I appreciate the call out in the beginning. A lot of people complain about prices and say they want cheap transportation, but they don't want to give up their tech and safety features. It's no surprise that the sub 20-25K cars are going away when the standards for base models of vehicles have skyrocketed in the past 5-10 years
Yes, those are different kinds of shoppers. I don’t see there being a big market for “new, small, cheap, sedan” even in today’s inflated economy. The sub-$30k buyer is way more likely to be buying a used car that’s larger and better equipped than this - or the less expensive Trax. The small-car buyer is more likely to prefer an actually smaller car that’s more fun or more practical.
To be honest, they can keep the tech, just build a handsome, durable car in the 20k range. I don't need another iPad, and certainly not a four-wheeled one that shares my driving stats and personal info with an insurance database. Ugh.
We ended up with a Trax LT though I really do like the Buick. The Trax is a much better value IMHO. So far it’s been a wonderful car to drive. It seems that people want to disparage it without even driving one.
@@afcgeo882 He said "more". Of course 30-60 is important but if you're a typical suburban or city driver 0-30 is what you're using the most unless you do a lot of freeway driving.
So many people believe the GM Envista is going to be a failure. Give it some time people! You will be surprised. I have the Envista and i love it. So many people are big on the larger engines and afraid to get the Envista. I Once owned a Mizubishi with a 1.3 engine and it drove forever with no issues, and it also had a CVT. any time new cars a produced, there's going to be some kind of issues or recalls. If you get one I wish everyone lots of luck!
@@Peace4Me09 Hey there - I have the Sport Touring trim. I really love it. Still no issues at all. I live in Syracuse, NY. Soon ill see how it drives in the snow. Good luck with your purchase
Love my 24 Premier Envista. Two months in. The dealer did add convince package 1 for 1295, advance safety package for 595, and convince package 2 for 595. Final price 26,620.
We just got this car, a ‘24 Envista Preferred. I do like it a lot, but it hasn’t been reliable unfortunately… Our engine blew up - literally, not even joking - with 1,366 miles on the clock. 🙃 Left oil and metal all on the ground and under the hood. The dealer also left a piece of a bolt under the hood too, but I noticed when we first took delivery of the car, you couldn’t give it any serious gas over half throttle because the engine light would come on and stay on for a long time. There was a report I read of another young lady who had the same issue as we did on her ‘24 Trax: the car’s engine light came on early, dealer replaced a spark plug, it started shooting out blue and black smoke and then the engine blew a hole in itself shortly after. Since this happened, we’re both working on a repair and/or buyback. But it’s been a slow process. A shame - because again, it’s a nice vehicle. If you can get one that doesn’t explode, I recommend it. I was getting 40-45 MPG on commutes before it imploded no problem. Envista is also comfortable and has a good sound system and tech, like adaptive cruise. Nice review as always!
@@tonyn3227 Because like Alex mentioned - it’s actually affordable, unlike basically everything else these days. And reasonably stylish. My mom and grandmother bought it to be specific. And women of their age probably don’t need much more than 130 HP to just run errands around town a few times a week… For someone like myself who travels and drives more - I would’ve went elsewhere. I do question how reliable these will be 5-10 years down the road, seriously… I have a frat brother that loves his ‘23 Trailblazer with the 1.3T 3-cyl. and wouldn’t let me even hardly speak a bad word about our Envista blowing up lol. GM diehard guy. 🙄
"I will always blame the turbo." Gosh knows what actually happened with these cars, but I swear I will go to the grave having NEVER TOUCHED a vehicle with a turbocharged engine. Elvis knew what was going on: "Lookin' for trouble? You came to the right place."
I don't think the Envista is a commuter car. It's marketed as a city car. I have the ST and 6,600 miles on it and it working just fine. My average is 39.4 mpg. I love my car.
Regarding the whole “evolution of the sedan” thing. What’s really interesting is that sedans have evolved into today’s coupes. They’re longer, lower, wider and much more focused on style and/or driving dynamics than their SUV counterparts. They are often today’s enthusiasts choice over boxier, higher riding alternatives that have become the new mainstream vehicles in the US just like 2-doors used to be the enthusiasts choice over 4-doors. I don’t blame Buick for trying something new when their demographic doesn’t seem to want to drive 3-box land barges that sit low and have very little ground clearance.
Completely agree with your point about the grill. Buick now looks like one of those vehicles in the movies where the logo has been blurred out or removed
Excellent point . I made a comment on a different video that you could put a logo on from any manufacturer and no one would notice. I don’t see “Buick” in this design.
While it's true, we can't say for sure about the long term durability of any new engine, Americans should keep in mind that they've been using tiny turbo engines in Europe for decades without too much misery. This particular engine has been in service for four years now with no serious design problems. Even mighty Toyota can't say that about their new turbos.
@@dontdoxmebro Cars are cars dude. Most engines nowadays will go for 250, 300,000 miles or 10-14 years. Also Texas is nice and sunny with no winter to deal with. Here in Canada salt on the road 4 months a year is murder on everything but the engine.
You also have to take him to consideration how people drive their cars... Some people have their foot to the floor every time they drive and drive down the highway at 85.. 90 mph.. a lot of people just beat their cars to death and expect them to last for 25 years... It's just not going to happen
One important consideration: both this and the Chevrolet Trax come in a slew of honest-to-goodness exterior colors that break with competitors. Personally I love the side profile view of the Envista as well as the horn rimmed glasses styled instrument panel. Also, I love the optional champagne/orange metallic color that some Envistas come in. But, I would choose the Trax simply because of its much more practical shape. I would not mind trying to own one long term to see how that little three popper would do over ten years of ownership. GM has genuinely surprised me with this and the Trax.
@@NathanMoist A thing of beauty is a joy forever. Must not have been a nice gauge cluster. Most modern screen "gauges" imo are pretty mid at best and terrible at worst. I've seen a handful of neat ones but not many I'd consider classic. But the screen gap and small size of the display in that Buick along with how it's awkwardly plastered to the dash with a giant bezel is by far the ugliest thing about it. The actual digital display is just meh. Forgettable, which is not a sin. But not that housing.
Price.. its saves some cash, and times millions sold it adds up. Also.. I am not sure it matters.. as long as they are bright.. who cares? I have actually had worse luck with LED's in these types bulbs.. and incandescent seem more reliable. Also.. cars that go full LED.. a lot of times you have to buy the ENTIRE housing as one piece for just one bulb failure... vs a $2 light bulb.
