2013 Buick Encore Review
2013 Buick Encore Review





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Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
Pros
- Comfortable ride
- quiet interior
- high fuel economy
- attractive price.
Cons
- Tepid performance
- backseat is tight for bigger folks.
What’s new
The Buick Encore is an all-new model for 2013.
Edmunds says
Thanks to its serene cabin, user-friendly high-tech features and nimble size, the 2013 Buick Encore should work well for those shopping for an upscale but still affordable small crossover SUV.
Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2013 Buick Encore 4dr SUV (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.57 per gallon for regular unleaded in Virginia.
Monthly estimates based on costs in Virginia
$156/mo for Encore Base
Encore Base
vs
$190/mo
Avg. Compact SUV
Vehicle overview
Buick has successfully been revamping and expanding its vehicle lineup the past few years, but one thing missing has been a crossover SUV smaller than Buick's already quite large Enclave. For consumers, that situation finally gets addressed with the 2013 Buick Encore.
The first thing you'll likely notice about the new Encore is its petite size. At 168 inches long, the Encore is about 10 inches shorter than a Honda CR-V. This aligns with the recent industry trend of offering truly compact crossover SUVs, with other examples being the Nissan Juke, BMW's new X1 or Mini's Cooper Countryman.
Pleasingly, the Encore delivers on Buick's traditional strengths. It's impressively quiet at freeway speeds, and the suspension keeps occupants comfortable by swallowing up bumps and ruts with utter composure. You also get plenty of standard features, an elevated driving position, available all-wheel drive, an easy-to-park size and high fuel economy. The Encore's price is also quite reasonable.
On the downside, the Encore's engine, a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder shared with the Chevrolet Cruze and Sonic, is underwhelming. Its 138 horsepower is outmatched by the Encore's 3,200 pounds, and that's not factoring in additional passengers or cargo you might be carrying. Not helping matters is the six-speed automatic's rush-to-the-top gear programming; it's meant to optimize fuel economy but also blunts the Encore's responsiveness.
Still, we do like the 2013 Buick Encore, and it could be a good choice for younger buyers or empty nesters. If you want more power, the BMW X1 is considerably more fun to drive, but it's also considerably more expensive. The 2013 Mini Cooper Countryman is also fun to drive and priced similarly, though rear seating is even tighter than in the Buick. The 2013 Volkswagen Tiguan would be another solid choice. As such, we suggest putting the new Encore on your test-drive list along with its rivals to help crystallize your decision.
Performance & mpg
All 2013 Buick Encore models are powered by a turbocharged 1.4-liter inline four-cylinder with 138 hp and 148 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic with a manual-shift feature is the only transmission offered.
EPA fuel economy estimates for front-wheel-drive Encores stand at 25 mpg city/33 mpg highway and 28 mpg combined, while those with all-wheel drive rate 23/30/26.
Safety
Standard safety features for the 2013 Buick Encore include front-seat knee airbags, front and rear side airbags, side curtain airbags, antilock disc brakes and traction and stability control. Also included is OnStar, which includes automatic crash notification, on-demand roadside assistance, remote door unlocking and stolen vehicle assistance. Forward collision warning and lane departure warning are optional.
Driving
Today's Buicks drive with a sort of relaxed, composed comfort. They sail over road imperfections but do so without the bobbing and weaving we used to associate with cars wearing the Buick crest. Despite its small size, the Encore has this same sense of planted, on-road composure. In addition to its high fuel efficiency, the Encore's engine also scores points for its refinement. Cruising at high speeds, it's beyond whisper-quiet thanks to a number of "quiet-tuning" tricks, including an active sound-cancellation system by Bose.
As the Encore expectedly rides higher than a sedan or wagon, its center of gravity is likewise elevated, making it lean more when you press it into corners. Anyone who's coming into the Encore from a crossover or SUV won't notice a thing, but buyers stepping into a crossover for the first time will notice that cornering isn't quite as crisp. There's a surprising amount of grip, though, especially considering that the Encore's tires were chosen more for on-road quiet than all-out handling.
