![]() Its struggle is immediately noticeable, and is made all the more pronounced thanks to a transmission that's tuned to upshift quickly in order to save fuel. The tiny base engine has a lot on its plate. The problem is that even the lightest Encore weighs a portly 3,200 pounds. Add more passengers and/or all-wheel drive with its material weight of about 150 pounds, and it starts to feel truly slow. It can accelerate to 60 mph from a standstill in the 9 second neighborhood, but that's a best-case scenario for the lightest curb weight on offer: no options, no all-wheel drive, and just one driver aboard. Now several years after its introduction, the Encore remains a pleasant vehicle to drive, but the base engine demands more power. For 2017, Buick has made the more potent engine available on all trims above the base version. It puts out 153 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque and was only offered in the Sport Touring trim. For the 2016 model year, Buick shoehorned in an uprated version of this engine with direct injection. The base version produces 138 horsepower in addition to 148 pound-feet of torque. It's paired only with a 6-speed automatic transmission. Standard power comes from a turbocharged 1.4-liter inline-4, the same engine that is an extra cost option on the Sonic found in Chevy dealers. The Encore's pint size pays off in a few performance figures, but in general it remains up against a hefty challenge: its weight. At that price point, the Encore raises more questions about size, performance, and the idea of luxury, than it answers. All models come standard with 10 airbags, a rearview camera, the ability to run selected smartphone apps via Bluetooth, Apple Car Play and Android Auto, and OnStar's 4G LTE data connection, which allows drivers to create a wi-fi network inside the car.Ī loaded Encore comes in at around $33,000. The base vehicle is around $25,000, on top of which you can add leather seats, all-wheel drive, a premium Bose audio system, and safety options like lane departure and forward collision warning systems. Safety and equipment are where the Encore's pricetag starts to seem more logical. That makes it far more useful as a small hatchback than you might expect from the premium trappings, adding some Honda Fit flexibility to the Buick Verano compact luxury overtones. Its real forte is the flexible interior configuration: The back seat flips and folds down, and even the front passenger seat can fold too. The Encore is a narrow vehicle, so front-seat passengers will touch elbows occasionally. All-wheel-drive models seem to ride more smoothly than front-drivers, perhaps due to the added weight down low.Īccommodations are good in certain dimensions particularly and tighter in others. Handling is as good as you'll get in a tall wagon with a short wheelbase. It is the clear choice for everyday drivability. It makes highway merging and passing comparatively effortless and delivers improved pickup from a stop as well. The 153-hp version largely remedies this issue. ![]() Even without the additional mass of available all-wheel drive, the 0-60 mph run takes around 9 seconds, and if you add the extra weight to drive all four wheels, you'll take 10 seconds and learn to plan your on-ramps and merges well ahead of time. The Encore verges on 3,200 pounds, a lot of mass to move with just 138 hp. It is offered in two states of tune: 138 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque, or, when direct injection is added, 153 hp and 177 lb-ft of torque. The engine is a turbocharged 1.4-liter 4-cylinder mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission. But the Buick's optional all-wheel drive isn't offered on that Chevy, even if it's tuned more for bad-weather traction, rather than off-roading or rocky country tracks. Active noise cancellation keeps engine roar mostly muted, however.Īlthough you would likely never guess it, the Encore shares some underpinnings with the humble Chevrolet Sonic subcompact. Befitting the near-luxury Buick brand, the cabin is relatively quiet-though not entirely hushed, since some wind and tire noise still comes through. Soft-touch surfaces, metal accents, and blue ambient lighting are upscale touches. The center stack is dominated the touchscreen, which helps clean up the look and make the controls easier to use. The interior is more successful in carrying off a premium feel in a small package. ![]()
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