The ST was loaded to about $29k in this video...but if you pass on the adaptive cruise, sunroof, power liftage, opt for the 18" wheels you can find these Sport Touring for under $24k!!! 🔋 Buy Magtame Magnetic USB cables: magtame.com/?ref=KIRK
Thank you for the honest assessment at 8:40. It is an ideal car for millions of people and they are a fantastic package in person. It reminds me of a Chevy II from the early 1960’s that has all the modern advances. Too many people shop for cars they don’t need based on hype. Thanks for helping people sort through the nonsense to shop for the car they ACTUALLY need. Now, the real question: longevity of the power train. If those power trains can exceed 150k without major problems, GM South Korea will have a real Toyota Honda competitor. We will know in a few years.
Buick needs some real large sedans. I think the Envista is still good value for money though. Didn’t this and the Encore GX both raise Buick’s sales by 50%? Whatever they’re doing, it’s working.😂
Can you explain why you feel FWD is only made for city driving. I have driven many FWD here in NA and in Europe on highways, dirt roads both in summer and winter and never ever had any issues.
I just don't like the placement of the volume button. It's an eyesore! I like the screens to look seamless. Hyundai/Kia does a good job with their screen layouts, which they model after the Germans.
I guess that applies to smartphones as well.. lol. I actually rode in an Elantra that has the same screen layout that I like. I didn't notice any glare at all unless you had the sunroof open. Now that's a given. Have you personally sat in a new Hyundai/Kia car with the full screen layout, or are you going by your personal assumptions?
I just think it’s a Chevy sprint three cylinder back in the 80s then they came out with a sprint turbo, sounds like a sewing machine. Yes 20 some thousand dollars is a good price for a brand new car nowadays but it is 100% a disposable car. Do yourself a favor. Spend some extra money buy a used Honda HRV, Toyota Corolla cross.
I get why people are skeptical, but the market for this car is someone who is looking for a cheap car that looks decent and has a solid amount of space.
Seen quite a few of these on the road around here. Exterior is very handsome and definitely wouldn't be able to tell how cheap it is just based on looks.
Albeit knowing it’s not a vehicle targeted for me, I have to quickly admit that Envista is a sharp spec & trim. I haven’t been a fan of Buick for quite a while, but believe that model is a solid attempt by the brand, and the value prop - I’d say - can’t be beat. If the ST’s output was ~200hp, it would really be perfect for the segment imo.
8:44 I had my test Avenir up to 78 mph on the interstate with no struggle. It did have a lot of trouble with the onramp though. Lurched, stumbled, and coarsely downshifted on a mild upgrade on the ramp.
This I like the best throwaway car money can buy. Not the kind of car I’d go for but for that price it’s pretty attractive. Buy one and rent it out on Turo
I have 3 old Buicks that more than 5 times or more the displacement of this car. 2 were made at the Flint MI plant. The oldest is a 1965 which was made in Oshawa Ontario, I just took it for a ride yesterday. I wouldn't trade that old beater for a brand new one! I have to say they sell a lot of them compared to what I saw in the last 10 years but... I know a 24 years old kid who just bought one for 38K (Canadian money!) I never spent more than 7K for a used car and I tend to keep them a long time!
About time Kirk you review a North American vehicles and yes it's assembled in Korea, but most of the vehicle is GM parts. Your born in the USA, give credit where credit is due.......
I could not disagree with you more. Over the past 47 years I've owned over 35 cars and a few SUVs. Most have been American made, from Ford and GM. All of the American made cars I've owned have been nothing but nightmares to own. The last American car I owned was a GM Saturn, I had a 1995, 1999 and a 2001. Saturn was my last hope. Since then (I kept my 2001 Saturn L100 from 3 years and traded it in for a 2004 Honda Element) I've only purchased Toyota, Nissan, Mercedes Benz, Infiniti, Honda and now I'm on my second Hyundai. I could not be happier. I will never go back to an American Car or should I say, Ford or GM or Dodge ever! Nuff said!!!
I have owned this car about a year. It is ok for the price. However still no parts. People have cracked windshields are waiting 6+ month for a replacement. Other people with fender benders have them in repair shops for months on end waiting on parts. Also build quality is bad. Paint is super thin and easily chips As anything in life you get what you pay for. I cannot recommend this vehicle.
@@dontdoxmebro Different class of vehicle. Legacy is a midsized sedan. This is a subcompact SUV crossover. Rear ac vents is a luxury for this class of vehicle.
Serious question: why are these Buicks made in Korea instead of Detroit? Which country are we supporting more if we take a chance and buy one? And what is the durability record on the tiny engines?