@@kens97sto171 Yes. I honestly don't understand the LED fanaticism. Incandescents supposedly don't last as long, but I've seen LEDs burn out just as quickly. I can tell you my 17yr old truck has only had each exterior incandescent bulb replaced once and they are cheaper than LEDs. What people don't realize is that these LED headlights and taillights sometimes require replacement of the whole unit, not just the bulb, and it's over $1,000 to replace the pair. It's just idiotically stupid. Give me easy-to-replace $5 incandescent bulbs all day.
@@afcgeo882 True, but they're one of the very few to use them at that time in headlights. High powered LEDs aren't the same kind of design as the low powered ones you would see in tail lights and turn signals.. Headlights tend to be on for long periods of time. And in the Toyota's case I think they use them anytime the car is powered up. With brake lights turn signals you have momentary use. Theoretically LEDs would be good for this, in reality I've generally found lower reliability in smaller LED bulbs like this. Even high quality ones. They should theoretically last basically forever. Reality is they don't. I've got incandescent bulbs in a Jeep that's almost 30 years old. You also have the replacement cost. They often are not a replaceable individual component in a tail light. Or a headlight for that matter. And rather than changing out a $2 bulb you're buying a $500 enclosure. Not really ideal for the customer. And I really don't see what the difference is anyway. Does the light come on? Is it bright enough to be seen? If the answer is yes why the hell does it matter what type of lighting technology it is? Especially in turn signals and reverse lights and brake lights. Those items are only on momentarily. If they draw more power it's not really going to make any difference. In lights that are on continuously like headlights certainly having the lower power consumption helps with efficiency. And it turn signal bulb it isn't going to matter at all
This is another one of those things that normal people who don't follow auto journalists constantly don't really care about. Same with a twist-beam axle, the number of gears an automatic transmission has (beyond 5 or 6) and rear drum brakes before that.
It'll be interesting to see how these sell. There's nothing wrong with it, inside or out. It looks cool and clean, and more expensive than it is. If only GM still owned the Opel brand - if these had an Opel badge, they'd be a hit - a cool, unexpected Euro car at a very fair price. The biggest hurdle is the Buick badge. Also interesting that there's nothing inherently more expensive about making an X6 over and X5 other than model positioning. Why not make an economy car the same X6 shape? Good on GM! A genuinely intriguing new segment.
Some corrections: The power liftgate and power drivers seat are available on the base model. In fact you can get everything available on the avenir trim minus the styling and armrest in the backseat for under $27k.
You're absolutely right... I got mine with all the bells and whistles and retail was 26.. with my trade in I ended up paying 22 for mine... And I got everything that the avenir has minus the stitching on the seats and the headrest that I really could care less about
I am younger than 40 and I would much rather have my grandmother LeSabre than this. Some of us want big, comfortable, couches on wheels with basic powertrains and don't care about these non-off road capable SUVs.
The vast majority of people would rather the higher seating position so they don’t have to bend their fat belly to get in a low sedan. That’s what it really comes down to.
Loved my ‘99 lesabre custom. Bench seats, 3800 series v6, ate highway miles like nothing. Wish gm would bring something like it back. The last year they made the lesabre, the base custom model was 27,000 MSRP which translates to 47,000 2024 dollars. Envista is nearly half the price, hence Alex’s continuous amazement at the price. And last I checked, 50k near luxury big boaty sedans weren’t selling. Even if they brought back the lesabre I couldn’t afford it either. And for that money you can get a Lexus es360, to boot. Rather than compare it to what it’s not trying to be, it is better to appreciate the envista for what it is. Cheap entry level luxury adjacent transportation.
@@LarimdaME there's a place for entry level cars. Back in the 90s, there was the skylark, Century, and Regal priced below the LeSabre. The point is the automotive press likes to tell people younger than 40 what they are supposed to like (a stereotype of wanting tight handling, no padding with mountain high bolstering, too much tech, high strung engines, etc). My point is NO I do not want any of those things. I want a comfortable car for 7+ hour trips on terrible road conditions on straight roads because that are what my roads are like.
I was just thinking about my LeSabre before I saw this comment. I miss that car. It was a 1998 and man talk about a reliable car. It also drove good. It was a great car. And when I was looking for something new, I wanted something big. I didn’t want any of the modern day sedans unless I got an Impala, Lacrosse, or maybe an Avalon, or a sports car (American sport car) because it’s like that guy said, we want big sedans that is long as a couch or boat. I was not interested in a mid size sedan like a Camry or Altima with a 4 cylinder engine. I wanted a V6 or V8. What I originally wanted was a Full Size Truck, but the prices were too high even for a pre-owned. I got me a Jeep Grand Cherokee instead and I think I’m happier with that than a full size truck. But I do wish they bring the LeSabre back.
I bought the 2024 Trax when they first came out. So far, we've got almost 20,000 miles on it with zero issues. Hope it continues. I do like the crossover style better than the Buick.
It gets worse. This engine has a timing belt, and not just any kind of timing belt- a wet belt. Meaning the chamber where the belt is is not separated from the part of the engine that has oil flowing through it. This accelerates belt wear but can also cause slipping, which given these are interference engines grenades the top half of the engine. I would avoid owning these cars at all cost. Lease if you can get a good deal but NEVER buy one of these.
Same feeling, GM/Ford/Stellantis are a relative bargain brand new… until 5+ years from now when things fall apart. Been down this road many times. When the 2011 Ford Fiesta came out, it also was a bargain compared to the Civic, until it’s Powershift transmission blew out. I feel like the same thing will happen to this turbo 3.
the issues in the hatch with the cover not fitting and being able to fit the roller if it was dropped slightly is a very classic GM (lazy) thing to do. Get so close yet never want to go the extra distance. It's not like the cost would change.
I just bought a 25 Envista preferred... And I love it... One of the first things you notice is how quiet the cabin is... These cars all have active noise cancellation in them and you really hear very little wind or road noise at all... At 70 mph going down the highway you can carry on a conversation just fine in a normal tone of voice without hearing any wind noise or road noise... I've got all the bells and whistles on my car and I didn't get an avenir... So far I'm averaging about 28 miles per gallon in the city
How do you turn on the active noise cancellation. ? I test drove an Avenir and it was loud, lots of wind noise, road noise. One of the main reasons I'm not buying was the road noise.
You can't see it but I'm rubbing my hands together manically in joy, I hope GM sells a TON of these because as a mechanic they're keeping me not only in business but with a steady stream of income for the foreseeable future. Yes...yess please sell more😈
@@SeanBordelon Not for a long long time. Until they make EVs with 1000 miles of range that can be "refueled" in five minutes. The majority of Americans won't buy one.
Reliability should be fine. And considering the price tag and the fact that discounts are likely, the cost savings from a reliable alternative are unlikely to get consumed. But even if they were ever consumed, you’d still be paying less to keep the car
This and the Chevy should definitely have some appeal. On a side note, the lack of a guard rail earlier in the video with that cliff like side of the road was surprising to me. Wow.
