Used 2021 Buick Encore GX SUV Consumer Reviews
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Long term owner
Colorado Rural Dan, 08/05/2021
updated 02/09/2024
2021 Buick Encore GX Preferred 4dr SUV AWD (1.3L 3cyl Turbo 9A)
75 of 77 people found this review helpful
Know that this vehicle is better than the "professional" reviewers give it credit for. Incredible room up front. Very easy for this large Colorado, hat wearing cowboy, to get in and out of. My wife and I have no children at home so we are not concerned about back seat layout so I will not comment on that. Controls are intuitive, easy to use. Setting up my wife's apple and my android phone was a snap. The car comes with it's own hotspot which is really nice in Colorado where we often had no cell reception while driving. Though we repeatedly saw that mileage on the highway would be at best 30mpg out real life experience, so far, is 36mpg. We live very rural and so do little to no "city" driving. Was not looking to buy a new SUV when we found this but could not refuse the deal Buick offered. Our good fortune. It is NOT underpowered. The EncoreGX gets the job done! If you are in the market for a new small SUV, look at the EncoreGX. Ours is in "preferred" trim 4wd, and truly cannot see why I would spend the extra to go up a model. This has everything that we could want. Update: I have now had this vehicle for 10 months. The 4wd has worked well for this winter. Handling has been excellent I did replace the all seasons with snow tires. The hot spot was ok but did not work as well as I initially thought so did not pay for the subscription and let it lapse. The paint seems to chip easier than I think it should so I now have a bottle of touch up to use so that it does not become a problem. Would still rate this 4.5 stars. Would recommend and would buy again in the same situation. Update: Have now had for 1 year. Still love it. Now I see a reason for the upgrade and wish I had, as by now the extra money spent would seem inconsequential. I have the cloth seats, white. Would be much easier to keep clean if they were leather. I miss that it does not have the adaptive cruise control that keeps you spaced from the car ahead. I would still recommend to anyone wanting a small SUV. By the way, up here at 8,000 plus feet it gets over 40 mpg. I know it would not do that down at near sea level but is a nice thing anyway. 22000 miles now, year and a half in. Would still buy again, would recommend to a friend. Thought about upgrading to a 2023, however the Buick does not hold its value like my Subarus do so cancelled that idea. Update: Have now had for 38000 miles. No problems. As it has a turbo engine I change oil every 5000 miles to make sure the turbo charger is always running on clean oil. Has worked so far. If interest rates become reasonable again I will trade in for a new one. Would stick with the GX as I really like the way it handles in these mountain snows and I find it very comfortable to drive.
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To Me It's Best Sub Compact SUV For The Price
Zolman, 12/08/2020
2021 Buick Encore GX Essence 4dr SUV AWD (1.3L 3cyl Turbo 9A)
152 of 163 people found this review helpful
I've test driven all the sub compact SUV under $50,000. The Encore GX didn't have the raw power of some of the other brands BUT it had all I needed plus much better gas mileage. We just got done with a 650 mile road trip and averaged 38MPG. That's much better than the rating and all we did was drive speed limit. It's got enough power to merge into traffic and pass slow traffic on two lane roads. The interior is great and with all the refinements of the premium brands in its class. Granted it doesn't have real leather or 24 speakers, but I don't need that. What I really liked is the moon and combined sun roof, camera system and the safety features. No other SUV in it's class came close. And some of the pro evaluator's said there was cabin road noise ??? I listen to the radio when I drive.
I love my GX
Happy Owner, 11/15/2020
2021 Buick Encore GX Select 4dr SUV AWD (1.3L 3cyl Turbo 9A)
120 of 129 people found this review helpful
So I am not an automotive aficionado, I am an average middle-class consumer. I have read reports of “sloppy steering”, awkward displays, etc., and I have experienced none of that. It’s a great looking little SUV that you can park almost anywhere. I have the 1.3 liter turbo and it’s a lot peppier than my previous Encore’s 1.4L engine. For the price, I just don’t know how you can beat it. I would buy it again without hesitation.
This car is NOT slow (with 1.3L)
Peter, 12/17/2020
2021 Buick Encore GX Essence 4dr SUV AWD (1.3L 3cyl Turbo 9A)
105 of 115 people found this review helpful
Purchased a 2021 Encore GX Essence and it is a fantastic car. Let’s address the elephant in the room first; SO many reviews of this car are positive until they get to the engine and then it all falls apart with comments pertaining to it being very slow and loud. Mine is FWD and most reviews are with AWD which may be part of the problem. My experience with the 1.3L has been instantaneous power with no turbo lag and quite quite. Mine includes the Advanced Tech Pkg Experience Buick Pkg, Convenience Pkg and is quite a vehicle that definitely feels a class above. It is higher in price but with this amount of tech (self parking anyone?), the quiet interior, very smooth ride and sharp styling I encourage anyone considering this car, and even those not considering it to drive it. You should be impressed. So no one is confused, the “Model” section below does not include an Essence FWD 1.3L forcing me to select the AWD option.
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I love my car!!
Ethan, 11/19/2020
2021 Buick Encore GX Select 4dr SUV AWD (1.3L 3cyl Turbo 9A)
62 of 68 people found this review helpful
I am in love with this car! It feels so zippy around town with the turbo 1.3. Power is adequate on the highway, but it definitely wont win any races. The interior feels more premium than other subcompact crossovers. The backseat has adequate space. The technology is where this car really shines! The lane keep assist is great, and so is the infotainment system. The only thing that would make this car better is if it had a bigger engine. Overall, I am in love with my Encore GX Select!
