A Standout Compact Crossover: The 2014 Buick Encore

The 2014 Buick Encore is a great compact crossover SUV in a class that is crowded with stripped down and underperforming models. This allows the Encore to show off with classic Buick comfort and equipment as well as a great amount of driving performance for owners to enjoy. Built to attract owners of all generations, whether it’s a new pair of empty nesters looking to downsize their ride, or some young up and comers that don’t have the need for a large family vehicle, the Encore allows enjoyment without compromise.

Anyone who believes the old axiom “good things come in small packages” will absolutely love the Encore with offers a plethora of available equipment and designs. New for 2014 the Encore offers Rear Cross Traffic Alert and Side Blind Zone Alert which are offered as part of the Convenience package. Adding this to the vehicle offers that much more safety, security, and information for the driver to help keep themselves and any passengers they have safe and secure while in the vehicle.

Driving the Encore offers a seriously smooth, comfortable and great handling ride, according to Indianapolis Buick. With a suspension and steering that is tuned for a worldwide market, Buick adjusted them a bit to ensure they would appeal to the American car shopper. By doing this the Encore comes in as a compact SUV that offers very precise handling and a suspension that easily takes care of the road issues that can be found on many highways and city streets. Add to this the extensive noise deadening technology and excellent insulation and the Encore offers occupants one of the quietest cabins on the market. All of this brings the vehicle together that will allow the owner to really enjoy the ride of this well-tuned machine.

With a small engine compartment the Encore only offers one engine for all models. This engine comes in the form of a 1.4-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine that offers 138 horsepower and 148 lb.-ft. of torque. When this engine is partnered with the six-speed automatic transmission that is capable of manual shifting the powertrain comes in with a fuel economy of 25 city/33 hwy mpg for the front-wheel drive (FWD) model and 23 city/33 hwy mpg for the all-wheel drive (AWD) models. Thankfully the Encore runs on regular gasoline, a bit of savings over some of the competition that require premium grade gasoline to operate properly.

From the inside the Encore offers a great feel of design and comfort that reaches right up into the luxury families of vehicles. With all controls and equipment located intuitively the interior is peaceful and easy to love offering plenty of room for five to comfortably ride. Even though the vehicle is a compact crossover SUV, the cargo room is surprisingly large at 18.8 cubic feet that expands when the 60/40 rear bench is folded down. This allows the cargo to be more versatile than otherwise possible with several configurations to choose from. The overall result is a cabin that is both impressive and sophisticated with great style, but not so much added equipment to render the driver unconscious from the sheer volume of controls.

On the outside the Encore offers many signature Buick appearances starting with the waterfall grill and the front shield. Offering a bevy of great curves and interesting body molding the Encore is both stylish and aggressive, exactly what owners desire from a crossover SUV. Accentuated by chrome all over the vehicle, as well as the blue-accented projector beam headlights and LED tail lights; the SUV shows off some great luxury stylings that might be very much unexpected. The final touch is the heavily mag-inspired 18-inch wheels that offer that final appearance of aggression to show the Encore means business on the road. All of this offers any owner a gorgeous SUV that gives looks muscular, stylish and sophisticated all in one package.

Even at the base model the Encore comes very well-equipped, ensuring the higher price tag paid for this SUV over others in its class is a great value for owners. The standard equipment offered includes air conditioning, power windows and locks, Buick IntelliLink telematics with 7.0-inch touch screen, a tilt and telescoping steering wheel, cruise control, a power driver’s seat, satellite radio, Bluetooth connectivity, and a rearview camera all for the base model. Move up to the Convenience model and dual zone climate control, remote starting, fog lights, and Rear Cross Traffic Alerts are all added. Moving up the Leather trim adds leather upholstery, heated front bucket seats and steering wheel, a power passenger and driver seat with memory are all included as standard offerings. Finally, the Premium trim adds a Bose audio system, front and rear parking assistance, and Forward Collision Alerts with Lane Departure Warnings. All of the trims include StabiliTrak, ten airbags, and six months of the GM OnStar services. All of this offers owners a great vehicle at any trim level with plenty of awesome equipment to enjoy.

Even though a majority of the equipment available for the Encore is packaged as standard offerings in the various trim levels, there are still a few individual items that can be added. This list includes a GPS-enabled navigation system, a power sunroof, an oil pan heater, 18-inch chrome-alloy wheels, and the seven-speaker premium Bose Audio system. These options allow an owner to add an upgrade or two without having to jump into a higher trim level.

Starting out at a base price of $25,000 for the Encore, the starting point is higher than many SUVs in this class, but offers a great deal more equipment than the competition. The Convenience model starts around $25,800 and the Leather comes in around $27,500 both are only small steps up and add plenty of great added features to enjoy. The Premium opens at a price just under $29,000 and any owner wanting AWD adds $1,500 to the price. The fully loaded Encore will come in at $34,000 which is still a good price for a great vehicle.