Before you got to where it is build I thought..." Looks like a Hyundai Kona" and when you mentioned it's built in Korea it perfectly make sense as GM bought the Korea Daewoo long time ago in order to have a manufacturing infrastructure to build small cars without doing it from ground up.
I have been shopping this segment, and the Envista is on the short list. I think this is one of the best-looking cars out there, certainly in the under-35k price range, and better than the Trax. Especially after having seen both in person. The Trax is not unattractive, but it does look closer to its price tag. And I think I would sacrifice the small amount of extra cargo space (mainly height) in the Trax for the added refinement of the Envista. Owner reviews have said that the Buick feels more refined thanks to the additional insulation and the Watts link suspension (both not available on the Trax). I was surprised to see Alex say that the Avenir is selling with discounts. I'm in Southern California, and over the past few weeks I have not found a single Avenir for sale within 150 miles, let alone ones selling at a discount. The dealer inventory is made up of base & ST trims.
Honor Buick GMC in National City, CA has 2 cinnabar metallic red Avenirs on the lot right now. I know because I just bought an ST yesterday and saw them.
When I bought my base version, which has more equipment in Canada than in the US, it was actually cheaper than the Trax LT and has driver power seat which is not standard on the Trax LT. So the Envista was the best value!
16:55 what is that high-pitched whistling noise? I would expect the turbo, but the frequency changed abruptly and randomly. Easy to hear with headphones
i have the base preferred trim and it came with power seats :) thats why i got it over the trax lol all features are standard whereas with trax you have to go with rs or 2rs to get what the buick has (power seats, 11" screen etc)
A well designed vehicle. So nice to see a spare tire. Given all the potholes and construction nails in the Bay Area, it is somewhat crazy not to have a spare tire in a car IMHO.
I saw one in-person the other day a few feet from me. That is a tiny car. It looked so low to the ground. I’m not in the market, but I’m glad they’re making affordable cars again.
Is the 39 MPG typo in your video? because manufacturer say it can do 30MPG combined. However, I don't see value for how much does this car cost. Thank you for your detailed videos ... we really enjoy them.
If the car companies priced the EV’s at the price it costs to actually make them, and not distribute the costs over the ICE vehicles, the ICE vehicles would cost less. Built in Korea with a three cylinder turbo is not a formula for longevity. I wish you would rate ride quality on its own merits, not related to its price. BTW nice review. 👍🏻👍🏻
@@NathanMoistno amount of “learning how to drive” will help a FWD car in sand, mud, and snow. Sure it’s possible, but ultimately I’d willingly pay extra for awd to avoid those situations where FWD simply sucks.
@@haroldbeauchamp3770 I don't know why you would take an AWD through mud and sand. You'd want 4WD for that. Front wheel drive does just fine in the snow.
@@NathanMoist as a former owner of a river rafting and adventure company, I owned a fleet of 12 Subaru Foresters in Colorado. I’m not sure many people would agree with you that front wheel drive is okay in the snow. We’d be spinning uphill more than we’d be driving. Our awd Foresters were phenomenal in the sand, mud and snow driving through fire roads and accessing the trailheads. Never once needed a 4x4. But I will admit we had a 1 ton dually 4x4 on standby if we ever needed the extra capability.
@@haroldbeauchamp3770 I think the point is people who are buying Envistas aren't planning on driving in mud, sand and on fire roads. In PA we had one snowstorm this year that amounted to about eight inches of snow which are basically plowed immediately. Why waste money on AWD if it will not be used or put to use. I had a Cruze for 12 years and had no issues getting anywhere. If the weather got that bad it was dumb to go anywhere anyway.
I think design of the engine with the timing chain in the oil makes the car nicer. Less vibration and noise than an ICE engine with the belt or chain outside the oil? Does a Civic or Corolla have a heated steering and remote start? Personally, l love my Envista. I’m 47 years old and I have no car payment. The wife and I have zero debt, I traded in my old car and wrote a check for the difference. Sure beats paying $800/$1000 per month just to impress people who don’t care.
That engine. A high pressure 1.2L, 3 cylinder turbo is just asking for problems. And notice how lousy the fuel economy is - that's also a sign of a highly stressed engine.
I just test drove this and Really like it. Looks like a Porsche or something. Wish it came as a Plug in hybrid like my Cadillac ELR. A little concerned about the small turbo engine tho....
😊 Very nice to focus on price point ! Maybe 🤔 do a long form video compare of the current under $30,000 out the door 🚪 options in the new vehicle market?
As a huge Hanna Barbara and National Park fan, I take exception to you complaint about the infotainment panel shape. I think it’s fun and daring, something car companies are usually not. Hardly a big deal.
Love this car and the Trax... you get A LOT for the cash. Unfortunately they have one mechanical design that would be concerning for me. A wet timing belt and oil pump belt. So there is a service interval for them. The procedure is not terrible.. however Ford has had A LOT of major problems with there wet belt engines.. the rubber degrades.. comes apart.. and then clogs the oil pickup, causing oil starvation.. and BOOM.. end of life. So when doing that belt device I would include inspecting that oil pickup at the same time.
Vehicle sales in Edmonton, Alberta is how I judge the state of the north America auto business and still *VERY* below average but at least present there in the form of Cadillac. No Lincoln Dealers that I know of there tho nor Tesla as well. Presumably Jeep tho..
A tuner module with a high flow air filter would get this to 150hp minimum easily and bump torque up considerably. That would probably be "enough" to satisfy the slight lack of stock performance given what this vehicle is. Likewise, the rear cargo floor lacks any insulation so noise would be noticeably dropped by just putting down some insulation material there.
While it is not enough to bring me back to again owning a Buick, it is an interesting vehicle. Plus, as you said Alex, it is intended to be an affordable vehicle.
A zillion people have told me that domestics that include GM are not built to last. I am also told that one would be lucky for these cars to last 100K miles. Is this right?
I drove to Mexico and back from Phoenix, Arizona and average 41.8 miles to the gallon doing 5 miles over the speed limit that was based on what the dashboard said so at the worst I got 38 miles to the gallon?………. That’s pretty good mileage in my opinion.
@@rolandrivera3790 I never go by what the dash tells me. For all I know, they could have used some algorithm to exaggerate the mileage by a little bit the same way they did with how many miles left after you filled it up. I just manually calculate it myself.
People want affordable but i think vanity hets in the way and they want to "look" like theyre doing well, have it together, or whatever fairytale theyre telling themselves.
I like this car, quite a lot. However a 3-cyl direct injected turbocharged engine with an internal "wet" timing belt makes me nervous. If it got 50mpg or something I'd be impressed, but it doesn't. I'd prefer a more conventional engine, with a hybrid option.
