2024 Buick Encore GX review // We were shocked!
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- Опубліковано 24 сер 2024
- This is a Motormouth couple car review of the all-new Buick Encore GX with a shockingly good 3-cylinder turbocharged engine!
What’s new for 2024? The Buick Encore GX received mild powertrain enhancements, a new Avenir trim, fresh front end styling with a new grille and headlamps inspired by the Wildcat EV concept. There are new wheels designs, the new Buick Tri-shield badge and the Sport Touring model receives fresh, sporty details like a flat bottom steering wheel. The interior also gets a refresh with new technology including two screens under a single pane of glass and Buick Encore GX has added a rear seat reminder to this model. The base FWD powertrain is a 1.3L 3-cylinder matched to a CVT with 155 horsepower and 174 lb-ft of torque.
The Buick Encore GX AWD powertrain is a 1.3L 3-cylinder with a 9-speed automatic transmission, 155 horsepower and 174 lb-ft of torque.
In the US, there is also a 1.2L turbocharged 3-cylinder Buick Encore GX matched to a CVT, 137 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque.
Standard features for the Buick Encore GX include, an 11” diagonal touchscreen, wireless Apple Carplay and Android Auto, an 8” driver display, cloth with leatherette front seating, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, remote start, LED headlamps, 18” wheels and Buick Driver Confidence Technology. Available features on the base model include the moonroof and power tailgate.
The first ever Buick Encore GX Avenir model has exclusive exterior features like an Avenir grille, 19” wheels with Pearl Nickel finish, LED taillights with clear lenses, chrome and gloss black accents. The interior includes the Avenir logo embroidered on the seats. Overall, the Encore GX interior is quite elegant looking especially at this price point with the available touchscreen and digital driver display under a single pane of glass.
In Canada, the Preferred Buick Encore GX FWD model starts at $32,448 CAD, Preferred AWD $34,448 CAD, Sport Touring AWD $36,098 CAD and Avenir AWD $39,378 CAD.
In the US, the Preferred Buick Encore GX 1.2T starts at $26,895 USD, Sport Touring 1.3T $28,095 USD and Avenir 1.3T $33,195 USD.
Fuel economy for the FWD models are very close. The 1.2L FWD model gets 8.1L/100 km, 29 MPG city and 7.8L/100 km, 30 MPG highway. 1.3L FWD 8.1L/100 km, 29 MPG city and 7.6L/100 km, 31 MPG highway. The 1.3L AWD model gets 9.1L/100 km, 26 MPG city and 8.4L/100 km, 28 MPG highway.
Andrea Instagram / motormouth_andrea
Zack Instagram / motormouth_auto
After watching your video, we test drove the 2024 Encore GX AWD and my wife immediately fell in love with it. It has been a great vehicle around town. I was pleasantly surprised on a 600-mile trip, when we averaged just over 32 MPG. The dealer also offered a substantial discount from MSRP, making it an affordable option.
What dealershipm How much off and which trim level. Thanks
Glad that Buick is getting reviewed, not many channels I subscribe to hardly review Buicks.
Don't miss our Buick Envista Review on 07/11 👍
Buick has a soft spot in my heart as our first family car in Canada was a '92 Buick Park Avenue. My father adored that car.
Love my 2021 Encore GX. Plenty of pep and getting 35 mpgs and 491 to a tank full.
Just bought a 2024 Buick Encore GX Avenir today and don't regret it! Your review was super helpful and spot on. Thank you!
Report back in a year.
Show us the car on your UA-cam channel.
Pretty sad how smaller vehicles always seem to called "entry-level" & "budget" vehicles. Not everyone wants big, bloated vehicles to drive on the roadways & parking lots, but they do still want some nice/premium trim levels on their smaller subcompact or compact vehicle & are willing to pay extra for them.
It's also sad that we've come to the day where 30k vehicles are "budget vehicles"
@@mr.anderson2257 That IS so true.
I’ve been looking at Buicks lately. I have a 22 passport that I love but geez 2 recalls and a few other things I’ve been looking at other options. It will be a while but I’m impressed at the encore and envision My aunt always had Buicks but I’m in my 40s and will definitely consider it. Thanks and I love watching you 2
You are my "go to" video for BEST overall reviews!
