Buick’s Encore GX Avenir – IF YOU ASKED FOR AN ENCORE…

Buick’s Encore GX Avenir

IF YOU ASKED FOR AN ENCORE…

When I received word that I was scheduled to test drive and review a 2024 Buick Encore GX, my first reaction was not a good one.  I first reviewed the Encore GX as a 2021 model and found it somewhat lacking.  So, when I realized that I had to review it once again (AGAIN!) it was a task I certainly was not looking forward to tackling.  

Back in the 2021 model year, Buick dealers had two Encore models on their floor; one was the basic Encore in the shape of an egg, while the other was the newly introduced and slightly more expensive Encore GX.  Why did Buick have two Encores in their lineup? That was just one of the questions I had.  Fast-forward to today’s Buick showroom and the basic Encore has gone – and only the newly refreshed Encore GX remains.  I gotta’ say, I was very pleasantly surprised by the 2024 model.  It’s soooo much better than the previous iteration.

The Moonstone Gray Metallic 2024 Buick Encore GX Avenir FWD crossover I drove came with a $35,885 MSRP price tag, about $9,000 more than a base model.  It’s powered by a 155 hp, 1.3 liter inline three-cylinder turbocharged engine mated to a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT).  The EPA estimated fuel economy ratings are 29 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway.  The base trim Encore GX gets a 1.2 liter three-cylinder under its hood.  

The Encore GX is Buick’s most popular model in the US and the top-of-the-line Avenir trim is a first for the vehicle.  The refreshed exterior gives the crossover a sportier look.  But it’s the interior that is the real beauty of the Encore GX.  It features a new Virtual Cockpit System with high-definition screens under one sheet of glass, including an eleven inch-diagonal infotainment screen and an eight inch-diagonal driver information center.  

Gone from the instrument panel are the gauges of old, giving this affordable Buick a near-luxury feel.  With the rear seats folded, the Encore GX delivers over fifty cubic feet of cargo room, which allows for plenty of space for road-trip luggage or plants and bags of compost for that backyard garden.  

Every Encore GX comes with the Buick Driver Confidence package, a suite of driver assistance technologies that includes Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning,

Automatic Emergency Braking, Front Pedestrian Braking, Forward Collision Alert, Following Distance Indicator and IntelliBeam auto high beams.  Additional driver assistance tech is optional, such as Rear Park Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Adaptive Cruise Control with Enhanced Emergency Braking, and Rear Camera Mirror and HD Surround Vision.  

I began this review by lamenting another shot at test driving a vehicle that underwhelmed me a few years ago.  However, the 2024 Encore GX felt like a whole new animal.  The three-cylinder powertrain felt awfully peppy, even though it might (on paper) seem anemic.  But this same powertrain helps with the all-important MPG. The interior with Buick’s Virtual Cockpit System gives the Encore a real upscale feel for a very affordable price.  The Encore GX’s refresh should help Buick’s quest to draw in younger buyers.