I think you mean "when is GM bringing Olds back." I hear you though. I'm still a fan of the 'lower, longer, wider' design mentality, so short upright crossovers like this just don't look right.
225 and 245 tire width seems pretty excessive for a car with no sporty inclination or power. Corolla gr tire width starts at 235. Hyundai veloster N goes uo to 245 i believe
I would pick the Envista. I like the Hanna-Barbera (sp?) look. I love the exterior styling of the Envista. In a more important vein, it is hard for me to believe that you are a child of the 70s - you LOOK more like a child of the late 80s. C’mon, ‘fess up!! 😏
I love the price. I love the design. I do not trust the reliability one bit. Firstly, it's produced by GM Korea (Daewoo). Secondly, when you look at the engineering specifics, it seems like it's going to be junk long-term. Turbo. GDI. Wet timing belt. GM says the belt should last the life of the engine, but the owner's manual states the belt should be replaced at 150k miles. Does this mean the engine lifespan is expected to be a measly 150k miles? I'm in a Buick Envista owners group on Facebook and there are a ton of complaints about mostly various electrical problems, but also a handful of engines throwing a rod through the block. These are cars less than a year old. Yikes.
I have one. The low beam headlamps shine at a good angle and to the sides of the road. Quite bright. The interior illumination is nothing to be impressed about, but the gauge cluster looks cool at night.
I liked that the old Trax was a basic version of it's cousin the Encore. That is, the Encore was a big trim level jump of the Trax. I wish GM had done the same thing this time around, making the 'Envista' simply a trim level jump of the new Trax.
Toyotas and Hondas can last well over 200,000 miles. Can the Envista or Trax last 200,000 miles? Also, the Trax and Envista both have timing belts - not timing chains. Timing belt replacement will be expensive.
Nothing a good set of snow tires and leaving 10 minutes earlier wouldn’t fix, I’m from Milwaukee and have driven rear wheel drive and front wheel drive and had no problems
I’m 68 years old so I remember a whole lot of simpler cars made by different manufacturers that you could even get with a stick shift. That general motors 1.2 L turbo seems like a disaster waiting to happen way before 100,000 miles. I’d get a comparable Kia or Hyundai way before I ever get this thing.
I appreciate the call out in the beginning. A lot of people complain about prices and say they want cheap transportation, but they don't want to give up their tech and safety features. It's no surprise that the sub 20-25K cars are going away when the standards for base models of vehicles have skyrocketed in the past 5-10 years
Yes, those are different kinds of shoppers. I don’t see there being a big market for “new, small, cheap, sedan” even in today’s inflated economy.
The sub-$30k buyer is way more likely to be buying a used car that’s larger and better equipped than this - or the less expensive Trax.
The small-car buyer is more likely to prefer an actually smaller car that’s more fun or more practical.
Its loaded with all the latest technology
To be honest, they can keep the tech, just build a handsome, durable car in the 20k range. I don't need another iPad, and certainly not a four-wheeled one that shares my driving stats and personal info with an insurance database. Ugh.
When GM moves back into hybrids, this should be one of their first hybrid offerings. It’d be a great fit
That’s what I’ve been thinking. I’ve been on the fence with replacing my current car, but a hybrid envista would seal the deal.
We ended up with a Trax LT though I really do like the Buick. The Trax is a much better value IMHO. So far it’s been a wonderful car to drive. It seems that people want to disparage it without even driving one.
In the real world, 0 to 30 is more important than 0 to 60. Your mileage is impressive.
Both are important…. or rather 0-30 is important and 30-60 is important.
@@afcgeo882 He said "more". Of course 30-60 is important but if you're a typical suburban or city driver 0-30 is what you're using the most unless you do a lot of freeway driving.
@@jeffmorse645for me I'd say 0-45, and 60-75 are most important. I wish more reviews would measure passing power rather than just commenting on it
So many people believe the GM Envista is going to be a failure. Give it some time people! You will be surprised. I have the Envista and i love it. So many people are big on the larger engines and afraid to get the Envista. I Once owned a Mizubishi with a 1.3 engine and it drove forever with no issues, and it also had a CVT. any time new cars a produced, there's going to be some kind of issues or recalls. If you get one I wish everyone lots of luck!
I hope to get an envista next month. What trim do you have??
@@Peace4Me09 Hey there - I have the Sport Touring trim. I really love it. Still no issues at all. I live in Syracuse, NY. Soon ill see how it drives in the snow.
Good luck with your purchase
@@vah618 Great! Thank you!
Love my 24 Premier Envista. Two months in. The dealer did add convince package 1 for 1295, advance safety package for 595, and convince package 2 for 595. Final price 26,620.
He really convinced you.
@B9M3 I already bought it ...before watching the video. Like I said. Two months in...
I’m convinced I’d get a Hyundai or Kia and pass on this one.
I've got a 25 Envista.. I love it... The first thing that I noticed was how quiet the cabin is
We just got this car, a ‘24 Envista Preferred. I do like it a lot, but it hasn’t been reliable unfortunately… Our engine blew up - literally, not even joking - with 1,366 miles on the clock. 🙃 Left oil and metal all on the ground and under the hood. The dealer also left a piece of a bolt under the hood too, but I noticed when we first took delivery of the car, you couldn’t give it any serious gas over half throttle because the engine light would come on and stay on for a long time.
There was a report I read of another young lady who had the same issue as we did on her ‘24 Trax: the car’s engine light came on early, dealer replaced a spark plug, it started shooting out blue and black smoke and then the engine blew a hole in itself shortly after.
Since this happened, we’re both working on a repair and/or buyback. But it’s been a slow process. A shame - because again, it’s a nice vehicle. If you can get one that doesn’t explode, I recommend it. I was getting 40-45 MPG on commutes before it imploded no problem. Envista is also comfortable and has a good sound system and tech, like adaptive cruise.
Nice review as always!
Why would you buy a car with motorcycle size engine, 1.2 liter to push this size, this car will be worthless in after warranty.
@@tonyn3227 Because like Alex mentioned - it’s actually affordable, unlike basically everything else these days. And reasonably stylish. My mom and grandmother bought it to be specific. And women of their age probably don’t need much more than 130 HP to just run errands around town a few times a week…
For someone like myself who travels and drives more - I would’ve went elsewhere. I do question how reliable these will be 5-10 years down the road, seriously…
I have a frat brother that loves his ‘23 Trailblazer with the 1.3T 3-cyl. and wouldn’t let me even hardly speak a bad word about our Envista blowing up lol. GM diehard guy. 🙄
"I will always blame the turbo." Gosh knows what actually happened with these cars, but I swear I will go to the grave having NEVER TOUCHED a vehicle with a turbocharged engine. Elvis knew what was going on: "Lookin' for trouble? You came to the right place."
