2024 Buick Encore GX Review: Handy and Handsome

Buick fanatics are a lovely bunch. A few years ago, this site’s executive editor and I visited the Buick GS Nationals in Bowling Green, Kentucky for a weekend soaked in Saturn Yellow. There, we discovered the dedication and obsession unique to the performance-minded, luxury-leaning manufacturer that bridges General Motors’ price gap between Chevrolet and Cadillac. Nobody puts this middle child in the corner.

Like its siblings, this middle born has produced some cult classics, particularly in the performance side of the house. The Buick Nailhead V-8 was a hot choice among drag racers and go-fast freaks, and the GSX and GNX were two bona fide street racers from two widely different decades. It was no surprise that our weekend in Bowling Green centered around the quarter-mile drag strip at Beech Bend Park.

Indeed, Buick produced some truly special—and fast—cars back in the day, which is why it’s so sad to comb through its offerings today. Maybe sad isn’t the right word—we’re wistful to return to a day when Wildcats prowled parking lots. How about that?

Buick, as muscle car loving enthusiasts remember it, is a distant memory here in 2024. Instead, its current lineup is an array of crossovers, ranging from small to large. This is not unique to the big B, but is a bummer when there’s no halo car like a Corvette or Mustang (or, in this case, a Riviera) to distract you from the march of inevitable crossover domination. But just because something lacks a boat-tail or a V-8 doesn’t mean it’s also devoid of style, utility, and speed, right?

Last month, Buick delivered its smallest of the bean-shaped bunch, a 2024 Encore GX, to my doorstep in Detroit. In addition to a raft of styling tweaks for the 2024 model year, there’s a new 19-inch dashboard display installed in every trim level. It’s two screens—an 11-inch center infotainment screen and an eight-inch digital instrument cluster—placed behind a single piece of glass. More on that later.

Flaunting a glossy coat of Bronze Ice Metallic (a $495 option) and a black roof ($395), the compact crossover has decent curb appeal and presents better than Toyota’s Corolla Cross or Honda’s HR-V. This model year marked the debut of a reworked set of bumpers and grille as well as an overhauled tri-shield badge. That handsome badge makes multiple appearances throughout, including inside the vehicle’s headlight shells. Chrome plastic around the grille, windows, and extending out to the roofline elevate this SUV’s sense of style and luxury. Black wheels with chrome lugs further distance the piece from a beige commuter.

This particular Encore, the GX Sport Touring, is the middle rung between the Preferred base model and the more upscale Avenir trim. The five-passenger, four-door SUV also came with the 1.3-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine, delivering 155 horsepower and 172 lb-ft of torque through a nine-speed automatic to all four wheels. Front-wheel drive Encores, whether equipped with the base 1.2-liter three-cylinder or the 1.3 turbo, receive the CVT transmission.

Specs: 2024 Buick Encore GX Sport Touring

Price: $28,095 (base); $35,170 (as-tested)
Powertrain: 1.3-liter turbocharged I-3 with a nine-speed automatic transmission
Horsepower: 155 hp @ 5600 rpm
Torque: 174 lb-ft @ 1600 rpm
Layout: All-wheel-drive, four-door, five-passenger compact SUV
Weight: 3384 lbs
EPA-rated fuel economy: 27/26/28 mpg city/hwy/combined
0–60 mph: 8.8 seconds
Competitors: Hyundai Kona, Toyota Corolla Cross, Honda HR-V

In addition to all-wheel-drive and the nine-speed auto, the car we tested came optioned with the Experience Buick Package, which includes the moonroof and those sexy black wheels ($1695). Remote start, power driver seat, and heated seats come with the Comfort Package ($1295), and adaptive cruise, rear park assist, and additional parking cameras are part of the Advanced Technology Package ($1095).

Inside, similar shapes and lines are carried over from the exterior. The air vents and door handle scoops look to be crafted from the same set of curves as the front air dam and the roof’s rather handsome wicker bill. The leatherette seats, door cards, and dash trim do well to break up the interior’s black plastic. White stitching throughout certainly helps the cause, too. Like most crossovers of this diminutive scale, the front seats feel roomy, that is, until you poke out your arm and rub elbows with a fellow occupant. The back seats have ample legroom, provided the front seat passengers aren’t giants.

Connectivity is great, with both types of USBs (hooray!) and Bluetooth capability. HVAC adjustment is done completely through physical buttons and knobs. The new continuous piece of glass occupying most of the dashboard looks elegant. Buick could push this notion of elegance further by matching the blacks from the screen to the unused portion of glass: Direct sunlight quickly reveals how much of the 19-inch span is digital real estate and how much is unused space (see left photo below).

The Bose sound system is suited just fine for the small people mover, and it properly fills the space. For anyone who listens to music consistently, this $500 option is worth it.

The Encore is ideal for zipping around town and performs well on any road, though there’s not much here that excites the senses. I will say, the Encore feels planted, exhibiting little body roll, and the drivetrain is plenty capable for quick acceleration from lights or on ramps.

I’m curious about the future of the 1.3-liter three-cylinder, though. In late 2022, it was announced that Buick would aim to be an all-electric brand by 2030, with a cleverly named “Electra” lineup. Since then, the company also announced that it first vehicle in the lineup would be the 2025 Electra E5, an SUV powered by GM’s Ultium battery platform. Finally, in December of last year, the Detroit News reported that 47% of dealers chose to take a buyout rather than sell future Buick EVs. The company is no doubt at a crossroads.

I hope they find a path through it all, because Buick can still deliver a useful, well-designed vehicle that stands out in the right ways. If you are in the market for a small SUV, the Encore should absolutely be on your list to test drive. It does everything it’s supposed to do and looks good doing it—without breaking the bank.

Highs: A fresh and attractive redesign, quite dapper for the price point, energetic little powertrain, handles well

Lows: Cabin may be small for larger individuals, screens could present better

Takeaway: Works like a car, looks like a million bucks.