Overview & Reviews

Buick's Encore distills the brand's essence into a small, affordable compact crossover SUV. That means you get a comfortable ride and a quiet, rich-feeling cabin environment to go along with the Encore's fuel-efficient engine and available all-wheel drive. A fair amount of Buick's latest technology and safety features are also available to imbue the Encore with a healthy premium vibe.

Know that the Encore is smaller than other more established crossovers, however, and those petite dimensions cut down on the Encore's available rear legroom and cargo space. Tepid acceleration is another drawback. But if you're looking for an easy-to-drive and easy-on-the-wallet vehicle with an elevated seating position, the Encore makes a lot of sense.

Current Buick Encore
The Buick Encore is available in four trim levels: base, Convenience, Leather and Premium. All Encore models are powered by a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder making 138 horsepower. That power is sent to the front wheels through a six-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive is optional.

The base Encore comes standard with 18-inch wheels, a power driver seat, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, a rearview camera and a suite of tech conveniences like Bluetooth, OnStar services, Buick Intellilink smartphone integration, a 7-inch touchscreen display, and a six-speaker sound system with a USB/iPod connection. The Convenience trim level adds remote engine start, dual-zone automatic climate control and a blind-spot monitoring system. Pick the Leather trim level to get leather upholstery, a power passenger seat, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel and driver memory settings.

The range-topping Premium level adds a premium Bose audio system, parking sensors and lane departure and forward collision warning systems. A sunroof and a navigation system are also available.

A damped, hushed ride remains a Buick hallmark, and the Encore lives up to this legacy with an acoustically-treated windshield, side glass and headliner, and a specific "quiet" standard tire. The Encore even offers an active noise suppression system that fends off sound from the engine and road by emitting noise-cancelling frequencies through the speakers. But while this Buick may carry occupants in peaceful serenity, it won't carry much else -- maximum cargo capacity is noticeably less than what's provided by most other small crossovers. On the upside, the front passenger seat can fold flat to accommodate longer items, which is a useful feature when space is at a premium.
The Encore is enjoyable to drive around town. Its small size allows it to fit into small parking spaces with ease and gives you a tidy turning circle for U-turns. Less impressive, though, is the 138-hp 1.4-liter engine. This just isn't enough power for a crossover SUV, and although the Encore feels adequately powerful in city driving, it feels strained when merging onto the highway or making any sort of passing maneuver.

Used Buick Encore Models
The Buick Encore debuted for the 2013 model year. There have been no major changes since, though in that first year the blind-spot monitoring system wasn't available.

User Reviews:

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  In search for a perfect urban family vehicle - 2013 Buick Encore
  By gluzdov - February 9 - 11:36 am

  Picked up this emergency upgrade from a 2006 Scion xB on 2/7/13. As I heard, xB upgrade was some of Buicks engineers purpose for Encore design. This review is my first impressions. So far, I hate one and only thing: bling. All Leather Group Encores that were available right now had chrome wheels and you cant change it. This is an addition of $1,000 to the total car price that was forced down my throat by some schlub on Buicks payroll who decided thats what the first batch of Leather Group Encores should have. There are other decorative, non functional "design" elements that I am learning to tolerate. Fake plastic hood vents are not cool, despite what the hoodlums are saying.

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  New Encore is nice - 2013 Buick Encore
  By bosco16 - February 4 - 12:52 pm

  Enjoying this vehicle very much. My wife will be driving it and she loves the size and design. Great mpg, very quiet and fun to drive. Looks small on the outside but seems big on the inside. Engine is not overpowering but very peppy. Is a small turbo that uses regular gas.... with mid to high 20s mpg for in-town driving. Fit and finish is very good.

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  Disappointed with Buick Encore - 2013 Buick Encore
  By neilman - February 3 - 4:16 pm

  Vehicle road tested wonderful during the dealer visit, but has been a huge disappointment after taking it home. We already exchanged the vehicle (so were on our second one) and really appreciate the dealerships cooperation with doing their best to make the situation right for us. Both vehicles have the same problem, in fact the 2nd one is worse and I wish I had kept the 1st one. While entering and exiting our driveway (with the steering turned left or right) which has a normal drainage dip (water canal) between the road and driveway elevation, there are thumping noises coming from the suspension. Of course as is typical...the problem could not be duplicated at the dealership. I have driven many many cars on my driveway and never heard this type of noise from any other car. I owned 4 GM cars over a 20 year period through 2009, and finally gave up due to the consistent need to pour money into repairs after about 4 - 5 years of ownership. I thought things may have improved and gave it another shot, but I guess I was dead wrong. I feel terribly let down and like I made a huge mistake. The classic definition of insanity is doing the same thing over and over and expecting different results. I must be insane for falling for the same mistake over and over.

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  buick dependable - 2016 Buick Encore
  By steve smallwood - August 9 - 5:33 am

  great ride but little storage-must take rear headrest off before folding rear seats.