The 2013 Buick Encore's dynamic liability is its turbocharged 1.4-liter engine. That engine works fine in the much lighter Sonic, but the result here is that the Encore feels slow, and not just by leadfoot standards, but by the standards of anyone who feels the need to accelerate to highway speeds. Not helping matters is the Encore's transmission programming, which races to 6th gear as quickly as possible and is reluctant to downshift.
Interior
Fit and finish throughout the Encore's cabin is generally pretty good, and well-placed soft-touch materials and splashes of wood tone and metallic accents provide a luxury vibe. Buick's standard IntelliLink system and its 7-inch control touchscreen dominate the center stack. There are a lot of buttons here, but we like the added redundancy they provide, and overall the Encore's IntelliLink is fast, reliable and easy to use as infotainment and smartphone app integration systems go.
Up front there's plenty of room all around, and the wide seats prove comfortable on long road trips. Those seats are also pleasantly high, providing a commanding view around and above traffic as well as easing entry/exit. In back, there's ample legroom even for 6-footers, though there's less rear shoulder and hip room than in most compact crossovers due to the 2013 Encore's narrower cabin.
When it comes to cargo-carrying duty, the Encore is ready, as the rear seats and the front passenger seat fold flat, allowing transport of longer (up to 8 feet) items. With all seats in place, there are 18.8 cubic feet of space. Folding the rear seats down expands that to 48.4 cubes; this is noticeably better than the Mini Countryman (42.2 cubic feet), but noticeably less than you'll get from the next-size-up compact crossovers such as the Honda CR-V, which offers a comparatively cavernous 71 cubic feet with the rear seats folded.
2013 Buick Encore models
The 2013 Buick Encore is offered in four trim levels: base, Encore with the Convenience Group, Encore with the Leather Group and Encore with the Premium Group. Each is available in front- and all-wheel-drive versions.
The base Encore comes standard with 18-inch alloy wheels, heated side mirrors, air-conditioning, cruise control, a tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, full power accessories, a six-way power driver seat (manual recline), Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, a rearview camera, split-folding rear seats, fold-flat front passenger seat, OnStar telematics, Buick's IntelliLink personal electronics connection system, a 7-inch touchscreen display and a six-speaker sound system with a CD player, satellite radio, a USB/iPod interface and an auxiliary audio jack.
Stepping up to the Convenience Group adds foglights, remote start, dual-zone automatic climate control, a 120-volt power outlet and an auto-dimming rearview mirror.
As you'd expect, the Leather Group adds leather upholstery, a six-way power passenger seat, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel and driver memory settings.
The Premium Group adds rain-sensing wipers, an upgraded seven-speaker sound system, front and rear parking sensors, forward collision warning, lane departure warning and a rear cargo net and mat.
Many of the upper trims' features are available as options on the lower trims. Other options, depending on trim level, include chrome wheels, a power sunroof, a navigation system and roof rack cross rails.
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the Used 2013 Buick Encore.
5 star(48%)
4 star(26%)
3 star(9%)
2 star(6%)
1 star(11%)
35 reviews
Trending topics in reviews
Most helpful consumer reviews
5 out of 5 stars
Love my 2013 Encore
peegggers, 06/20/2013
2013 Buick Encore Premium 4dr SUV (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
I've had my Encore for 2 months now.
I've been using it for my daily commute of 70 miles round trip...and am getting an average of 27.2 mpg.
Just got back from a 10 day 10 state trip driving through torrential rain (tropical storm Andrea) and the only complaints I have is the Bluetooth wouldn't always connect with my phone and sometimes the GPS wouldn't work.
It was a little bit hard … to pass other cars in the mountains of Pennsylvania but every other part of the trip the driving was great!
We averaged 33 mpg.
Plenty of room for 2 people and with the back seats folded down there was plenty of cargo space.
