Buick Encore GX vs Buick Envista

The 2024 Buick Encore GX, a heavily refreshed model inspired by the 2022 Wildcat concept, was one of Buick's best-looking models for a while. It flaunted a completely new face with sleek daytime running lights perched above a fresh grille, flanked by angular LED lamps positioned just below on either side. Buick introduced a new logo with this model, adding a modern touch. The Avenir trim of the Encore GX, tested for this comparison, sported a unique grille and chrome trims, enhancing its upscale presence. The rear design saw minimal changes except for new LED tail lights on the top trims, maintaining a handsome package overall, especially with its available 19-inch wheels.

The color palette for the Encore GX broke away from dull shades of grey and beige, offering hues like brilliant red, deep blue, maroon, and even a striking Copper Ice Metallic. A few of these color options allowed for a black roof, mirrors, and roof rails, adding to the aesthetic appeal.

Inside the Encore GX, a significant change was the relocation of the HVAC vents to accommodate a new 19-inch glass panel housing the digital gauge cluster and touchscreen. Despite minor complaints about its functionality while running, this large glass panel lent the interior a premium, tech-forward look. Typical of General Motors (GM), some cheap-feeling plastics were present, and the interior color choices were limited to black or cream, making it hard to complain given the price point.

In contrast, the 2024 Buick Envista, built on the same platform as the Chevy Trax, embraced a different styling direction. Its sloping roofline gave it the "crossover coupe" appearance, previously exclusive to higher-end vehicles like the BMW X4 and X6. This coupe-like profile was combined with a new front-end styling inspired by the Wildcat EV concept from 2022, featuring a split lighting design with thin daytime running lights above and vertical headlights flanking the grille.

Unlike other crossovers like the Hyundai Kona and Jeep Cherokee, which had adopted a similar lighting arrangement, Buick's shark-nose prow design gave the Envista a sleeker appearance. The Envista, being the first Buick model to receive this front-end treatment from the start, wore it better compared to the mid-cycle refreshed Envision and Encore GX.

The ST grade of the Envista was distinguished by black exterior trim and 18-inch wheels (19-inch wheels optional), whereas the top-tier Avenir featured bright exterior trim and standard 19-inch wheels with a Pearl Nickel finish. Interior contrast stitching in blue (ST) and off white (Avenir) added a touch of sophistication to these trims.

The Envista's interior, similar to the Trax cabin with a few detail changes, opted for a smoother, more streamlined look, replacing the large round air vents and upturned surfaces. Soft-touch materials on the dashboard and door armrests were added, albeit with a grained texture that felt slightly cheap. The base Envista Preferred came with cloth-and-leatherette upholstery, while leather seats were standard on the Avenir. All versions of the Envista included a flat-bottom steering wheel and an eight-way power driver's seat standard on the Avenir, with this feature being optional on the Preferred and ST.

The 2024 Buick Encore GX under the hood carried over unchanged from its previous iteration. It offered both front-wheel drive (FWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD) configurations. The base Preferred trim came equipped with a 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine, delivering 137 horsepower and 162-pound feet of torque, paired with a continuously variable transmission (CVT).

However, all trims could be upgraded to a 1.3-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine, which provided 155 horsepower and 174-pound feet of torque, combined with a nine-speed automatic transmission. This turbocharged engine made the Encore GX reasonably responsive, achieving a 0-60 mph time of about nine seconds. Despite not being particularly quick, it held its own amongst competitors.

The small SUV exhibited some roughness on take-off and required patience during highway passing, with the transmission taking a noticeable time to downshift. The absence of a manual control mode limited its driving fun. Nevertheless, the Encore GX excelled as a city car, with a smooth-riding suspension that effectively soaked up rough pavements. The selectable AWD system allowed the driver to engage AWD when necessary, while competitors like the Honda HR-V offered automatic AWD engagement without driver intervention.

In the comparison, the 2024 Buick Envista featured a single powertrain option borrowed from the Trax, a 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission and FWD. This powertrain produced 137 horsepower and 162-pound feet of torque, identical to the Trax's output. Despite its small size, this engine-transmission combo delivered a refinement that belied its modest specs, providing a smooth power delivery akin to larger engines with more gears.

Unlike its AWD predecessor, the Buick Encore, the Envista was only available in FWD, distinguishing it from the AWD-capable Encore GX. The base Envista models were equipped with a torsion-beam rear suspension similar to the Trax, while those with 19-inch wheels featured a Buick-exclusive Watts Link rear suspension, enhancing ride quality. All models had a front MacPherson strut setup with Buick-specific bushings and damper tuning, resulting in a quieter ride over road imperfections.

During testing on Michigan's weathered roads, the Watts Link-equipped Envista ST coped with bumps admirably and handled corners nicely. However, it displayed some nervousness on straightaways with less-than-perfect pavements, with the rear end feeling unsettled unless the road was perfectly smooth.

Despite this minor issue, the Envista demonstrated an exemplary upgrade from a mainstream platform to a premium feel. It accelerated with sufficient urgency for highway merges, was quieter, and offered a laid-back driving experience compared to its Chevy counterpart, delivering the comfort expected from a Buick.

