Chevy Cruze Hatch vs Buick Encore

[cp-the-nerd]

My wife's Cobalt Sport is at 140,000 miles and it's starting to nickle and dime her. It's been efficient (29 mpg average mostly highway) with a bulletproof powertrain (2.4L/4A), but it's loud, it's ugly inside, and it's run its course. Besides, it's not fitting of a young woman with a doctorate in pharmacy making good money.

Her requirements for her next car were:
-small/maneuverable 
-more efficient with longer range between fill-ups
-peppy acceleration (Cobalt had a reasonable 173 hp)
-good for highway commuting
-decent tech features like good stereo, heated seats, remote start
-reasonably nice inside and out
-light color interior (tired of burning her ass on cheap black leather seats)

She already liked the looks of the new Cruze, but she initially was only considering sedans. Thinking pragmatically, since I already drive a sedan, I suggested she consider a different body style for versatility sake. Memories of dowdy hatchbacks from growing up in the 90s and soccer mom CUVs made her recoil in fear, but I sent her pics of the Cruze hatch when it was unveiled and she made an instant 180 on her preconception.

Given her highway commute, I sent her pics of the new Encore and said she had to give it a try. I knew the Buick's quiet tuning and interior would be really appealing in person. She wasn't in love with the tall styling, but admitted it was good looking for a crossover, and the compact size was nice.

The Contenders:

Chevy Cruze Hatchback Premier




Buick Encore Essence Trim

[cp-the-nerd]

Our Buick test drive impressions:

We went to the Buick dealership first, because the Cruze was her preliminary favorite and I wanted to get her into the Buick first to genuinely appreciate it.

I had a caveat: this had to be the new SIDI 1.4T with 153 hp/177 tq like the engine in the Cruze. This is made incredibly confusing because the Buick inexplicably offers the much older, less powerful 1.4T standard and it's difficult to discern on paper, but is a full second slower 0-60. Well suited to the Sonic, not so much a 3300 lb cute ute.

Right off the bat, the salesman told me smugly "There's only one engine, they're all the 1.4T." I said go check your inventory, we only want to test drive the new engine." Lo and behold, he had 3 on the lot and had to eat crow to start our awkward interaction.

Anyway, from my perspective, I was VERY impressed with this car. The interior is 100% on par with the $30k price tag. It was so quiet, my wife didn't think it was on when we got in, but it was indeed idling. One drawback for both of us was the seating. It felt a bit like sitting on top of the seat driving on your tiptoes looking out the windshield. We both prefer being lower in bucket seats.

We got out of the car.

"Sh!t."
"What?" I asked.
"I REALLY liked that car."

She thought the electric power steering was great, the brakes were a little touchy, but the powertrain was smooth as butter and offered silky torque. She loved how quiet it was and the quality of the interior.

Edited May 31, 2017 by cp-the-nerd

[cp-the-nerd]

Our Cruze Hatchback impressions:

My wife didn't expect to like the Buick that much. She agreed to test it out for variety sake, and now she was totally second guessing herself.

We pulled into the Chevy dealer and were greeted quickly by a stereotypical fat, sleazy-looking salesman. I don't know what job position he held, but after hearing we wanted to test drive a hatchback premier, he pawned us off on a younger guy. They brought around the Cruze and let us go out on our own.

This Cruze was in Graphite Metallic, a dark teal gray that looked great on the car (that would be my pick for this car). My wife's preference was arctic blue (pictured above) or the in-your-face kinetic blue, which were visible on the lot (not premier trim) and looked good.

We got in the car and left the dealership. Two impressions right off the bat: 1) it's a full step down in luxury/quiet tuning, 2) the seats are phenomenal. My wife felt right at home in the driver's seat, I was incredibly comfortable without adjusting anything. The powertrain was identical to the Buick, but a bit more buzzy sounding in this application. Still good NVH and road isolation for the class. She didn't like this steering as much as the Buick, used the word "floppy" which I later figured out meant it wasn't as accurate as the Encore. Fair enough.

Features included heated front *and rear* seats, heated steering wheel (color me impressed) and a 9 speaker bose audio system. The stitched dash, large 8 inch HD touch screen, and color gauge cluster were also pretty nice touches.