@ATRichard well enjoy it then if it's affordable,
I don't think the Envista is a commuter car. It's marketed as a city car. I have the ST and 6,600 miles on it and it working just fine. My average is 39.4 mpg. I love my car.
Regarding the whole “evolution of the sedan” thing. What’s really interesting is that sedans have evolved into today’s coupes. They’re longer, lower, wider and much more focused on style and/or driving dynamics than their SUV counterparts. They are often today’s enthusiasts choice over boxier, higher riding alternatives that have become the new mainstream vehicles in the US just like 2-doors used to be the enthusiasts choice over 4-doors. I don’t blame Buick for trying something new when their demographic doesn’t seem to want to drive 3-box land barges that sit low and have very little ground clearance.
Completely agree with your point about the grill. Buick now looks like one of those vehicles in the movies where the logo has been blurred out or removed
Excellent point . I made a comment on a different video that you could put a logo on from any manufacturer and no one would notice. I don’t see “Buick” in this design.
While it's true, we can't say for sure about the long term durability of any new engine, Americans should keep in mind that they've been using tiny turbo engines in Europe for decades without too much misery. This particular engine has been in service for four years now with no serious design problems. Even mighty Toyota can't say that about their new turbos.
Well said, Not everything needs a Hemi engine.
Yeah, but we have states bigger than all of Europe combined. A Texan will put more miles in a year than someone in Rome in a life time.
@dontdoxmebro Yes, but highway miles are super easy on an engine. I don't think that would be a factor here.
@@dontdoxmebro Cars are cars dude. Most engines nowadays will go for 250, 300,000 miles or 10-14 years. Also Texas is nice and sunny with no winter to deal with. Here in Canada salt on the road 4 months a year is murder on everything but the engine.
You also have to take him to consideration how people drive their cars... Some people have their foot to the floor every time they drive and drive down the highway at 85.. 90 mph.. a lot of people just beat their cars to death and expect them to last for 25 years... It's just not going to happen
One important consideration: both this and the Chevrolet Trax come in a slew of honest-to-goodness exterior colors that break with competitors. Personally I love the side profile view of the Envista as well as the horn rimmed glasses styled instrument panel. Also, I love the optional champagne/orange metallic color that some Envistas come in. But, I would choose the Trax simply because of its much more practical shape. I would not mind trying to own one long term to see how that little three popper would do over ten years of ownership. GM has genuinely surprised me with this and the Trax.
The trax has the exact same engine... It's the exact same platform it's just the body that's different and Buick adds more luxury
GM makes great cars for the press. It's the owners who have to deal with them after the media goes home.
😂!
owned plenty of GM cars and never once had quality issues everyone LOVES to complain about.
@@Nebula1701”I didn’t have any problems with my GM cars, so GM makes reliable cars” 😂
@@Nebula1701yet reliable brands like Toyota are having quality problems and even engine failures
@@garrettw99 It's a dead trope go home... it's not a massive issue like people want to pretend.
The option of a non-digital gauge cluster on the Trax sounds like a huge improvement over that awful screen.
Agreed, these full dash screens take all of the character away from the new cars these days.
In base model Mercedes' you can get analogue gauges. Not available in America, only in Europe.
The screen is fine.
Yeah because when I upgraded from my 2012 Cruze I wanted to look at the same gauge cluster for 12 more years. The digital display is fine
@@NathanMoist A thing of beauty is a joy forever.
Must not have been a nice gauge cluster. Most modern screen "gauges" imo are pretty mid at best and terrible at worst. I've seen a handful of neat ones but not many I'd consider classic.
But the screen gap and small size of the display in that Buick along with how it's awkwardly plastered to the dash with a giant bezel is by far the ugliest thing about it. The actual digital display is just meh. Forgettable, which is not a sin. But not that housing.
I dont get how any car these days isn't fully LED, regardless of price
Price.. its saves some cash, and times millions sold it adds up. Also.. I am not sure it matters.. as long as they are bright.. who cares? I have actually had worse luck with LED's in these types bulbs.. and incandescent seem more reliable. Also.. cars that go full LED.. a lot of times you have to buy the ENTIRE housing as one piece for just one bulb failure... vs a $2 light bulb.
@@kens97sto171 Yes. I honestly don't understand the LED fanaticism. Incandescents supposedly don't last as long, but I've seen LEDs burn out just as quickly. I can tell you my 17yr old truck has only had each exterior incandescent bulb replaced once and they are cheaper than LEDs. What people don't realize is that these LED headlights and taillights sometimes require replacement of the whole unit, not just the bulb, and it's over $1,000 to replace the pair. It's just idiotically stupid. Give me easy-to-replace $5 incandescent bulbs all day.
@@kens97sto171Yet somehow Toyota made LED headlamps on Corollas many years ago… LEDs don’t cost more anymore.
@@afcgeo882
True, but they're one of the very few to use them at that time in headlights.
High powered LEDs aren't the same kind of design as the low powered ones you would see in tail lights and turn signals..
Headlights tend to be on for long periods of time. And in the Toyota's case I think they use them anytime the car is powered up. With brake lights turn signals you have momentary use. Theoretically LEDs would be good for this, in reality I've generally found lower reliability in smaller LED bulbs like this. Even high quality ones. They should theoretically last basically forever. Reality is they don't. I've got incandescent bulbs in a Jeep that's almost 30 years old.
You also have the replacement cost. They often are not a replaceable individual component in a tail light. Or a headlight for that matter. And rather than changing out a $2 bulb you're buying a $500 enclosure. Not really ideal for the customer. And I really don't see what the difference is anyway. Does the light come on? Is it bright enough to be seen? If the answer is yes why the hell does it matter what type of lighting technology it is? Especially in turn signals and reverse lights and brake lights. Those items are only on momentarily. If they draw more power it's not really going to make any difference. In lights that are on continuously like headlights certainly having the lower power consumption helps with efficiency. And it turn signal bulb it isn't going to matter at all
This is another one of those things that normal people who don't follow auto journalists constantly don't really care about. Same with a twist-beam axle, the number of gears an automatic transmission has (beyond 5 or 6) and rear drum brakes before that.
It'll be interesting to see how these sell. There's nothing wrong with it, inside or out. It looks cool and clean, and more expensive than it is. If only GM still owned the Opel brand - if these had an Opel badge, they'd be a hit - a cool, unexpected Euro car at a very fair price. The biggest hurdle is the Buick badge. Also interesting that there's nothing inherently more expensive about making an X6 over and X5 other than model positioning. Why not make an economy car the same X6 shape? Good on GM! A genuinely intriguing new segment.