Rented one in Arizona, I truly was impressed. It was great on fuel. I was shocked it was a 3 cylinder with a turbo. And you both are correct, that cvt felt like a traditonal automatic transmission which fooled me for sure. A great bang for the bucks. It also got a lot of looks when driving and parked. Great on you GM with the new design on this Buick 👏🏽 👍🏽.
All things considered, it beats its competition. I just bought the GX-ST(AWD) (Ontario winters). Stunning exterior & interior. Roomy inside. Great size for the city and lots of pep on the highway.
Currently driving one as a rental and it’s not bad!
Don't know why, I want Buick to be more successful then it is. My first car was 1991 Buick Park Avenue, and enjoyed my ride for years. Great video guys!
Same here - but mine was a 1961 Buick Special Wagon (in 1972). We also had a 1964 Buick Le Sabre new. Both great cars.
not gonna lie they have never been my cup of tea but at the same time ik why ppl buy them and its the comfort all their vehicles are so damn comfy and have super soft and plush seats. Great for old ppl or anyone with some sort of chronic pain
We've had one for a year ago this month, been very pleased with it
After driving a Trailblazer with the 3cyl I also came away very impressed. I actually prefer the sound and feel of a 3cyl over a 4cyl. Has a unique growl like I remember in my 5 cyl Audi.
it seems like three cylinders have more lumpy shaking vs four cylinders are smooth but sometimes more buzzy. Either way, turbo is nice because they have a softer more mellow exhaust note.
I was shocked too……..when I saw the engine is the same size as the battery 🤣
I would go Corolla cross ! 👍
Corolla Cross is a piece of junk, not saying Buicks are high quality but at least the value is good here with this one, and there is some tech unlike with all Toyotas, those rust and no turbo Toyota ever had good reliability
@@Brian-jv8iythanks for a good laugh
It’s a nice little car. My wife has one. That 3 cylinder turbo is more then adequate. Just make sure you get the AWD version to avoid the CVT
Just the opposite, buy with the more efficient CVT and avoid the AWD whose extra 250lbs will sap horsepower and mileage.
If you know, how does it do with hills? I have to keep up at highway speeds climbing some fairly steep grades.
@@In-obscurity-n7j we haven’t had any issues with hills. It has more horsepower and torque then most sedans and small crossovers
Have you found a way to show the current radio/music playing on the instrument screen? I test drove one today and noticed that.. the salesperson said it doesn’t show what music is playing which irks me. I keep Apple CarPlay on maps usually on the main infotainment, so having to switch between Xm/carplay to see what’s playing would be frustrating.
@@amandal7152You can split the screen with Spotify, but not Sirius XM. I just leave it on maps and use steering wheel buttons to change Sirius stations
You two always hit the key points we consumers need to be aware of. And if you two are impressed with the new GX, it must be a damn good car since you have a Porsche, One thing I'd like to note. There are VERY FEW new Lexus or Toyota cars to be found so making comparisons to those cars is rather funny.
Great review! Surprisingly impressed with the all new Encore GX hoping to test drive one real soon and get my own opinion on the vehicle.
did u test drive one yet, did u like it?
Lots of fond memories from my 1986 Grand National. Never forgave Chevy for neutering Buicks sporting ambitions.
Great review as always guys! I test drove this in 2021 but that 1.3 turbo was quite noisy. Seems like Buick improved interior noise levels though. I loved the look of it though, but ended up with Mazda cx5.
Great choice. Mazda builds great cars.
The 3 cyl is too small and the upside is that you can buy a replacement lawnmower engine at Lowes.
Thanks for reminding me Buick remains relevant in Canadian and American marketplace. I have seen more Buick in Shanghai in one day than in Vancouver for a whole year. Other than rental lots. Perhaps I am getting old. My association with Buick, remain stuck in Century/Regal/LeSabre/Park Avenue/Roadmaster vintage.
Hello : as usual you are the best.
As you may know, I am a retiree but I have been working for many years at GM France for Opel and Saab.
Now, Opel belongs to Stellantis and only the Insignia, in Europe, has GM roots. But it is funny to find in this Buick still some global GM clues we found on Opels, like buttons, shifters, steering wheel...Do not forget that during the last GM period, Opel and Buick made twin cars.
Salut from shiny Champagne region ( 25°).
