What do you give an America obsessed with downsizing their cars? The 2013 Buick Encore, of course! The newest addition to Buick’s prestigious lineup is the Encore, a subcompact crossover aimed at the fuel-savvy among us. But in a crowded segment of comfortable, efficient, and versatile crossovers, how will the domestic brand’s offering size up?
© General Motors
Styling on the new Encore is less than stunning, but it does give nice cues to its older brother, the Enclave, while offering a contemporary feel. Striking vertical grill slats emblazoned with the Buick logo give way to swept-back HID headlamps, and the smooth windshield-to-roof transition screams aerodynamics. From the side, however, Encore’s looks begin to deteriorate. Since the Encore shares its chassis architecture with the much smaller Chevrolet Spark and Sonic, the car’s side proportions suggest that it’s been squished from the front and the rear. The Encore looks almost abbreviated, as if there are another two feet of car that are simply missing.
Powering this micro-crossover is a six-speed automatic mated to a 1.4-liter, 4-cylinder turbo rated at 138 horsepower – modest for any modern car. On the flip side, Buick claims that Encore fuel economy will surpass that of any other domestic crossover; 25 mpg city and 33 highway combine for an average of 28 mpg in the Encore, numbers that seem more suited to a small sedan. The Encore is also available in an all-wheel drive platform, albeit with a decrease in fuel economy.
© General Motors
But the Encore truly isn’t about styling or performance. Luxury and passenger comfort are the selling points of this crossover, and it does a great job of maintaining them in traditional Buick fashion. Buick’s IntelliLink infotainment system, with satellite radio and wireless connectivity, is standard on the base Encore, as is the Bose-inspired QuietTuning system that makes the cabin a silent sanctuary. Even blue ambient lighting and a rearview camera are standard features. This baby Buick is also generous on interior space – it can seat up to five comfortably while offering 48.4 cubic feet of luggage capacity (with the rear seat folded down).
With competition from Mini’s stylish Countryman S and the similar VW Tiguan, the Encore has no easy road to success. However, I think its superb fuel economy along with its $24,950 base price should draw in plenty of entry-level luxury buyers, provided that they can get past its uninspired styling. Will the 2013 Buick Encore attract the younger demographic, will it appeal to the older empty nester looking to downsize, or can it do both? Will this Encore get an encore in the future? Only time will tell. The Buick Encore is currently available in the US market.
Please enjoy this TFLcar review of Encore’s big brother, the Buick Enclave.
Frank caught automotive fever early in life. Hailing from a long line of car fanatics, Frank was able to recite the year and model of every car that passed him by age five. His passion and love for the automobile have only grown since then. When not thinking about cars, he is reading, writing, learning, or dreaming about them. His area of expertise comes in the realm of German and Italian cars, of which Porsche is a favorite. Frank currently resides in the heart of NASCAR country in Charlotte, North Carolina, with his family. He thoroughly enjoys driving exotic cars in the beautiful Carolina weather.
