It leans, dives and squats the tires surrender traction too soon, and the brakes have an inch of spongy pedal travel before reporting for duty. Toss the car around, though, and its pitchy body motions evoke a larger, clumsier SUV. Still, the Encore provides good steering feedback heading into corners and good chassis control over broken pavement. The steering wheel stays nicely weighted on the highway, though some might find it twitchy. The suspension hushes out most bumps, but ride isolation feels marginal - a possible contribution of the Encore's standard 18-inch wheels and low-profile P215/55R18 tires. (As of publication, Audi has yet to finalize specs or EPA mileage on the Q3, and a production Lincoln MKC is still forthcoming.) The Encore's wind noise is low, but tire rumble takes its place. The Encore's combined ratings match the X1's and compare to non-luxury compact SUVs, but the X1 prefers premium fuel the Encore makes full power on the cheap stuff. All-wheel-drive models get 23/30/26 mpg, which one editor achieved (26.2 mpg combined) on a 90-minute, 40-mile commute. The EPA ratings are 25/33/28 mpg city/highway/combined with front-wheel drive. The X1's standard turbo four-cylinder is legitimately quick, but the Encore's drivetrain hits its torque peak at just 1,850 rpm, and the broad power band muscled our all-wheel-drive tester past slower traffic with little drama. All-wheel drive adds just 119 pounds, which is competitive, and the hustle proves it. An automaker that often has some of the heaviest cars in any given segment, GM kept the Encore to just 3,190 pounds, hundreds of pounds less than the X1 and most of the Escape's ilk, and roughly matching the Q3. It's the motor from Chevrolet's Sonic and Cruze cars, but GM saddled it here with an SUV and available all-wheel drive, which adds weight. It's impressive, considering the drivetrain specs: The sole engine - a turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder - makes just 138 horsepower and 148 pounds-feet of torque. We found the Encore accelerated quickly enough, with a six-speed automatic that coughs up immediate, if abrupt, two-gear downshifts to shoot passing-lane gaps. A standard fold-flat front passenger seat accommodates ladders or other tall objects. Folding the seats down is a laborious, outdated, multistep process, but doing so gives you 48.4 cubic feet of cargo space, which matches other premium compact SUVs. The Encore's 18.8 cubic feet behind the rear seats is decent, beating the German competition, but small non-luxury SUVs like the Escape, Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 all have well more than 30 cubic feet. The backseat has a high seating position with surprising legroom and headroom, plus consistent-quality cabin materials - an area where the Verano fails. Drivers get a flip-down one passengers get to complain. (Caveat: Our test car lacked an optional moonroof, which can knock off an inch or two.) The only deprivation comes in the miniscule center console, which sits too low to accommodate an armrest. Maximum seat-height elevation, however, affords a high driving position with headroom to spare. The front seats track far enough back for tall drivers, though one editor said the center console encroached a bit much on passenger space. With 1 cubic foot less passenger volume than a Hyundai Elantra GT, the Encore seems an unlikely candidate for ample interior space, but cabin packaging is excellent. Too many buttons crowd the center controls, and IntelliLink's dashboard screen uses an unintuitive control knob and several flanking buttons, all with tiny labels. In Leather and Premium editions, high-grade leather wraps the chairs, which include six-way power adjusters for both seats - not just the driver's.īuick's standard IntelliLink system packages Bluetooth phone and audio streaming with USB/ iPod integration and a few apps, like Pandora internet radio, which stream off an enabled smartphone. Handsome graining along the dashboard and doors meets plenty of upscale touches: fabric-wrapped A-pillars, real metal gearshift trim, bits of chrome and decent-looking faux wood. The rear, by contrast, is forgettable.Ī key battle among entry-level premium cars is cabin quality, and the Encore delivers. (Unfortunately, that two-tone treatment requires Buick's $745 White Pearl Tricoat option.) Standard chrome door handles, silver roof rails and 18-inch alloy wheels add a premium touch, and Buick's waterfall grille and blue-ringed light bezels evoke the larger Enclave. This time around, our test car's two-tone paint masked a lot of the busy lower cladding. By clicking Sign up, you agree to our privacy policy.Īs reported in our first drive of the Encore, its styling polarized onlookers.
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