Both the 1.2 L and 1.3 L motors are based on GM Europe engineering, mainly Opel when they were part of GM
Nice review. The feul economy is a disappointment for sure.
Hm, can’t recall ever hearing Andrea say “Gosh!”. Must be good. 👌🏻
I love your reviews & videos 🥰 Searching for a new car and this is really helping me out. Good job 👍
great review! I saw the sneaky preview of the Envista in the beginning of this vid; I’m looking very forward to that review!!
Yes, the Envista review drops 07/11!
@@andreaspencer9813 hell yeah! I’ll keep an eye out
@@evdanielsson7 Awesome!
The warranty is 3yr 36k bumper to bumper and 5yr 60k for powertrain
GM needs to add a hybrid or PHEV option (or both) to the Encore GX and Trailblazer.
Not at all. BUICK is doing just fine without those options. I'm glad they are sticking with their roots, not all auto makers need hybrids
Unfortunately they will be 100% electric by 2030
@@thejake754 Explain to my how it couldn't benefit any legacy automaker to have hybrid versions of their cars.
For coastal cities yes, otherwise hybrid is a waste for long 85+ mph straight
@@thejake754 In a report by Automotive News, the two brands are reportedly going to be GM’s first brands to go 100% electric. GM’s scaling up its electrification plans, with goals of its whole light-duty fleet shifting to EV by 2035. Cadillac and Buick will be the first, with full electrification to come in 2030. But hey don’t believe me …
you can also just google it, genius… Bloomberg, Gm Authority, Reuters, Automotive news, etc. it was announced in June of 2022 by GM itself. Cadillacs and Buicks are set to go full EV by 2030.
'Buick Driver Confidence' - one of the more ironically named packages on a car.
Andrea, it’s that screen. It’s the shape of 1950 reading glasses. Totally puts me off of this Buick.
It’s amazing how it’s sooo polarizing
I can’t imagine a long road trip at night with that giant screen blasting into your eyes. At least in my car, I can turn the center screen completely off easily to minimize eye strain.
Very attractive from the outside. But, it seems to lack the Buick level of comfort ie. hard plastics, no power passenger seat, etc. And, like Zach said, mpg is a killer.
Fule economy is actually better than advertised!
There are some videos that test that.
Here in Mexico, I guy went 21km on ONE liter of gas! This is crazy.
We chose the Seltos SX over this...
My wife has a 23. Loves it
Great video. I’m really curious what the 2024 Envision will be like.
How perfect it would be to import to the European market. Here in EU we have a completely different culture and laws to US and this 1.3 liter engine fits perfectly with EU tax regulations.
Lovely couple , subscribe.
I just test drove the 2024 Chevy Trax and the 2024 Buick Encore GX two days ago. Your review on the trax had me run to do so. Tbh i didnt leave the Trax overly impressed at all and am nit really sure why. My daughter however didnt like the screen display much. Then we drove the Buick and were shockingly impressed. Really liked it actually. Found it zippy like a Hyundai Venue rental i loved in summer. Would love to see a review for the Venue from you. Appreciate your reviews very much, time to subscribe. Have a friend thats a dealer manager that asked me to go test drive the Buick Encore. The price point though is higher than the Hyundai Venue. Thoughts? Feedback/advice?
HIM: this is the entry level AWD...
HER: we've got the FWD model...
I drive the 2016 CrossTrek and this Encore has me jealous in a few ways. Not about to give up my CrossTrek, but the Encore looks like a nice car!
It is an interesting option over the competition. Great pricing. I absolutely think that Buick’s Quiet Tune Technology (as in my older ‘07 Allure) is top notch. It definitely is an improvement (noise-wise) over other General Motors products (sedans), including Cadillac. Thanks for the video.
Just rented one of these. Same color too. I admit I was surprised at how much I liked it. Fun to drive, and zippy around town and on the highway. Eye catching design inside and out. Don't know how many Buick will sell, but if they don't it's not because the vehicle is lacking in any area.
I know Andrea likes 'drivers' cars, but I'd love to see a review of the Envision with the Continuous Damping Control - can it really mute those harsh "bang - bang - bang" cracks across concrete or deteriorating bitumin roads? Loved the info in this base Encore rvw. THANKS!
My parents have the 2020 We Encore they bought it in 2019.
