Tested: 2024 Buick Encore GX Avenir Just Wants to Fit In

The Buick Encore GX is working through a bit of an identity crisis. Now in its fourth year of production, the 2024 Encore GX replaces the Essence with the Avenir trim at the top of its lineup. The Avenir arrives alongside a refreshed look for Buick’s smallest SUV, while some new tech and nicer materials inside help elevate the GX above similarly sized subcompact crossovers like the Honda HR-V and Volkswagen Taos and bring it closer to luxury competitors such as the BMW X1 and Volvo XC40. However, the Avenir is not quite sure which side of the line it wants to toe.

Outside, the refreshed Encore GX features slimmer headlights, reshaped front and rear bumpers, and an updated grille. Additionally, the GX is the first U.S. model to feature Buick’s updated tri-shield crest, though it’s relatively easy to miss the change from the old logo if you aren’t looking for it.

Buick also gave the GX’s interior a host of updates intended to help it move further upmarket. Our top-level all-wheel-drive Avenir came swathed in leather upholstery, with a heated steering wheel and an inductive charging pad am0ng the niceties. It’s attractive and intuitive, and the inclusion of higher-end materials makes for a more pleasant cabin than cheaper alternatives such as the HR-V or Toyota Corolla Cross—though equivalent premium-brand competitors such as the Mercedes-Benz GLB-class offer a richer finish for only a few thousand dollars more than the Buick’s $39,580 as-tested price.

The Encore GX’s new digital display panel, which should be the centerpiece of the new interior, has a garish bezel that diminishes the GX’s otherwise premium feel. The dual screens—an 11.0-inch central touchscreen and an 8.0-inch instrument display—are crisp and responsive. Buick’s native software works well, and wireless smartphone mirroring is standard.

Small SUVs like the Encore GX aren’t typically lauded for their sportiness, and that’s true here as well. The Buick’s base engine is a 137-hp turbocharged 1.2-liter three-cylinder, and even the step-up engine option, a turbocharged 1.3-liter three-cylinder, generates only 155 horsepower. With the 1.3-liter option, our test car required a lazy 8.8 seconds to reach 60 mph, though that figure is 0.5 second better than we recorded with the same powertrain in a 2020 Encore GX. That said, stepping up to the pricier 221-hp Mercedes GLB manages the same sprint in a far more acceptable 6.0 seconds.

While you might assume such a minuscule engine would have a commensurately small appetite for fuel, the GX’s powertrain struggles to redeem itself with its gas mileage. We measured 30 mpg in our 200-mile highway fuel-economy test. That figure beats the EPA’s 28-mpg estimate, but even so, the more powerful Mazda CX-30 matches the Buick’s fuel economy at a comparable price point, while an all-wheel-drive VW Taos beats it by 3 mpg.

Fortunately, everyday driving isn’t ruled by on-paper statistics, and while the Encore GX is certainly not quick, the 1.3-liter hits peak torque at 1600 rpm, giving it enough low-down pep to leave stoplights with some authority, and it can easily keep up with traffic—even if the nine-speed automatic transmission is occasionally slow to downshift. If the sound of a three-cylinder concerns you, the Buick’s engine doesn’t raise its voice much. Under wide-open throttle, the Avenir measured a quiet 72 decibels in our testing. The considerably more expensive Mercedes-Benz GLC300 emits 76 decibels in the same test. At a steady 70 mph, the Encore GX rolls at a hushed 68 decibels.

The ride is generally smooth and comfortable, if not quite as refined as some luxury competitors such as the Audi Q3 or aforementioned X1. Handling doesn’t quite devolve into slop, and it feels secure right up to its low skidpad grip of 0.81 g. Sportiness isn’t the flavor here.

Despite its size, the Encore GX manages to offer impressive practicality. We wouldn’t recommend stuffing your tallest friends in the back seat for long road trips, but the rear of the Buick is comfortable and spacious enough for shorter journeys. The Encore GX certainly isn’t built for schlepping major cargo, but the front passenger seat’s fold-flat capability allows you to stuff in an extra-long IKEA flat-pack or a ladder. For additional versatility, the load floor can be adjusted up or down, and there’s a removable shelf in the cargo area allowing for even more storage. In our testing, we found there’s room for six carry-on suitcases behind the rear seats, 19 with them folded.

As a mainstream crossover, the Encore GX Avenir is quiet, comfortable, and practical. But up against similarly priced competition, the little Buick quickly falls off the leaderboard. Bridging the gap between the mainstream and luxury markets proves to be a tough ask. At nearly $40,000 as-tested, the GX Avenir is priced more like the luxury vehicle it wants to be, but there are too many reminders here that a base Encore GX starts at $26,895. Sure, it’s changed its hair and bought some new clothes, but Buick charges fully for it, and as a result, the GX struggles to fit in.

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Specifications

Specifications

2024 Buick Encore GX Avenir

Vehicle Type: front-engine, front/all-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 4-door wagon

PRICE

Base/As Tested: $34,795/$39,580

Options: panoramic moonroof, $1495; Avenir Technology package (adaptive cruise control, review camera interior mirror, surround-view camera system, wireless device charging), $1395; Avenir Convenience package (Bose premium audio system, hands-free power liftgate, rain-sensing wipers, rear park assist), $1295; White Frost Tricoat paint, $600

ENGINE

turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 12-valve inline-3, aluminum block and head, direct fuel injection

Displacement: 82 in3, 1338 cm3

Power: 155 hp @ 5600 rpm

Torque: 174 lb-ft @ 1600 rpm

TRANSMISSION

9-speed automatic

CHASSIS

Suspension, F/R: struts/torsion beam
Brakes, F/R: 11.8-in vented disc/11.4-in disc

Tires: Continental ProContact TX

245/45-19 98H M+S TPC Spec 3178MS

DIMENSIONS

Wheelbase: 102.2 in

Length: 171.4 in

Width: 71.4 in

Height: 64.1 in

Passenger Volume, F/R: 50/42 ft3

Cargo Volume, Behind F/R: 50/24 ft3

Curb Weight: 3384 lb

C/D TEST RESULTS

60 mph: 8.8 sec

1/4-Mile: 16.9 sec @ 82 mph

100 mph: 28.1 sec

Results above omit 1-ft rollout of 0.3 sec.

Rolling Start, 5–60 mph: 10.1 sec

Top Gear, 30–50 mph: 4.8 sec

Top Gear, 50–70 mph: 6.8 sec

Top Speed (C/D est): 120 mph

Braking, 70–0 mph: 176 ft

Roadholding, 300-ft Skidpad: 0.81 g

C/D FUEL ECONOMY

Observed: 22 mpg

75-mph Highway Driving: 30 mpg

75-mph Highway Range: 390 mi

EPA FUEL ECONOMY

Combined/City/Highway: 27/26/28 mpg

C/D TESTING EXPLAINED

Associate News Editor

Jack Fitzgerald’s love for cars stems from his as yet unshakable addiction to Formula 1.
After a brief stint as a detailer for a local dealership group in college, he knew he needed a more permanent way to drive all the new cars he couldn’t afford and decided to pursue a career in auto writing. By hounding his college professors at the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee, he was able to travel Wisconsin seeking out stories in the auto world before landing his dream job at Car and Driver. His new goal is to delay the inevitable demise of his 2010 Volkswagen Golf.