The Car Connection Expert Review
Likes
- Good tech story
- Still looks good
- Quiet demeanor
- Reasonable mpg
Dislikes
- Blah to drive
- Narrow seats
- Non-luxury warranty
- Options add up
Buying tip
features & specs
Look beyond the 2024 Encore GX’s revised exterior and you’ll find big tech upgrades inside.
What kind of vehicle is the 2024 Buick Encore GX? What does it compare to?
The 2024 Buick Encore GX is a compact SUV with a luxurious, high-tech interior. Shop it against the Hyundai Tucson and Lexus UX.
Is the 2024 Buick Encore GX a good SUV?
Straddling the fence between mass-market and upmarket, the 2024 Encore GX does a lot for the money. It’s a 5.7 out of 10 on the TCC scale. (Read more about how we rate cars.)
What's new for the 2024 Buick Encore GX?
Revised exterior styling, a new dash with upsized screens, and a high-end Avenir trim level greet shoppers of the ‘24 Encore GX.
The new front end shifts the grille lower and, on Avenir versions, drapes it in chrome. From the side, the Encore GX has an almost sporty look, with just enough racy detailing to give it a hint of athleticism.
It is not, however, particularly sporty to drive. Instead, Buick stuffs the Encore GX with extra sound deadening and softens its suspension. Underhood you’ll find an underwhelming 137-hp turbo-3, or an optional 155-hp turbo-3. The better setup here is undoubtedly the bigger engine with all-wheel drive, which is the only way to replace the droning CVT with a conventional 9-speed automatic transmission.
Fuel economy isn’t great considering the mediocre power, but the Encore GX nonetheless should check in just south of 30 mpg combined once EPA figures are released for the updated model.
Better yet is the interior, which isn’t particularly spacious but brims with tech. Two screens under a single pane of glass handle the instruments and the infotainment system. Wireless smartphone mirroring is standard and a wireless charging pad is optional.
Active lane control and lane-departure warnings join automatic emergency braking. Adaptive cruise control and blind-spot monitors await on the options list. The NHTSA gives the Encore GX five stars overall, but it misses the IIHS’s Top Safety Pick mark.
How much does the 2024 Buick Encore GX cost?
The Encore GX begins at about $28,000, with the flagship Avenir checking in at a reasonable $34,000 or so to start.
Where is the 2024 Buick Encore GX made?
In China.
2024 Buick Encore GX Styling
While not necessarily better than before, the 2024 Buick Encore GX definitely comes across as more distinctive.
Is the Buick Encore GX a good-looking car?
This year’s restyle keeps the Buick Encore GX’s mature profile but tweaks its front end and revamps its interior. It’s a 6 on the TCC scale, mostly for what’s inside.
The new grille up front sits low on the bumper, which gives the Encore GX an almost-EV look (but don’t seek out any electrification underneath). Buick has simplified its badge into a new tri-crest, which looks like a trio of fangs at first glance.
The cabin features a big pane of glass behind which sits an 8.0-inch digital instrument cluster and an 11.0-inch touchscreen. The new dash hugs passengers, but its biggest delight is its row of climate control buttons. Whew!
An ST trim adds black trim elements, an available black roof, and a flat-bottomed steering wheel inside for about a grand more. The Avenir tosses in chrome outside and two-tone leather upholstery inside.
2024 Buick Encore GX Performance
The 2024 Buick Encore GX coddles and toddles.
The 2024 Encore GX’s new styling sits over a pair of carryover engines. We wish Buick had breathed a little more life into them. Our 5 out of 10 here sees a point lost for slow acceleration but one gained for a supple ride.
Is the Buick Encore 4WD?
It can be and it should be, mostly because the optional all-wheel-drive system means a decent 9-speed automatic transmission takes the place of the CVT that comes with front-wheel drive.
How fast is the Buick Encore GX?
It ain’t quick. Base models with front-wheel drive slip just 137 hp forward via a 1.2-liter turbo-3 hooked up to a decently behaved but ultimately underwhelming CVT. An optional 1.3-liter turbo-3 ups the ante to 155 hp, still shipped to the front wheels through a CVT unless you pop for all-wheel drive and the included 9-speed automatic.
A plush ride, at least for a vehicle with a short wheelbase and standard 18-inch alloy wheels (19-inchers are on the options list) gives the baby Buick a luxurious feel. Ample sound deadening helps, too, and it reminds us that this SUV is more about hushed cruising than it is about corner carving. Lifeless steering keeps the Encore GX in a straight line on the highway but doesn’t thrill down a winding road.
2024 Buick Encore GX Comfort & Quality
It may be a quiet cruiser, but the Buick Encore GX is a bit tight for road trips.
The 2024 Buick Encore GX has a mostly step-up feel for its price point, but that doesn’t mean it’s particularly spacious. It’s a 5 out of 10 thanks to a point above average for an SUV-grade cargo area but one dialed back for narrow front seats.
Most versions have power-adjustable front seats, which help a little. The rear bench has decent legroom for two and wide door openings, but it’ll be a tight fit for more. The cargo area expands from a small-ish 24 cubic feet to around 50 cubes with the second-row seat backs flopped forward.
Look for plenty of soft-touch materials and a choice between nice synthetic and real leather trim. The range-topping Avenir doesn’t quite look like a luxury SUV, but at around $35,000 it’s not priced like one either.
2024 Buick Encore GX Safety
The 2024 Buick Encore GX is likely to carry over its good safety record.
How safe is the Buick Encore GX?
With its five-star NHTSA rating, the Encore GX fares OK in safety, with a point for that score and another for standard safety equipment, for a 7 here.
It misses a point for the IIHS's Top Safety Pick, which it doesn't earn due to incomplete testing.
All versions have automatic emergency braking, active lane control, and automatic high-beam headlights. Adaptive cruise control and blind-spot monitors are optional on higher-end versions.
2024 Buick Encore GX Features
Buick’s smallest SUV brims with tech.
The 2024 Buick Encore GX is priced well for a luxury-lite SUV. Starting at $28,090, the base version comes with an 11.0-inch digital instrument cluster and an 8.0-inch touchscreen. Its tech story continues with standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility, basic crash-avoidance and driver-assistance tech, and 18-inch alloy wheels.
The three-year/36,000-mile warranty that Buick includes is just average, though.
Overall, the Encore GX stands at a 7 out of 10—for now thanks to great tech and a decent base value. When we know more details, that might change.
Which Buick Encore GX should I buy?
We’d skip the ST, which is mostly an appearance package. The base model is probably good enough for most shoppers.
How much is a fully loaded Buick Encore GX?
It’s not bad, at least to start. The Encore Avenir runs $34,390. That money buys leather upholstery, heated front seats and steering wheel, chrome trim, and 19-inch alloy wheels.
Buick will announce more trim and option details closer to the Encore GX’s May 2023 on-sale date.
2024 Buick Encore GX Fuel Economy
It may not be quick, but the 2024 Buick Encore GX delivers around 30 combined.
Is the Buick Encore GX good on gas?
It’s decent, assuming last year’s EPA scores mostly carry over. We’ll update this space when we know more.
The 2023 model netted as high as 29 mpg city, 32 highway, 30 combined with front-wheel drive and the more powerful engine choice. (The base engine checks in at 29/31/30 mpg.) All-wheel-drive models slide to 26/29/27 mpg, though.
There’s no hybrid, unfortunately.