Small Luxury Cross-Over
This Encore was mistakenly brought to us as we were looking to InteRview a Verano. The sales associate brought this and we took it for a spin.
Pros
- smooth ride
- braking
- premium interior
- back up cam
- trunk space
- mpg
Cons
- Buick IntelliLink System
- throttle response
- audio
Specs
- 1.4L Turbo ECOTEC engine
- 138 hp @ 4900 – 6000 RPM
- 148 lb-ft of torque @ 1850-4900 RPM
- Drivetrain: FWD & AWD
- Safety: 10 Air Bags, Side Blind Zone Alert
- EPA 25 city / 33 highway
Exterior
The exterior of this vehicle and the newly designed Buicks are simply beautiful. It is where a bit of class meets a bit of mean. They are well designed and make on lookers take a second guess at what they are gawking at. The front grill on the new Buick’s etches out and gives it a bit of aggression. As well as the six (three on each side) mini hood scoops – which are only design elements – none the less they add a nice touch. The vehicle actually sits quite small and looks a bit stubby from the outside, but looks can be deceiving looking on the inside out.
Interior
The model we drove had the leather package. As a man who does not like a tan colored interior, this looked quite nice and went well with the color scheme and accented wood trim. Always a plus with leather is the heated seats option. The power adjusted seats were also a nice touch. The steering wheel felt very nice in hand.
The front and rear seats had adequate seating space for passengers of all sizes. Rear folding down center console / cup-holder was nice, but I feel that these rarely get used. The Encore had great traditional trunk space. It also had a rear cover (removable) that was attached to the door would lift / lower to conceal the storage. When extra space is required, the rear seats fold down very easily in a 60/40 split to grant the additional storage.
On the other hand we found that the Buick Link system was a bit hard to use. Or at least a bit to intimidating for new owners. There was a cluster of buttons all close together, sure they had the same traditional icons for pause, play, next, etc… but it felt like cleaning a bundle of hay that broke its cross straps. The small screen size on the display did not help either. Like anything, with a bit of practice the system is usable. The system sound quality and volume were extremely lacking. If you are a music lover or enjoy good quality music, an upgrade to Bose system is offered.
Performance / Drive
As the saying goes ‘do not judge a book by its cover;’ I was a bit guilty going into the driver seat on the Encore. The vehicle comes equipped with a 1.4L turbo-ed engine; and that really is not saying much but this thing drove on clouds. Sure the throttle response was noticeable when accelerating but what would you expect with a small engine in a some what big grocery getter like this? What surprised me the most was how comfortable the ride was. This past winter took a huge toll on Michigan roads and I did not feel a thing. I purposely drove over rough patches and the Encore took them like a champ. Trying to get a feel for the braking system safely, they were very responsive and the vehicle came to a complete stop without a stutter on a hard brake.
Buick is taking charge in adding rear back up cameras in their vehicle getting ahead in the new laws being legislated*. The Encore comes equipped with a back up camera. One thing to note is the current camera / software did not have any guidelines or measure markers. It was simply a camera to grant visibility behind you. I felt that without the guides I parked better using the traditional look behind shoulder and watch the curb method. Still nice to have for those who have trouble knowing when to stop or to simply check if there are any children or animals before backing up. Kudos Buick.
Summary
The Encore offers great features, especially for its pricing. The packages are simple to choose from and it allows many to taste a bit of luxury. With the roomy space and comfortable interior this is an excellent choice for a family on a budget. The MPG is an estimated 25 city / 33 highway which is nice for the size of the vehicles.
Additional Sources