2017 Buick Encore Review
Price Estimate: $10,494 - $18,990





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Edmunds' Expert Review

by Dan Frio
Pros
- Quiet interior on the highway
- Excellent crash-test scores
- Small engines deliver solid fuel economy
- Long list of tech and safety features
Cons
- Tepid performance from base engine
- Small cargo area can't swallow much luggage
What’s new
The 2017 Buick Encore received a modest facelift that includes revised front-end styling. On the inside, you'll find a restyled instrument panel with easier-to-use controls, upgraded interior materials and a new technology interface that offers Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration.
Vehicle overview
You wouldn't guess it at first glance, but the diminutive 2017 Buick Encore actually embodies many of the elements that Buick, a brand known for building large luxury sedans, has traditionally stood for. Those elements include a hushed cabin, near-luxury trim, and a long list of upscale features.
For sale nearby
33 listings
- $10,494fair price
- 98,051 miles
- No accidents, 3 owners, personal use
- 5 Seats, 25 City / 33 Hwy MPG
- Driveway (906 mi away)
- Home delivery*
- Back-up camera
- Bluetooth
- Keyless Entry/Start
- Power Driver Seat
- Tire Pressure Warnin...
Close
Located in Grapevine, TX
CarFax No Accidents Reported,Apple CarPlay,Back-Up Camera,Bluetooth,Keyless Start,Satellite Radio,Turbo/Supercharged,WiFi Hotspot,4 Cylinder Engine,4-...
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: Yes
Personal Use Only: Yes
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
28 Combined MPG (25 City/33 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: KL4CJASB2HB038192
Stock: HB038192DW
Certified Pre-Owned: No - $11,985fair price$292 above market
- 85,476 miles
- No accidents, 2 owners, personal use only
- 5 Seats, 25 City / 33 Hwy MPG
- Driveway (504 mi away)
- Home delivery*
- Back-up camera
- Bluetooth
- Keyless Entry/Start
- Power Driver Seat
- Tire Pressure Warnin...
Close
Located in Waukesha, WI
CarFax No Accidents Reported,Apple CarPlay,Back-Up Camera,Bluetooth,Keyless Start,Satellite Radio,Turbo/Supercharged,WiFi Hotspot,4 Cylinder Engine,4-...
AutoCheck Vehicle History Summary
Accident Free Vehicle: Yes
Personal Use Only: Yes
History Provider: AutoCheck
Title Details: Clean Title
Salvage Vehicle: No
Frame Damage: No
Theft History: No
Lemon Status: No
Free History Report: No
Features and Specs:
28 Combined MPG (25 City/33 Highway)
Listing Information:
VIN: KL4CJASB4HB136060
Stock: SXHB136060
Certified Pre-Owned: No
For 2017, the Encore gets a few small updates to keep pace with a growing class of competitors. A subtly restyled front end includes new headlights and a new grille design. LED taillamps add additional visibility when you hit the brakes, while Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are welcome additions to the upgraded technology interface. The instrument panel also features a new design that includes easier-to-use controls and a new gauge cluster layout.
The Encore's small size makes for impressive maneuverability in urban traffic and parking lots, but its base engine leaves the little crossover wanting more when it comes time to enter the freeway. The optional four-cylinder engine that offers a bit more horsepower is worth serious consideration.
Many buyers might still be put off by the Encore's snug interior, which includes a tight backseat and less cargo room than larger crossovers like the Ford Escape, Honda CR-V and Mazda CX-5. There's also an insurgence of similarly subcompact competitors to contend with, including the Honda HR-V, Mazda CX-3 and Fiat 500X.
Standard safety features for the 2017 Buick Encore include antilock disc brakes, traction and stability control, front knee airbags, front and rear side airbags, full-length side curtain airbags and a rearview camera. Also included is OnStar, which provides automatic crash notification, on-demand roadside assistance, remote door unlocking and stolen vehicle assistance.
A blind-spot warning system and rear cross-traffic alert are standard on Sport Touring and higher trim levels, while forward collision and lane departure warning systems are standard on the Encore Premium.
In government crash tests the Encore received a perfect five-star rating for overall crash protection, frontal protection and side-impact protection. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety gave the Encore the highest possible rating of Good in its moderate-overlap and small-overlap front-impact, side-impact and roof-strength crash tests.
In Edmunds testing, a front-drive Encore stopped from 60 mph in 123 feet, which is average for this class.
Edmunds' Expert Rating
A quiet cabin, user-friendly technology and city-friendly compact size make the 2017 Buick Encore worth a look if more conventional crossover SUVs simply seem too large. Modest performance and tight quarters limit the Encore's appeal, however.
Driving
Driving the 2017 Buick Encore is an experience very much in line with what you'd expect from Buick. The cabin is extremely quiet for the segment with extensive sound-deadening materials and active noise-cancelling technology. The suspension is also tuned to favor comfort over handling, and so not surprisingly it soaks up most bumps with little drama. The short wheelbase does mean the ride can get choppy over freeway expansion joints, however.
On the handling front, the Encore feels confident if not particularly sporty, a setup we suspect will suit most buyers just fine. On the upside, this SUV's small size and tight turning radius give it a nimble feel larger compact SUVs can't match.
