The 2013 Buick Encore: What the critics say

How did the 2013 Buick Encore fare with the critics? The price starts at $24,200.

Car and Driver

“The Encore is unlike any other product Buick has sold in its 110-year history.” Brand devotees will find the “cushy ride” and “quiet cabin” familiar, but this time those trademark strengths come in a tiny package that’s powered by a wisp of a 1.4-liter engine. Though the resulting 138 hp is “barely enough to break the speed limit,” this pint-size Buick offers luxury detailing, “whippet-quick” cornering response, and a versatile interior, all at a friendly price.

Automobile

Subscribe to The Week

Escape your echo chamber. Get the facts behind the news, plus analysis from multiple perspectives.

SUBSCRIBE & SAVE
https://cdn.mos.cms.futurecdn.net/flexiimages/jacafc5zvs1692883516.jpg

Sign up for The Week's Free Newsletters

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

From our morning news briefing to a weekly Good News Newsletter, get the best of The Week delivered directly to your inbox.

Sign up

Given the Encore’s size, fuel economy is “merely adequate.” Even though it’s 10 inches shorter than the Ford Escape, this cute ute delivers only 33 mpg on the highway. But Buick seems to have young couples in its sights, and those customers will love that the Encore doesn’t feel cramped inside, can handle plenty of cargo, and offers “a premium feel” for weekend drives to the lake.

Complex

Empty nesters will like the Encore too, but give Buick credit for creating a vehicle that “breaks free of old brand perceptions” and deserves every young buyer it captures. With its leather-trimmed steering wheel, its smooth ride, and a Bose noise-cancellation system that “drastically” mutes engine drone, this is a CUV that “doesn’t just get you places”; it “soothes along the way.”

To continue reading this article...
Continue reading this article and get limited website access each month.
Get unlimited website access, exclusive newsletters plus much more.
Cancel or pause at any time.
Already a subscriber to The Week?
Not sure which email you used for your subscription? Contact us