (though bland) design. The Buick will help you feel more at ease while driving in traffic if you’re nervous because of the good sightlines out of the vehicle.
Additionally, Buick now includes more active safety systems than in the past. Although adaptive cruise control and rear cross-traffic alerts are optional, front collision warnings, automated emergency braking with pedestrian recognition, a following-distance indicator, and intelligent high beams are all standard. Last year, the IIHS gave it a Top Safety Pick ranking. The Encore GX isn’t great either; it isn’t very athletic or visually appealing, and some well-known brand competitors provide more equipment for less money. It just seems unsure of which customer it is aiming to satisfy.
Performance: Buick Encore GX
It takes a while. However, the 155-horsepower turbocharged engine produces at least enough power to propel the 3,335-pound Buick about town with a respectable get-off. The restricted power is not noticeable unless you attempt to do anything arrogant, like pass an 18-wheeler on the highway. The Buick’s lack of spirit may thus be startling. Yes, you’ll eventually arrive, but the combination of an uncomfortably noisy engine and a slightly bumpy ride due to a relatively short wheelbase is neither sporty nor opulent.
The Buick doesn’t provide sensory feedback through your hands or hindquarters where the car is on the road; even if you decide to push so hard, the tires howl, making you think you should stop your hooliganism immediately. We’ll grant that the Encore GX handles lane changes and chasing after errands quickly in urban settings, and the steering feel and easy sightlines help drive the car with ready verve.
That’s all well and good, you may say. The Subaru Crosstrek is the vehicle we keep returning to since it’s such a nice comparison and can be purchased for less money. It’s not a rally car, but it seems more engaging and confident when hustling it about. The Encore GX has an uneasy, off-kilter feeling. For almost the same price, Mazda’s CX-30 delivers AWD and much more power if you’re interested in actual performance.
Fuel efficiency: Buick Encore GX
While the more economical Encore GX increases your mileage to 29 mpg in the city, 31 mpg on the interstate, and 30 mpg overall, that model lacks AWD and the better-shifting nine-speed. The problem with the 1.3-litre engine is that it only manages 26 mpg in the city, 29 mpg on the highway, and 27 mpg on the combined cycle. The Kia Soul achieves 29 mpg in the city, 35 mpg on the interstate, and 30 mpg overall.
If you choose AWD, the Subaru Crosstrek achieves fuel economy ratings of 27 in the city and 34 on the highway, thanks to an 182-horsepower engine. No one would mistake the Crosstrek for its WRX cousin, but as was already said, it is peppier, more balanced, and more powerful. The Encore GX, unlike the Countryman, happily uses ordinary gas. None of these cars can compare to the hybrid Lexus UX’s 42 combined mpg, but it also costs more to start.
Safety & Driver Support
It is safer to drive this vehicle and less stressful to drive and park in congested locations with features like adaptive cruise control and a 360-degree virtual image of the Encore GX. You may also keep your eyes on the road rather than down at the instrument panel with the help of a heads-up display, which is an option. Unfortunately, these extras are only available by upgrading to the Essence trim, which is the most costly. A $1,935 package includes adaptive cruise control.
When a car in front of you suddenly jams on the brakes, Buick includes features like automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane keeping assistance that also alerts the driver to lane departure, forward collision warning that flashes a light and sounds an alarm if you don’t brake, and automatically dimming high beams. Additionally, remote car starting is a feature that is useful in both the heaviest winter and summer weather.
The Encore GX has a Top Safety Pick rating from IIHS, one spot short of the top rating (Top Safety Pick+). The Encore GX also has a perfect score of five stars from NHTSA.
Comfort and Space
The Encore GX’s front seats are relatively comfortable, but the back seats are a touch stiff and overly upright for anyone who would prefer a more relaxed position. The Buick also receives criticism for having less headroom and knee space in the second row than the Kia Soul. Okay, if you think that’s unfair since the Soul doesn’t have AWD, know that the Subaru Crosstrek has much more shoulder and hip space than the Buick Encore GX, as well as somewhat better second-row legroom (36.5 inches to the Encore GX’s 36 inches).
The Buick’s rear seat is generally cramped, especially compared to similar-sized cars. Although the Lexus has one of the most constricted back seats in the crossover market, it is less constricted than that car.
The GX sometimes beats the Subaru thanks to dual-zone temperature control and features like ten-way power seats with lumbar support. Again, however, you must upgrade to the Essence edition to receive certain conveniences you may like, such as an auto-dimming rearview mirror and numerous driver memory settings.