I guess it was just under 20K with rebates.
The back seat leg room looks fine even if the numbers don't suggest it.
Some second and third rows look like punishment.
I did watcha fellow on UA-cam reviewing the same model. He's 6'2". As he sat in back to show it off, his knees were pressed well into the back of the driver's seat. When he got out, he had to do a little contortion acrobatics to free himself,at which time he recommended that the back is best suited just for children or smaller adults. Nice looking vehicle with nice features. Good pricing. I'm tempted, but sure looks a bit cramped. And 50 cubic feet storage with the back seats folded flat. The KIA Seltos has 62.8 cu. feet. It can better hold my fishing tackle, ice chest, etc. To each his own.😅
Base model isn't shabby with the extra features but we went with the Envision Preference for the 4cyl 228 HP FWD. The CVT was a deal breaker.
Buick's are so smooth. I love my Regal. It's my favorite standard brand.
This has nothing to do with the car. But Zack, i love the bright blue shoes. Really makes your outfit pop.
Why thank you!
Love this suv 😍😍😍
Lovely couple!
That is the exact same drive line that's in the new Nissan Rogue. A 3 cylinder engine is the most unbalanced engine u can put in a vehicle, coupled with a CVT. It's a cheap way for the manufacturer to pump out a lot of vehicles for cheap but the consumer will suffer in the end..
@lobohobo9218 They always are when they're new, give it some time, just a little past the warranty. 😁
No, the most unbalanced is one cylinder engine, then two. 3- cylinder engines are 3rd on unbalanced list.
i fell off my chair when you mention the price 39k
Sorry, never going to buy a 3 cylinder turbo with a CVT. Might last 100K miles tops. Within 3-5yrs it'll be in pieces or a lawn ornament. Good review though, as usual. 👍
Proof?
Weird! Not me.
Cheap to produce motor thats the only reason i can think of.
There isn't an incentive they could offer me to purchase this vehicle. The 1.3 L, turbo engine won't make it to 150, 000 kms.
Yep. This is a $15k vehicle.
GM, Ford, and Chrysler only need to make it past the short warranty. After that, it's your problem/ expense.🤑💰🙄
Disappoint fuel economy considering it is a 3 cylinder…i mean step up to the Rogue with a 3 cylinder and it gets better economy.
Rogue? Lmfao 🤣 Nissan is sh*t! Utter sh*t I’d rather drive this GX compared to a Nissan rogue
Sorry but what is a CVT and why is everyone bashing it?
Buick is luxury brand in China and where GM still made money during it’s bankrupcy. GM didn’t discontinue the brand in the US because of China.
I luvvv mine except the Infotainment system keeps freezing up.
I have encore regular oil change every 5k.
Engine never overheat . 120k miles
Good dependable car
Yes it is slow. Torque
Turbo. You can by pass others car easily. Nice intriors
I've been looking forward to this video Andrea. Nice compact SUV which looks very handsome too, quite sleek and stylish inside too!
I like all the updates to this model 👌
@@andreaspencer9813you could have gotten them in other brands 3 years ago...🧐🤔
I hope you review a Buick Envision soon.
How reliable will these 3 cylinder engines be? Especially turbocharged which adds lots of heat and wear
Not very.
St and its a 3cyl, I would prefer the Subaru crosstrek
It’s really a handsome vehicle but not enough features and not really good gas mileage. Not bad tho. You and Zack sitting position makes me think it’s kind of narrow. Great video Andrea! 👍🏻👍🏻☕️☕️
I also think it's pricey on that top trim, you can get a compact crossover at that price, not subcompact.
@@andreaspencer9813 true! 👍🏻👍🏻☕️☕️
Oh wow!! This is the best one yet! 2:00 pause and look at the perfect side profile of Andreas foot. So gorgeous
Why is the warranty period in North America so short? In Australia we get 5 years at least, and 7 years on some Korean/Chinese brands
Even the Honda CRV AWD which is heavier and with a larger engine has a better fuel consumption !! That's a sign the 3 cylinder engine is not suited for the car.
It's handsome and suits my city car needs. I'd lease for 2 or 3 years.
I thought the Encore was comparable to the Chevy Trax not the Trail Blazer, am I wrong?
