Any less, and you wouldn’t be able to joyfully spin the front wheels pulling away from a stop. Any more, and you’d sacrifice the fuel economy, which is rated at 28 miles per gallon city, 32 mpg highway and 30 mpg combined. You get 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque in the Envista, figures that are awfully low these days, but that we also found perfectly suited to this mission. There’s very little you could do on the order sheet to change the way the Envista drives - pick a version with the upgraded rear suspension that Buick claims provides a more superior ride (a Watts link for those who care) or change up the wheel size, maybe - but certainly not in terms of what drives the wheels. There is a traditional automatic transmission with only six forward gears, and no dreaded CVT in sight. Not even a 1.3-liter upgrade like in the Encore GX. There’s no AWD option here, and no four-cylinder. There’s only one powertrain: a turbocharged 1.2-liter three-cylinder powering the front wheels. It’s lower and sleeker than the Encore, putting itself more visually at the car end of the crossover spectrum, while the GX leans more toward SUV.Īnd you’ll get a more carlike drive from the Envista, too. The nicely tucked rear end is home to lighting that better matches the units up front. But the Envista has a swept-back profile, with the roofline giving way to a toned-down example of rear shoulders flaring out over the wheels. It has the pointy nose, the high, wing-like headlights and the new tri-shield Buick logo that also made its way onto the Encore. No, it’s not a two-door coupe like the Wildcat, and it still doesn’t have the Wildcat’s electric powertrain, but those looks translate even better to a new vehicle designed from the ground up. While the refresh of the Buick Encore GX for the 2024 model year was the first production vehicle to use design elements inspired by the Buick Wildcat EV concept, the Envista marks the “first complete expression” of that new design language, as Buick design boss Bob Boniface put it. To these eyes, the Envista looks good from all angles. You should be pleasantly surprised with what you get - just don’t ask for all-wheel drive or an engine upgrade. The 2024 Buick Envista starts below $25,000, and in a world of rampant inflation, it actually lives up to what you thought that much money could get you a few years ago. Want an affordable small crossover that looks and feels good, might even impress your passengers, and won’t make your eyes go cross while configuring one online? Buick’s got a new one for you, and it’s pretty slick.
0 Comments
Leave a Reply. |
AuthorWrite something about yourself. No need to be fancy, just an overview. ArchivesCategories |