2024 Buick Envista vs 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport

The 2024 Buick Envista, while sharing its platform with the Chevy Trax, took a distinct styling path with its sloping roofline, giving it a "crossover coupe" appearance reminiscent of more upscale models like the BMW X4 and X6. This design choice, while potentially compromising rear visibility, was deemed acceptable. The front-end styling, inspired by the Buick Wildcat EV concept, featured a split lighting design with daytime running lights positioned above the actual headlights, which were integrated into vertical elements flanking the grille. This sleek design was a first for Buick, setting the Envista apart from its siblings, the Envision and Encore GX, which received similar styling as part of their mid-cycle refreshes. The Envista's interior, while similar to the Trax, offered a more streamlined look with softer materials, though some textures felt cheap. The cabin was a step up from the Trax, but still aligned with its entry-level status.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport emphasized a sportier aesthetic within the Range Rover family, with a taller stance and shorter wheelbase contributing to its athletic appearance. However, from certain angles, it appeared too tall and narrow, lacking the wide, planted look of some luxury SUVs. The lineup included SE, Dynamic SE, Autobiography, and SV Edition Two trims, with the Dynamic SE offering a Stealth appearance package. The SV Edition 2, the highest-performance model, featured carbon-fiber elements and a subtle exterior that belied its powerful capabilities. Inside, the Range Rover Sport maintained a minimalist aesthetic, with a focus on luxury and sportiness. The high console, dash, and door panels created a cockpit-like feel, though it made the front seats feel slightly cramped. Material quality was up to luxury standards, but the use of reflective piano black plastic was excessive.

The 2024 Buick Envista was powered by a 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine, producing 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque, paired with a six-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel drive. This setup, shared with the Trax, offered a refined driving experience, delivering power smoothly. Unlike its predecessor, the Buick Encore, the Envista did not offer an all-wheel-drive option, differentiating it from the Encore GX. The suspension setup included a torsion-beam rear suspension for base models, while models with 19-inch wheels featured a Buick-exclusive Watts Link rear suspension for improved ride quality. The front suspension was a MacPherson strut setup with Buick-specific tuning. The Envista handled bumps well and offered a comfortable ride, though it felt nervous on less-than-perfect pavement. Overall, it provided a more premium feel compared to the Trax, with quieter acceleration and a laid-back demeanor.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport offered multiple powertrain options, all with an eight-speed automatic transmission and standard four-wheel drive. The base SE model featured a 3.0-liter turbocharged inline-six engine with 355 horsepower and 369 pound-feet of torque. The Dynamic SE offered a higher output of 395 hp and 406 lb-ft, along with a plug-in hybrid powertrain rated at 454 hp and 487 lb-ft. The Autobiography trim increased the plug-in hybrid's output to 543 hp and 590 lb-ft, and also offered a BMW-sourced twin-turbocharged 4.4-liter V8 with 523 hp and 553 lb-ft. The SV Edition Two pushed the V8's output to 626 hp, making it the most powerful Range Rover model. It could accelerate from zero to 60 mph in 3.7 seconds, with a top speed of 180 mph. The Range Rover Sport excelled in both performance and luxury, with sport-tuned air suspension, four-wheel steering, and brake-based torque vectoring enhancing agility. It also retained off-road capabilities with the Terrain Response system and impressive ground clearance.

The 2024 Buick Envista was 14.2 inches longer than the outgoing Buick Encore, with a 5.7-inch wheelbase stretch, resulting in increased interior space. Rear-seat legroom grew by three inches, and shoulder room in both rows increased by about two inches. However, the coupe-like design reduced headroom slightly, especially for second-row passengers. The seats were comfortable for the price point, and the car-like design provided good outward visibility. Cargo space was limited, with 20.7 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 42 cubic feet with the seats folded, less than the Trax and other competitors.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport, positioned between the Range Rover Velar and the full-size Range Rover, offered a midsize two-row, five-seater configuration. Front-seat occupants had similar headroom to other midsize luxury SUVs, while rear-seat headroom was only slightly impacted by the sloping roof. The Range Rover Sport provided 31.9 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row and 53 cubic feet with the seats folded. It lacked a split tailgate but featured power operation and an "access height" setting for easier loading. The towing capacity was impressive, with turbo-six and V8 models rated at 7,716 pounds, and plug-in hybrids at 6,614 pounds.

The 2024 Buick Envista came standard with an 11-inch touchscreen and 8-inch digital instrument cluster, along with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging, and Wi-Fi connectivity. The user interface was similar to the Trax, with easy-to-use controls, though the center stack's tilt made it a bit of a reach for passengers. Optional tech features were limited, with no head-up display available, but the standard features were impressive for the price range.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport featured a 13.7-inch digital instrument cluster and a 13.1-inch touchscreen for infotainment, with wireless Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa integration. The screens looked great, but the minimalist design left few physical controls, making some functions less convenient. The Pivi Pro infotainment system was responsive, with natural-language voice recognition. The SV Edition 2 test car included "Body and Soul Seats" with embedded transducers for a unique audio experience, though it felt a bit gimmicky.

The 2024 Buick Envista's crash-test ratings were unavailable at the time of publication. Standard driver-assist features included automatic emergency braking, forward collision warning, lane-keep assist, and lane-departure warning. Optional features included adaptive cruise control, lane-change alert, and rear cross-traffic alert, similar to the Chevy Trax.

The 2025 Land Rover Range Rover Sport offered a comprehensive suite of standard driver-assist features, including automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, lane-keep assist, and blind-spot monitoring. A 360-degree camera system and digital rearview mirror aided parking, though the parking sensors were overly sensitive. Safety ratings were not available at the time of publication.