Used 2018 Buick Envision Consumer Reviews
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We have a limited number of reviews for the 2018 Envision, so we've included reviews for other years of the Envision since its last redesign.
I'm Mostly Satisfied
David Gardner, 09/13/2018
2018 Buick Envision 4dr SUV (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
43 of 43 people found this review helpful
In general, I'm very satisfied with my Buick Envision. It is exactly the right size. It's not too small, but not so large that I sacrifice mileage. One disappointment I have is the Apple Car Play system is very inconsistent in the way that it operates. It takes a long time to load some of the applications. When you turn them off, they don't stay off, and when you want to launch them, they either don't launch or it takes an inordinate amount of time to launch. This is not Buick's fault, but any technology they install should check out perfectly. The performance is adequate for me. There is obviously slower acceleration with a 2.5 4 cylinder engine. Also, I would like for the interior to be a little less "plasticy." Other than those things, I'm relatively satisfied. This is a very good car that is worthy of consideration.
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Perception is not always reality
Ron Consiglio, 06/04/2018
updated 12/07/2020
2018 Buick Envision Essence 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
103 of 106 people found this review helpful
My Buick Envision is an excellent machine. It's major problem is perception. It is supposed to be a luxury SUV, but when most people think of a luxury SUV, they think Cadillac, Lincoln, Acura, BMW,Mercedes or other brands. When I was shopping for an SUV, I went to a GMC dealer looking for a Terrain. The dealer also sold Buicks. I Had never even heard of the Envision. The saleswoman showed a better equipped Envision for much less than the Terrain. Test driving both vehicles, I liked the Envision better. Not that the Terrain was bad, but the Buick was a better value, and here lies the problem. Someone looking for a Chevy, Ford or a Japanese or Korean SUV would not even think of a Buick, just like someone wanting a "luxury " SUV would probably overlook a Buick. It seems that Buick SUVS are neither fish nor fowl. So if you are considering an SUV, give Buick a look and see if there is more value there for you
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Owned for over 5 years and over 70K
Sam S, 02/20/2019
updated 01/16/2024
2018 Buick Envision Premium II 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
77 of 79 people found this review helpful
If you can get a loaded 2018 still you can get the bargain of the decade. Back in April when I was car shopping the 2019s were just coming out, but the 2018s were on the lot for $15,000 under list price. So a loaded $52,000 Envision went for $38,000. Not cheap, but compared to the competition it was a bargain. I have the six speed instead of the nine speed, but only lose about 0.5 seconds 0 to 60 and at under 8 seconds, it is plenty powerful enough (7.5 0-60 compared to 6.9 0-60 with the 9 speed). Gas mileage according to the EPA has not really changed. The car works with self-parking, all the safety features (lane guidance, automatic braking, etc.), and comfort for all passengers. Adults and children love the rear seat which you can tilt backwards, heat, have separate AC/heat control, and power outlets. Not to mention no hump in the middle and plenty of legroom for three full size passengers. The ride is comfy and the handling is decent. I drove an BMW X3 and Lexus RX in comparison, and the Buick compared favorably to both. BMW handles a little better, Lexus is a little more luxurious - but both cost more than $15,000 more than the new 2018 Buick and it is hard to overcome that huge price difference even if they are slightly better. Update after 20 months and 27K with no concerns Now I have owned the car closing in on two years and there have been no problems with the vehicle. All the points from before still hold true. The dealership surprisingly has a decent service department and for a change, don't force unneeded work on the car - following the schedule as indicated. Maintenance costs are reasonable and everything is still original equipment but I did replace wiper blades and the cabin air filter myself according to the schedule. Replacing the cabin air filter is harder on this car than most, but most people won't do that themselves. Essentially a low trouble, low cost to maintain vehicle approaching 30,000 miles. Family prefers this car to any other I have owned for long trips, as it is surprisingly comfortable averaging close to 30 mpg on the highways in the northeast. Still highly recommend this car if you can get a 2018. Added the technology, reliability, and value ratings now that I have an idea on those categories after extended use. No problems with Apple Car Play as reported elsewhere, as the controls work very well. Gas mileage is pretty good considering right now most of it is suburban with some highway miles added in. Update after 25 months and 31,900 miles Not much to add. Very inexpensive to operate. Averaging 25 mpg now overall since I bought the car new. Only 1 mpg less than my ancient 2006 Saab 9-3 I sold when I bought this car and it was front wheel drive with less horsepower. Family still loves the car for long trips, the wi-fi helps the kids stay