A Week With: 2024 Buick Encore GX Sport Touring AWD
The 2024 Buick Encore GX continues to be an attractive, affordable option that is comfortable, offers a good tech package, and reasonable performance for about $35,000. That may sound like faint praise, but it’s not. SUV prices are crazy in this era, almost as absurd as pickup truck prices.
However, this Buick is a solid choice that you will enjoy long after you’ve made the final payment, and it won’t take your entire retirement account to buy it.
Overview
The Encore GX is in its fifth year, after succeeding the earlier, smaller, and much less attractive Encore. The GX is a little bigger, and offers better performance, interior and features. In short, the Encore GX is what the Encore always should have been.
Buick starts the 2024 Encore GX at $25,600 — which is actually $300 less than the 2023 model. New for this year is a freshened front end, new large-screen dashboard tech, and available LED taillights.
Exterior
The Encore GX is a nice-enough looking SUV. It’s a crossover, and it looks pretty much like all the other small crossovers. You won’t hate it, and the new grille and front end look pretty nice and sporty.
Buick also has a nice set of wheel options, especially in the Sport Touring and Avenir luxury trim levels. Taken all together, the Encore GX definitely looks more refined and expensive than many competing crossovers.
Interior
The interior is the best reason to consider the Encore GX. It’s comfortable, spacious, and the new tech package is easy to use. The Sport Touring trim we tested does not come with a powered liftgate at the back.
Car reviewers get spoiled, so the first time I went to open it, I pressed the button and waited for a lift that never came. I tell you that story because the rest of the Encore GX was so nice that I expected a power liftgate, which is optional on most trims.
Powertrain
The Encore HX is available with a 1.2-liter turbo engine paired with a continuously variable transmission and front-drive in less expensive trims, but the Sport Touring and higher trims come with a 1.3-liter turbo engine and a 9-speed automatic transmission with front-wheel or all-wheel drive.
That’s a nice driveline with plenty of power to make the Encore a nice drive. It’s no sports car, but the power and performance are well-matched. If you care about numbers, the 1.3-liter delivers 155 horsepower and 171 lb-ft of torque.
Safety and Technology
NHTSA gives the Encore GX its top rating of five stars for crash safety, while the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety awards this SUV a Top Safety Pick rating.
Standard safety equipment on all trims includes Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning, Automatic Emergency Braking, Front Pedestrian Braking, Forward Collision Alert, Following Distance Indicator and Intellibeam auto high beams.
Optionally and on higher trims, you can get Adaptive Cruise Control, Rear Park Assist, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert and an HD Surround Vision backup camera system. Our test vehicle had all that, and we’d recommend upgrading with the Advanced Technology package for $1,095 if your trim level doesn’t come with it.
In the dash, the 2024 Encore GX comes with 19 diagonal inches of high-definition screens housed under one sheet of glass, as is the fashion. Inside the glass, there’s an 8-inch driver information screen and an 11-inch infotainment screen. The Buick system works well, and it somehow does the job without ever being annoying.
Driving Impressions
Buick is known for its QuietTuning, and that really works. One thing you’ll notice right away is that the Encore GX has the interior quiet of a much larger and heavier vehicle. In the Sport Touring trim, the suspension is smooth and firm. The ride is firm without feeling like the bounce of a lightweight and tinny SUV. In short, the Buick engineers really outdid themselves in this trim.
2024 Buick Encore GX Sport Touring AWD Specifications
| Dimension | L: 171.4 inches/W: 71.4 inches/H: 64.1 inches/Wheelbase: 102.2 inches |
| Weight | 3,258 pounds |
| Powertrain | 1.3-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder; 9-speed automatic transmission, AWD |
| Fuel Economy | 26 mpg city/28 mpg highway/27 mpg combined |
| Performance Specs | 155 horsepower and 174 pound-feet of torque |
| Price | Base price: $25,600; As tested: $35,025 including $1,295 destination charge |
| On-Sale Date | Available now |
Wrap Up
The Encore GX Sport Touring has a base price of $28,400, about $3,000 more than the base trim. On top of that, the test Encore had the Experience Buick package at $1,690 with a panoramic sunroof and 19-inch wheels. We’d skip that, but then we’re not moonroof fans. There was also the $1,295 Comfort Package with heated wheel and seats — definitely a keeper.
And the $1,095 Advanced Technology package with adaptive cruise and surround camera and a wireless charging pad is a no-brainer. Our test rig came to $35,025 with destination, which still puts this very high trim level Encore GX in a competitive space with most other smaller SUVs. It’s worth noting, though, that this is about the same out-the-door price as the top luxury Avenir trim, so do check that out when you visit the Buick dealer.
2024 Buick Encore GX Sport Touring — Frequently Asked Questions
Is the Buick Encore GX reliable?
Consumer Reports has given the Buick Encore GX a “recommended” rating.
Where is the Buick Encore GX made?
The Buick Encore GX is made in South Korea.
How long will a Buick Encore GX last?
Best estimates are at least 200,000 miles or 13 years.
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