@@AlexNishi-hb2ne I understand your meaning, but do we shy away from Hondas, Toyotas, Mazdas, or BMWs that are made in the US versus their home nations? I’m just genuinely curious about why small GM SUVs need to be made in Korea other than to save on labor costs, and potentially materials costs too.
@@amycole5093The cost of labor is cheaper, and the quality is probably a little better. But lets be honest, GM, Ford or Dodge quality and reliability can't come close to Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Subaru or even Mitsubishi. 60 years ago American quality was pretty good, but that all went out the window in the 1970's when Toyota, Nissan and Honda came along. Then in the late 1980s and 1990s Subaru came along. The rest is history! Profit over quality and reliability, go figure! Hey something had to be sacrificed to meet quarterly profit projections, over the past 50 years!
notice, no disprect to Kirk, not one tester put a spouse two kids a dog and camping equipment into to drive. As long as you dont have hills and dont load it up great for groceries and short trips around town.
@stephengneri2136 This vehicle is really for single people or very small families (family of 3-4). You're pushing it on a fwd drive subcompact vehicle loading a dog and camping equipment.
The deals in my area are on the Encore GX. Buick knows this is popular (for them) and there’s no incentives. Additionally, no matter how much tech and style you put in it or how good it looks it’s still a Daewoo/GM with a dinky 3cyl turbo that doesn’t have a good reputation. Same money buys you a Corolla, Mazda 3, or Civic. At top trims you can get into small CUV with AWD territory.
How will the Turbo3 hold up? We will see. I can say I have a NA 3 cylinder. A 1976 with countless miles. I put a water pump on once. Change the spark plugs every now and then. It will start up almost immediately. It was made by Evinrude.
This trim comes stock with 18-inch wheels that are virtually identical to the 19s in this vid. The latter is part of the "Experience Package", which also includes a moonroof. Both I'd prefer to do without. Meanwhile, the 18s more than manage to avoid the "dorkiness" aesthetic. Btw, what's with all this "don't sleep on this, don't sleep on that" business? Is this a car review channel or...World Star Hip Hop?
The rear incandescent brake lights and design look ugly and doesn’t make any sense to me that this has less horsepower than a Honda Civic or Corolla. Really nothing should have less than 150hp anymore.
@@hightiernub1313how the fuck is it unreliable? Its hp figure is healthy, yes its underpowered but thats what makes it reliable especially with the turbo which it will help the engine not be stressed on higher elevations. If this had 170+ hp the engine would be stressed the hell out especially since its a 3 cylinder car.
@eatmynuggiez8911 It's the fact that it is a 3 cylinder SUV. You can not expect that small displacement to do anything when the car is that heavy. It eventually makes it inefficient and will eventually wear out the engine faster. If the torque isn't high enough. It usually means faster RPM. That also means it can burn oil. GM is not known for their reliable engines, especially at the smaller displacement types. This engine isn't a closed deck block which means potential cracks can occur in long use. It's why 4 cylinder engines have been more commonly used as they have proper balance of torque and rpm and doesn't break down as fast when hauling weights of SUVs. Notice that the fuel economy is worse than a 4 cylinder? What was the point of doing that? It's because of bullshit pollution regulations. 4 cylinder engines have more better fuel economy on average than this 3 cylinder engine. If it was paired with a hybrid system it would be a different story but it's not. Since the 3 cylinder has small torque output it has to make up with higher RPMs which results in more gas burning. These government officials have no idea how engines work. Logic is smaller means smaller carbon footprint which is obviously flawed.
I really love the deisgn of this and the Trax. But the engines are so bad. Nothing should have under 170 hp on the market anymore. And it should be illegal for anything other than a tiny tiny city car to have a 3 banger. Nissan Rogues with 3 cylinders, and Fords Escape and Bronco Sport 3 cylinders are all having issues. Not to say a 4 cylinder will be magically more reliable. But its a start. Need to stop having these small displacement engines being forced to do more wmby turbos. Its definitely a lease and dump car like most cars today.
@@JT-fq2bl You're both wrong. The only Buick made in China is the Envision. This Envista & the Encore GX are made in South Korea. the enclave is made in North America. that's the whole Buick lineup.
The ST was loaded to about $29k in this video...but if you pass on the adaptive cruise, sunroof, power liftage, opt for the 18" wheels you can find these Sport Touring for under $24k!!!
🔋 Buy Magtame Magnetic USB cables: magtame.com/?ref=KIRK
I got my Envista Avenir a few months ago fully loaded (except no sunroof) for 28k cash OTD.