The Cruze lived up to her expectations, but the Encore was a shock to her expectations. The added level of luxury and road isolation were major selling points for her 30+ mile daily commute.

I'll drop back in with the conclusion to the comparo tomorrow!

[David]

Very Cool, 

I will say in the early days of my marriage 26 years ago, the wife was like you guys all about the car, snug in the low bucket seats. 

Now you cannot get her out of an SUV/CUV. Why? The high seating position, better road view of what is coming towards you and the bigger interior space. GM makes their CUV/SUVs drive like cars and better.

I would say go back and redrive both again in the same order and she will probably clearly come away with the auto she wants to spend 30 miles each way in on her daily commute plus use for the rest of her drives.

Both are awesome auto's, but Buick has truly built an exceptional CUV.

Nice write up, looking forward to hearing what you guys decide on.

[ykX]

Nice review.

Are you drive testing only GM vehicles or are you open to other brands as well?

Edited May 31, 2017 by ykX

[oldshurst442]

Wow...this WOULD be a tough decision to make!

Both are GREAT little vehicles that do an awesome job in what they are meant to do!

You guys really cant go wrong with either choice.  We took a test drive of the Encore when my wife was looking to replace her Mazda3. She had the same feelings towards it as your wife did. We (she, as it was her decision in the end) decided to go with the Fusion as it was a slightly bigger vehicle. She did not want another smallish car.

[cp-the-nerd]

2 hours ago, ykX said:

Nice review.

Are you drive testing only GM vehicles or are you open to other brands as well?

I'm a GM guy, but if you want a break down of other possibilities, here you go:

Focus: too old, I'm not comfortable in them, DCT.
Any compact Honda: CVT = nope.
Mazda: great cars, the best looking, but not ideal highway commuters because of noise.
Toyota: lol + CVT = super nope.
Nissan: see above.

It's not biased to say the Cruze and Encore are pretty ideal for my wife's needs. They excel at highway miles. Also, I have HPTuners, so when she gets bored or annoyed with something, I can tune the transmission to her liking and add a couple pounds of boost.

It's funny, I personally was never completely sold on downsized turbo engines until hearing my wife's reaction. These things are ideal for average women drivers that are weary of redlining a car. She thought the low end torque felt lovely, versus in the Cobalt (despite having more power and less weight) she didn't like how hard the engine had to work to merge on the highway.

[ykX]

@cp-the-nerd haven't driven the new Cruze, just the previous one so can't comment personally but all the recent comparison tests I saw Cruze finishes either last or at the bottom.

If you are not hell bend on getting Cruze, I would test drive few others just for comparison before you cross them out.

[cp-the-nerd]

58 minutes ago, ykX said:

@cp-the-nerd haven't driven the new Cruze, just the previous one so can't comment personally but all the recent comparison tests I saw Cruze finishes either last or at the bottom.

If you are not hell bend on getting Cruze, I would test drive few others just for comparison before you cross them out.

The Cruze hatch that got last in a recent test was a manual transmission in a comparison of optional engines, it was a fish out of water in an enthusiast test. The Cruze automatic compared very well for exactly the attributes my wife needs.

http://www.caranddriver.com/comparisons/2016-chevrolet-cruze-vs-2016-honda-civic-2017-hyundai-elantra-2016-mazda-3-2016-nissan-sentra-comparison-test-2016-chevrolet-cruze-lt-page-4

Neither of us have time to go out test driving half a dozen cars that have the deal breakers I listed above. Again, I'm a GM guy. There are two perfectly suited vehicles in my preferred mfr. I'm not so biased that I won't admit when there are objectively better cars, but in this case there aren't. If she was looking to autocross or drive nothing but twisty back roads, it would be a different story.

[cp-the-nerd]

To conclude the comparison:

We spent a while looking at every Cruze and Encore listing within 150 miles on cars.com with her preferred equipment. The Encore was in the $31k range, most listings for the Cruze Premier w/Sun and Sound pkg were $28k. The added luxury/quiet tuning is absolutely worth the Encore's price difference and my wife kept going back and forth. I can see why Buick sells the crap out of that model.