Some corrections:
The power liftgate and power drivers seat are available on the base model. In fact you can get everything available on the avenir trim minus the styling and armrest in the backseat for under $27k.
You're absolutely right... I got mine with all the bells and whistles and retail was 26.. with my trade in I ended up paying 22 for mine... And I got everything that the avenir has minus the stitching on the seats and the headrest that I really could care less about
I am younger than 40 and I would much rather have my grandmother LeSabre than this. Some of us want big, comfortable, couches on wheels with basic powertrains and don't care about these non-off road capable SUVs.
The vast majority of people would rather the higher seating position so they don’t have to bend their fat belly to get in a low sedan. That’s what it really comes down to.
Loved my ‘99 lesabre custom. Bench seats, 3800 series v6, ate highway miles like nothing. Wish gm would bring something like it back.
The last year they made the lesabre, the base custom model was 27,000 MSRP which translates to 47,000 2024 dollars. Envista is nearly half the price, hence Alex’s continuous amazement at the price.
And last I checked, 50k near luxury big boaty sedans weren’t selling. Even if they brought back the lesabre I couldn’t afford it either. And for that money you can get a Lexus es360, to boot.
Rather than compare it to what it’s not trying to be, it is better to appreciate the envista for what it is. Cheap entry level luxury adjacent transportation.
@@GHinWI well that could be accomplished by not having sedans hugging the ground.
@@LarimdaME there's a place for entry level cars. Back in the 90s, there was the skylark, Century, and Regal priced below the LeSabre. The point is the automotive press likes to tell people younger than 40 what they are supposed to like (a stereotype of wanting tight handling, no padding with mountain high bolstering, too much tech, high strung engines, etc). My point is NO I do not want any of those things. I want a comfortable car for 7+ hour trips on terrible road conditions on straight roads because that are what my roads are like.
I was just thinking about my LeSabre before I saw this comment. I miss that car. It was a 1998 and man talk about a reliable car. It also drove good. It was a great car. And when I was looking for something new, I wanted something big. I didn’t want any of the modern day sedans unless I got an Impala, Lacrosse, or maybe an Avalon, or a sports car (American sport car) because it’s like that guy said, we want big sedans that is long as a couch or boat. I was not interested in a mid size sedan like a Camry or Altima with a 4 cylinder engine. I wanted a V6 or V8. What I originally wanted was a Full Size Truck, but the prices were too high even for a pre-owned. I got me a Jeep Grand Cherokee instead and I think I’m happier with that than a full size truck. But I do wish they bring the LeSabre back.
I bought the 2024 Trax when they first came out. So far, we've got almost 20,000 miles on it with zero issues. Hope it continues. I do like the crossover style better than the Buick.
Honestly, the Envista Avenir in black is a super good value for how good it looks and the features!
Buying a high trim of an economy car is just throwing money away. Base model or nothing for me.
Good effort from Buick, but for value I would go with the Chevrolet Trax between the two.
who thinks that this vehicle will last 5+ years with that turbo 3cyl? I would love to see a UA-camr do a long term (1yr+) test of this or the Trax.
It gets worse. This engine has a timing belt, and not just any kind of timing belt- a wet belt. Meaning the chamber where the belt is is not separated from the part of the engine that has oil flowing through it. This accelerates belt wear but can also cause slipping, which given these are interference engines grenades the top half of the engine. I would avoid owning these cars at all cost. Lease if you can get a good deal but NEVER buy one of these.
5+ years is an optimistic estimate imo.
There are plenty of vehicles this size or even bigger in Europe that have tiny engines like this and they last just fine.
Same feeling, GM/Ford/Stellantis are a relative bargain brand new… until 5+ years from now when things fall apart. Been down this road many times. When the 2011 Ford Fiesta came out, it also was a bargain compared to the Civic, until it’s Powershift transmission blew out. I feel like the same thing will happen to this turbo 3.
Cars like this should be 100% e-CVT hybrids.
The average person wouldn’t know any difference from a “conventional” powertrain and it’d be >40mpg.
I agree
Sure and add at least another $5k to the price tag.
Until the CVT goes to hell... Which they have been known to do
the issues in the hatch with the cover not fitting and being able to fit the roller if it was dropped slightly is a very classic GM (lazy) thing to do. Get so close yet never want to go the extra distance. It's not like the cost would change.
I just bought a 25 Envista preferred... And I love it... One of the first things you notice is how quiet the cabin is... These cars all have active noise cancellation in them and you really hear very little wind or road noise at all... At 70 mph going down the highway you can carry on a conversation just fine in a normal tone of voice without hearing any wind noise or road noise... I've got all the bells and whistles on my car and I didn't get an avenir... So far I'm averaging about 28 miles per gallon in the city
How do you turn on the active noise cancellation. ? I test drove an Avenir and it was loud, lots of wind noise, road noise. One of the main reasons I'm not buying was the road noise.
You can't see it but I'm rubbing my hands together manically in joy, I hope GM sells a TON of these because as a mechanic they're keeping me not only in business but with a steady stream of income for the foreseeable future. Yes...yess please sell more😈
You might want to practice with EVs then because batteries are gonna be your future.
@@SeanBordelon Not for a long long time. Until they make EVs with 1000 miles of range that can be "refueled" in five minutes. The majority of Americans won't buy one.
@@nodak81 gas cars dont get 1000 miles of range what are you talking about
@@nodak81.. depending on the type of charger you can use... You can charge an EV at between 8 and 15 minutes
These cars haven't been out that long and they can't be having that many problems with them
I barely see these. I think they look pretty neat.
Been suprised how little I see of a few cars.
The Corolla Cross, Maverick, and Trax.
I see these everywhere in Milwaukee
Nice! Love reviews of affordable cars.
How reliable is the new Buick Envista?
@@LuisUrbieta I don't think we know yet, but shouldn't be too bad
@@Sklounst_Actual True but even though it doesn't quite live up to the level as a Gv80
@@LuisUrbieta You mean the car that costs 100% more? Are you a bot?
Reliability should be fine. And considering the price tag and the fact that discounts are likely, the cost savings from a reliable alternative are unlikely to get consumed. But even if they were ever consumed, you’d still be paying less to keep the car
This and the Chevy should definitely have some appeal. On a side note, the lack of a guard rail earlier in the video with that cliff like side of the road was surprising to me. Wow.
Your reviews are always fantastic. One of few reviewers who aren’t bias
Lower trims can be optioned with a power lift gate.
Before you got to where it is build I thought..." Looks like a Hyundai Kona" and when you mentioned it's built in Korea it perfectly make sense as GM bought the Korea Daewoo long time ago in order to have a manufacturing infrastructure to build small cars without doing it from ground up.