You can only get black wheels in the ST. The trim for $24,000 is called a preferred. Spend the extra dough and go for the ST
Thank you for the honest assessment at 8:40. It is an ideal car for millions of people and they are a fantastic package in person. It reminds me of a Chevy II from the early 1960’s that has all the modern advances. Too many people shop for cars they don’t need based on hype. Thanks for helping people sort through the nonsense to shop for the car they ACTUALLY need. Now, the real question: longevity of the power train. If those power trains can exceed 150k without major problems, GM South Korea will have a real Toyota Honda competitor. We will know in a few years.
Buick needs some real large sedans. I think the Envista is still good value for money though. Didn’t this and the Encore GX both raise Buick’s sales by 50%? Whatever they’re doing, it’s working.😂
Can you explain why you feel FWD is only made for city driving. I have driven many FWD here in NA and in Europe on highways, dirt roads both in summer and winter and never ever had any issues.
he lives in florida, the local residential street is a like a european highway, streets that cross the city are 4-6 lanes.. highways can be 22 lanes
He's like most people who think they need AWD when in reality FWD will be perfectly fine unless you want to go off road then you need 4WD.
I just don't like the placement of the volume button. It's an eyesore! I like the screens to look seamless. Hyundai/Kia does a good job with their screen layouts, which they model after the Germans.
The screens look fine until the light hits it. Then it looks stupid.
I guess that applies to smartphones as well.. lol. I actually rode in an Elantra that has the same screen layout that I like. I didn't notice any glare at all unless you had the sunroof open. Now that's a given. Have you personally sat in a new Hyundai/Kia car with the full screen layout, or are you going by your personal assumptions?
1.2 L turbo I3?
thats smaller than geo metro,
Same engine as a Chevy Trailblazer. Has good mid range. torque
I just think it’s a Chevy sprint three cylinder back in the 80s then they came out with a sprint turbo, sounds like a sewing machine. Yes 20 some thousand dollars is a good price for a brand new car nowadays but it is 100% a disposable car. Do yourself a favor. Spend some extra money buy a used Honda HRV, Toyota Corolla cross.
Geo Metro engine was max 79 HP/75 lb-feet of torque and was non-turbo.Envista is turbocharged with 137 HP and 162 lb-feet of torque.
I get why people are skeptical, but the market for this car is someone who is looking for a cheap car that looks decent and has a solid amount of space.
They should bring back the Reatta ..that would be cool
Ride quality is better without the Experience Package/19-inch wheels. Also, what's with this guy's obsession with sleeping?
Seen quite a few of these on the road around here. Exterior is very handsome and definitely wouldn't be able to tell how cheap it is just based on looks.
Nice review ! Now you'll need to try the base trim to see what is the real deal !
Albeit knowing it’s not a vehicle targeted for me, I have to quickly admit that Envista is a sharp spec & trim. I haven’t been a fan of Buick for quite a while, but believe that model is a solid attempt by the brand, and the value prop - I’d say - can’t be beat. If the ST’s output was ~200hp, it would really be perfect for the segment imo.
But the price would be higher at 200 hp.
"The 2024 Buick Envista comes with a five-year/60,000-mile powertrain warranty."
You’d need to be pretty brave to buy it after the warranty expires. 😁
The ultimate throwaway car with that 1.2 liter 3-cylinder engine. I can totally envision this thing being a big headache.
lol. Envision.
Wet timing belt kills it
The 3 cylinder turbo engine kills it for me at the start. I cant imagine it lasting many years problem free.
With the Kia K4(30/40 mpg) and new Nissan Kicks(AWD avail) coming in around the same price, these have some competition now.
Seems OK but i'd be very worried about resale value. I can see this vehicle not meet a demand for over $6000 in 4 years.
8:44 I had my test Avenir up to 78 mph on the interstate with no struggle. It did have a lot of trouble with the onramp though. Lurched, stumbled, and coarsely downshifted on a mild upgrade on the ramp.
I wish you could foggies as an option without have to cut stuff up.
This I like the best throwaway car money can buy. Not the kind of car I’d go for but for that price it’s pretty attractive. Buy one and rent it out on Turo
I got a 2020 escape titanium with the 2.0 turbo it's a beast !
Nice Kirk 😍👍🏻
You're right, if you're shopping for a new SUV in this price range, I'd definitely take this over Trax
That car isn't low 20's equipped that way, the one you're driving is high 20's
yeah but the first 20 seconds shows you that you could probably snag one for low twenties without much hassle
Great review as always. I still think I would go with the new Kicks from Nissan. Especially for my Girlfriend.
