2023 Buick Encore GX

The argument stands that the 2023 Buick Encore GX is neither fish nor fowl. It’s not going to make any near-luxury competitor (like Acura or Volvo) sweat with worry and you could easily make the case rivals like Kia’s Soul can be had for less dough and are just as pragmatic for urban use with an edge in interior design. Buick’s claim to fame is a fancier aesthetic, but brands like Hyundai and Kia are clearly busting their tails to create compelling design language and backing it up with quality, while Buick seems to be phoning it in.

While the Koreans are building big loyalty here, Buick still exists in this country because of its huge success in China. In fact, this vehicle is majority built not in the U.S.A., where Buick once stood as a shorthand for “social climber,” but in South Korea. Were it not for overseas markets Buick would’ve gone the way of Pontiac or Plymouth. To a late 20s-ish buyer it probably already has; asking my nephew, an avowed car nut, what he thought of Buick. He shrugged and said, “That’s still a thing?” 

Yes, it is, and the market for vehicles like the Encore GX is quite crowded. For one thing, there’s another Encore, the non-GX, that Buick is still selling nearly a decade after it first hit the streets. It hasn’t changed since 2021, and 2023 will be its final outing. But the Encore GX also competes with everything from the Soul to the Subaru Crosstrek, Hyundai Kona and Mazda’s CX-30 to higher-end small-fries like the Mini Countryman and Lexus UX, though it costs much less than they do.

While it’d be a stretch to call any of those vehicles, apart from the CX-30 turbo and Kona N, exciting, the Encore GX is sedate in both of its forms. It can be had with either a 155 horsepower 1.3-liter three-cylinder or a 137 horsepower 1.2-liter three-cylinder. The right recipe? Get the 1.3-liter because that’s mated to all-wheel drive (AWD) and a nine-speed automatic that’s more responsive than the non-shiftable continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). Manually shifting the nine-speed gives you just a hair more giddyup for quicker passing. You might want the option to downshift for driving in snow, too. 

With the Buick, unlike Subaru or Hyundai, there’s some pretense of luxury. But it’s only that, because the hard plastics used on the interior and meh interior design ethos aren’t even trying to creep onto Audi turf. That said, the Encore GX’s overall packaging, easy-to-swallow driving manners and no-muss (if anonymous) styling make it a very handy daily driver, especially in tight urban settings. We should add here that the sight lines out of the car are excellent, and if you’re a tentative pilot, the Buick will make you feel more comfortable when scooting around in traffic. 

Buick also bundles in more active-safety features than it used to. Forward collision warnings, automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, a following-distance indicator and intelligent high beams are all standard, though adaptive cruise control and rear cross-traffic alerts cost extra. It also earned a Top Safety Pick rating from IIHS last year. It isn’t sporty or necessarily exciting to look at, and some of its popular-brand rivals offer more equipment for less money, but the Encore GX isn’t terrible either. It just doesn’t seem quite sure which buyer it’s trying to please.

Performance 8/15

Nope: It’s not quick. But the turbocharged 155-horsepower mill spits out at least enough juice to move the Buick’s 3,335 pounds around town with decent get-off. You don’t really feel the limited output until you’re trying to do something uppity, like pass an 18-wheeler on the Interstate. Then the Buick’s lack of mojo can be jarring. Yes, you’ll get there, eventually, but the combination of a not particularly smooth-sounding engine and a somewhat bouncy ride thanks to a pretty short wheelbase doesn’t add up to sporty or luxurious.

We’ll grant that in urban settings the Encore GX makes quick work of lane changes and chasing errands, and the steering feel and easy sightlines help drive the car with ready verve, but the Buick doesn’t reward that kind of engagement with sensory feedback through your hands or hindquarters where the car is on the road even if you decide to push so hard you’re hearing the tires howl, which only makes you think you should quit that hooliganism immediately. 

You might say that’s all well and good. The vehicle we keep returning to, because it’s such a good comp and can be had for a bit less money is the Subaru Crosstrek, and that’s no rally machine, either, but it does feel a bit more engaging and also confident if you’re hustling it around. The Encore GX just feels bothered and out of sorts. If you’re interested in real performance, Mazda’s CX-30 offers much more power and AWD for about the same overall cost.

Fuel Economy: 13/15

While the more frugal Encore GX bumps you up to 29 mpg city, 31 highway and 30 mpg combined, that model doesn’t have AWD or the better-shifting nine-speed. The rub if you get the 1.3-liter engine, is that it falters on fuel economy, sinking to 26 mpg city, 29 highway and 27 mpg combined. These aren’t terrible numbers, but the Kia Soul manages 29 mpg city, 35 highway and 30 combined. 

If you do want AWD, the Subaru Crosstrek nets 27 city and 34 highway, and that’s from an engine that delivers 182 horsepower. While nobody would confuse the Crosstrek with its WRX cousin, as noted above, it’s peppier, better balanced and more capable. Happily the Encore GX drinks regular gas, unlike the Countryman. None of these vehicles can touch the 42-mpg-combined hybrid Lexus UX on fuel economy, but it also costs more to start.

The Buick can really feel shy on power exactly when you need it. Not having great propulsion and paying for gas more frequently? That’s not a great combination. 

Safety & Driver Assistance Tech: 11/15

Features like adaptive cruise control as well as a 360-degree virtual view of the Encore GX both make it easier to drive this car safely and take some pressure off of driving and parking in crowded areas. An available heads-up display also lets you focus on the road rather than looking down at the instrument cluster. Unfortunately, all these niceties require upgrading to the most expensive trim, the Essence, and they even cost extra there. Adaptive cruise control is part of a $1,935 package.

