But neither is it a sign of incipient dotage. It’s far from perfect, with improvement still needed in a few key areas. Indeed, anyone condemning the Encore (or, pretty much any new Buick, for that matter) to Buick stereotype is going to be surprised. Again, anyone looking for the squidgy ride of Buicks long past need to look elsewhere. You wouldn’t exactly call the Encore’s comportment choppy, but there is some hobby-horsing over this winter’s incredible frost heaves. Such tight dimensions make for quick handling and a tight turning circle, but light weight and a short wheelbase aren’t the foundation of Mercedes-like suspension compliance. Ride and handling are limited by the basic suspension - MacPherson struts in front, a torsion beam in the rear - a high centre of gravity and the Encore’s short 2,555 millimetres wheelbase. Don’t be fooled by the Encore’s pixie-ish good looks and teeny, tiny dimensions AWD (and, of course, some knobbily-treaded snow tires) lend it serious winter ability with more than sufficient traction and a little more snowbank-busting ground clearance than the typical sedan. I averaged 10.4 L/100 km, very good fuel economy considering I was not shy with my right foot and that the Encore was tested in the middle of Ontario’s worst cold snap/snow storm this year.Īll-wheel-drive, despite being of the part-time slip-and-grip variety, really added to the Encore’s allure, especially in this, Eastern Canada’s worst winter in almost 20 years. It’s worth remembering that, with the Encore’s middling power, comes excellent fuel economy, NRCan rating the Encore (with AWD) at 10.2 L/100 km in the city and 8.0 on the highway. Indeed, before I’d go replacing the trusty little four, I’d rework some of its NVH issues and graft in an eight-speed automatic, the first to lessen the deleterious effects of spinning the little engine so hard and the second to make the most of what urge it does have. That said, in everyday driving, it feels fairly torquey, its turbocharged low-end grunt belying the fact there is really only 148 pound-feet to be had. That means, when pushed, the engine is not particularly piquant - accelerating to 100 kilometres an hour takes more than 10 seconds - and it can also be noisy when pushed, despite the addition of a Bose Active Noise Cancellation system. The Encore is, of course, a CUV and mini as it may be, it still weighs 1,523 kilos. Essentially, this is the same 1.4-litre turbocharged four that powers Chevrolet’s Cruze sedan. Some will also complain about the Buick’s austerity in the engine department. This advertisement has not loaded yet, but your article continues below. Even the main LCD screen, as well laid out as its display is, is too small - seven inches - and too far away for those lacking pinpoint 20/20 vision. The let downs were a few plastic bits not quite in tune with the modern “soft-touch” motif and an instrument cluster digital display with ‘80s Pac-Man game style hieroglyphics. My tester’s chocolate/tan brown leather looked almost Teutonic in its purposefulness, the hides of decent quality and the design/build quality of all the interior surfaces also exemplary. Decry all you want its $35,000 price tag - either a bargain for something so luxurious or usurious for something so small - but the Encore’s decor is a step above the norm in this price segment. What won’t disappoint, though, is the Encore’s interior decor. But anyone shopping Encore (or its cost-conscious cousin, the Chevrolet Trax) looking for low-cost, full-sized space will be sorely disappointed. And a family of four with offspring still in the tweens might still find it plenty accommodating. Oh, there’s plenty of room up front for adults. if you fold the rear seats down), this is really a 2 + 2 CUV, the rear seats a little claustrophobic for basketballers or runway models alike. Indeed, although it has a decent 18.8 cubic feet of rear cargo space (48.4 cu. Built on General Motors’ Gamma platform and more than a foot shorter than the company’s already pint-sized Verano sedan, the Encore is just about the smallest thing that can aspire to SUV authenticity.
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