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So far so good
Hail2Eman, 11/09/2020
updated 05/10/2021
2021 Buick Encore GX Select 4dr SUV AWD (1.3L 3cyl Turbo 9A)
51 of 58 people found this review helpful
Had my Encore GX for about 6month now and put 5K miles on it already. All the professional car critics say this car is under power. Its was never meant to be a speed demon, which I did not need anyway. But far as acceleration and keeping up with the traffic, in highway speed it has no problem. I think it fits in perfect between a Boring Honda / Nissan and expensive Lexus or Accra. It has perfect size and all the feature I wanted and needed.
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Nearly Perfect Small Crossover
ZZTOP, 01/16/2021
2021 Buick Encore GX Select 4dr SUV AWD (1.3L 3cyl Turbo 9A)
26 of 30 people found this review helpful
My wife and I tested quite a few crossovers before settling on the Buick Encore GX. Here is how I would order them based on my personal preferences: 1) Buick Encore GX 2) Chevy Trailblazer 3) Ford Escape 4) Ford Edge 5) Toyota RAV4 (big surprise because it’s the best-selling crossover in Canada) 6) GMC Terrain 7) Jeep Cherokee (dead last, this car was super sluggish and didn’t feel agile at all) My wife and I knew immediately after driving the Encore GX and Trailblazer that we were going to choose one of them. We might have contemplated the Ford Escape if it were a bit cheaper, mainly because it has the horsepower we’re used too, but it was slightly out of our budget (because we didn’t like the bottom trim). The biggest drawback of the Encore GX: Not enough horsepower when you’re on the highway. For city driving the torque is more than sufficient. The Encore GX is comfortable and fun to drive, it looks classy yet sporty, and is a perfect size for a couple living in the city.
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Brake System Failure
Concerned Momma, 06/12/2021
2021 Buick Encore GX Select 4dr SUV AWD (1.3L 3cyl Turbo 9A)
16 of 18 people found this review helpful
I love(d) my brand new 2021 Buick Encore GX ST with the 1.3 turbo. I was beyond surprised by the performance and effortless speed capability. I went from a 5.3 engine to a 1.3 and was very pleasantly surprised! It is way roomier than it appears and has lots of unexpected features. Unfortunately, it also had a brake system failure before I ever even made my first payment! I’ve had it for less than 3 weeks, and with only 672 miles on it, the brakes went out on me. Fortunately, I had just came to a stop when it happened. Numerous lights came on - engine, ABS, Brakes, etc, and a message appeared on my screen that read, “Brake System Failure, 62 MPH Top Speed.” When I tested my brakes by pressing the brake pedal, there was NO brakes at all at first, then, as the pedal neared the floorboard, the manual brakes engaged and I could stop the vehicle with significant difficulty. The local Buick dealer checked the codes and they indicated that I needed a new master cylinder. Upon research, I found that certain 2021 Buick Encore GX’s had a recall for a faulty brake system, BUT, according to my VIN number, mine was not included in that recall. What I experienced with my Encore was an exact match to the description given of the potential consequences of brake system failure in the recalled vehicles. As fun as it is to drive, be safe! Give your self plenty of stopping room and do not tailgate!
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Buick unresponsive to 2021 Encore GX Issue
BuickNoLongerReliable , 08/21/2021
2021 Buick Encore GX Essence 4dr SUV AWD (1.3L 3cyl Turbo 9A)
11 of 12 people found this review helpful
We have owned this vehicle for 12 weeks and have not had the use of it for 3 weeks, going into the 4th. The car is at the dealership for the 4th time on the same issue. This time the dealership found a pinhole leak in the exhaust system which caused an other part to fail 3 times but Buick does not have any parts to fix the issue and they are not responding to the dealership. I would have thought Buick would have been stockpiling parts to fix this issue since we are 8 months into 2021. Since we purchased the vehicle we have not had the use of it 25%, going on 33% of the time.
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See for yourself, it's pretty good!
dp55412, 06/29/2021
updated 01/09/2023
2021 Buick Encore GX Preferred 4dr SUV (1.2L 3cyl Turbo CVT)
18 of 21 people found this review helpful
Really liking our new Encore GX, Preferred, 1.2 FWD. Have had it about a month and have about 2,000 miles on it so far... lots of metro area driving and one road trip. I'm very satisfied with the quiet and comfort of the car. The smooth acceleration of the 1.2L and CVT is pleasing and unobtrusive. Its just the right height to ease entry for my 88 year old mother in law. The price (with incentives) makes this Buick Encore GX a real value! MSRP was $26,145 for my Preferred trim plus the Cold Weather package (Heated, power seats, remote start) and with all the discounts at the time, my final price was $19,240. So, shop around; don't just compare msrp for the cars you are considering. Ease of purchase at my particular dealer was top drawer, too. Recommend! 17,500 mile update: all continues well. I’m very satisfied with MPG, getting 30-32 every tank. We haven’t had much snow yet the winter (Minnesota) but it’s been handling well thus far. (Little thing, Big Plus over the regular Encore: you can lift the wiper blades up so they stick out while you scrape the windshield…can’t do that with the old Encore). I am also happy with the heating system (mine is the basic, manual) it’s almost set and forget, and quiet! Still happy. Still would recommend. 32,000 mile update… steady as she goes! No complaints. Still solid, no rattles. MPG continues 30-32/tank. I like the two-tiered floor in the trunk. You can take off the cargo cover and put under the floor when carrying items taller than the cover, like my mother in law's walker. Very happy with this purchase. 45,000 update... Still happy. No problems to report. MPG holding a 30-32. Its been handling this recent 2023 Minneapolis snow storm as well as can be expected for a FWD car. Glad it has a higher ground clearance than a regular sedan! Heated seats and remote start are good friends!
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