{"id":26954,"date":"2021-02-26T13:56:15","date_gmt":"2021-02-26T17:56:15","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=26954"},"modified":"2021-02-26T13:56:15","modified_gmt":"2021-02-26T17:56:15","slug":"payne-buick-envision-the-second-gens-the-charm","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2021\/02\/payne-buick-envision-the-second-gens-the-charm","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Buick Envision, the second-gen’s the charm"},"content":{"rendered":"

<\/p>\n

In Florida you can have any car you want as long as it\u2019s white. The reflective color is ubiquitous in the Sunshine State as passengers try to keep cool from the relentless ball of fire in the sky.<\/p>\n

But the thing about white is it highlights a car\u2019s style. Poor designs have nowhere to hide their awkward lines and sloppy details. They stand out against the white background like acne on Kate Upton\u2019s face.<\/p>\n

My white, 2021 Buick Envision ST tester looked lovely.<\/p>\n

Thin grille and lights. High cheekbones. Lean rocker panels. Black\u00a020-inch wheels under muscular shoulders. What a difference a generation makes.<\/p>\n

The first-gen Envision landed in 2015 with a whimper. Sandwiched between the brand\u2019s cute\u00a0subcompact Encore and handsome\u00a0three-row Enclave ocean liner, Envision should have been the brand\u2019s crowning glory. Buick\u2019s bestseller in the industry\u2019s most popular segment. An exclamation point that Buick had completed its historic transformation from stale sedan brand to hip SUV brand.<\/p>\n

But the Envision didn\u2019t shout premium. Behind the signature grille was a jowly facia\u00a0punctuated by old school Buick portholes \u2014 er, Ventiports. What were \u201950s portholes doing on the brand\u2019s breakthrough compact SUV? The interior was OK, the ride OK, the experience OK. Not what was expected from a brand that had wowed autodom with Encore and Enclave. Envision became better known for the UAW protesting its made-in-China origins.<\/p>\n

\"The<\/p>\n
<\/div>\n<\/figure>\n

Sales were, well, OK.<\/p>\n

Gen two is an extreme makeover. Driving the Naples, Florida coastline with Mrs. Payne, my Envision may have been white like everything else, but it was vanilla no more. It looked sharp in lots choked with Mercedes GLCs, Audi Q5s\u00a0and Lexus RX 350s.<\/p>\n

The west coast of Florida is teaming with Midwest retirees and snowbirds who have escaped down Interstate 75 from the cold. Yet\u00a0the auto mix is not much different than the state\u2019s east\u00a0coast populated by northeasterners who\u2019ve migrated down I-95. German and Japanese luxe brands are everywhere. Like the European (Rolex, Gucci) and Japanese (Uniqlo, Canon) brands that litter ritzy shopping centers.<\/p>\n

\u201cWe sell fashion,\u201d a GM exec always reminds me, and its Cadillac and Buick brands have struggled in that pursuit.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s not just Euro-fashion Buick must contend with. Japanese-made Lexus has been dominant in Naples for years, its mix of affordability and customer service irresistible to monied Floridians. Especially the mid-size RX 350, often referred to as the official vehicle of Florida.<\/p>\n