I have 3 old Buicks that more than 5 times or more the displacement of this car. 2 were made at the Flint MI plant. The oldest is a 1965 which was made in Oshawa Ontario, I just took it for a ride yesterday. I wouldn't trade that old beater for a brand new one! I have to say they sell a lot of them compared to what I saw in the last 10 years but... I know a 24 years old kid who just bought one for 38K (Canadian money!) I never spent more than 7K for a used car and I tend to keep them a long time!
"It's FWD-only so it's really meant for city driving." Really? Thank you for my first LOL of the day.
Nice review and POV drive.
You really dont need all these useless options to drive up the cost.😮
About time Kirk you review a North American vehicles and yes it's assembled in Korea, but most of the vehicle is GM parts. Your born in the USA, give credit where credit is due.......
I could not disagree with you more. Over the past 47 years I've owned over 35 cars and a few SUVs. Most have been American made, from Ford and GM. All of the American made cars I've owned have been nothing but nightmares to own. The last American car I owned was a GM Saturn, I had a 1995, 1999 and a 2001. Saturn was my last hope. Since then (I kept my 2001 Saturn L100 from 3 years and traded it in for a 2004 Honda Element) I've only purchased Toyota, Nissan, Mercedes Benz, Infiniti, Honda and now I'm on my second Hyundai. I could not be happier. I will never go back to an American Car or should I say, Ford or GM or Dodge ever! Nuff said!!!
Awesome
Good review and good value, but the reliability/power of a 3 cylinder turbo makes me very sleepy...Zzzzz.
Home run !
Should have bought this for my wife. Not very happy with the 2024 HRV.
What’s wrong
No, this isn’t great. No parts availability and cheap build quality. Engine won’t last 100,000 miles
Glad see brown hate gray lucky colors like browns greens
I WANT ONE SOOOOO BAD WAAAAAAAA WAAAAAAAAA
I have owned this car about a year. It is ok for the price. However still no parts. People have cracked windshields are waiting 6+ month for a replacement. Other people with fender benders have them in repair shops for months on end waiting on parts.
Also build quality is bad. Paint is super thin and easily chips As anything in life you get what you pay for. I cannot recommend this vehicle.
That thing really should have rear AC vents a freaking Subaru Legacy has rear vents
@@dontdoxmebro Different class of vehicle. Legacy is a midsized sedan. This is a subcompact SUV crossover. Rear ac vents is a luxury for this class of vehicle.
Why did they switch from building these in China to Korea?
Are you sure about the MPG? you said 37 mpg. I think this one is 28 in the city in best optimal conditions
So it will be lower than 28 in reality
Yes. 37 mpg was the absolute best I saw. But 30 mpg is more likely for the average user.
@@KirkKreifelswith a year use, I am at 27 mpg and I drive pretty conservatively
korean made ones are reliable
3 cylinder. Wow!
if this has the same engine as the Trax, i would be worried about this, or any engine with two wet timing belts long term.
The 1.3 turbo has a good amount more power. In it is the encore GX so they could put it in this.
Serious question: why are these Buicks made in Korea instead of Detroit? Which country are we supporting more if we take a chance and buy one? And what is the durability record on the tiny engines?
Wouldn't get a GM product, but would rather get it from Korea than Detroit made. The quality control will be a lot better from Korea.
GM is a global company.
@@AlexNishi-hb2ne I understand your meaning, but do we shy away from Hondas, Toyotas, Mazdas, or BMWs that are made in the US versus their home nations? I’m just genuinely curious about why small GM SUVs need to be made in Korea other than to save on labor costs, and potentially materials costs too.
@@amycole5093The cost of labor is cheaper, and the quality is probably a little better. But lets be honest, GM, Ford or Dodge quality and reliability can't come close to Toyota, Honda, Nissan, Subaru or even Mitsubishi. 60 years ago American quality was pretty good, but that all went out the window in the 1970's when Toyota, Nissan and Honda came along.
Then in the late 1980s and 1990s Subaru came along. The rest is history! Profit over quality and reliability, go figure! Hey something had to be sacrificed to meet quarterly profit projections, over the past 50 years!
In RHD, this would sell well in the UK. Shame
Wouldn’t you really rather have a Buick?😂
30 years ago, yes.
notice, no disprect to Kirk, not one tester put a spouse two kids a dog and camping equipment into to drive. As long as you dont have hills and dont load it up great for groceries and short trips around town.
I reviewed the Avenir Envista with kids and a spouse.
@stephengneri2136 This vehicle is really for single people or very small families (family of 3-4). You're pushing it on a fwd drive subcompact vehicle loading a dog and camping equipment.
