Matthew DeBord/Insider
- I drove a $34,115 Buick Encore GX, an all-new subcompact crossover SUV.
- The new Encore GX is larger than the previous-generation vehicle, but it has a smaller motor. If that's not confusing enough, the three-cylinder engine is actually more powerful then the old four-cylinder unit.
- The Encore GX combines appealing styling with premium options and a fun driving experience, as well as surprising versatility.
- The Encore GX also rises above mass-market competitors from Mazda, Hyundai, Kia, Toyota, Honda, and Nissan to challenge some smaller, entry-level luxury vehicles.
- Visit Business Insider's homepage for more stories.
The Buick Encore is a young-person's car that wears a badge long associated with more mature individuals. It shouldn't work, but it does, yielding impressive sales for the brand and cementing Buick's crossover-driven comeback from near-death during the financial crisis.
As a one-time Buick owner — my parents gave me their Regal in the 1980s — I've approached the Encore with skepticism since the "cute ute's" debut over half a decade ago. I'll never forget the first time I drove one, in 2014. Man, is this thing small, I thought.
But over the years, the Encore has stood out because it's part of a brand that's thought of as "near luxury" and is supposed to rise above the mass market and prepare buyers, in the General Motors' logic, to graduate to a Cadillac someday.
That old brand ladder doesn't apply anymore, but for the Encore to make good on its brand promise, it needs to be comparable to a small BMW utes, even though one might want to match it up against Mazda and Kia.
For 2020, Buick has rolled out the all-new GX level of the Encore, and I spent a week testing it in New Jersey and New York. Here's how it went.
Behold! The 2020 Buick Encore GX Essence. My $34,115 tester wore a "Chili Red Metallic" paint job. Before extras, the vehicle started at $28,500, and the base GX is about $24,000.Matthew DeBord/InsiderThis isn't my first time at the rodeo with Buick's popular "cute ute." Back in 2017, I put the first-generation of the crossover up against the ...Matthew DeBord/BI
... BMW X1 — and the Buick triumphed in the comparison!Matthew DeBord/BIRead about the Buick Encore's upset win.
The 2020 Encore GX is the second-generation of the subcompact hatchback, built by GM Korea and exported to the US. The GX is actually larger than the old Encore, which remains in the lineup.Matthew DeBord/Insider
The Encore is the smallest crossover in Buick's lineup. Crossovers have revived the brand and helped it shake off some of its stodgy image. Our GX Essence is the top trim level, above the less expensive Preferred and Select.Matthew DeBord/Insider
See the rest of the story at Business Insider
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