2013 Buick Encore

Buick today introduced their new compact crossover due to be on sale in 12 - 13 months. The Encore comes standard with a 1.4 liter turbo charged 4-cylinder engine good for 140 horsepower and 148 ft-lb of torque. The standard 6-speed auto has a steep first gear and and a tall final gear to allow for a wide spread of gear ratios.  The wider spread gears allow for better around town acceleration while still providing fuel efficient highway cruising. Front wheel drive is standard with all wheel drive optional.

On the inside, it is all Buick with lots of soft touch materials and Buick's quiet tuning. On the Encore, QuietTuning gets a boost with active noise cancellation. The system uses 3 ceiling mounted microphones attached to the Encore's audio system to direct the sub-woofer to send out noise cancellation sound pulses.

Encore rides on the same Gama platform that underpins the Chevrolet Sonic. The Sonic recently achieved a 5 star crash test rating from the NHTSA, so we expect the Encore will match that.

After sitting in the Encore, I was surprised how roomy it feels inside for such a compact vehicle outside. If feels roomier than both the Juke and Clubman, two compact SUVs I expect might be cross shopped with the  I found that with the front seat adjusted for my 5 foot 10 inch frame, I was still able to sit very comfortably in the rear seat with more than enough knee room.  Additionally, none of the pictures, the press picture or my own, do the car justice. Quiet, comfortable, and fuel efficient, the Encore isn't a car for gearheads, but it will be perfect for their wives. I think that marketed correctly, Buick could have a big hit on their hands.






Press release on page 2