As a subcompact SUV, the 2024 Buick Encore GX Avenir offered modest utility, in line with much of its competition. It had a towing capacity limited to 1,000 pounds, but an available hands-free liftgate made loading the rear cargo area convenient. The cargo space behind the rear seats was 23.5 cubic feet, expanding to 50.2 cubic feet when the seats were folded down. With the front seat also folded, the Encore GX could accommodate items up to eight feet long, such as surfboards. The interior featured available heated seats and a heated steering wheel, but seat ventilation was not offered. Additionally, standard seats were only two-way power-adjustable, with the eight-way adjustable seats being exclusive to the top Avenir trim or available via the Comfort package on lower trims. An optional seven-speaker Bose audio system added to its premium feel.

Contrastingly, the 2024 Buick Envista, 14.2 inches longer than the outgoing Buick Encore, benefited from a 5.7-inch wheelbase stretch. Though slightly wider than the Encore, its coupe-like design resulted in a shorter height. These design characteristics contributed to a more fashionable look and provided interior space benefits. The extended wheelbase increased rear-seat legroom by three inches and improved shoulder room in both rows by about two inches, though headroom slightly decreased, particularly for second-row passengers.

The seats of the Envista, while priced reasonably, offered relative comfort without feeling overstuffed. The car-like design of the Envista resulted in less headroom compared to the Chevy Trax, despite offering similar passenger space to other entry-level crossovers like the Hyundai Venue and Nissan Kicks. The lower side glass and short hood provided good outward visibility, making it easy for drivers to maneuver in tight spaces.

However, the coupe-like design also affected cargo space. The Envista offered 20.7 cubic feet with the rear seats up, less than the Honda Civic hatchback. Folding the 60/40 split-folding rear bench seat expanded storage to 42 cubic feet, which was actually less than the older Encore, even though the rear-seat-up capacity was greater. The Chevy Trax provided more cargo space in both configurations, with 25.6 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 54.1 cubic feet with the seats folded.

The 2024 Buick Encore GX featured an 11-inch touchscreen paired with an 8-inch digital gauge cluster, housed under a single pane of glass. Despite its sleek look, the screen appeared to have unused real estate once illuminated, giving off a malfunctioning impression. However, the Encore GX came with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, USB-A and USB-C ports, an available wireless charging pad, and a 120-volt outlet. An available rear camera mirror provided a wider-angle view of the rear, enhancing visibility.

For those who preferred simplicity in infotainment systems, the Encore GX was ideal, featuring tiles for smartphone mirroring, climate control, settings, camera views, and a Wi-Fi hotspot, without the added complexity of integrations like Amazon Alexa or Google built-in.

In comparison, the 2024 Buick Envista, similar to the Trax, came standard with an 11-inch touchscreen and an 8-inch digital instrument cluster. It included wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, wireless phone charging, and Wi-Fi connectivity. The user experience was parallel to the Trax, with slight graphical differences but a familiar layout. The interface was user-friendly, and the retention of buttons and knobs for climate control and audio volume was appreciated.

However, the center stack tilted toward the driver, making these controls a bit of a reach for the front-seat passenger. The volume knob's placement at the top left corner of the touchscreen favored solo drivers or those who preferred passenger control over audio adjustments. As an entry-level vehicle, the Envista did not offer a long list of optional tech features. A head-up display was absent, and wireless phone charging was an optional extra on all but the top Avenir trim. Despite these omissions, the Envista's tech features were impressive for its price range, notably including a digital instrument cluster.

The 2024 Buick Encore GX included Buick’s Driver Confidence package as standard, featuring lane-keeping assist, lane-departure warning, automatic emergency braking, forward collision alert, a following distance indicator, and automatic high beams. Blind-spot monitoring was also standard. However, features like rear park assist, rear cross-traffic alert, adaptive cruise control, and a 360-degree camera were optional.

The Encore GX lacked customizable safety settings, and features like automatic braking could only be turned on or off, with no option to adjust sensitivity levels. However, it included unique safety features like Teen Driver, which allowed parents to monitor their child's driving habits with a report card secured by a password, and the Buckle to Drive feature, which prevented the car from shifting out of park without the driver’s seat belt fastened. The Buckle to Drive feature could be turned off if desired.

The NHTSA awarded the 2024 Encore GX a full five-star overall safety rating, with five stars each for frontal and side crash ratings and four stars for rollover. The 2024 model had not been rated by the IIHS at the time of this writing, but the 2023 model received 'Good' scores for crashworthiness and 'Superior' for front crash prevention involving cars and pedestrians, though its headlights and LATCH system received Acceptable to Marginal ratings.

In contrast, crash-test ratings for the 2024 Buick Envista from the IIHS and NHTSA were unavailable at the time of this publication. Standard driver assist tech on the Envista included automatic emergency braking (with front pedestrian braking), a following distance indicator, forward collision warning, automatic high beams, lane-keep assist, and lane-departure warning. Optional features mirrored those of the Chevy Trax, including adaptive cruise control, lane-change alert (with side blind-zone alert), rear cross-traffic alert, and rear park assist, typical for vehicles in this price range.