2021 Chrysler Pacifica vs 2021 Buick Encore GX

The 2021 Chrysler Pacifica underwent a mid-generation refresh that included a revised exterior. New standard LED headlights flanked the Pacifica’s new hexagonal grille, giving the front end a more muscular aesthetic compared to the previous three years. The design retained some of its original sophistication, especially noticeable as the eye moved from the front to the sides and rear. The back featured a new all-LED taillamp running the width of the model, with the Chrysler wing badge at its center. Chrysler also introduced six new wheel designs and the S Appearance Package, which added darkened features and black accents.

Inside, the Pacifica differentiated itself from competitors like the Toyota Sienna and Kia Sedona. While the Sienna emphasized spaciousness and the Sedona opted for a utility-vehicle-like design, the Pacifica balanced practicality with premium touches, especially in the top trims. The Pacifica Pinnacle, the highest grade, offered comfort, soft-touch materials, and classy finishes. The flat dashboard, anchored by a 10.1-inch touchscreen, featured Piano Black plastic trim with wood accents and real metal surrounds. Quilted leather seats, suede center row pillows, and Beber floor mats completed the upscale look. The Pacifica also excelled in sound deadening, with new windows, seals, and insulation keeping road noise at bay.

The 2021 Buick Encore GX was praised for its styling, a significant improvement over the original Encore. The SUV came in three trim levels: Preferred, Select, and Essence, with the Sport Touring (ST) package available for all trims. Buyers could choose between front-wheel drive (FWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD), and two turbocharged three-cylinder engines were available. The 1.2-liter engine was exclusive to FWD, while the 1.3-liter engine was available with both FWD and AWD. Pricing ranged from $24,200 to $30,600, with our test model, an Essence trim with the 1.3-liter engine, priced at $35,065.

The Encore GX’s cabin offered expected quality levels for the small SUV segment, though the interior design wasn’t as clean as the exterior. The analog gauges were hard to read due to small markings and inconvenient placement. Sunlight could obscure the fuel gauge indicator lights, and the head-up display (HUD) vibrated on anything but smooth pavement. Despite these issues, the Encore GX’s cabin was functional, with supportive front seats and good interior storage. The trunk offered 23.5 cubic feet of space, expandable to 50.2 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The test vehicle also featured a hands-free power liftgate and a fold-flat front passenger seat for carrying long items.

The 2021 Chrysler Pacifica offered two powertrain options: a traditional 3.6-liter V6 engine with 287 horsepower and 262 pound-feet of torque, and a V6 hybrid engine paired with a dual-motor electrically variable transmission and a 16-kilowatt-hour battery, achieving 260 horsepower from the engine and 198 horsepower from its motors. The base Touring and Touring L trims came standard with the V6 engine, while the Limited and Pinnacle trims offered either AWD or the hybrid powertrain. The AWD system, new for 2021, activated on-demand based on various driving conditions and deactivated to improve fuel efficiency when not needed. The Pacifica Hybrid had an all-electric range of over 30 miles and a total range of over 500 miles, delivering 82 MPGe and 30 mpg combined. The traditional V6 Pacifica achieved 19 mpg in the city, 28 mpg on the highway, and 22 mpg combined, with AWD models slightly lower at 17 mpg city, 25 mpg highway, and 20 mpg combined.

The 2021 Buick Encore GX featured two turbocharged three-cylinder engines. The standard 1.2-liter engine produced 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque, while the 1.3-liter engine offered 155 horsepower and 174 pound-feet of torque. The larger engine was available with both FWD and AWD, with FWD models using a continuously variable transmission (CVT) and AWD models using a nine-speed automatic transmission. The Encore GX’s ride quality varied, feeling brittle over poorly maintained roads, soft over speed humps, and bouncy over bumps and dips. Despite Buick’s QuietTuning efforts, the cabin wasn’t particularly quiet. The Encore GX handled well on narrow, winding roads, with controlled body roll and decent tire grip. Fuel economy averaged 28.2 mpg, slightly below the official EPA estimate.

The 2021 Chrysler Pacifica was designed with family life in mind, offering spacious seating and ample storage. The front seats were spacious and allowed for a feeling of togetherness, with a padded center console lid replacing armrests. Standard features included power-sliding rear doors, three-zone climate control, power windows, an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, Stow ’n Go bucket seats with in-floor storage bins, and a Stow ’n Go third-row bench seat. The second- and third-row seats provided plenty of legroom, and the Stow ’n Go seats tumbled into the floor for easy loading. The Pacifica Pinnacle offered best-in-class total storage of 227.6 liters.

The 2021 Buick Encore GX had supportive front seats with power adjustments and heating, but the back seat was less comfortable, with a low, flat cushion and limited thigh support. Interior storage was good, with a trunk offering 23.5 cubic feet of space, expandable to 50.2 cubic feet with the rear seats folded. The test vehicle featured a hands-free power liftgate and a fold-flat front passenger seat for carrying long items.

The 2021 Chrysler Pacifica featured Uconnect 5, a modern and customizable infotainment system with a 10.1-inch touchscreen. Standard features included Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, with optional second-row in-seat entertainment and three available sound system upgrades. The Pinnacle model included FamCam, an interior monitoring camera with rear-facing child seat view, split-view display, and zoom-to-seat feature.

The 2021 Buick Encore GX Essence came with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth connectivity for two devices, and Buick Connected Services with a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. The test vehicle also had a navigation system, natural voice recognition, SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, a high-definition surround-view camera, and wireless smartphone charging. Despite the added packages, it lacked the available 7-speaker Bose premium sound system.

The 2021 Chrysler Pacifica came standard with 97 safety features, increasing to 100 in the Pinnacle trim. Key safety technologies included forward-collision warning, adaptive cruise control with stop and go, lane-departure warning with lane-keep assist, rain-sensing wipers, automatic high beams, advanced brake assist, third-row lock out, and automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection. The Pacifica received a five-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).

The 2021 Buick Encore GX came standard with Buick Driver Confidence, including forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, and automatic high-beam headlights. Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert was optional with Preferred trim and standard with Select and Essence. Adaptive cruise control was also available. The Encore GX earned a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA.