2022 Buick Encore

As the crossover segment continues growing at a rapid pace in the USA, it's quite easy for older competitors to fall behind. The Buick Encore is essentially a slightly fancier version of the Chevrolet Trax, and, having been on sale since 2013, it's beginning to show its age. It received a substantial facelift in 2017, adding some much-needed exterior and interior upgrades. Since then, there have been no significant changes to the Encore, apart from some return of the high-output 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine for the 2022 model. And, while it's generally smart to keep to a known recipe, in the case of the Buick Encore, that's exactly the problem. It was once a good subcompact crossover, but the competition keeps on setting new benchmarks. Are Buick's subtle annual updates good enough to keep the Encore competitive in such a hotly contested small crossover utility vehicle (CUV) segment?

Even eight years after its launch, the Buick Encore remains a chunky, attractive subcompact crossover. This is mostly due to the extensive facelift in 2017, which made the crossover look a lot more modern than the original design launched back in 2013. Buick offers a lot on the Encore, design-wise. The Encore Preferred comes standard with 18-inch alloy wheels, roof-mounted side rails, tinted glass, body-color door handles with a chrome strip, and LED daytime running lights. It can also be equipped with a power moonroof and roof rack cross rails.

The Encore's dimensions are perfectly suited to the inner-city driving it was built for. It has a 100.6-inch wheelbase and a total body length of 168.35 inches. It's 70.1 inches wide and 65.25 inches tall. This means it's both easy to see out of and park.

With just 6.22 inches of ground clearance, the Encore was never meant for serious off-roading.

In its front-wheel-drive configuration, the Buick weighs in at 3,237 pounds, while the all-wheel-drive models weigh 3,358 lbs.

The Encore Preferred is available in six colors. Summit White is the only no-cost color and four metallic colors, all retailing for $495, are available. They are Quicksilver, Ebony Twilight, Cinnabar, and Dark Moon Blue. The most expensive color option is the White Frost Tricoat, costing $1,095. Not only is it an expensive option, but it's also an extremely tricky finish to maintain as it picks up minor scratches very quickly.

General Motors was one of the first manufacturers to jump on the small-capacity turbocharged engine bandwagon. The result was the 1.4-liter powertrain found in the Encore to this day. It used to have an output of 138 or 153 horsepower in 2020 before Buick dropped the high-output variant for 2021. The more powerful engine is now back with 155 hp and it's the only engine option.

The 155-hp and 177-lb-ft 1.4-liter turbo mill is the only remaining option. While it may have been ground-breaking back in the day, it feels unrefined and harsh compared to the more recently developed four- and even three-cylinder turbocharged engines. This engine can be paired with either front- or all-wheel drive.

The only gearbox available is a six-speed automatic, which is also a generation behind. At least it doesn't feel its age as it works its way through the gears smoothly, quickly, and efficiently. It can be slow to react in certain situations, but it's nowhere near terrible. Factor in the weight of the little crossover SUV and you end up with a relatively poor power to weight ratio, resulting in lackluster performance. It takes the Encore roughly nine seconds to do the 0-60 mph benchmark sprint, which is pretty poor when you compare it to something more modern like the Hyundai Kona, which manages the same trial in less than seven seconds with its available turbocharged engine. The Encore has no towing capacity rating.

The Buick's power output is fine for the segment. A base Hyundai Kona, for example, offers 147 hp. The 1.5-liter turbocharged triple as used in certain Mini and BMW models makes even less power, rated at 134 hp. With the 155 horsepower it has on tap, the Encore struggles a little to get up to speed in town and even more on the highway. If you want to pass slower-moving traffic, you better make sure that you have enough room to do so.