Thanks for the cheaper review... more please. I wish there was a company that made a model with no screens and high tech... like mid 90s stuff.
I have been shopping this segment, and the Envista is on the short list. I think this is one of the best-looking cars out there, certainly in the under-35k price range, and better than the Trax. Especially after having seen both in person. The Trax is not unattractive, but it does look closer to its price tag. And I think I would sacrifice the small amount of extra cargo space (mainly height) in the Trax for the added refinement of the Envista. Owner reviews have said that the Buick feels more refined thanks to the additional insulation and the Watts link suspension (both not available on the Trax).
I was surprised to see Alex say that the Avenir is selling with discounts. I'm in Southern California, and over the past few weeks I have not found a single Avenir for sale within 150 miles, let alone ones selling at a discount. The dealer inventory is made up of base & ST trims.
Honor Buick GMC in National City, CA has 2 cinnabar metallic red Avenirs on the lot right now. I know because I just bought an ST yesterday and saw them.
When I bought my base version, which has more equipment in Canada than in the US, it was actually cheaper than the Trax LT and has driver power seat which is not standard on the Trax LT. So the Envista was the best value!
Can’t wait for your review of the new 2024 Buick Envision, Alex. When do you think that’ll be?
It manages to look better than the atrocious BMW X2, that's all that matters.
16:55 what is that high-pitched whistling noise? I would expect the turbo, but the frequency changed abruptly and randomly. Easy to hear with headphones
I’m not sure, it was something the mic picked up but I didn’t notice
Awesome review Alex. So glad you are still reviewing cars that a lot more people can afford these days.
i have the base preferred trim and it came with power seats :) thats why i got it over the trax lol all features are standard whereas with trax you have to go with rs or 2rs to get what the buick has (power seats, 11" screen etc)
A well designed vehicle. So nice to see a spare tire. Given all the potholes and construction nails in the Bay Area, it is somewhat crazy not to have a spare tire in a car IMHO.
I like the justification for your scoring and appreciated the explanation.
for that price you could move up to a new generation base gas Chevy Equinox which will start at $28 to $30k
I saw one in-person the other day a few feet from me. That is a tiny car. It looked so low to the ground. I’m not in the market, but I’m glad they’re making affordable cars again.
Is the 39 MPG typo in your video? because manufacturer say it can do 30MPG combined.
However, I don't see value for how much does this car cost.
Thank you for your detailed videos ... we really enjoy them.
Alex is best car reviewer! Awaiting his 2025 Camry review.
If the car companies priced the EV’s at the price it costs to actually make them, and not distribute the costs over the ICE vehicles, the ICE vehicles would cost less.
Built in Korea with a three cylinder turbo is not a formula for longevity.
I wish you would rate ride quality on its own merits, not related to its price.
BTW nice review. 👍🏻👍🏻
I so wish that AWD was available on the Envista.
You'll be fine with FWD. Learn how to drive.
@@NathanMoistno amount of “learning how to drive” will help a FWD car in sand, mud, and snow. Sure it’s possible, but ultimately I’d willingly pay extra for awd to avoid those situations where FWD simply sucks.
@@haroldbeauchamp3770 I don't know why you would take an AWD through mud and sand. You'd want 4WD for that. Front wheel drive does just fine in the snow.
@@NathanMoist as a former owner of a river rafting and adventure company, I owned a fleet of 12 Subaru Foresters in Colorado. I’m not sure many people would agree with you that front wheel drive is okay in the snow. We’d be spinning uphill more than we’d be driving. Our awd Foresters were phenomenal in the sand, mud and snow driving through fire roads and accessing the trailheads. Never once needed a 4x4. But I will admit we had a 1 ton dually 4x4 on standby if we ever needed the extra capability.
@@haroldbeauchamp3770 I think the point is people who are buying Envistas aren't planning on driving in mud, sand and on fire roads. In PA we had one snowstorm this year that amounted to about eight inches of snow which are basically plowed immediately. Why waste money on AWD if it will not be used or put to use. I had a Cruze for 12 years and had no issues getting anywhere. If the weather got that bad it was dumb to go anywhere anyway.
I personally really like the way it looks
Imo I’d like it even better if it had the following:
1. The blue interior from the new enclave.
You can stand that cover up vertically against the back seat and it will work just fine and you can store taller things in the trunk
GM has long been a favorite bashing target, however the company is quietly clawing back market share and customer satisfaction.
Site your source. I’d love to read about that.
At the end of the day no one really knows how the Envista will hold up or how long it will last. It's a new model car people! it may surprise us all.
I like the look of it. I really like the lift back with the hard cargo cover. Like the TourX, I wish there was a plug-in hybrid version.
I think design of the engine with the timing chain in the oil makes the car nicer. Less vibration and noise than an ICE engine with the belt or chain outside the oil? Does a Civic or Corolla have a heated steering and remote start? Personally, l love my Envista. I’m 47 years old and I have no car payment. The wife and I have zero debt, I traded in my old car and wrote a check for the difference. Sure beats paying $800/$1000 per month just to impress people who don’t care.
Pretty interesting to see so many interior parts from the bolt reused here
Can the manual seats still be adjusted for height? This is a pet peeve of mine: no seat height adjustment in cheaper variants.
Not on the passenger side
That engine. A high pressure 1.2L, 3 cylinder turbo is just asking for problems. And notice how lousy the fuel economy is - that's also a sign of a highly stressed engine.
And it’s belt driven and the belt is internal. You have to take part of the motor apart to replace it.
Give it four cylinder turbo with 160 hp I would consider it.
But then you are back to paying 35-40k for the car. If you want more hp there are lots of of other cars but again money money.
@@scottyheav They have to get up to the CAFE requirement for mpg, hence small engine.
I just test drove this and Really like it. Looks like a Porsche or something. Wish it came as a Plug in hybrid like my Cadillac ELR. A little concerned about the small turbo engine tho....
😊 Very nice to focus on price point ! Maybe 🤔 do a long form video compare of the current under $30,000 out the door 🚪 options in the new vehicle market?
As a huge Hanna Barbara and National Park fan, I take exception to you complaint about the infotainment panel shape. I think it’s fun and daring, something car companies are usually not. Hardly a big deal.
You can get a power liftgate on a preffered. It comes with the convenience package #2.
Love this car and the Trax... you get A LOT for the cash. Unfortunately they have one mechanical design that would be concerning for me. A wet timing belt and oil pump belt. So there is a service interval for them. The procedure is not terrible.. however Ford has had A LOT of major problems with there wet belt engines.. the rubber degrades.. comes apart.. and then clogs the oil pickup, causing oil starvation.. and BOOM.. end of life.
So when doing that belt device I would include inspecting that oil pickup at the same time.
