What’s in a name? A rose by any other name would smell as sweet… Wait – are we sure that Bill Shakespeare guy was talking about a lover from a rival family and not about car models? After all, so very often, manufacturers change a model name thiiiiiiis much and expect us to think it’s a whole new rose when it’s really just a slightly different color of the same flower. But then, there’s the Buick Encore GX. The 2022 Buick Encore GX isn’t just a trim of the 2022 Buick Encore; it’s actually a whole different vehicle. While we don’t necessarily have anything bad to say about the Encore – every vehicle has its driver – let’s look at what makes the Encore GX so much more sweet-smelling, so much more ready to compete with not just other mass-market subcompact SUVs but models from luxury lines, as well.
Though She Be but Little, She Is Fierce
The 2022 Buick Encore GX doesn’t necessarily look much larger than the 2022 Buick Encore. It bests the Encore by just about three inches in length and an inch in height and width. However, this all adds up to more than meets the eye. While headroom and legroom inside the two vehicles are nearly identical for passengers, the cargo space behind the second row of seating in the Encore GX is nearly five cubic feet larger than in the Encore. If this extra cargo space were freezer storage space, you could store an extra quarter of a cow in the Encore GX. Or 37 gallons of milk. For something more relatable, that’s like an extra-large suitcase and a carry-on. Handy, if you’re carrying a full flight of five passengers to the airport.
While the Encore GX may not look that much larger than the Encore, size-wise, in a side-by-side comparison, those extra inches on the Encore GX lead to a big difference in style. With that extra heft and an extra inch in ground clearance, the Encore GX has a sleeker, sportier look even before you factor in the additional sculpted lines in the body, wider front grille, and more angled headlights. These accents give the Encore GX motion even while sitting still, making it turn heads on the highway and in the school pickup line. While the Encore looks like a rounded, comfortable, family-hauling crossover, the Encore GX looks ready to go from a high-powered office to happy hour. Never mind that it’s also a comfortable, family-hauling crossover.
O, It Is Excellent to Have a Giant’s Strength
The 2022 Buick Encore GX doesn’t just best its older and smaller sibling when it comes to size and outward appearance. The standard Encore GX engine is a 1.3-liter turbocharged model with 155 horsepower and 174 pound-feet of torque. With front-wheel drive, this engine offers an EPA-estimated 29 miles per gallon of city driving and 32 MPG on the highway, allowing the Encore GX to best its HR-V and EcoSport competitors when it comes to city driving. The Encore GX also offers an all-wheel drive setup that lowers the gas mileage slightly to 26 MPG city and 29 MPG highway – a worthy tradeoff if your lifestyle requires AWD on the regular due to snowy or other slippery, possibly off-roading situations. And there is a toggle option to switch to FWD if you don’t need the extra power. The three-cylinder engine isn’t common in the U.S., but the Encore GX is making great use of this engine type.
Whichever option you choose, the Encore GX offers steering that is engaging, light, and responsive to the touch, easily adjusting to the slightest adjustment. Because of its height and placement of the driver’s seat, it really feels more like driving a car than a traditionally boxy crossover. The suspension of the Encore GX is tuned to match that easy steering, providing a comfortable ride for the average commute. While the Encore GX may look more athletic and sleek than its Encore counterpart, it’s really a perfect drive for the majority of us traveling between home, the office, and after-school activities.
In comparison, the standard engine for the 2022 Buick Encore is a 1.4-liter turbocharged model. It has 155 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque, very similar to the Encore GX. However, there is a big difference when it comes to EPA-estimated gas mileage. The Encore, when equipped with front-wheel drive, only gets approximately 24 MPG in the city. If you’re primarily doing your driving off the highway, that can certainly add up. In addition, we can’t get over that the smaller stature of the Encore makes driving, well, not unfun, but it can feel less responsive and more top-heavy than its newer, younger sibling.
I Would Give All of My Fame for a Pot of Ale and Safety
Safety and driver-assistance technologies are one place where the 2022 Buick Encore GX really stands apart from its Encore sibling. All Encore GXs come with Buick’s Driver Confidence Package. This package includes Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning, Automatic Emergency and Front Pedestrian Braking, Forward Collision Alert, and a Following Distance Indicator. While the Lane Keep Assist is fabulous on its own, the upper trims also come with a Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert.
But that’s not all! These models also offer Rear Cross Traffic Alert standard. The upper trim lines even let you add an Advanced Technology Package compete with Rear Park Assist, HD Surround Vision for a better view getting out of any parking spot, a Head-Up Display to show everything you need to know right on your windshield, and Adaptive Cruise Control, ensuring you maintain not just as steady speed, but, often more importantly, a steady distance from the car in front of you. The Encore GX also offers a rearview camera, very handy for when that extra cargo space is full, and you can’t use the standard rearview mirror to see behind you.
If safety features are foremost in your mind when it comes to shopping for a new Buick, it’s important to note that the Encore has no standard driver-assistance safety tech, but there are two safety packages you can choose to add on. This is even more important to note when you consider that the Encore’s starting price is barely less than the base price of the Encore GX.
What’s in a Name? That Which We Call a Rose by Any Other Name Would Smell as Sweet
When it first appeared on the market for the 2020 model year, the Buick Encore GX had to prove it wasn’t just another version of the Encore, and it certainly came ready to compete. As we said, every vehicle is perfect for someone, and some drivers may have their own reasons for choosing the Encore instead. However, with an edgier exterior appearance, more cargo space, improved gas mileage, and a whole host of standard safety features, it’s easy to see that the Encore GX has a lot to offer over the Encore.
In addition, the Encore GX is truly helping Buick lead the SUV pack. Buick recently dropped its last sedans to focus entirely on SUVs, and the manufacturer is leaning hard into its reputation as a premium automobile maker in order to stand out from the crowd. At its premiere, Duncan Aldred, vice president, Global Buick and GMC, said, “Premium SUV buyers are looking for features that fit their lifestyle priorities, and Buick is giving customers more segment choices with our new Encore GX.” One way, in particular, they’re doing this is by offering standard safety features usually only seen on larger and more expensive vehicles, along with those sleek exterior lines. When you want more style and safety for your budget buck, be sure to check out the 2022 Buick Encore GX for that sweet, sweet new car smell.