There are two main problems here, and the six-speed automatic transmission isn't one of them, even if it's not as responsive as some of the newer offerings out there. The main issue is that the power is only available high up in the rev range, so you constantly have to push the car hard to make any sort of reasonable progress. The second problem is the weight. Manufacturers have realized that having a small capacity turbocharged engine simply isn't enough - they need to cut the weight as well, which is why a more modern Kona weighs a whole large passenger less than an Encore. Unfortunately, this is an inherent problem that can only be fixed by designing an entirely new model from scratch.

The Buick Encore is most at home within the confines of the city. The steering is light and precise, which is exactly what you want when zipping between lanes. Having said that, the Buick Encore isn't a car you'd describe as engaging. The desired level of feedback is hidden beneath a veneer of luxury and noise insulation. Some might see that as a negative, but if you just want to get somewhere in comfort and silence, the Buick does a good job.

On the open road, it's more of the same. The steering gets heavier the faster the car moves, but it never provides any sort of feedback. It doesn't feel too top-heavy, but it's also not sporty. You can go through a corner at a relatively high speed, which inspires a certain amount of confidence and there is comfort in knowing that the car is less inclined to lean through the corners, too. The suspension setup is most certainly tuned for comfort, so think of it as a sensory deprivation tank with four wheels. The Preferred trim can be ordered with an all-wheel-drive system, although this is no hardcore 4WD vehicle and there's no reason to order it unless you live in a cold-weather state and need the additional grip.

The 1.4-liter engine is starting to show its age in terms of performance, and while an engine this small will never be a gas-guzzler, it fails to achieve the economy figures of several rivals. The FWD model's gas mileage figures are rated at 24/32/27 mpg across the city/highway/combined cycles. The AWD model manages 23/30/26 mpg. The FWD Honda HR-V achieves 28/34/30 and 27/31/29 in the AWD specification. This is mostly due to its CVT transmission. The same is true of the Kia Soul equipped with a CVT transmission, which achieves best figures of 29/35/31. This is more proof of how the game has moved on, as CVT transmissions are quickly becoming the norm in subcompact crossovers. Even the base Mazda CX-3 with a regular automatic and a bigger 2.0-liter engine is more efficient with figures of 29/34/31 mpg.

The Encore has a 14-gallon tank, which allows for 378 miles between refills for the FWD version. As it's an older engine, the Buick still happily runs on standard unleaded.

The Buick Encore shares its platform, engine, gearbox, and most of its design with the Chevrolet Trax. It differentiates itself by featuring an interior that's a much classier take on the Trax, although being similar in terms of where all the major controls are situated. The materials Buick uses are slightly more upmarket, too, further elevating it above the Trax. The only upholstery option is cloth with leatherette seat trim.

The controls are easy to reach and understand. The large infotainment system's display remains a highlight, as it's also easy to master. And, while the driver's seat offers six-way power adjustability, the front passenger has to be content with a two-way manually adjustable seat.

Space is adequate, rather than ample. Front occupants get 40.82 inches of legroom. Buick says it's a five-seater, but the rear seats can only realistically seat three children with its 35.75 inches of legroom. If you want to ferry adult passengers around, it's best to keep to short journeys. The headroom, rated at 39.58 inches in the front and 38.78 inches in the rear, is very good. Thanks to large doors that open quite wide, it's easy to get in and out of the Encore, too. Unfortunately, some of the nicer interior features available in the past have been lost. Seat heating is no longer available, nor is the six-way power-adjustable seat for the front passenger, which used to be standard on some pre-2021 models.

Culling trims from the line-up means customers are now more limited in terms of upholstery options. The Preferred trim is all that's left and offers a choice of either Shale or Ebony cloth with leatherette, which adds some class to the interior. The leatherette trim doesn't look or feel as good as the real thing, which drags the interior ambiance down somewhat. The Buick makes up for it by featuring upscale trim on the surfaces one interacts with most, but once you start exploring it up close, those Chevrolet Trax roots are more evident. The Buick does claw back some points by offering an acoustically enhanced windshield and side glass, as well as noise-canceling acoustic material around the cabin. Fortunately, a leather-wrapped steering wheel is standard.

