If there ever was a brand to suffer from an identity problem, it is Buick. Long considered a premium brand for General Motors - nicer than a Chevrolet but not as luxurious as a Cadillac, the past few decades have been troublesome for Buick, especially here in the U.S. Most analysist believe that the brand's popularity in China is what has kept Buick off the chopping block.
Now, in an attempt to lure a younger generation of buyers to their brand, Buick has come out with a new entry-level small SUV. Coming in under the also small Encore GX, the Envista is a coupe-like SUV that really showcases the latest Buick design language. Best of all, with a starting price just under $24,000 it looks far more expensive than the number on the window sticker.
Sharing many parts with the Chevrolet Trax and competing with the Mazda CX-30, and the Volkswagen Taos, the Envista is slightly larger than the Buick Encore GX, yet it undercuts the Encore by several thousand dollars, making it the cheapest Buick you can buy.
And while it wears the cheapest price tag in the Buick lineup, the Envista is by far the most stylish of all of them. With its fast roofline and windowless rear roof pillars, it has the same silhouette as the Audi Q3, BMW X4, or Mercedes GLC. Designing an SUV coupe can be challenging, but Buick nailed it with the Envista and proof of it can be found in its appearance - it is genuinely appealing from every angle.
So, a low-price good-looking SUV, what's the catch? None, really, if you don't mind the sole powertrain that is available - a turbocharged three-cylinder that makes 136 horsepower and powers the front wheels. If you want more power or need all-wheel drive, then the Envista isn't for you. Otherwise, read on.
The Envista is offered in three trim levels. Base is the Preferred which comes nicely loaded with 17-inch wheels, LED lighting an 8-inch digital gauge cluster and an 11-inch infotainment touchscreen. For a slightly sportier look, there is the Sport Touring, which dresses the Envista with black mirror housings, black body trim and black synthetic leather seats. The Sport Touring also gets 18-inch black wheels. Like with other Buicks, the Avenir is the top trim level and gets a better suspension, power liftgate, keyless entry, remote start and keyless entry. The Preferred and Sport Touring are available with packages to add features like remote start, keyless entry, power liftgate and many other options, giving the buyer the option to pick and choose options they prefer.
The tester, an Envista Sport Touring, arrived with Convenience Package 1 ($1,195) that includes a heated steering wheel, heated driver and passenger seats, keyless entry and remote start, Convenience Package 2 ($595) that includes a power rear liftgate and wireless charger, the Advance Safety Package ($995) that includes adaptive cruise control, lane change alert and rear cross traffic alert, a power moonroof ($995), and a special Ocean Blue exterior paint. The MSRP total comes to $29,215.
Enter the Envista and you'll find a cabin that can seat five but is roomy for four. Headroom is surprisingly good despite the coupe-like roofline. Interior materials are not exactly luxury grade, but at the same time they don't look cheap. The 8-inch digital gauge panel and the 11-inch touchscreen infotainment system are both nicely done and gloss-black plastic trim and accents resembling polished aluminum decorate the cabin. GMs traditional automatic climate-control knobs and buttons can be found on the dashboard along with the volume knob, while the stereo volume and radio tuning buttons can also be accessed from the back of the steering wheel.
The turbocharged 1.2-liter three-cylinder with its 136 horses makes for decent acceleration for casual driving, but when called upon to go above-and-beyond, well, it needs some coercing. Tests show that the Envista needs more than 9 seconds to reach 60 mph. Though not fast, the power going to the front wheels by way of a six-speed automatic transmission is smooth.
While the Envista is cheap to buy, it is also cheap to own, as the EPA gives it a combined rating of 30mpg (28 mpg in town 32 mph on the highway). It's also useful too, able to hold about 20.7 cubic feet of cargo in the hatch area. Fold down the back seat and that grows to 42 cubic feet.
The Envsta may be just what Buick needs to attract that young generation. It looks great inside and out and offers plenty of passenger and cargo room. Okay - so the driving dynamics may not be the greatest, they are not bad - and most buyers won't care, as long they can hook up their smart phone to it and look cool. They can as the Envista has both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. While the Envista may not appeal to the older crowd, for the case of this Buick, that just might be a good thing.