Capsule Review: 2015 Buick Encore - Unexpectedly, the Buick Encore was able to sell in pretty decent number. Despite the air of a roll...
Unexpectedly, the Buick Encore was able to sell in pretty decent number. Despite the air of a rollerskate with four wheels, the Buick trucklet displaced nearly 49,000 units in 2014, against about 31,000 in its debut in 2013. Part of the success of the Encore should be attributed to the fact that was the first to come to the party. The small CUV craze only heat now in America, and still is probably the first (in terms of chronology, not quality) entering the premium segment. Demand is enough that GM has expanded the production of two plants (Mexico and Spain, as well as the original Korean localization) and import 50 percent more units compared to last year strong.
For the life of me, I can 't understand why. The Encore is one of the worst cars I drive for a long time.
Ok, to be fair, there is a case to made for an Encore - a fragile - but it exists. According to Automotive News , the Encore is a hit with empty nests that are between the ages of 45 and 65 and looking to downsize. This is just the sweet spot for the demographic Buick Encore and let buyers have the comfort of a CUV (ride height, ease of entry and exit) in a compact body that is easy to park and maneuver . Seriously, it's not bad to get around, because of its Chevy Sonic roots.
The steering is light, but responsive and the chassis seemed, dare I say, agile, while providing a comfortable ride, totally silent. Buick version of MyLink is not bad either. Not as good as UConnect, but so much better than the Cadillac CUE system, and right around the same level as the new MyFord Touch system. And that's about it. And really, that's probably all the target buyer is looking. Any other perspective. The rest of the car is an absolute mess.
The Encore could very well be the ugliest car from GM Aztek. It is difficult to make a car with the proportions of a roller skate look attractive, but the Buick appropriate levels of chromium (including wheels, grille and ventiports) make the car look like a four-wheeled approximation of an apple shape after -Rehab Liza Minnelli sashaying in an evening sequined dress. Inside, not much better. Materials and surfaces deserve some credit, but GM's approach to the center console appears to be "sticking all buttons, everywhere."
In theory, this is not a bad idea. Older buyers are more likely to gravitate to the touch controls rather than complex touchscreens. in execution, it rarely works (Acura is also guilty of this on the last generation TL, for example), because there are so many features on modern cars as a user interface based on the button ends up looking cluttered and random. in the Still, they do not feel very good either. for a $ 32,000 car, there is not much better than that Sonic will find in a $ 14 thousand, and no amount of faux stitching on the dashboard panels can do for it.
Window 1.4T engine and the Encore are worthy of merit on their own, but the assembly is less than the sum of its parts. With a curb weight of 3,0 lbs, 138 horses and 148 lb-ft is just not cutting it - especially when the power is delivered by 6 automatic GM speeds. This unit, which appears on a wide range of cars cross layout, is miserable. The changes occur in what appears to be the geological ages, and it only serves to exacerbate what should be "good old underpowered" in a situation where 60 mph in just over 10 seconds. It is not particularly smooth or conducive to the outstanding fuel economy either. Although the EPA evaluates the Encore AWD at 23/30/26 mpg city / highway / combined, you will end up hammering the gas to make reasonable progress before - the worst thing you can do for a turbo engine. Replacing the transmission would be one of the best things GM can do for its entire range, and would go a long way to redeem the Encore. Not even a Trifecta Tune can solve this problem. It seems that GM is considering a longer engine as well.
As a crossover, the Encore does not particularly hold either. At 18.8 cubic feet of cargo space (48.4 cubic feet with the seats down), it is not particularly spacious. HR-V Honda 24.3 feet of space for stuff with the seats in place, and an additional 10 feet on again when the seats are down. At best, the Encore is built for four. You can forget about stuffing an adult in the rear center seat, and everyone over 6 feet will have a miserable time on anything approaching a long journey.
Our tester, an AWD model fully loaded, stickered at $ 32,000. That's a lot of money for a small crossover with barely a premium badge and equipment that is shared with less GM models. If I had to rely on the hyperbolic prose that reporters tend to fall back on, I ask why someone bought this car (especially when there is the Jetta Sportwagen blah blah blah). But I understand. Even if it is not very good at doing anything particularly well, there is a growing demographic of older, wealthy buyers who want something with the ride height of a CUV and the imprint of a smaller car and fresh driving experience, calm of a luxury car. The Encore fills that niche. When placed in the broader context of the automotive market, it begins to look stupid
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