Buick Encore GX (2024MY minor change) and Envista

The facelifted Buick Encore GX and the first-ever Buick Envista signaled the new era of Buick because these two crossovers are the first to don the new Buick look and logo. Let's take a look.

2024 Buick Encore GX

Beginning with the Buick Encore GX, this big minor change is the first to wear the new Buick look inspired by the Wildcat Concept. Although seeing the new Buick logo is the scariest thing to do, this new Buick look really means business for this $25,600 crossover.

2024 Buick Encore GX

2024 Buick Encore GX interior

In addition to the heavily revamped styling and the slightly revised rear design, the facelifted Encore GX features a premium Avenir variant with glossier details to ensure this is the top-of-the-line model. The interior layout has been heavily revamped for this minor change and the Avenir model, comes with a BOSE premium 7-speaker audio system including an amplifier, panoramic moonroof, and an Avenir engraving on the front seats, among others. Despite numerous revisions, it can still accommodate up to 50.2 cu. ft. of max cargo capacity, making it capable of almost everything.

The Buick Encore GX still comes with a choice of ECOTEC 1.2L turbo mated to a CVT capable of 30 city / 31 hwy fuel economy and the ECOTEC 1.3L turbo engine mated to a 9-speed AT with 155hp of power and 174lb-ft of torque. Yes, there's 4WD offered but no off-road tuned suspension in sight, meaning the Encore GX is best to be driven on the road rather than off the road because there are no special bits that make it well-behaved on dirt.

The Encore GX comes with Buick Driver Confidence as well as available safety & driver-assistance technologies but the Avenir variant comes with its signature Technology Package which comes with Adaptive Cruise Control, Rear Camera Mirror† with rear camera washer, and HD Surround Vision.

2024 Buick Envista

Now, let's get to know the first-ever Buick Envista, a coupe-crossover that is yours to drive for $22,400 plus additional costs, which is cheaper to own than the Encore GX.

2024 Buick Envista

2024 Buick Envista interior

Think of the first-ever Buick Envista as the fancy version of the Chevrolet Trax Crossover because even with the Wildcat-inspired looks, the similarities are all over the Envista apart from the fact that the Envista is cheaper to own than the Encore GX. 

Still, with its coupe-crossover styling, the available Avenir variant with glossier details, Ultrawide 11" Diagonal Infotainment Screen, wireless smartphone connectivity, seating for five, and 42.0 cu. ft. of max cargo capacity, it's no surprise despite being less spacious than its Chevrolet Trax Crossover equivalent, it still works and feels just like it.

Just like its Chevrolet Trax Crossover equivalent, the Buick Envista is front-wheel-drive only and it is powered only by an ECOTEC 1.2L turbo engine that produces 137HP of power and 162lb-ft of torque. Mated to a 6-speed AT, it has an estimated combined fuel economy of 28MPG city/ 32MPG hwy.

In terms of safety, the Envista comes with Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Alert, IntelliBeam Auto High Beams, Following Distance Indicator, Front Pedestrian Braking, and Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning as standard. Available extras such as Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert, Rear Cross Traffic Alert,† Rear Park Assist, Rainsense front wipers, and Adaptive Cruise Control, as well as an automatic-dimming outside driver mirror for the Avenir variant.

These two new crossovers signaled the new era of Buick because they were the first to don the new Buick look and logo. Although the new Buick logo is scary to look at, the Wildcat-styled nose and improved features really made a statement about the two. The question is, which of the new-era Buicks will you drive?

Photo: General Motors

Chevrolet Trailblazer vs. Buick Encore GX

As most American carmakers are shifting away from cars in favor of crossovers, General Motors throws a curveball with two new mainstream crossovers; the new Chevy Trailblazer and the Buick Encore GX. How do these two new American crossovers stack up? Let's investigate.

2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer

First up is the Chevrolet Trailblazer, which starts at 19,000 Dollars, the cheapest of the Chevrolet SUV range. For some eagle-eyed GM insiders, the Trailblazer name sounds familiar because that was originally used for the seven-seater big brother of the Blazer in 1999 and then re-used in 2012 as the SUV version of the Colorado, which is sold in developing countries as well as Australia as a Holden. Due to progressiveness, the Trailblazer name has been demoted as the little brother of the Blazer, revived last year as a crossover that uses the same bits and bobs as the current GMC Acadia.

2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer

Falling victim to the progressive culture, the Trailblazer compact crossover is about as small as the Spark, which makes it a bit "city car class" for a tiny crossover, and in terms of design, the Trailblazer looks a bit like a Hyundai Venue, despite the fact that it's made in Korea, just like its Venue rival. Although not macho for SUV standards, the Trailblazer is not afraid to get its face dirty because getting dirty is almost what this thing does, almost.

2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer interior

On the inside, it's anything but typical for the Trailblazer because despite being small in size, it can fit up to five people and up to 54.4 cubic feet of cargo volume when the passenger and 2nd-row seats are folded down, making it the ideal crossover for work and for weekend trips with friends. Although regular, it's about as comfortable as any car can get. Not bad, Chevrolet.

2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer

Behind the wheel, the Trailblazer is about as nimble as a city car and as capable as you know what. Under the hood, the Trailblazer is offered with a choice of ECOTEC 1.2L turbo mated to a CVT and the ECOTEC 1.3L turbo engine mated to a 9-speed AT with 155hp of power and 174lb-ft of torque. Feels nippy, of course, and with the 4WD system opted, it's all business as usual for the Trailblazer, but when you went for the ACTIV variant with off-road suspension tuning, the Trailblazer really works its magic, almost. Not bad working on the dirt with the 4WD system running but it should deserve more because it's worth a hundred unanswered questions about this crossover.