Cruze advantages:
-Plush leather bucket seats
-Exterior design
-Price
-Wife's instant comfort level from the driver's seat with seating position

Encore advantages:
-Wonderful quiet tuning and ride
-Legitimate luxury appointed interior and dash
-Steering

At the end of the day, we rationalized crossing the Buick off our list for several reasons. First and foremost, Chevy is running memorial day offers on the Cruze hatch that Buick isn't. We were able to get $2000 off MSRP and 3% financing. Second, but no less significant, Encore inventory isn't great. A vast majority have the wrong 1.4T (138 hp/148 tq) and even less have a good interior/exterior color combo. We certainly aren't paying a serious premium for a weaker, 8-year-old engine. Buick should have made the new engine standard after the refresh, period.

My wife said she will absolutely consider Buick in the future, her perception has changed from meh to wow. Right now the Cruze hatch suits her needs and the price is right. Had the right Encore been available for the right price, she'd still be flip flopping. At the very least, we'd be test driving again.

We pick up this Cruze premier hatch in Graphite Metallic tonight!

Edited May 31, 2017 by cp-the-nerd

[ykX]

Congratulations!

I understand your reasoning, and I am sure the new Cruze is an excellent car.

I used to own Mazda 3 hatchback and the hatch is incredibly useful.  People don't realize how much stuff you can fit once you put the back sits down.

[David]

Awesome, way to go, very happy for you guys and when your ready to move up, I am sure the Encore or maybe even the Envision will be a perfect fit for you.

[cp-the-nerd]

57 minutes ago, ykX said:

Congratulations!

I understand your reasoning, and I am sure the new Cruze is an excellent car.

I used to own Mazda 3 hatchback and the hatch is incredibly useful.  People don't realize how much stuff you can fit once you put the back sits down.

I have recommended new Mazdas to other people car shopping. In particular, my wife's mother was car shopping CUVs and I told her to test drive the CX5. Nope, she ignored me and bought a loaded 2.5L/CVT Forester. Guess what? Nobody in the family likes the car and she regrets trading her old car for it.

My best friend desperately wants out of his 2009 Corolla with 160k miles. It's basically falling apart at this point, and most people wouldn't expect that from a Toyota that had been refining the same engine and chassis for 10 years. I have him looking at the Mazda 3 hatch and Mazda 6 because he wants affordable style, sporty character, and a possible manual transmission. The Buick Regal is a possibility for the upper end of his price limit, maybe a 4-cylinder Acura ILX/TLX too.

[ykX]

23 minutes ago, cp-the-nerd said:

I have recommended new Mazdas to other people car shopping. In particular, my wife's mother was car shopping CUVs and I told her to test drive the CX5. Nope, she ignored me and bought a loaded 2.5L/CVT Forester. Guess what? Nobody in the family likes the car and she regrets trading her old car for it.

My best friend desperately wants out of his 2009 Corolla with 160k miles. It's basically falling apart at this point, and most people wouldn't expect that from a Toyota that had been refining the same engine and chassis for 10 years. I have him looking at the Mazda 3 hatch and Mazda 6 because he wants affordable style, sporty character, and a possible manual transmission. The Buick Regal is a possibility for the upper end of his price limit, maybe a 4-cylinder Acura ILX/TLX too.

I had 2006 3 hatchback with manual, 8 years and 250k miles (mostly highway).  Only after 200k I started having some issues due to the wear and tear, never got me stranded, engine still ran excellent with almost no oil consumption, original clutch too.  

Recommended Mazdas to my friend and my dad and they ended up getting and loving them.

I test drove with my dad previous Cruze and it was a pretty good car, but the dealer wanted way too much for it so we passed.

[David]

Mazda's are great if your in the 5'8" club ad not much taller or bigger. Good auto's built for small to medium people. Interiors need work even the latest version, but over all decent reliable auto's.

[ykX]

11 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Mazda's are great if your in the 5'8" club ad not much taller or bigger. Good auto's built for small to medium people. Interiors need work even the latest version, but over all decent reliable auto's.