entertained if they are not reading. Update after 32 months and 37,100 miles with no concerns Had to replace the tires recently as the ones that came with the car only lasted about 30,000 miles. Bought Michelin CrossClimate SUV tires and the SUV is great in the snow climbing the local mountain to my home. With the optional AWD is is easy to climb a steep 15 degree climb for a quarter of a mile up the mountain. Still no problems with the vehicle itself. Just a very reliable car with regular maintenance costs. Note at 30,000 miles being a Direct Injection engine I used B&G engine cleaner to get the carbon off of the valves, and the engine runs slightly smoother now (it only made a slight difference with the carbon build up over 30K, but it good preventive maintenance to get it cleaned). Only maintenance above and beyond standard maintenance needed. Update after 39 months and just over 43K miles Still trouble-free and regular maintenance which has not been expensive at all. Nearing the end of the warranty period as GM still offered the 50K four year warranty on all Buicks in 2018 (dropped to 36K and three years in 2019). Gas mileage overall is 24 mpg and it seems it will stay at that but on long trips it still gets between 26 and 30 mpg. Took multiple trips to PA from CT and it averages between 26.6 and 30.1 depending how much traffic and how fast I go (speed limit gets the 30 mpg, 5 mph over gets 28).. We are still happy with this car. Only update now is that it has 58,000 miles and still no concerns. Update at 65,000 miles. Still no concerns. Note that every 30,000 miles on the direct injection engine there is a new maintenance you need to do to keep the fuel injectors clean (many modern cars use direct injection now). It is chemicals used to clean off the valves on the engine as the chemicals in the fuel no longer get sprayed on the valves in the direct injection design, causing carbon build up and eventually will slow down and reduce the power of the engine as it cakes the valves. The cleanup chemicals I use are B&G as stated earlier but there are many on the market now you can use. An extra cost but otherwise this car has no issues. Now after 70,000 miles only one concern so far. The crash avoidance censors had a fault. It took the dealership a week to figure out what was wrong but with GM corporate determined that a microchip failed in the car. Once replaced all went back to normal. That was $1000. Otherwise nothing else but maintenance so far. Now have 82,000 miles on the car approaching 6 years of ownership and no concerns. Still use the car on long trips and carrying the family. Car is averaging now overall 23 mpg and about 30 on the highway Still love this car and expect it to last at least 150,000 miles according to reports
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Fuel Thirsty
Shawn, 12/11/2018
updated 06/11/2019
2018 Buick Envision Preferred 4dr SUV (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
31 of 31 people found this review helpful
My Envision is mostly used around town. I drive 2 miles to work and back again. After 5 days it has used a 1/2 tank, I just don't get it. My previous SUV was a 2015 Acadia that did much better on fuel mileage. I dislike the auto stop feature. Other then that I love this Buick. It's very quiet on the highway when I make my 150 mile trip to Indianapolis. Well worth a test drive.
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2018 Buick Envision Preferred AWD
Richard Kell, 09/05/2018
2018 Buick Envision Preferred 4dr SUV AWD (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
57 of 59 people found this review helpful
We own a 2007 Honda Pilot that now has over 360,000 miles on it. Still runs and looks great, but we decided it was time to a new car. Naturally, we thought we would purchase another Pilot, but we really did not need 3rd row seats now. We test drove the Honda CR-V, it was nice but a little small. We decided to look at the GMC Terrain. After the test drive, we were not sold on it. Parked next to the Terrain was the Buick Envision. We asked to take that for a test drive. It is definitely not your grandparent's car. We loved it. It handles well and is extremely quiet inside on the highway. The hardest thing getting used to was the stop/start technology where the engine shuts down when the car is stopped and then starts up again when your foot comes off the brake. We are extremely happy with our choice.
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Buick Envision Sporty Midsize SUV!
MSD, 11/16/2017
2017 Buick Envision Premium I 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
63 of 66 people found this review helpful
Fell in love with this vehicle after renting the standard model for a week on a business trip. Drive almost any other midsize suv after driving the Envision, and you will really notice the difference. One of the only vehicles, where the engine is not directly mounted to the frame. Very little vibration, quiet, smooth ride for a midsize suv. Handling and braking is great! We leased the Premium 1 with the Turbo. Very lineal torque curve, not a lot of down shifting on the highway. Smooth 6 speed, and no engine noise except when you accelerate. Interior fit and finish is excellent. Highway mileage was 26 mpg on our first highway trip. If the start stop feature bothers you, just shift it into "L" and click it to 6. It will cancel out the stop start feature. Very happy with this selection.
