Buick Encore GX

How it looks when you see on the street: The Encore has freshened up the Buick logo and entire front-end for the 2024 model year. New lighting patterns and bumper shapes frame the reconfigured grille. It feels like a true umderstated crossover vehicle, nimble, slight, and strangely soothing . We ecently tested out the Avenir, which replaced the top Essence package. The Avenir offers up a heated and leather-wrapped steering wheel, leather seat covers, and an eight-way power-adjustable passenger seat that folds flat.

How it makes you feel when you get in: The cabin is roomy, which makes it comfortable for passengers. We like the custom content that’s available on the infotainment system, which has incorporated a 19-inch digital dashboard that uses an 11.0-inch screen and an 8.0-inch display. Wireless charging was included on our options list. Interior is minimal and streamlined The use of plastic materials are not as luxe as many others in the segment.

How it drives: The Encore GX has two engines. The Avenir has the more powerul engine that is a peppy performer. It has a lot of feedback on bumpy patches of highway compared to other Buick models. It earns about 30 mile per gallon - not bad for a gasoline-powered engine. Our vehicle also was equipped with all-wheel drive.

Space for people and things: For its segment, Encore offers a fair amount of leg room for both front and back seat passengers and a healthy-sized trunk.

Best Features: A long list of standard safety features such as Teen Driver, which allows limits to be place on a secondary driver’s boundaries. An additional cool feature is a pair of rain-sensing windshield wipers

What should you compare it to: Compare the GX to the Kia Seltos.

How much does it cost: The Buick Avenir that we tested came with a tech package that totaled up to $37,485.