In terms of safety, the Trailblazer features Chevy Safety Assist with available Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and Rear Park Assist, among many other safety features offered on this crossover.

2020 Buick Encore GX

Shifting gears to the Buick Encore GX, this $24,100 replacement to the old, Euro-sourced Encore, is the cheapest Buick crossover at this moment in time and it's less expensive than the now-defunct Regal TourX, although more expensive than the Chevy Trailblazer mentioned above.

2020 Buick Encore GX

So, what to expect in the newest addition to the Buick SUV range? For starters, the exterior looks pretty much the same as the Encore but because this is the GX, it's slightly bigger than the Encore, so they're no telling why it's bigger. Also, when opted for the ST package, the Encore GX strips off its cladding in exchange for a unique front face and sporty looks, that make it look as clean and fresh as an Irish Spring.

2020 Buick Encore GX interior

The interior may be fancier than the Trailblazer's but the Encore GX still fits up to five people and has foldable seats on the passenger side for space issues in mind, which is still the ideal crossover fit for work or for weekend trips despite being more costly than the Trailblazer's. Sadly, it's less spacious than the Trailblazer because of its 50.2 cu. ft. max cargo capacity.

2020 Buick Encore GX

Like the Chevrolet Trailblazer, the Encore GX is offered with a choice of ECOTEC 1.2L turbo mated to a CVT and the ECOTEC 1.3L turbo engine mated to a 9-speed AT with 155hp of power and 174lb-ft of torque. Yes, there's 4WD offered but no off-road tuned suspension in sight, meaning the Encore GX is best to be driven on the road rather than off the road because there are no special bits that make it well-behaved on dirt. Sorry, Hannibal. This guy doesn't want to play elephant with you.

The Encore GX comes with Buick Driver Confidence as well as available safety & driver-assistance technologies but I'll leave it here because it's too much information.

Which one will you pick? Would you go for the Trailblazer that is less costly to own and spacious? Or would you go for the Encore GX because of its clean, sporty looks at the cost of boot space? It's hard to decide which one will you pick because frankly, they're pretty much the same so they all end in a stalemate. The end.

Photo: General Motors

Buick Encore

The Buick Enclave has been the only crossover utility vehicle offered by Buick as of now but despite having around for a few years, it's still one of the most hospitable crossovers made by Buick. I wonder what if someone wants a Buick crossover but can't afford the Enclave? Well, it looks like Buick came up with a cheaper model that slots behind the Enclave and positioned to be a desperate rival to the likes of the BMW X1, Audi Q5, and the Acura RDX. It's called the Encore and with the starting price of just 24,200 US Dollars, it seems that this is much cheaper than those luxury import crossovers from Europe and Japan. Apart from its pricing, the Encore does score with some European flair because the design is purely European and hey...did I just talk about that a few months ago?

2013 Buick Encore

Now if I can remember correctly, the Buick Encore was sold in the European market as the Opel Mokka. That's right, it's just another of the Opels turned Buick since the Opel Insignia, which became the Buick Regal in the North America and Chinese market but there's some issues here and because of my stress, I'll shorten the situation okay? Here... Encore first launched, Mokka later. Then, Mokka went sale now, Encore later. In translation, the Encore was premiered at the 2012 NAIAS in Detroit while the Opel Mokka showed up at last year's Geneva Auto Show. However, the Opel Mokka went on sale on the European market, just few months before this moment where the Encore is available for the North American and Chinese market. Hey, since it's the year 2013, it's the Encore's time to shine like some kind of pirate living at Encino, California, if you know what I mean?

I once checked it out in last year's Seattle Auto Show and it seems because someone's so generous, they even let us getting inside the Encore's interior to see how lovely is the interior of the Encore's. Need to remind you that the Encore I saw on last year's show was just a pre-production mule, not the finished product because it's not yet available until early 2013. But now it's early 2013 so the Encore is now available for the general public. However, before you jump into conclusions, here are a couple of drawbacks...

First of all, the Encore's cargo volume is too small for a small SUVs of this magnitude. With the cargo volume of just 18.8 cubic feet, the Encore is not quite a fitting compared to others. Also, the 1.4 ECOTEC engine with Variable Valve Timing has a power to weight ratio of 23lb/hp, making it too much for a small SUV of this attitude. Lastly, the front legroom of the Encore is 40.8 inches, meaning that sometimes, there's not enough room to stretch my legs at the front.

Despite the downturn, there are some ups for the Buick Encore. Despite having a not-so-good power-to-weight ratio, the Encore has a best-in-class fuel economy of 33MPG highway and this is covered by a basic 48months/50,000 mile warranty. Not bad for the Encore though...

2013 Buick Encore interior

The things that made the Encore right such as its striking European design, best in class fuel economy and the comprehensive warranty were balanced out by the things that made the Encore wrong such as bad power-to-weight ratio, bad legroom at the front, tiny cargo boot, and the fact that it was made in Bupyeong, which I think its in South Korea. The Encore may or may not be a good Buick crossover but I will say this. I want to have one more than I can handle my breath away and thanks to its status of being a world-class crossover, the Encore sure knows how to sort out against its rivals.

Available Colors: Quicksilver Metallic, Deep Espresso Bronze Metallic, Ruby Red Metallic, Glacier Blue Metallic, Brilliant Blue Metallic, Cocoa Silver Metallic, White Pearl Tricoat. Satin Steel Gray Metallic, and Carbon Black Metallic.

Photo: General Motors