2022 Buick Encore GX

The appealing shape starts with slim LED headlights that frame a broad wing-like grille. They lead into body sides with a trio of deeply sculpted lines that shear some visual weight from the car, and tease its body upward to the rear end. It’s not strikingly different in concept from the older Encore, but it’s entirely more successful, especially in the way Buick doles out splines of metallic trim and blacks out the roof on some editions to make a leaner, more handsome shape.

The wing-like grille echoes in the Encore GX dash. It’s trimmed in basic versions with basic plastic and cloth, but more expensive models get metallic-look trim and dash panels with brown or black cloth or synthetic leather. An 8.0-inch touchscreen lays back too far to be easily read, and the Encore GX has some hard plastic trim on its dash and doors, but in all it’s more deserving of the premium label than the car it superseded. (Which is still on sale, right over there, keep your voice down.)

It can be fitted with all-wheel drive; otherwise, the Encore GX is front-wheel drive.

How fast is the Buick Encore GX?

It’s not very quick, but it’s enough. Buick sells a base version with a 137-hp 1.2-liter turbo-3, but Select and Essence trims can come with a 1.3-liter turbo-3. With 155 hp and 174 lb-ft of torque, it’s teamed with a CVT in front-wheel-drive versions; when it’s fitted with all-wheel drive, it gets a 9-speed automatic. We like it with the CVT, where it makes excellent use of its low-end torque for a 0-60 mph time of about eight seconds. The engine’s muted by plenty of sound deadening, and the CVT even allows the driver to flick through imaginary gears (since CVTs use pulleys and belts, they don’t have actual gears).

The Encore GX can tow up to 1,000 lb, and weighs from 3,025 to 3,273 lb. 

Buick rightly puts its weight down in favor of ride quality. The Encore GX absorbs the gaps in city streets well, and settles into a mostly calm lope on interstates. It even grips in corners with good steering precision, outshining the older Encore, though the steering itself doesn’t relay much information about the road surface. Where the Encore GX could be improved is in suspension noise; it thunks over bumps while its tires cope with steel patches and potholes in the road.

We haven’t driven a base model, which has manually adjusted front seats. In the Essence, power seats with leather upholstery have good travel to accommodate small and tall drivers. The seats have narrow bottom cushions, though, and feel too slim and flat for bigger drivers.

The GX offsets that with a deep console and a bin for smartphones.

In back, two adults will fit well thanks to big door openings, a high seat, and good knee room. There’s a place for a third passenger, but they should be on the small side, and should only get the invite for short trips. With good shaping to the seat itself, the Encore GX feels much more comfortable than the older carryover Encore.

The Encore GX sports 23.5 cubic feet of storage behind the rear seats, which expands to 50.2 cubic feet when the rear seatbacks fold down. That’s not much less than the larger, more expensive Buick Envision—and the GX’s front passenger seatback folds flat to carry objects up to about eight feet long.

With lots of plush materials and sound deadening, at least in the Essence trim, the Encore GX looks and sounds suitably upscale.

All Encore GXs also have LED headlights, automatic high beams, and active lane control.

Some models can be fitted with automatic park assist, a rear camera mirror, a surround-view camera system, adaptive cruise control, and front and rear parking sensors. We’d pay extra for them, since the Encore GX’s outward vision is just OK, especially toward the rear.

Which Buick Encore GX should I buy?

We’d move up to the Encore GX Preferred. For about $28,000 it gains heated front seats, blind-spot monitors, remote start, satellite radio, and an eight-way power-adjustable driver’s seat. 

How much is a fully loaded Buick Encore GX?

The Encore GX Essence starts at about $32,500. It has a power front passenger seat and leather upholstery. It can be fitted with a panoramic sunroof, Bose premium audio, a hands-free power tailgate, a surround-view camera system, and wireless smartphone charging; with a head-up display and adaptive cruise control, it can cost more than $37,000. 

Buick’s average warranty covers the car for 3 years/36,000 miles.

Base versions with the 1.2-liter turbo-3 earn EPA ratings of 29 mpg city, 31 highway, 30 combined. The uprated 1.3-liter engine sits at 29/32/30 mpg with front-wheel drive; with all-wheel drive, it’s 26/29/27 mpg.