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Sold vehicle after 3 months - Issues
TomW, 03/30/2017
updated 04/02/2018
2017 Buick Envision Premium I 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
96 of 102 people found this review helpful
As another reviewer noted, the vehicle has a shake when accelerating from a stop. It is usually not experienced in a slow/mild acceleration. But, when turning or straight acceleration on an incline, there is a noticeable shake/shudder while in 1st gear. The harder the acceleration, the more severe the shake. I've even paid to have my local tire store check the tires and balance. This should not be in a vehicle of this class and price point. I hope Buick identifies the source of this issue and gets a fix in dealers hands, and proactively notifies owners, before more reviews make note of this apparent defect. Once you are moving, the Envision's ride and handling is exceptional, quiet and smooth. For such a soft ride, it is very responsive and does not have cornering body roll. I love the interior design and materials, but would prefer slightly softer seats. The safety features are nice. I personally do not like the Lane Departure feature and have turned it off. You find yourself constantly fighting the steering wheel. The stop/start feature is ok. But, it should have a couple second delay. When making parking maneuvers, the engine cuts off on you ... this should have been thought out a bit better. Overall, it is a nice vehicle at a reasonable price point, but has a few quirks that you should think about. UPDATE: I sold the vehicle after 3 months. I just couldn't stand the engine stop/start feature. Also, the shaking that I, and others, have mentioned was unresolved by two dealers. They both said that it is common for the Envision.
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Almost Great
Rmw, 07/08/2017
updated 12/04/2018
2017 Buick Envision Premium I 4dr SUV AWD (2.0L 4cyl Turbo 6A)
52 of 55 people found this review helpful
Electronics, nav, etc controlled mostly with touch screen. I'd like to have more functions controlled on the steering wheel. Rear cargo area will not fit golf clubs transversely. Integration with phones, IOS and Android is excellent, but everything must be controlled via the touchscreen, and this requires taking ones eyes off the road, not too much different than texting. The control pad on the right side of the steering wheel controls information screens on the center of the dash, such as gas mileage, next oil change etc. All of these could be controlled by another means, and the control pad on the steering wheel used to control functions on the touchscreen. I believe this is a serious flaw in design, and is as dangerous as texting while driving. 18,000 mile update: Zero service or maintenance issues. Excellent performance from the 4 cyl engine, excellent gas mileage - 23 mpg mixed. Love the heated rear seats and rear seat heat/AC vent. Only negative issues I have identified are inadequate storage in front, and issue described above with inability to control all infotainment functions without using the touch screen. I have also noted that the touch screen is more push or tap sensitive than touch. Mostly light touch will not actuate the function, often needs a firm push or tap.
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better than expected
joe b., 10/30/2019
2018 Buick Envision Essence 4dr SUV (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
12 of 12 people found this review helpful
bought as a demo with 6k miles, have 45k on it now, the fuel economy has been great, 32-34 highway 26-30 city. I have the 2.5 L front wheel drive, this car is quiet, comfortable and economical. will buy another one when I replace the current 2017
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Last Buick EVER!
Dissappointed Owner, 05/06/2017
updated 05/12/2021
2017 Buick Envision Preferred 4dr SUV (2.5L 4cyl 6A)
59 of 66 people found this review helpful
Traded an 2015 Encore for the slightly larger 2017 Envision. Loved the Encore's quietness, shifting and general driveability. The Envision has more engine noise, transmission shifts like a 60's powerglide and the autostop is a horrible addition to any car. The little vibration it makes when it starts up is really annoying. Making a left turn from the middle of a busy intersection is very scary when the engine cuts off and you have to hope it restarts. I doubt this car will make it two years in my garage and I seriously doubt that another Buick will ever be in my garage and by the way, I've had at least 3 or 4 previously. Still HATE the auto stop but found that if you shift to L and then use the manual shift button to shift up to 6 then the transmission upshifts and downshifts like any other transmission and the auto stop feature does not work. Worst Buick ever for road noise. Still hate the auto stop/start. Working around that. GM admitted it was a mistake by putting a button in the 2019 cars that disable that feature. The radio comes on every time you start the car. Dealer says that is normal. Very annoying! Transmission still shifts poorly and the road and engine noise is still the same. Looking at 2019 cars like the Forester, and Rav4. Not considering a GM of any kind! Well, I have had the car 4 years and have not had the first problem. The new car colors are awful, and the choice of interior color is poor. What's up with the cars that have black brake dust colored wheels? The fact that these new cars are selling tells me that I have been left out of the car market.
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