Buick includes features like automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection, lane keeping assistance that also warns the driver of a lane departure, forward collision warning that will flash a light and an alarm if you’re not braking when a vehicle ahead suddenly jams on their brakes, and automatically dimming high beams. You can also get remote vehicle starting, which is handy in both the heat of summer and the depth of winter. 

IIHS gives the Encore GX a Top Safety Pick which is one ranking shy of Top Safety Pick+—their highest score. NHTSA grades the Encore GX five out of five stars as well.

Comfort & Room: 10/15

The front seats of the Encore GX are pretty comfy, but the rears are a little hard and a bit too upright for folks who might prefer a more relaxed perch. Where the Buick gets dinged, too, is that it trails the Kia Soul’s second row knee- and headroom. Alright, if that’s not fair, because the Soul doesn’t come with AWD, know that the Subaru Crosstrek ekes out a bit more second-row legroom than the Buick—36.5 inches to the Encore GX’s 36—plus the Crosstrek is way roomier for shoulder and hip room. 

Basically, it’s tight in the back of the Buick, even when compared with vehicles that are about the same size. It’s less tight than the Lexus, but that vehicle has one of the tightest rear seats in crossover world.

The GX does come out ahead of the Subaru in some facets, with dual-zone climate controls, and more goodies like ten-way power seats with lumbar support. Unfortunately, again, you do have to go up to the highest rung Essence version to get some niceties you might want, like an auto-dimming rearview mirror and multiple driver memory settings. 

Infotainment: 12/15

GM’s standard instrument cluster and infotainment suite integrates several functions into the eight-inch touchscreen, but still retains a tuning knob and hard buttons for scanning through channels or stations, and there’s redundant switchgear on the steering wheel, too. None of this stuff will strike you as premium, but it is intuitive and we think it’s smart they don’t bury basic functions in layers of menus that require hunting, swiping, and tapping just to change the audio output. 

If it matters to you, they also offer a Wifi hotspot, though this has also become a near default for carmakers, as has inclusion of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to pair your phone apps. 

One feature you won’t see often at this price category is what Buick calls “quiet tuning,” which basically is adding extra layers of sound-deadening materials between the cabin and the exterior. That probably does enable hearing the six-speaker audio system more readily, but Buick doesn’t offer a premium sound system in this model.

Cargo Space & Storage: 9/15

Split 60/40 rear folding seats and available rubberized cargo mats allow the little Buick to deliver a modicum of practicality, and because this rig is pretty small, vs. a comparable compact ute like the Crosstrek or, say, the Nissan Kicks, it’s reasonably competitive. That Crosstrek again edges it out a hair for maximum cargo capacity (55 cubic feet vs. the Buick’s 50), but the Buick’s 23.5 cubes with the rear seats upright bests the Subaru’s 20.8. 

And you shouldn’t scoff at the latter digits, because one reason five-door crossovers even in the smallest format are so popular is pretty simple: Regular car trunks just don’t offer that much room, even on large sedans. You can fit more in an Encore than a Mercedes-Benz S-Class, though few would compare them.

We also dig that the Buick has a fold-forward front passenger seat. This should be a default in the “cute ute” slot, but it’s not. It allows carting a bunch of two-by-fours back from the big-box hardware store without having to drive with that lumber poking out of the hatch. But what Buick gives with one feature, they don’t quite live up to elsewhere, so there are no clever dividers for holding grocery bags upright in the hatch area, and even the cover that hides what’s in the cargo bay is just plain flimsy.

Style & Design: 7/10

Arguably no small cute ute in the $25,000 to $35,000 cute ute is especially gorgeous, although the Mazda CX-30 and Mini Countryman look cool and offer some level of competitive utility. And of course you could make the case that the actually luxurious Volvo XC40 is plenty handsome. The Encore GX is at best not obnoxious or in your face, and if it’s as mild and unassuming as a button-down oxford, and that might be what you’re after. Also, Honda and Toyota sell piles of CR-Vs and RAV-4s each year, and neither really screams “sex-ee!” now, do they? 

The issue with the Buick is not with its looks. It’s that the rest of the package isn’t all that head turning, either. The interior doesn’t wow, and getting the best options means you’ll pay as much as more premium competitors. Rivals like Hyundai and Kia increasingly bang out interesting, cool, attractive cars, making that oxford button-down feel like last century’s news.

Which Buick Encore GX is the Best Value?

The Encore GX’s value proposition is a mixed bag. It costs more to start than its popular-brand rivals, but offers a similar experience. If you load it up with options it brings lots of nice features but wanders into the pricing territory of premium alternatives. Mazda’s CX-30 does much the same job at the same price, looks nicer and goes faster.

If we had to choose an Encore GX, we’d prefer one with AWD rather than the base front-wheel drive, and because the slightly larger engine at least gives you liveable horses, that lands you at the mid-tier, Select level, which starts at $31,690 (including a $1,195 destination fee). That also includes features you will want, like dual-zone climate and heated front seats, but not all of the most luxurious extras.

Upgrading to the Essence AWD means a starting price of $34,490, and adding the Advanced Technology Package, which includes adaptive cruise control, navigation and satellite radio, means adding another $1,935. The Lexus UX 250h starts at $35,925, while adaptive cruise is standard on a Crosstrek or a Kona.

How Much Does it Cost to Insure the Buick Encore GX?

The Encore GX isn’t an expensive vehicle to insure, but it is a little pricier than its peers. According to our data, a typical 30-year-old female driver with a clean record can expect an average annual premium of $1,939 for a top-trim GX Essence, with all other versions costing less, though this averages all 50 states. That compares to $1,862 for a Mazda CX-30 Turbo, $1,774 for the Hyundai Kona SEL, $1,829 for the Kia Seltos EX and $1,760 for the Subaru Crosstrek Limited. To get a more accurate picture of your potential insurance expenses, visit our car insurance calculator.