Infotainment: Buick Encore GX
While GM’s primary instrument cluster and infotainment suite maintains a tuning knob, hard buttons for channel or station scanning, and redundant switchgear on the steering wheel, numerous functions are integrated into the eight-inch touchscreen. Although none of this will seem to be of the highest quality, it is intuitive, and we believe it is wise that the audio output may be changed without going through layers of menus or using complicated navigational techniques.
They also include a WiFi hotspot if that’s important to you. In contrast, vehicle manufacturers now almost always have both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto so that you may couple your phone’s applications.
Buick refers to “quiet tuning,” which essentially involves putting additional layers of sound-deadening materials between the interior and the outside, as one feature you won’t often see at this price range. Although it presumably makes the six-speaker music system easier to hear, Buick doesn’t provide a high-end sound system in this model.
Storage & Cargo Space:
The little Buick can be somewhat functional thanks to split 60/40 rear folding seats and optional rubberized luggage mats. This vehicle is also competitively priced considering its size when compared to other compact utes like the Crosstrek or, for example, the Nissan Kicks. Again, the Crosstrek narrowly defeats the Buick in terms of maximum load space (55 vs. 50 cubic feet), but the Buick outperforms the Subaru in this category when the back seats are upright (23.5 vs. 20.8 cubic feet).
It would be best if you didn’t laugh at the later numbers either since it’s easy to see why five-door crossovers, especially in the most miniature version, are so well-liked: Even on massive sedans, most automobile trunks don’t give that much space. Though few would compare them, you can fit more in an Encore than a Mercedes-Benz S-Class.
We also like the Buick’s ability to fold the front passenger seat forward. This should be the default setting in the “cute ute” position, but it isn’t. It makes it possible to transport many two-by-fours from the big-box hardware shop back without driving while the timber is sticking out of the hatch. There are no ingenious barriers to keep shopping bags straight in the hatch area, and even the cover that covers what’s in the cargo compartment is just plain thin, so Buick falls short everywhere of what it promises with one innovation.
Design: Buick Encore GX
No tiny adorable ute priced between $25,000 and $35,000 is arguably very beautiful, while the Mazda CX-30 and Mini Countryman have a great aesthetic and provide some competitive usefulness. Of course, you might argue that the wealthy Volvo XC40 is rather attractive. If the Encore GX is as calm and unobtrusive as a button-down Oxford, which is at best not obnoxious or in your face, that may be what you’re looking for. Furthermore, do none of the CR-Vs or RAV-4s that Honda and Toyota sell in large quantities each year shout “sex-ee!”?
The Buick has a problem, but it’s not with how it looks. It’s because the remainder of the package doesn’t do anything to grab attention. The inside isn’t very impressive, and upgrading to the top features will cost you the same as more expensive rivals. The unique, stylish, and handsome automobiles produced by competitors like Hyundai and Kia make your Oxford button-down seem like yesterday’s news.
Which Buick Encore GX is the Best Value?
The value proposition of the Encore GX is inconsistent. It starts more expensive than its well-known brand competitors but provides a comparable experience. It has many excellent features when you load it up with settings, but it wanders into the price range of expensive competitors. The CX-30 from Mazda does the same task for the same price, looks better, and travels quicker.
Since the slightly bigger engine at least provides you usable horsepower, we’d pick an AWD Encore GX over the standard front-wheel drive model. This puts you at the mid-tier Select level, which begins at $31,690 (with a $1,195 delivery charge). It also has amenities you’ll want, such as heated front seats and dual-zone temperature control, but not all the most abundant extras.
A starting price of $34,490 is required to upgrade to the Essence AWD, and an additional $1,935 is required to purchase the Advanced Technology Package, which includes adaptive cruise control, navigation, and satellite radio. A Crosstrek or a Kona comes standard with an adaptive cruise, while the Lexus UX 250h costs $35,925.
How Much Does the Buick Encore GX Cost to Insure?
Although the Encore GX is not expensive to insure, it is somewhat more costly than its competitors. For a top-trim GX Essence, a typical 30-year-old female driver with a clean record may anticipate an average yearly premium of $1,939; all other versions are less expensive, albeit this figure includes all 50 states. Comparatively, a Mazda CX-30 Turbo costs $1,862, a Hyundai Kona SEL $1,774, a Kia Seltos EX costs $1,829, and a Subaru Crosstrek Limited costs $1,760.
Verdict
The 2023 Buick Encore GX is a tall, diminutive crossover that claims a more upscale experience than other popular-brand crossovers. Still, in practice, it blends in with the Hyundai and Kia throng. The unremarkable yet tidy design isn’t awful, but it’s also not wealthy. The performance is mediocre, and to obtain all the most excellent equipment, you must load up the price to the same level as Lexus or Mini models. It’s quiet, supple, and comfortable up front. Even if the overall effect isn’t highly thrilling, everything still functions.
