2021 Buick Envision

The redesigned Envision looks more like a Volvo with its long wheelbase and stately lines. Compared to the outgoing model, the new Envision has a more sculpted face and body sides. Its grille is stretched horizontally across the front, with headlights swept to the corners. LED daytime running lights shape the headlights below, and frame side intakes on the lower front bumper. 

The body sides zig and zag with creases that pull and stretch available daylight. The rear roof pillar is still fat, but a crease above the rear fenders helps draw eyes down toward the rear wheels. 

Inside the cabin wears its high grade of materials well. Its gauges sit under an eyelid-like cover that’s mirrored by a crest on the passenger side. A swoop of gloss plastic frames the infotainment screen, but that shiny, scratch-vulnerable material’s not too widely used elsewhere in the cabin. A sport-appearance package blacks out some exterior metallic trim. 

We’ve driven an Avenir, which has silvery wood plastic trim with dimples that’s not as convincing as it is pretty. 

A thin steering wheel and an awkwardly tilted touchscreen that leans away from the driver are the minor foibles in an otherwise fabulous cabin.

All-wheel drive is an option on every version.

How fast is the Buick Envision?

It’s eager to squirt through holes in urban traffic, and energetic in its highway passing, so long as it’s not jammed with people and cargo. It already weighs from 3,692 to 3,932 pounds without anyone on board, after all.

The Envision’s 2.0-liter turbo-4 checks in at 228 hp and 258 lb-ft of torque, the latter of which arrives at a low 1,500 rpm and pulls strongly through 5,000 rpm. Front-drive models scrabble for traction at launch, when the turbocharger spools into action. The engine’s not coarse, but its noise is present—despite standard active noise cancellation.

Buick’s 9-speed automatic shifts cleanly in most situations, with a judder or two during low-speed operation. It can be paddle-shifted and its shifts can be tailored through a drive-mode selector that spins from Tour mode to Sport or Snow/Ice modes in front-drive cars. All-wheel-drive Envisions replace Snow/Ice mode with AWD and Off-Road modes—the latter’s more hopeful than useful, given the Envision’s moderate ground clearance and all-season tires. It can tow up to 1,500 pounds.

With a more refined suspension than before, the 2021 Envision’s front struts and rear multi-link setup can be augmented with adaptive dampers. With those, the Avenir we tested softened its attitude for interstate cruising but jittered across big bumps as its dampers stiffened quickly and dramatically, trying to cope through 20-inch wheels (18s are standard on lower-end models).The Envision’s ride pairs with responsive electric steering that’s almost without feedback through the skinny steering wheel.

A console with twin lids separates the front seats, as does a console with a big storage bin under the climate controls and a lower storage compartment. 

In the back, two very well shaped seats get plenty of knee and foot room, but head room suffers under the available panoramic sunroof, so we’d skip it. Seat heating for the back bench’s outboard seats costs extra.

Most Envision crossovers have a power tailgate that opens to 25.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the back seats. Fold them down flat and the Envision has 52.7 cubic feet of room.

Active noise cancellation, soft materials and crisp displays give the Envision a solid feel, and its lighter-tone interior sounds just the right Volvo notes.

The Envision's outward vision is acceptable, but to the rear it's compromised by a thick roof pillar. 

Based on these results, we give it a 7. We'll update this score when the IIHS publishes scores.

Options include a $2,500 package with a 10.2-inch touchscreen, 9-speaker Bose audio, a head-up display, front parking sensors, and a surround-view camera system. Dark body trim and 20-inch wheels come in a $1,325 Sport Touring package. A panoramic sunroof costs $1,450.

Which Buick Envision should I buy?

The $37,490 front-drive Envision Essence is the best value. It adds standard beige or black leather upholstery, heated front seats, a power tailgate, a power front passenger seat, remote start, and the 10.2-inch touchscreen. Skip the sunroof and all-wheel drive, and take the technology bundle instead for a price just under $40,000.

How much is a fully loaded Buick Envision?

The $41,890 Avenir has 20-inch wheels, heated rear seats, a surround-view camera system, and navigation. A $1,965 package adds adaptive shocks, a rear camera mirror, automatic park assist, and adaptive cruise control.