Upon its debut in 2013, crossover SUV buyers quickly began to take notice of the Buick Encore. It combined the interior elegance that Buick has long been known for with engine capability and a comfortable ride. While not exactly designed with overwhelming engine performance, the 2019 Buick Encore performs admirably for city life and urban driving. Where it excels, however, is in the finely appointed interior, complete with a small army of standard features.
The appeal of the crossover SUV is the performance and maneuverability of a sedan with the spacious feel of a sport utility vehicle. That is where the 2019 Buick Encore really makes its name. While other, larger SUVs, and even some in its weight class, will be able to give its driver great engine performance or off-road capability, this crossover SUV spends its top dollar on keeping the ride quiet, safe and luxurious. Check out the specs on the engine, interior, and safety features and see if you think that Buick made the right choices when designing the new 2019 Buick Encore.
Engine
As mentioned, this is not the focal point of the 2019 Buick Encore. While its 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine performs just fine for city living, it isn’t meant to thrill the driver on the open highway. At only 138 horsepower, sports car acceleration is not exactly a way to describe the Encore. Furthermore, the paltry torque of only 148 lb-ft is not any kind of invitation to tow anything of any substantial size.
However, it has terrific maneuverability and has handling perfectly suited for urban traffic. It gets a combined 27 miles per gallon city and highway, which is great for those with short commutes in the city. That means less time and money spent at the gas station. It takes corners tightly and has a smooth all around ride, great for tooling around town in any form of city traffic. It is highly recommended to stay inside the city limits. If you are planning on going somewhere of any distance, the 2019 Buick Encore can get you there. It would just be best if you were not in any hurry.
Interior
The interior is where the 2019 Buick Encore really shines. It is roomy for all passengers, with seating up to five. It has 18.8 cubic feet of storage behind the rear seat. That is plenty more than any sedan has to offer, with more room for passengers, as well. When the rear seats are folded, that cargo area nearly triples, to 48.3 cubic feet. That is more than enough room for pets, groceries, kids’ science projects, work assignments and most anything that you need to take with you. Additionally, the front passenger seat can also be folded down, which allows for something up to eight feet long to be carried comfortably inside the Encore.
As far as passenger comfort goes, the 2019 Buick Encore is plenty roomy, for most. It features 39.6 inches of front seat headroom and 40.8 inches of front seat legroom. That is usually more than enough for a person of average height. The backseat, however, is a bit more cramped. The headroom is still good, at 38.8 inches. Taller people, or at least those with longer legs, might feel a little snug in the back seat, with only 35.8 inches of legroom. Depending on the height of your friends and family, you might want to carefully consider who rides where.
Buick has been innovative in reducing cabin noise to a near deafening silence. Beginning in 2011, QuietTuning is a Buick technology that uses a variety of ways to reduce extant noise coming into the cabin. By using such things as extra layers of sound reducing materials in the floorboards, acoustic laminate window panes and an isolated engine, QuietTuning allows for a peaceful drive, devoid of all the city noises Buick Encore drivers are sure to encounter.
Essence Trim
The 2019 Buick Encore comes in four trim levels: Base, Preferred, Sport Touring, and Essence. The Essence trim level is the highest available trim level, and it shows it. It comes with a slew of standard features, and even more available features.
Some of the standard features include Blind Spot Monitoring, which alerts the driver of an object in a potential blind spot; Rear Cross Alert, which will inform the driver to an object crossing behind the path of the Encore; Rear Vision Camera, which shows what is behind the Encore on the dash-mounted display screen; an 8” touchscreen infotainment center; 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, perfect for integrating all the tech gadgets you or your friends and family may bring along with you; OnStar, GM’s connected emergency service; Remote Start, which allows you to start your car from inside the house on a cold day or if you are running late; and LED headlamps, which greatly increase visibility in front of you. Many of these would only available in certain packages on trim levels in other comparable vehicles. However, with the 2019 Buick Encore Essence, you get all of that and more.
Some of the available features in packages, or as stand-alone features, include Forward Collision Alert, which will alert an inattentive driver if there is an impending forward collision; Front and Rear Park Assist, which help drivers park cleanly and safely into tight spots without striking any other objects; and Lane Departure Warning, which alerts the driver if the Encore starts to drift from its lane. This last one has improved blinker use for countless drivers in its few years on the market, as the Lane Departure Warning feature will not go off if a turn indicator is engaged.
As you can see, Buick cares greatly about the safety of its drivers and those on the road around them. Some of these features weren’t even invented just a few years ago, and now come standard on the Essence trim, albeit the highest trim level of the 2019 Buick Encore.
2019 Buick Encore
The 2019 Buick Encore is a very capable crossover SUV, similar in size and price to the Jeep Renegade, the Kia Niro, and the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross. At $23,200 MSRP, it is the least expensive of the four, though a few hundred dollars only separate them. In fact, very little separates these four vehicles. They are all perfectly serviceable and the final decision on which one to buy may come down to brand loyalty.
As far as Buick goes, and specifically the 2019 Buick Encore, the QuietTuning is one of the more attractive features, especially for those used to city life. Many city dwellers have learned to tune the city noise out. Some, however, may need Buick technology to help. You may end up noticing the silence more than you noticed the noise. That’s not a bad thing at all.
Buick has long since been known for quality luxury at an affordable price. The 2019 Buick Encore continues this tradition with a ton of safety and infotainment features. While you may have to add package after package on other vehicles to get the top of the line in safety and infotainment, going straight for the Essence trim level will afford you pretty much everything you need, and do so without cutting a hole in your pocket.