Vehicle sales in Edmonton, Alberta is how I judge the state of the north America auto business and still *VERY* below average but at least present there in the form of Cadillac. No Lincoln Dealers that I know of there tho nor Tesla as well. Presumably Jeep tho..
I kind of like the Jetsons/50's retro styling of the dashboard
A tuner module with a high flow air filter would get this to 150hp minimum easily and bump torque up considerably. That would probably be "enough" to satisfy the slight lack of stock performance given what this vehicle is. Likewise, the rear cargo floor lacks any insulation so noise would be noticeably dropped by just putting down some insulation material there.
While it is not enough to bring me back to again owning a Buick, it is an interesting vehicle.
Plus, as you said Alex, it is intended to be an affordable vehicle.
Excellent review as always, thanks Alex.
Every time I see Buick's new front ends it remind me of the TV show "viper" when the car transformed and it's gray mode
i wish they put a more horses in this car.
137hp is just too low when a lot of sedans in its price range can push 150+
A zillion people have told me that domestics that include GM are not built to last. I am also told that one would be lucky for these cars to last 100K miles. Is this right?
It don't take much to last 100,000 miles. Turbo and oil bathed timing belt makes 200,000 miles unlikely. 15,000 mile oil changes I have issues with.
I would love to see this compared to the cx-30. Seems like that would be far more apples-to-apples than any of the others compared here.
CVT more efficient?! Not when you consider the life span and fluid changes required! Give me the six speed any day! 18:13
Maybe this will take a bite out of the Electra market where I am
32 mpg for a tiny 1.2L 137 hp engine is very disappointing
How much should the mpg be in your opinion?
I drove to Mexico and back from Phoenix, Arizona and average 41.8 miles to the gallon doing 5 miles over the speed limit that was based on what the dashboard said so at the worst I got 38 miles to the gallon?………. That’s pretty good mileage in my opinion.
@@rolandrivera3790 I never go by what the dash tells me. For all I know, they could have used some algorithm to exaggerate the mileage by a little bit the same way they did with how many miles left after you filled it up. I just manually calculate it myself.
@@tiberianexcalibur exactly why I sad that is what the dash said, I’m sure it wasn’t accurate but must be within 3-5 mpg margin of error
Thanks. I was looking at both. I hate my second Ridgeline. Ugh.
Excellent as always.
You do a fantastic job.
People want affordable but i think vanity hets in the way and they want to "look" like theyre doing well, have it together, or whatever fairytale theyre telling themselves.
I agree. We are a one income family 93K+ household, stay at home mom and I have this car. I love it.
@@LadyUpstart congrats on it! Their sharp. What color did you get?
I like this car, quite a lot. However a 3-cyl direct injected turbocharged engine with an internal "wet" timing belt makes me nervous. If it got 50mpg or something I'd be impressed, but it doesn't. I'd prefer a more conventional engine, with a hybrid option.
With the USB power and big empty space underneath I feel like the aftermarket could make (3D print?) some type of fan to go there or even a mini ac
Hi, this is one of those rare affordable car you want to know more about, here we review the MOST EXPENSIVE version.
Being built in South Korea means it’s likely it’ll have better quality control
No amount of quality control can make that engine last reasonable amounts of miles 😅
That’s sarcasm I believe? The Koreans are known for a lot of things, but making reliable vehicles is not one of them.
16:55 sounds like an Acura!
Yeah, was thinking it sounded very similar to the MDX V6.
Alex, When I think 'vista', I think Vista Cruiser. When is Oldsmobile bringing those back? 🤔
I think you mean "when is GM bringing Olds back." I hear you though. I'm still a fan of the 'lower, longer, wider' design mentality, so short upright crossovers like this just don't look right.
The 3 cylinda done it for me. Ford focus.
225 and 245 tire width seems pretty excessive for a car with no sporty inclination or power. Corolla gr tire width starts at 235. Hyundai veloster N goes uo to 245 i believe
I would pick the Envista. I like the Hanna-Barbera (sp?) look. I love the exterior styling of the Envista.
In a more important vein, it is hard for me to believe that you are a child of the 70s - you LOOK more like a child of the late 80s. C’mon, ‘fess up!! 😏
Imo I too like the Hanna barbera look on the interior
Im guessing this review was filmed prior to Volkswagen announcing the upcoming Jetta refresh.
Finally something affordable sorta but why not look at the lower end. Cars just too expensive
I’m surprised no mention of Impreza among competitors.
But the cheapest one out there is worth 16 thousand dollars. The Nissan Versa and on top of that you can choose manual, as it should...
A base Versa with a stick-shift is actually intriguing. If they made a hatchback I'd have to consider one.
I love the price. I love the design. I do not trust the reliability one bit. Firstly, it's produced by GM Korea (Daewoo). Secondly, when you look at the engineering specifics, it seems like it's going to be junk long-term. Turbo. GDI. Wet timing belt. GM says the belt should last the life of the engine, but the owner's manual states the belt should be replaced at 150k miles. Does this mean the engine lifespan is expected to be a measly 150k miles? I'm in a Buick Envista owners group on Facebook and there are a ton of complaints about mostly various electrical problems, but also a handful of engines throwing a rod through the block. These are cars less than a year old. Yikes.
Ever hear about the GS 455? No silver hair in one if those!
Wild that we can talk about a Buick as one of the lowest price cars :O
please show the all lights on, front and back. I want to see, how bright, how it shows on daylight and at night.
I have one. The low beam headlamps shine at a good angle and to the sides of the road. Quite bright. The interior illumination is nothing to be impressed about, but the gauge cluster looks cool at night.
@5:19 corolla hybrid is $25K which is not far from $24K of Buick Envista.
Tone note, this is not an American car. Assembled in Korea with Chinese components. Buick badges.
I liked that the old Trax was a basic version of it's cousin the Encore. That is, the Encore was a big trim level jump of the Trax. I wish GM had done the same thing this time around, making the 'Envista' simply a trim level jump of the new Trax.
Toyotas and Hondas can last well over 200,000 miles.
Can the Envista or Trax last 200,000 miles?
Also, the Trax and Envista both have timing belts - not timing chains.
Timing belt replacement will be expensive.
So disappointed that this car isn’t available with AWD. I would never buy a car without AWD, living in the Midwest.
Nothing a good set of snow tires and leaving 10 minutes earlier wouldn’t fix, I’m from Milwaukee and have driven rear wheel drive and front wheel drive and had no problems
I’m 68 years old so I remember a whole lot of simpler cars made by different manufacturers that you could even get with a stick shift. That general motors 1.2 L turbo seems like a disaster waiting to happen way before 100,000 miles. I’d get a comparable Kia or Hyundai way before I ever get this thing.