I am 6'1" and I fit perfectly fine in Mazda 3, Mazda 6 and CX-9

 

[David]

28 minutes ago, ykX said:

I am 6'1" and I fit perfectly fine in Mazda 3, Mazda 6 and CX-9

 

You must be pretty thin as a husky person or muscular person such as me and my family had a CX-9 latest over xmas for our 25 wedding anniversary on the Big Island and it left much to be desired. Tight, poor ergonomics and the terrible dragon body design has a small opening at the top of the front doors, so very hard to get in and out of. Front passenger seat was uncomfortable and not able to be adjusted as much as the driver seat. Even my kids and wife all in the 5' 8" size thought the Mazda could have been much better on the interior especially but ease of getting in and out. Worse yet is for the 4 banger engine, gas mileage was not impressive and makes one question why even bother. Many better CUV's with better engines than the CX-9.

[Drew Dowdell]

The toughest choice to make is when you have to choose between two excellent options. Either way, you were going to end up with a great car.

[cp-the-nerd]

Took some nice high res shots of the Cruze this morning, I'll post them tonight after work. Didn't have time to upload them to my webspace. One minor downside to graphite metallic is that it looks the same as my nightfall gray SS at a glance. When the light hits it right, it's got pretty turquoise undertones you'll see in the pics.

I'll be happy to let my wife drive DD to parties in this car. I am floored by how comfortable the seats are, it feels like they were designed with an inch of mattress topper foam built in. Taking a spin around the area after bringing it home, it's not as quiet and refined as my old Malibu or the Encore, but it's acceptable. Very cool compact car.

[cp-the-nerd]

[Drew Dowdell]

Nice Car!  Good to see someone picking up a hatch

[A Horse With No Name]

Very impressive car, my wife and I test drove a Cruze hatch and were both rather impressed.

[oldshurst442]

Great for you guys!

Also, Im liking the colour. It makes it look rich.

 

(My wife's Fusion is better than your wife's Cruze)

 

Edited June 2, 2017 by oldshurst442

[A Horse With No Name]

18 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

Great for you guys!

Also, Im liking the colour. It makes it look rich.

 

(My wife's Fusion is better than your wife's Cruze)

 

We have yet to buy a car to replace the TDI Jetta we sold back, so my wife's Cannondale bike trumps them both...quieter,better exercise, cheaper to run, tires for it are less expensive...but Brutal during an Ohio winter...

So we'd best be buying a car at some point.

[regfootball]

Congrats, that would be a hard choice, the Encore is a sweet vehicle (especially with the interior updates) and the Cruze hatch is great too.  I love the wheels on yours!  Great color too.!  Enjoy the Cruze hatch, glad you got a hatch!  I've seen a few now out and about.  

Had the new Regal been out by now I would have said try the Regal hatchback too just for kicks, even if it were some more $$$$.

 

Edited June 4, 2017 by regfootball

[Cmicasa the Great]

 

 

Beautiful choice.. much better than any Japanese Mazda. Very impressed with the fit and finish. Looked at one when my GF needed help deciding on a new Malibu. She got it but seriously considered a Cruze Hatch. Maybe I missed it but why did U buy from a PA dealer instead of a MD one?

[A Horse With No Name]

22 hours ago, Cmicasa the Great said:

 

 

Beautiful choice.. much better than any Japanese Mazda. Very impressed with the fit and finish. Looked at one when my GF needed help deciding on a new Malibu. She got it but seriously considered a Cruze Hatch. Maybe I missed it but why did U buy from a PA dealer instead of a MD one?

As the former owner of two Miatas and the Japanese car fan on the board all i can say is....you are absolutely right.  I would take a Cruze over a 3....especially the hatch,,,,

[cp-the-nerd]

On 6/4/2017 at 9:17 AM, Cmicasa the Great said:

Beautiful choice.. much better than any Japanese Mazda. Very impressed with the fit and finish. Looked at one when my GF needed help deciding on a new Malibu. She got it but seriously considered a Cruze Hatch. Maybe I missed it but why did U buy from a PA dealer instead of a MD one?

