![]() ![]() All trim levels come with OnStar, StabiliTrak stability control, ten airbags, interior ambient lighting, Buick’s IntelliLink infotainment setup, 18” wheels, fog lights, and remote entry. The base Encore Convenience starts at $29,645, and comes with a ton of standard equipment. Now, it’s not as quiet as a Lexus LS460, but engine, tire, and wind noises are all hushed enough to provide a relatively serene cabin. Though sharing a platform and many traits with the Chevrolet Trax, the Buick uses acoustic laminated glass all around that is considerably thicker than that of the Trax, as well as much more sound-deadener all around. Using unique sound insulation as well as adding noise cancelling technology using the Bose audio system, the Encore is particularly quiet. The main focus for the Buick brand over the past few years has been emphasizing quietness, and this became particularly obvious to me after I tested a Verano Turbo a couple of years ago. Not that there’s anything wrong with that, but this is a vehicle that’s advertising being library-levels of quiet and smooth – the ride should be considerably softer than that of the Trax. The suspension geometry is MacPherson struts in the front, and a regular torsion beam out back, and it makes for a ride that’s getting pretty close to the wrong side of firm. ![]() It also means the little crossover is nimble enough to make quick decisions and act on them impulsively. The Encore is a competent handler in its segment, but its relatively short 88.7” wheelbase helps maintain a tight turning radius. My test was during an especially rainy week at the end of May, and my cautious driving style meant I didn’t really have a chance to experience this system, but I’ve experienced GM’s AWD applications in the past and I have nothing but faith in this regard. Buick has added a part-time all-wheel-drive system to the Encore, one that kicks in when it detects slip and sends power to the appropriate direction. The turbocharger provides the perfect amount of low-end torque, and the engine makes a nice sound. Slow as it may be to get onto the highway, the little crossover has a cheeky personality and feels decently torquey. The six-speed automatic does a fantastic job of predicting your next move, and when left to do its own thing, it shifts smoothly and quickly. Accelerating to 100km/h takes just over ten seconds, but the Encore’s element is darting around the downtown core. It churns out 138 horsepower at 4900rpm, and 148 lb-ft of torque at 1850rpm. Under the hood is an engine familiar to fans of the Chevrolet Cruze a 1.4L turbocharged 4-cylinder that’s tuned specifically to be quiet and smooth rather than boisterous and powerful. At 3300lbs, it’s planted enough to not flop around on the highway, and giving drivers that added bit of confidence within the city. Though small, the tiniest Buick isn’t a lightweight by any means. The only cute-ute that’s so stunning its styling remains unmatched in the segment is the Mazda CX-3. The Encore is definitely more attractive to me than the HR-V and even its premium competitors such as the Mercedes-Benz GLA and the Audi Q3. It finally dawned on me as to why I wasn’t an immediate fan – the Buick corporate grille and front fascia is usually found on much larger cars, so its adaptation onto a much smaller vehicle was a bit different for me. As my week with it progressed though, I began to really enjoy the lines of my Deep Espresso Brown Metallic tester. I asked my friends at GM to borrow a 2015 Buick Encore with all-wheel-drive and all of the luxury goodies to give it a go before we sample the latest in what I can only imagine is soon to be a very hot segment.Īt first glance, I thought the Encore was a bit goofy-looking, but still a more handsome cousin of the Chevrolet Trax. Of course, that is no longer the smallest class of crossovers available, and new entries such as the Honda HR-V and Mazda CX-3 go a long way to promise that they’re here to stay. Actually, I prefer to refer to them as “cute-utes”, a moniker I used to apply to the segment that houses the Hyundai Tucson, Mazda CX-5, and Honda CR-V. The past two years or so have seen an abundance in the addition of compact crossovers to our market. ![]()
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