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  I bought two of them - 2016 Buick Encore
  By Robert Elmer - June 29 - 10:07 pm

  About two months ago I went to our Buick dealer to look and drive the 2016 Encore Sport Touring. I ended up buying one from a great salesman, Buzz Edwards. I brought it home and my wife took it away from me. So I go back and bought one for her. Both of us really like the Encore. The quality is great, it is very quiet and smooth (which is very unusual for a small SUV) and with the larger engine it has plenty of get up and go. Everett Buick in Bentonville and Buzz Edwards are great.

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  The biggest little SUV ever - 2017 Buick Encore
  By She dealer - June 18 - 11:57 am

  You will get a smooth ride. Seats are very comfortable has lumbar support . A lot of colors to choose from. You wont be disappointed . Great buy....

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  Fabulous and luxurious small SUV - 2018 Buick Encore
  By Paul@pchael13.com - March 13 - 3:07 pm

  I shopped a lot of them, and this one is wonderful and totally meets our needs.

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  Plenty of Acceleration - 2016 Buick Encore
  By Jody - June 14 - 2:48 am

  I read quite a few reviews that suggested that the Encore is a bit sluggish. Though I would not take it out on the autobahn, we were very happy with the Sport Touring trim (new for 2016) that has a slightly more powerful engine and AWD. During the test drive, I practically demanded that we take the car out on the freeway and drove several miles out of the way to do so. Im so glad I did as acceleration was more than sufficient to deal with traffic on I-95 near Philadelphia (if you know the area, you will know that is no small feat). Remember, this is a compact SUV - you dont need a 6- or 8- cylinder engine to pull this weight. In terms of interior comfort and size, I am more than impressed. There are plenty of storage options, totally flat-folding seats, and a 60/40 split bench seat that grants an extra amount of flexibility. We have a pretty good-sized dog and her accompanying crate (24"x36"x36") and we were able to get the crate into the car on the 60 side - thus keeping one seat in the back still open. Everything else has been great thus far and Buick has joined the rest of the car world by offering free maintenance for two years. All in all, we are quite pleased with the purchase.

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  After 10K miles and 9 months, I love this car - 2017 Buick Encore
  By sskipp@fop.net - May 13 - 9:52 pm

  UPDATED: After 10K miles and 9 months of ownership, I have only a couple of negatives. Price, without rebates, is excessive. No passenger armrest is unforgivable. Cargo area is a bit tight and I wish it had a bit more room for things. Everything else is good or great, mostly great. Front seats have helped with my neuropathy by supporting the back of my legs. Car holds road at well over speed limit, handles great, and is like when I owned my Mini Countryman - like driving a go-kart. Shifts great. Enough power. No complaints. Everything has worked as it should and provides a good value when you consider rebates. I would recommend this car to everyone and anyone.....most dont realize it, but this is one amazing car and will fit the bill for many even if they dont know it yet. Headlights with fog lights on are simply amazing. Ive never owned a car I have enjoyed so much and am so glad to have. Quiet ride. Great radio. Too many goods to mention. We purchased this about a week ago. Weve logged over 500 miles and while it is a good car in lots of ways, some basic things seem to have eluded the engineers at Buick. Note, this is made in South Korea, not in the USA as would be assumed if it has the Buick name. The biggest complaint I have to start out with is the lack of a passenger armrest, and the almost completely useless one attached to the drivers seat. Come on, really, no center arm rest? We didnt realize it during our short test drive, but it is very annoying. Two adults sitting side by side in the front, are sucking up each others oxygen. The cabin feels cramped. And that you could deal with if there were a stupid center armrest. Many things about this car are great - gas mileage is about 27 mpg with mixed driving, and a quiet ride and decent handling of bumps. Steering is easy and accurate, and easy to get into a parking spot. The A/C and heat work well. The car has a decent feel about it, not cheesy or junky. It is smaller than other SUVs, and Id say over priced for the size and functionality of this car. BUT, we needed a less expensive car and still wanted an SUV, with AWD. This, coupled with the 16% off from GM, it turned out to be the answer for us to downsize our car payments. For the pricepoint of $25K after discounts, you get an SUV, with AWD, and a host of features that you could not get on other SUVs. So, it fits the bill. Awesome LED daytime lights, which double as parking lights and turn signals, LED tail lights and brake lights, which is really amazing. Plus, fog lights. Auto on/off lights. Navigation. Carplay (although it is buggy). Side blind spot monitors in the mirrors. Upgraded cool 18" wheels with nice tires. A real spare (mini spare, but not a can of flat fix). And the car is overall a good value for the money, compared to the SUV I have for my use. Without the 16% back, I would not have bought this as it would have been out of my price expectations. It isnt perfect, but for what it is, and what it cost, Id say it is a decent value. You have more leg room up front than youll need. This helps the back seat passengers, who could not fit unless the seats are slid forward. The cargo area is small, but the rear seats do fold down and that opens up alot of space. This fit our plan to shrink our car payments and provides a decent value with the 16% off sale.

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  nice little SUV - 2016 Buick Encore
  By mn pig farmer - January 18 - 4:47 pm

  I was very pleased with comfort & handling. very easy to get in & out of