Thanks! We bought from our local MD Chevy dealer. We had this one brought to us from a dealership in PA because it had all the options my wife wanted.

[cp-the-nerd]

On 6/4/2017 at 0:31 AM, regfootball said:

Congrats, that would be a hard choice, the Encore is a sweet vehicle (especially with the interior updates) and the Cruze hatch is great too.  I love the wheels on yours!  Great color too.!  Enjoy the Cruze hatch, glad you got a hatch!  I've seen a few now out and about.  

Had the new Regal been out by now I would have said try the Regal hatchback too just for kicks, even if it were some more $$$$.

 

I think the new Regal sportback (the sedan/hatch) is awesome, would love one as a DD to garage my SS in several years. However, I won't buy 1st model year vehicles and the price would have been significantly beyond my wife's comfort zone. Too bad Buick didn't bring over a hatchback successor to the Verano, that might have hit all the right notes!

[cp-the-nerd]

Fuel economy update:

EPA rating: 28/37/31 (for premier trim)

Car has a few hundred miles on it, still on the first tank of gas:
Average - 35 mpg (about 90% highway going 65-75 mph)
Best 50 miles - 39.3 mpg

I'm curious what this will get after the break-in oil change filled with Mobil 1 synthetic. We'll experiment with premium gas at some point, too.

Edited June 5, 2017 by cp-the-nerd

[Drew Dowdell]

You've got DI and I don't in my Encore... but from my observation, I get no change in performance or fuel economy.  I nearly always fill up at Costco, so I'm staying in the same brand and just switching from 87 to 93. 

[David]

20 minutes ago, cp-the-nerd said:

Fuel economy update:

EPA rating: 28/37/31 (for premier trim)

Car has a few hundred miles on it, still on the first tank of gas:
Average - 35 mpg (about 90% highway going 65-75 mph)
Best 50 miles - 39.3 mpg

I'm curious what this will get after the break-in oil change filled with Mobil 1 synthetic. We'll experiment with premium gas at some point, too.

Very cool info, thanks for keeping us updated.

[cp-the-nerd]

8 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

You've got DI and I don't in my Encore... but from my observation, I get no change in performance or fuel economy.  I nearly always fill up at Costco, so I'm staying in the same brand and just switching from 87 to 93. 

Depends how they tuned the high and low octane spark advance tables. The 2010-11 model year Cruze 1.4T actually took advantage of premium gas. They revised the tune and a few other things to bump up FE ratings for 2012+ and for some reason that included dumbing down the spark advance.

[trinacriabob]

The gas mileage in the Cruze is bound to be impressive (I recently had a sedan for a few days) and its road manners are way up there for being as small as it is.  I've sat in the Buick you were considering and, while it's cool that Buick has these, along with its typical build quality, I'm a stickler for good visibility.  I think you made a good choice.

Had it been a Verano, had they carried over the Verano, I probably would have been voting for the Verano.

[A Horse With No Name]

1 hour ago, cp-the-nerd said:

Fuel economy update:

EPA rating: 28/37/31 (for premier trim)

Car has a few hundred miles on it, still on the first tank of gas:
Average - 35 mpg (about 90% highway going 65-75 mph)
Best 50 miles - 39.3 mpg

I'm curious what this will get after the break-in oil change filled with Mobil 1 synthetic. We'll experiment with premium gas at some point, too.

You will see this come up a good bit. One of my SCCA friends has a Cruze hatch, and regularly sees in the mid 40's on the road!  And he's not even a gentle driver by any means.

24 minutes ago, trinacriabob said:

The gas mileage in the Cruze is bound to be impressive (I recently had a sedan for a few days) and its road manners are way up there for being as small as it is.  I've sat in the Buick you were considering and, while it's cool that Buick has these, along with its typical build quality, I'm a stickler for good visibility.  I think you made a good choice.

Had it been a Verano, had they carried over the Verano, I probably would have been voting for the Verano.

Verano is really nice but I could see a car a few inches smaller for urban driving.  I also like the outward visibility better on the Cruze hatch than the Verano.

Verano was an astonishingly nice car for its price point though...

Edited June 5, 2017 by A Horse With No Name