Used 2021 Buick Encore GX

Like the standard Buick Encore, the Encore GX is built in South Korea. It’s a slightly larger vehicle with a modern safety suite and lots of driver-assistance and convenience features.

Under its hood, the 2021 Buick Encore GX is available with two 3-cylinder Ecotec engines: a turbocharged 1.2-liter with 137 horsepower or a turbocharged 1.3-liter with 155. Front-wheel-drive (FWD) Encore GXs with the 1.2 have a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), while the front-drive 1.3-liter model comes with a 9-speed automatic transmission. That same 9-speed automatic is standard in the all-wheel-drive (AWD) Encore GX, which is powered exclusively by the 1.3-liter 3-cylinder with 155 horsepower.

The new 2021 Buick Encore GX competes with other crossover SUVs like the Kia Seltos, the Mazda CX-30, and the Honda HR-V. While the Encore GX is positioned as more of a premium SUV than these competitors, they are all similarly sized. And you can also include the compact European crossover SUVs like the Audi Q3, BMW X2, and Fiat 500X.

Buick, with its Encore GX, is bringing elevated luxury and modern safety to the compact crossover SUV category. The previous Encore (still on sale) brought a lot of younger buyers to the brand, but we think the better-looking and better-equipped Encore GX is poised to do more in this regard.

Whichever Encore GX you choose, it will be powered by a turbocharged 3-cylinder engine. A 1.2-liter with 137 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque is standard, connected to a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT). This model is available only with front-wheel drive.

The optional engine, the one we tested, is the 1.3-liter with 155 horsepower and 174 lb-ft of torque. Though it’s small, you might think the 1.3 was a 4-cylinder because it gives the Encore GX a bit of verve. Acceleration is decent, but the engine sounds a bit thrashy at full throttle. This, in spite of active noise cancellation and Buick’s always ample sound-deadening.

When optioned with all-wheel drive, the 1.3-liter engine gets a 9-speed automatic transmission instead of the CVT. It works okay, but we wish it upshifted a bit sooner than it does. Of note: The Encore GX’s all-wheel-drive system can be turned off with a switch to maximize fuel economy.

Ride quality is Buick comfortable, so the Encore GX feels more at home in the city or on the highway than in backwoods exploring. The steering effort is light, and we wish the lane-keep assist worked with more of a deft touch. Thankfully, you can shut it off.

There’s enough room inside the 2021 Buick Encore GX for a 5-foot-10-inch person to sit comfortably behind a driver of the same height. Headroom is in good supply, even with the available large sunroof. While the materials used in the front seating area are of the high-quality soft-touch variety, those used in back are a touch hard and plasticky.

The Encore GX’s back seat splits 60/40 and folds for improved cargo utility, which is enhanced further by a front passenger seat that folds flat to help this compact Buick SUV carry long items. An 8-foot board, for example, can be carried diagonally in the Encore GX. Behind the rear seat, and there’s 25.3 cubic feet of cargo room, nearly as much as the 26.9 available in its larger Envision sibling.

The midlevel Select model has heated front seats, while the top Encore GX, the Essence, has leather-covered seats and a heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel.

While the standard Encore has been a big success for Buick, we think it’s too stubby and tall to be elegant. The 2021 Buick Encore GX, on the other hand, has better proportions. It looks great from all angles, aided by an improved stance, short overhangs, and just enough added length and width to make a big difference.

As before, a black-painted roof is available on the Buick Encore GX.

ADVANCED TECHNOLOGY PACKAGE
This package, available on the Encore GX Select and Essence models, features an 8-inch diagonal infotainment screen with navigation, adaptive cruise control, rear park assist, a surround-view camera, and a head-up display.

TWO-STAGE LOAD FLOOR
All 2021 Buick Encore GX SUVs have this feature, which lets you store smaller items under the rear load floor, out of sight. Or the cargo floor can be switched to a raised level that’s even with the folded rear seat, creating a perfectly flat load floor.

The 2021 Buick Encore GX is available in three levels: Preferred, Select, and Essence.

Even the entry-level Preferred model is generously equipped. A 1.2-liter model with front-wheel drive and a CVT, the Encore GX Preferred has an excellent standard safety suite that includes automatic emergency braking, pedestrian braking, and lane-keeping assist. Moreover, the Preferred also benefits from push-button ignition, an 8-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, a 4G Wi-Fi hotspot, and 18-inch alloy wheels.

Midlevel Buick Encore GX Select models up the standard content level with a power driver’s seat, heated front seats, dual-zone climate control, a luggage rack, and a safety package that includes a blind-spot warning system, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear park assist.

The top Encore GX, the Essence, is equipped with a 120-volt power outlet in the center console leather-covered seats, a heated leather-wrapped steering wheel, chrome bumper accents, and an in-vehicle air ionizer to keep the 5-seat cabin fresh.

The 1.3-liter turbocharged 3-cylinder engine is optional on all three models of the new Buick Encore GX, as is all-wheel drive, a black-painted roof, and a Sport Touring package. This last package enhances the GX’s looks with unique 18-inch alloy wheels, body-color rocker moldings, a black mesh grille, and red exterior accents.

Notable options on the entry-level Encore GX Preferred model include heated front seats, a panoramic moonroof, a hands-free power liftgate, a Cold Weather package, and a Safety Package with adaptive cruise control and rear cross-traffic alert.

An Advanced Technology package becomes available at the Encore GX Select level. It includes navigation, adaptive cruise control, and a parking assist program along with a head-up display (HUD) and a rear camera mirror.

Options on the well-equipped Encore GX Essence flagship are fewer in number. They include a 7-speaker Bose audio system and a Convenience package with a rear camera mirror and wireless smartphone charging.

A turbocharged 1.2-liter inline-3 is the standard engine in the 2021 Buick Encore GX. It puts out 137 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and 162 lb-ft of torque at 2,500 rpm.

The better choice is the optional turbocharged 1.3-liter 3-cylinder. This slightly larger powerplant puts out 155 horsepower at 5,600 rpm and 174 lb-ft of torque at only 1,600 rpm.

All front-wheel-drive Buick Encore GX models come equipped with a CVT. They can be powered by the 1.2 or the 1.3. The all-wheel-drive Buick Encore GX, however, is powered exclusively by the 1.3-liter engine mated to a 9-speed automatic transmission.

Why do we favor the 1.3 over the 1.2? It produces more horsepower and better low-end torque. Moreover, it mates to a conventional 9-speed automatic transmission (in the AWD models), and it endows the Encore GX with better fuel economy, particularly the front-drive model that gets 32 mpg on the highway.

1.2-liter turbocharged inline-3
137 horsepower @ 5,000 rpm
162 lb-ft of torque @ 2,500 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 28 mpg/31mpg

1.3-liter turbocharged inline-3
155 horsepower @ 5,600 rpm
174 lb-ft of torque @ 1,600 rpm
EPA city/highway fuel economy: 30 mpg/32 mpg (FWD), 26/29 (AWD)