Update. I am at just over 60,000 miles and I am still happy with my Encore. I am considering trading it in, only because of the amount of miles I have on it. The only problem I have had with the car was this past winter the heat didn't work. It was still within warranty so the dealership replaced the radiator and some plastic tubing at no cost to me...I got it back when the temp was down in the single digits. Never had another problem.
5 out of 5 stars
Cute ute
buggin, 08/30/2013
2013 Buick Encore Leather 4dr SUV AWD (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
This is one small compact crossover.
We looked at all of them and I mean all!
None of them made us feel the way this little baby Buick did.
Its classy, sharp, upscale and cut all in one.
True its not going to win a race but it is not mean to nor was it made for that.
It has plenty of punch.
We only have 385 miles on it and are getting 27 in the city, not bad for an AWD that take … regular.
Give this vehicle a chance.
Buick has touched upon an important market and we are glad they did.
2 out of 5 stars
Would not recommend buying a Buick Encore
Tarae3173, 05/17/2018
2013 Buick Encore Leather 4dr SUV (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
I bought a brand new 2013 Buick Encore and never had any major problems with it until recently. It now has 78,000 miles on it. Last week my engine light turned on and shortly after that a repetitive almost clicking noise came from the engine when it was running and it would have issues accelerating and decelerating. The engine light would also come one and off and the noise would … decrease a bit when it was off. I called my dealership and made an appointment. I was told my lifters needed to be replaced and also that I had a crack in my front exhaust. My dealership said for how old my car is this should not have happened. I also take in my car regularly for maintenance check and oil changes. My change oil light has never even come on. I had my dealership do the repairs and $1,000 later my car seems to be working properly again. I called Buick and opened a case to see if there was anything they could do. I was also told by them that the lifters should not have gone out. I received follow up today and was informed there is nothing that can be done. The powertran warranty is what covers that and since it only goes until 70,000 there is nothing that can be done and they cannot extend the warranty. I asked if my car only had 72,000 miles on it if that would have made a difference and they said yes. So basically because my lifters decided to crap out for no reason at 78,000 and that's not close enough to 70,000 I am stuck with those repair costs. I will never be buying a Buick again. I don't know a lot about cars but I do know that I had a used Oldsmobile Alero for 10 years that I took way less care of and never had a single engine issue. I would not recommend buying this car and I have read a lot of other people's issues with Encores and problems that should not occur and having to pay a lot of money out of pocket for them.
3.88 out of 5 stars
Engine Issues
glendive, 02/05/2014
2013 Buick Encore Leather 4dr SUV AWD (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
After driving 13800 miles, in trips of 1400 to1600 miles per trip, since I purchased this SUV I can honestly say it needs more horse power for the road. Going up hills, and going into headwinds puts a definite strain on this little engine. And the more it strains the less MPG it gets.
I also am concerned with the air intake design beings this car stalled out on me while driving one … crappy winter day in ND. This is not a good situation for a new car to have happen to it and the passengers. Snow/moisture should not get into parts of the engine compartment where it can cause problems.
2013 Encore Highlights
Base
Base MSRP | $24,200 |
---|---|
Engine Type | Gas |
Combined MPG | 28 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $156/month |
Seating | 5 seats |
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 18.8 cu.ft. |
Drivetrain | front wheel drive |
Warranty | 4 years / 50,000 miles |
Safety
NHTSA Overall Rating
4 out of 5 starsThe National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.
- Frontal Barrier Crash RatingOverall5 / 5Driver5 / 5Passenger5 / 5
- Side Crash RatingOverall5 / 5
- Side Barrier RatingOverall5 / 5Driver5 / 5Passenger5 / 5
- Combined Side Barrier & Pole RatingsFront Seat5 / 5Back Seat5 / 5
- RolloverRollover4 / 5Dynamic Test ResultNo TipRisk Of Rollover19.8%
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Small Overlap Front Driver-Side TestNot Tested
- Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side TestNot Tested
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – OriginalGood
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – OriginalGood
- Side Impact Test – UpdatedAcceptable
- Roof Strength TestGood
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintNot Tested
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