The Envista and Trax share the same platform. The Encore GX and Trailblazer share the same platform.
I’m super curious how it handles steep grades and hills. I live in a hilly city that has stop lights in the middle of an incline. It’s probably a no for me, but it looks so neat.
Just got back from going up and down the mountains of Colorado and it flew.
@@lobohobo9218GTK. Was just asking that very question.
Sign the papers and the value plummets 50 percent.
I think the warranty changed from 4 years to 3!years.
As always, you both provide us with excellent and informative videos. Thanks Andrea and Zack.
As a Canadian, living in Saskatoon Saskatchewan, I have to wonder if this vehicle with the small 1.3T engine is capable of providing any real heat on a cold minus 20C (or colder) winter day. I also wonder about it’s long term reliability, as it is a turbo engine. A combination of turbo engine and CVT (CVT transmissions do not like the cold) make me wonder about the true long term reliability. My wife and I would likely purchase this vehicle to keep for another 10 years and then end your driving in our 80’s, so that’s why I ask these questions.
If you have time to answer, then thank you so much. Keep making such great content.
Umm, it comes with a separate heater.
@@lobohobo9218 Please do not make insulting comments such as you have. I fully understand that is has a separate heating system loop to heat the interior cabin. I asked the question as a friend has a new Nissan Rogue which uses a 3 cylinder engine and it can barely make sufficient heat within the cabin to provide comfort, especially on a minus 20 - 30 Celcius day, which is very common here in Saskatchewan. Nissan tells him that they cannot do much except to have him drive it a lot to get the engine up to heat. The issue is that it lacks a sufficient volume of coolant with only 3 cyclinders, to also provide any amount of cabin heat. Perhaps that is just a Nissan issue but it is one that has significance to a Saskatchewan driver when they are on the highway for an hour of more travelling between centers.
@@RegCoulter Dude, can you not read?? It has a seperate heater that has nothing to do with the engine temp, which I never even mentioned.
@@lobohobo9218 Hello - unless there is something that the dealer’s do not know that only you do, they have advised me that this model uses a standard engine coolant loop system with interior radiator for cabin heating as well as a standard blower motor (this is standard practice). It does have, an engine block heater designed to heat the coolant via plugging in an electrical extension cord to a 120 Volt outlet (this is also standard practice in cold and winter locals in North America). The block heater has nothing to do with providing cabin heat while the vehicle os in operation. Is it possible that this is what you are thinking of?
I appreciate your feedback, but the condescending tone is not required. I am not here to get into a pissing contest, rather to ask of Zack and Andrea (who are Canadians who live in an area of the country that does experience a cold and snowy winter) what their thoughts are. Nothing more and nothing less.
Have a good day!🙂
@@RegCoulter If you get the ST trim or higher it comes with an auxiliary cabin heater.
My first car was a 1960 Buick Electra 225. I really liked that car until my first date, and I realized my date was sitting 3.5 feet away from me. I got a smaller car after that.
I was thinking it's a really nice package. Then I heard the fuel economy numbers...
Get a '24 Trax if you don't need AWD & a power tail/lift gate.
27MPG AWD🤦♂ I might as well get a mid size pickup. No Hybrid then not interested.
I LOVE my '22 Encore GX - the peppiness is awesome at every speed! But everyone dumps on the "fragile" 3 cylinder engine. Can you share the other cars with 3 cylinders: I know some Bronco Sports, some BMWs... Thanks!
The old Geo/Chevy Metros had a 3 cylinder as a base engine. Not powerfull as a car engine, but reliable.
I don't understand why people get hung up on number of cylinders=reliability. Not really the case.
The Rev4 2.5L gets one mpg better with 203 hp and max torque of 184 in a bigger vehicle 😮
That 2.5 litre engine in the Rav4 gets a 40% thermal efficiency(so fuel energy value going in, vs energy coming out). I doubt these Buick engines are any where near this number.
JD Power isn’t a reputable source.. Companies pay them for reviews!
Proof please
@@Motormouth... example: Honda is 24th out of 32 automakers. No one in America takes JD seriously! Look at what Consumer Reports has to say about them..
@@mfbikle still not proof
I have a 2013 buick regal and looking forba new car. I really like this Encore but afraid the engine or camshaft will go bad at 40k miles like mybRegal did and now the evaporator is leaking freon and thays gonna be a 2k job. Buick makes me nervous.
