{"id":29318,"date":"2022-06-11T08:04:09","date_gmt":"2022-06-11T12:04:09","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/?p=29318"},"modified":"2022-06-11T08:04:09","modified_gmt":"2022-06-11T12:04:09","slug":"payne-encore-encore-after-a-decade-in-the-market-buicks-segment-busting-mini-suv-still-shines","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/2022\/06\/payne-encore-encore-after-a-decade-in-the-market-buicks-segment-busting-mini-suv-still-shines","title":{"rendered":"Payne: Encore! Encore! After a decade in the market, Buick’s segment-busting mini-SUV still shines"},"content":{"rendered":"

Stratford, Virginia<\/em>\u00a0\u2014 I\u2019m a fan of minnows. Affordable, fun\u00a0entry-level subcompacts. The versatile Honda Fit hatchback. The Mazda Miata sportscar. I still weep for the loss of the Ford Fiesta ST funbox.<\/p>\n

Allow me to add another unsung candidate, the $25,795 Buick Encore.<\/p>\n

On a recent road trip to Stratford, Virginia \u2014 marinated in U.S. history, from George Washington\u2019s birthplace to the Lee family home \u2014 Mrs. Payne and I rented a compact vehicle from Hertz. \u201cAnything in Aisle Two\u201d said the attendant. And there amongst the usual Corollas and Sentra sedans was Buick\u2019s premium entry-level SUV.<\/p>\n

\"\"<\/a><\/p>\n

I was quickly reminded just how good this wee ute is.<\/p>\n

With its fold-flat front seat \u2014 a cool, rare feature shared by the Fit and GM sibling Chevy Trax \u2014 the Encore and I bonded years ago. With a stiff leg after knee surgery, I sat in back and flattened the front seat for use as an ottoman. It\u2019s the gift that keeps on giving. On my weekend trip to Stratford, I also used the feature from the back seat, stretching out my stork legs, writing on a laptop. Or just stretching out when I needed a break on the road.<\/p>\n

A unique feature, but this SUV is best known for pioneering the small SUV category. In 2012, Encore led the way and Ute Nation followed in breaking the sport utility mold of mid-size family carrier. The Buick introduced the idea that crossovers could populate every segment, including subcompacts.<\/p>\n

Every automaker now offers something in the space, from the Hyundai Kona to the Honda HR-V to the Mazda CX-30.<\/p>\n

But Encore\u2019s move was unheard of for a sleepy, geriatric brand that was limping along on sedan sales. Overnight, Encore reset the Buick brand and paved the way for a \u201cThat\u2019s a Buick?\u201d lineup that now includes delightful SUVs like the Encore GX, Enclave\u00a0and Envision.<\/p>\n

At just 25 grand, my base Encore rental was not only ergonomically efficient \u2014 it was fun.<\/p>\n

Its cute face and trim bod is irresistible. Like every subcompact I\u2019ve every driven, the short wheelbase is a hoot to drive \u2014 instantly provoking rebuke from my long-suffering wife to \u201cSLOW DOWN!\u201d on our trip from Reagan National Airport down Routes 301 and 205 through Virginia\u2019s Northern Neck.<\/p>\n

Mrs. Payne and Encore had bonded quickly at the airport when she hooked up her iPhone to Apple CarPlay and navigated to our rural destination. Like the blob, the federal government grows bigger by the day, and D.C. is a nightmare to exit with its Beltway traffic and gridlocked suburbs.<\/p>\n

Apple CarPlay artfully guided us to the best route \u2014 and a Chick-Fil-A lunch along the way.<\/p>\n

So successful is Encore that it has already inspired a bigger sibling \u2014 the aforementioned Encore GX. With push-button start, a sippy\u00a0155-horse 4-banger\u00a0and leatherette-and-cloth seats, my standard Encore is an affordable chariot. So relentless is technology, however, that this premium ute is already aging next to comparably priced\u00a0mainstream vehicles.<\/p>\n

Essential goo-gaws like blind-spot assist and adaptive cruise control\u00a0are now standard on utes like the Mazda CX-30 or Kia Seltos. My Encore sported neither. To remain an icon in the segment it pioneered, Encore needs to get crackin\u2019.<\/p>\n

We headed to dinner \u2014 a 20-minute drive \u2014 with a friend who volunteered her minivan. But I was determined to show off Encore\u2019s comfy rear seats and headroom. Heck, I\u2019m a tall\u00a0ex-basketball player and can sit behind myself in the Encore. Try that in any other subcompact. Or an Alfa Romeo Stelvio.<\/p>\n

Virginia\u2019s Northern Neck isn\u2019t London streets \u2014 but its historic places are full of tight confines. The Encore \u2014 thanks to its rear-view camera-assist and short proportions \u2014 navigated tight spots and driveways easily. The undulating roads are a similar challenge, and I volunteered more than once to fetch groceries over the weekend just so I could explore them. The Encore is fun to flog and I would inevitably hook up with a local \u2014 in a Ford Mustang or Fusion \u2014 who knew the roads well and would enjoy a game of cat and mouse.<\/p>\n

After my Northern Virginia adventures, I returned my four-wheeled companion to Reagan National and took a wrong turn into the rental lot. The only way out was a series of tight\u00a0180-degree turns. Piece of cake.<\/p>\n

The rare negative I\u2019ve heard about Encore is from my son\u2019s fianc\u00e9e. She rented one recently and complained of a lack of power. Understandable. Her daily driver? A VW Beetle Turbo stuffed with the Golf GTI\u2019s 200-horse turbo engine.<\/p>\n

Now there\u2019s another great minnow.<\/p>\n

2022 Buick Encore<\/strong><\/p>\n

Vehicle type: Front-engine, front- and all-wheel-drive\u00a0four-passenger\u00a0SUV<\/p>\n

Price: $25,795, including $1,195\u00a0destination fee for base model as tested<\/p>\n

Powerplant: 1.4-liter turbocharged, inline-4 cylinder<\/p>\n

Power:\u202f155\u00a0horsepower, 177 pound-feet of torque<\/p>\n

Transmission:\u00a06-speed automatic<\/p>\n

Performance: 0-60 mph 8.4 sec. (Car and Driver); range, 378 miles<\/p>\n

Weight: 3,237\u202fpounds (FWD as tested)<\/p>\n

Fuel economy: EPA est.\u00a024 mpg city\/32 highway\/27 combined (FWD as tested)<\/p>\n

Report card<\/p>\n

Highs:\u00a0Easy on the eyes;\u00a0easy on the legroom<\/p>\n

Lows:\u00a0More standard features, please<\/p>\n

Overall:\u00a03\u202fstars<\/p>\n

Henry Payne is auto critic for The Detroit News. Find him at hpayne@detroitnews.com or Twitter @HenryEPayne.<\/em><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"

Stratford, Virginia\u00a0\u2014 I\u2019m a fan of minnows. Affordable, fun\u00a0entry-level subcompacts. The versatile Honda Fit hatchback. The Mazda Miata sportscar. I still weep for the loss of the Ford Fiesta ST funbox. Allow me to add another unsung candidate, the $25,795 Buick Encore. On a recent road trip to Stratford, Virginia \u2014 marinated in U.S. history, […]<\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":3,"featured_media":0,"comment_status":"closed","ping_status":"closed","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"footnotes":""},"categories":[7,87],"tags":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29318"}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/3"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=29318"}],"version-history":[{"count":1,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29318\/revisions"}],"predecessor-version":[{"id":29319,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/29318\/revisions\/29319"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=29318"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=29318"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/henrypayne.com\/index.php\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=29318"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}