The deals in my area are on the Encore GX. Buick knows this is popular (for them) and there’s no incentives.
Additionally, no matter how much tech and style you put in it or how good it looks it’s still a Daewoo/GM with a dinky 3cyl turbo that doesn’t have a good reputation.
Same money buys you a Corolla, Mazda 3, or Civic. At top trims you can get into small CUV with AWD territory.
How will the Turbo3 hold up? We will see. I can say I have a NA 3 cylinder. A 1976 with countless miles. I put a water pump on once. Change the spark plugs every now and then. It will start up almost immediately. It was made by Evinrude.
The ST Badging is so Ford like....
Get the new Rav4 or CRV which will be more capable, these are meant for city as city dweller cars, small engine
This trim comes stock with 18-inch wheels that are virtually identical to the 19s in this vid. The latter is part of the "Experience Package", which also includes a moonroof. Both I'd prefer to do without. Meanwhile, the 18s more than manage to avoid the "dorkiness" aesthetic. Btw, what's with all this "don't sleep on this, don't sleep on that" business? Is this a car review channel or...World Star Hip Hop?
made in China and Chevy Trax also
That puny engine will not last 75k Miles....... My friend has a trailblazer with that tiny engine and at 14k miles is already burning oil....... Lol
A turbo at or lower than 1.5 won’t last, too small for the pressure.
Idk I feel like these cars gonna be all over da hood in the next 5-10 years…if the powertrain lasts that long
This.
Upcoming hood cars. Fading paint and foggy headlights and all.
Another GM small turbo charged, piece of crap engine !!
The rear incandescent brake lights and design look ugly and doesn’t make any sense to me that this has less horsepower than a Honda Civic or Corolla. Really nothing should have less than 150hp anymore.
Less horsepower but more torque, neither class of vehicle is known for power.
@lilred1107 Nah, that makes an unreliable engine.
@@hightiernub1313how the fuck is it unreliable? Its hp figure is healthy, yes its underpowered but thats what makes it reliable especially with the turbo which it will help the engine not be stressed on higher elevations. If this had 170+ hp the engine would be stressed the hell out especially since its a 3 cylinder car.
@eatmynuggiez8911 It's the fact that it is a 3 cylinder SUV. You can not expect that small displacement to do anything when the car is that heavy. It eventually makes it inefficient and will eventually wear out the engine faster. If the torque isn't high enough. It usually means faster RPM. That also means it can burn oil. GM is not known for their reliable engines, especially at the smaller displacement types. This engine isn't a closed deck block which means potential cracks can occur in long use. It's why 4 cylinder engines have been more commonly used as they have proper balance of torque and rpm and doesn't break down as fast when hauling weights of SUVs. Notice that the fuel economy is worse than a 4 cylinder? What was the point of doing that? It's because of bullshit pollution regulations. 4 cylinder engines have more better fuel economy on average than this 3 cylinder engine. If it was paired with a hybrid system it would be a different story but it's not. Since the 3 cylinder has small torque output it has to make up with higher RPMs which results in more gas burning. These government officials have no idea how engines work. Logic is smaller means smaller carbon footprint which is obviously flawed.
@@hightiernub1313 your whole statement is so easy to just be dissproven by saying, the cars transmission is able to hold up to 350 torque maximum.
I really love the deisgn of this and the Trax. But the engines are so bad. Nothing should have under 170 hp on the market anymore. And it should be illegal for anything other than a tiny tiny city car to have a 3 banger. Nissan Rogues with 3 cylinders, and Fords Escape and Bronco Sport 3 cylinders are all having issues.
Not to say a 4 cylinder will be magically more reliable. But its a start.
Need to stop having these small displacement engines being forced to do more wmby turbos.
Its definitely a lease and dump car like most cars today.
To be fair, the 3 cylinder engines GM has are pretty reliable.
@@lilred1107 What other GM cars have them?
Korea? I thought buicks were made in China
It is, but NA market received their Envista from South Korea.
@@JT-fq2bl You're both wrong. The only Buick made in China is the Envision. This Envista & the Encore GX are made in South Korea. the enclave is made in North America. that's the whole Buick lineup.
Throw away car.
This thing is so cheap inside. All the money went to the touchscreen.
@@devinjackson1298 That is why it's so affordable.
I would never drive a Buick, it’s a GM 👎
I would never trust a GM 3 cylinder!!
Buick > Acura
🧦Wool socks to bed = best sleep quality possible🟡study says people wake up 15 times less often than without⚪🟤🟣
I've never heard of this. link???? I need a good night's rest