Why the hell is the passenger seat higher than the driver seat??
Drivers seat has power adjustment upwards and downwards
No Navigation or Vented seats??
Just a rebadged Daewoo with a fancier interior than the Chevy one. Also, since GM can't make 4 cyl engines right, it has a 3 cyl to get m.p.g. Definitely way behind Toyota, Mazda, Kia, and Hyundai. 🧐🤔🙄
CVT...?!?? Why!?!!
If it gets to 100,000 miles without the engine blowing up I’ll be surprised.
Who cares, with used car prices you drive it for two years and sell for what you paid for it; it's like driving for free.
@@lobohobo9218 exactly, I am simply baffled by the used car market nowadays.
@@lobohobo9218 thats like old eastern block economy in the late 70s early 80s, now old commie economics
in 2023 clownada. congrats
@@shivamx008 Nothing baffling about it, the #1 supplier of used cars is rental fleets and they have been unable to get their hands on new cars for three years, hence no used cars to flood the market.
@@lobohobo9218 makes sense.
No to 3 cylinders, better a crosstrek
Hello guys. Congratulations on your excellent podcast. I am writing from Poland, where, sadly, Buicks are not available. Are they sold anywhere else in Europe? As you provide information on a car's torque figures you do that using Pound/Feet, hence my question: is there a simple way of converting this data into newtonmetres, which is commonly used here?
Pomnóż przez 1,356. Or ask Google: NNN ft lbs to nm (replace NNN with the old fashioned torque value).
It's just a name. In the past some models (or maybe just one) were made in Germany; recently they were made in China. When foreign-manufactured vehicles are imported into U.S. by American companies, the vehicles' origin is not mentioned...
buick (north american) has nothing to offer on european market that would sell well. in the past opel mokka was the same car as buick encore. I suspect it was born as european car later adopted for NA market. considering stelantis now owns opel you will never see any buick in european dealerships
I personally think they messed this facelift up. Looks terrible on the exterior imo. Not a fan. Not your fault. Give your head a shake GM lol. Keep up the great work guys!
Buick hits another home run. This along with the upcoming Envista prove the value and superior technology of Buick. Not you're great grandfather's car! 🇺🇸💀🥳
What kind of game is Buick playing? That thing has POS written all over it.
I feel like this thing is inferior to the Taos in every way? This is smaller, pricier, less powerful engine, 3 cyl, and has worse fuel economy. And the Taos gets most of these "luxury" features and then some
Yes, the Taos is a nice car...but VW repair costs down the road -- how do they compare with GM? VW has a reputation for pricey repairs. Is this fact or fiction?
When will you review the envista?
It’s a same for today engineering to make a 1.3L engine that returns only 28 MPG 😑
I traded my jeep for the envision avenir.. and I love it.. definitely turned into a Buick person..
Welcome to SAIC. Envision is 💯% built and designed in China.
how is it going?
1.2 liter 3 cyl and cvt made by GM? Nope.
10 years ago, maybe. These days, I wouldn’t consider anything without an electrified drivetrain.
Hopefully better than before..........2015 and 2016 in the family and nothing but problems when they both hit 100K miles........many oil and coolant leaks, cat converter issues.
Anyone know how do the turbo 3s perform in hill , mountain terrain. Can they keep up in a highway climb at highway speeds.
You have to get out and push. When was the last new car that couldn't "keep up in a highway climb at highway speeds"??? A 1986 Yugo...?
@@lobohobo9218 there are more than I can count. Every day 75mph until we start the climb. Half way up a lot are down to 60 and most will not move over.
On a trip down the I5 we had no problem passing trucks at 65 mph, no problem going uphill on B.C. Canada roads, fine on dirt roads. With all terrain tires might be okay on well maintained mountain roads to the campground and such
Question: why are manufacturers going with the piano shiny black. Don't They know it's a pain to constantly keep clean due to fingerprints and dust?
Couldn't agree more. It's a real pain in my car. I have to keep a swiffer in the vehicle if I want it to look halfway decent. A really stupid idea.
Cost. Probably very cheap.
Because they're dumb and lazy and they think people are like crows, attracted to shiny objects.
the location of the brake lights in the bumper is total lunacy