Driving Impressions : 2019 Buick Encore Essence AWD

By: Mark Moskowitz MD

This is Buick as I remember it (for more than a century!): it rides a bit more quietly than the rest; it's a bit more luxurious; and it's easy to use. Its smaller than one might expect but these days small or compact crossover/ SUVs are all the rage and as a Buick it gets the job done.

Its appearance is subtle; nothing except its height stands out, pleasant enough but the only way you'll know it's a Buick is to view the tri-shield.

Step in to the interior: wide door and plenty of headroom. The seats were adorned with quality leather. The dash was covered in a soft attractive non-glare finish. The styling was conservative and a step above the average small SUV especially in this, the Essence, the top of the line Encore. You seem to sit tall in the seat with an excellent view front and rear. The seat bottom adjustment is powered as is the lumbar support. Seat back tilt is adjusted manually and a bit difficult to adjust until the seatbelt (thick and surrounded by plastic at its base) is pulled to the right and fastened. The seat bottom seems a bit narrow with its sides seeming prominent and the low back a bit firm but both impressions faded with use. Rear seating offered foot room and comfort enough for an evening out as well as the convenience of a 120 v plug. One might feel cramped on a long trip. The 18.8 cubic feet of storage behind the rear seat was bigger than one would anticipate with the foreshortened view from the sides. Flatten the back seats and cargo volume increases by an extra 30 sq feet.

The 8-inch touch screen was easy to see and reach, with a single knob for volume adjustment. Station change was accomplished by screen touch, steering wheel toggle, voice. Phone projection was available and appropriate connectors supplied. Each front door boasts 3 storage spots and these were supplemented by an open space in the console's front and a closed space in its rear. None allowed a Samsung Galaxie S9 to lay flat.

Driving was a breeze. The cabin was quiet, The Encore had a narrow turning radius, quick steering and a comfortable ride. Little side to side movement was felt as one travelled softly over most bumps and road imperfections.

Body lean was minimal at legal speeds around curves. The 6-speed transmission shifted smoothly except under the hardest acceleration. And under hard cornering, the tall Buick was a handful with marked body lean. My Encore's four cylinder boasted more horses (153) and torque (177 lb-ft) with its optional SIDI (direct combustion chamber injection) than the base 1.4 L Turbo DOHC rated at 138 hp and 148lb-ft, offering adequate but not exciting power. My AWD encore provided mid to high 8 second 0-60 ipad recorded times.

Four Encores are offered with the base model fwd Encore 1SV starting at $23200. 'In-betweeners' include the Preferred and a Sport Touring model whose basic chassis setup does not appear to differ from the rest. Our top of the line Essence AWD came as priced below.

Driving Impressions recommends the Buick Encore understanding that its emphasis is on refinement not racing. It's a significant step above a basic subcompact SUV and even in its top trim and equipped with AWD, it is priced well below an entry level similarly sized luxury SUV.

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Photo credit: Mark Moskowitz MD

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