At first glance, the Buick's 18.8 cubic feet of trunk space seems good enough, but once you start comparing it to its more modern counterparts, things start to fall apart. The Encore gets close to the Hyundai Kona, which offers 19.2 cubic feet with the rear seats up and 45.8 cubic feet with the seats folded down. The Buick beats the Kona in the latter department, offering 48.4 cubic feet. Against other rivals, however, it struggles. The Kia Soul offers 24.2 cubic feet with the back seats up and 62.1 cubes with them folded down.

This Buick SUV also doesn't have a lot to brag about when it comes to cabin storage. It has a large glovebox and under-seat storage for the passenger, but that's about it. There is no armrest, and the door pockets are quite small. If you're in the market for something bigger, it would be worth investigating the Encore GX. It's one size up from the Encore, and bigger in every direction.

The Encore Preferred FWD has an MSRP of $24,600 and you can have the optional all-wheel-drive system fitted, in which case base pricing is $25,220. Both are equipped with manual air-conditioning, the ability to create a Wi-Fi hotspot, a six-way power-adjustable driver seat, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, steering wheel-mounted controls, cruise control, a rear vision camera, remote keyless entry, and a 4.2-inch color driver information display in the instrument binnacle. You can choose between five optional packages containing features like lane departure warning and front/rear parking sensors.

Only one infotainment system is available, but it is a decent one. It's composed of an eight-inch color touchscreen system that comes as standard with an AM/FM radio, dual USB ports, Bluetooth streaming for music and phone calls, and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability. It doesn't have navigation, but the inclusion of the latter features makes up for that. A three-month trial subscription to SiriusXM is also included, as is the ability to create a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot. The infotainment system is mated to a six-speaker sound system, which does a nice enough job of playing your soundtrack of choice, but there are no options for an upgrade.

The 2021 Buick Encore attained a rating from J.D. Power of 85 out of a possible 200. This includes specific ratings of 85/100 for quality/reliability and 91/100 for the dealership experience. This makes it one of the most reliable cars in the subcompact crossover segment. The 2022 model has not been rated yet but should fare similarly. According to the NHTSA, 2020 was the last time the Buick Encore was recalled; one issue was for missing front-seat attachments and another was for missing bolts on the start/stop accumulator that could cause a transmission oil leak. At the time of writing, the 2022 Encore had not yet been recalled for any issues.

The Encore is sold in the US with a 36,000-mile/36-month warranty, and a 60,000-mile/60-month powertrain and roadside assistance plan.

The NHTSA's review of the Encore resulted in a five-star overall rating, with five stars for both the frontal and side crash tests and four stars for the rollover test. The IIHS' review of the Encore wasn't quite as generous, with marks subtracted after a less than stellar performance in the overlap front passenger-side test which dropped its score from Good to Acceptable; still, the rating agency awarded it Good in the remaining five crashworthiness categories. The Buick Encore has a rating for its headlights of Marginal, which is a bit disappointing.

The standard safety specs include the usual ABS brakes, stability/traction control, and required rearview camera. Somehow, Buick also managed to fit a total of ten airbags in such a compact car, so it scores points for that. It's one of the few smaller cars to offer side airbags and curtain airbags for all outboard seating positions.

For 2022, the new Buick Encore Preferred has cruise control as standard and there are two optional safety packs. The Safety Package ($495) includes a 120-volt power outlet, rear cross-traffic alert, and blind-spot monitoring. It can be ordered without having to opt for Safety Package II. You can't, however, add the Safety Package II without also opting for the first, which makes its $695 price a moot point. Realistically, you're looking at an additional $1,190 if you want your Encore to have forward collision alert, front/rear park assist, rain-sensing wipers, and lane departure warning.