When equipped with the standard 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder 138-hp engine, the Encore feels a little too slow for our tastes. Unless you're interested in maximum fuel efficiency, we would advise you to consider the optional 153-hp engine.
Interior
The 2017 Buick Encore features comfortable front seats and a high seating position that offers a commanding view of the road. In back, the seats offer enough head- and legroom for 6-footers but there's no denying that it's a tight fit for both adults and rear-facing child seats. The interior layout includes a number of storage spaces, including a drawer under the front passenger seat on cloth-upholstered models that's useful for stashing valuables you'd rather not leave out in plain sight.
As for the surroundings, the Encore's cabin has a high-end atmosphere on higher trim levels, featuring soft-touch materials and handsome simulated wood and metal trim. Aside from a smattering of similar-looking buttons, the controls are fairly intuitive and easy to access. A high point for this year is the improved layout of the center stack controls, including the updated 8-inch center touchscreen for the IntelliLink infotainment system.
The interior also comes up short in the cargo-carrying department, with 18.8 cubic feet of space behind the rear seats and 48.4 cubic feet with the seatbacks folded down. Those numbers are similar to subcompact SUV competitors, but fall far short of more popular compact crossovers like the Ford Escape and Honda CR-V. The Encore's standard fold-flat front passenger seat does give it some added flexibility.
Compare 2017 Buick Encore trim levels
Helpful trims summary and side-by-side comparison chart
Cost to Drive
Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota
$139/mo for Encore 1SV
Encore 1SV
vs
$166/mo
Avg. Compact SUV
See Edmunds pricing data
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Reliability Ratings by RepairPal
4 out of 5 stars4/5Above Average
#7 out of 8 among Subcompact SUVs
RepairPal Reliability Ratings are based on the actual cost, frequency, and severity of unscheduled repairs and maintenance on make/model data for select 2008-2022 vehicles. The reliability of a specific vehicle may vary depending on its maintenance and driving history, model year, trim, and features.
Cost
$531/yr
vs. $435/yr
for Average Subcompact SUV
for Average Subcompact SUV
Frequency
0.85x/yr
vs. 0.69x/yr
for Average Subcompact SUV
for Average Subcompact SUV
Severity
14%
vs. 10.7%
for Average Subcompact SUV
for Average Subcompact SUV
powered by RepairPal
Buick Encore Owner Reviews
Most Helpful Owner Reviews
Trending topics
Encore much improved
5 out of 5 starsJoyce Beeler, 04/25/2018
2017 Buick Encore Premium 4dr SUV AWD (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
Compared to my 2015 Encore, this is greatly improved. I wanted two improvement and both were corrected. The engine was upped to give better performance. The interior audio, nav, etc were so difficult to learn how to use and now they are VERY user friendly.
Mighty Mouse goes to the Opera
5 out of 5 starsHebert Morris, 01/02/2017
2017 Buick Encore Essence 4dr SUV AWD (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
I have driven and owned everything from Mercedes , to Mini Cooper S to corvettes , seriously I have. With all that said I needed a vehicle with some cargo space and awd. I am very impressed with everything about this car. The interior is appointed nicely and the control layout is user friendly. The car handles very well and I had no problem getting on the speedway here. I love the car … and I am suprised just how much I do. It's as they said not my Father's Buick.
Buick Encore is the main act
5 out of 5 starsRon, 11/17/2017
2017 Buick Encore Essence 4dr SUV (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
This is a small SUV, but large enough for most. Very comfortable and easy to get around town. Feels great on the highway also
After 6 months very happy we purchased this SUV
Runs great
Great Little Car!
5 out of 5 starsKaren, 01/26/2018
2017 Buick Encore Preferred II 4dr SUV AWD (1.4L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
This awd encore exceeded our expectations. Car has a premium look and feel. So far mpg has been excellent and the Encore drives very nice and has quite a quiet interior. Some road noise at highway speeds but the short wheelbase is to blame for that i believe. Only downside is storage capacity is somewhat lacking. But we have just one kid and it is not an issue for us. The rear seats fold … down flat which is nice for additional storage. You can fold down either side or both leaving half of seating available for the kids car seat. Also the front passenger seat folds down flat for additional storage for those longer items you may transport from Ikea etc, All in all very happy with this vehicle and got it for a great price during GM's 25% off msrp sale. On side note the basicwarranty is longer on the Buicks as compared to the other GM products.
2017 Buick Encore video
2017 Buick Encore Expert Rundown
Looking for a crossover SUV with a quiet cabin, user-friendly technology and city-friendly compact size? The 2017 Buick Encore might be worth your consideration. Here's a quick rundown of what we like, what we don't and the bottom line from the Edmunds editors.
2017 Encore Highlights
1SV
Base MSRP Excludes Destination Fee | $22,990 |
---|---|
Engine Type | Gas |
Combined MPG | 28 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $139/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
Key safety features on the Encore include:
- Back-up camera
- Blind Spot Monitoring
- Lane Departure Warning
- Alarm
- Tire Pressure Warning
- Stability Control
- Post-collision safety system
NHTSA Overall Rating
5 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 TestGood
- 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 RestraintGood
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