The Buick Encore is supposed to be a more upmarket version of the Chevrolet Trax, and, in the past, that used to be the case. The higher quality materials, real leather seats, as well as the layout of the dual-zone climate control buttons made a difference. Those were all things you could point at to justify the premium over a Trax. Since the full leather option is gone, along with the climate control, the interior just looks bland. As the premium interior was one of the main selling points, the Buick Encore makes less sense now than ever before.

Most of its rivals also offer more advanced engines that not only perform better but use less gas as well. The only remaining feature Buick can point at to justify the existence of the Encore is the excellent sound insulation. We can't deny that the Buick Encore is an eerily quiet car, especially compared to other cars in the segment. Unfortunately, that's not a compelling enough review to compete in this segment loaded with other talented crossovers for sale, all of which make it tough to recommend the Buick at all.

The Encore Preferred FWD goes on sale for $24,600, while the Preferred AWD retails for $25,220. That's not the whole story, however. You have to add certain things to make it worth your while. That means the standard price of $24,600 plus $495 for a metallic hue and another $495 for the most basic safety package. These prices exclude Buick's $1,195 destination charge.

For 2021, the Sport Touring and Essence trim levels were dropped and for 2022, the base model was discontinued, which leaves one trim, the Preferred, which has as standard keyless entry, manual single-zone air-conditioning, a 4.2-inch color driver's display, an eight-inch infotainment touchscreen with Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, two USB ports, cruise control, a cargo cover, floormats, and leatherette upholstery. Safety options that should really be standard, such as lane-departure warning and rain-sensing wipers, cost extra.

There are five packages you can add to the default Preferred model. The standard Safety Package ($495) includes a 120-volt power outlet, rear cross-traffic alert, and blind-spot monitoring. Safety Package II ($695) adds rain-sensing wipers, front and rear park assist, forward collision alert, and lane departure warning, but it requires speccing the cheaper Safety Package as well. The Road Trip Package ($365) adds all-weather floor mats and roof rack cross rails. The Active Package ($350) adds a cargo area tray and an accessory carrier hitch. Finally, there's Buick's Interior Protection Package ($200), which comes with all-weather floor mats and a premium carpeted cargo mat. Some features in these packages overlap, so you can't tick the box next to every option there is. One of the more desirable standalone extras is a power moonroof for $900.

If you're interested in buying a subcompact crossover, value for money is likely the main concern. This is where the lean lineup starts to make a bit more sense. To get the more advanced safety systems that you get with Safety Package II, you previously had to pay nearly $30,000 for one of the more expensive models. Now, even if you spec the default Preferred trim with metallic paint, all of the safety features, and both the Active and Road Trip packages, the total only comes to only $27,000. That's still not great value for money within the segment, but better value for money, given the cost of the Buick Encore just two years ago at the upper end of the range.

This is the most obvious comparison because the Chevrolet Trax and the Buick Encore are the same vehicle. The price difference between the two models has historically been much bigger, but with Buick dropping the expensive models in recent years, and making the high-end safety tech available on the Preferred trim, that gap has now closed significantly. Pricing for the Trax starts at $21,400. Of the two, the Buick remains the more premium product. Though you can't have leather seats or dual-zone climate control anymore, the interior of the Buick still feels more refined. The choice between the two still depends on personal preference.

A Buick Encore SUV with a few optional extras is dangerously close in price to a top-spec Kia Soul. A mid-spec Soul is around $3,000 cheaper than the Encore Preferred. Not only is the Kia Soul a funky, high-quality vehicle with loads of standard kit, it also offers all of the safety equipment you have to pay for on the Buick as standard. Granted, you have to buy a Soul in S trim or higher, but with the S starting at $20,690, it represents a massive saving over the Buick. The top-spec Soul, which costs $27,650, comes with a lovely 201-hp 1.6-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine. Its seven-speed dual-clutch transmission isn't the most refined gearbox out there, but this particular model can sprint to 60 mph in 6.5 seconds. The gap in performance between this and the Buick is massive. It's also more efficient, with EPA-estimated figures of up to 27/32/29 mpg. We'd opt for the Kia.