2013 Buick Encore FWD / AWD, 2013 Buick Encore FWD / AWD Images Review :
Somehow, this Korean-built Buick micro-crossover is likeable.
Buick’s new Encore sub-micro hatchback/crossover invites a lot of questions. First of all, what is it? Well, it’s an answer to a question asked by buyers in China, where Buick thrives. It shares major mechanical pieces with the Chevrolet Sonic, which might, in the eye of a bigger-is-better American public, cast a pall of cheapness over it. So why is Buick offering America a crossover built in South Korea and based on a bite-sized Chevy?
With that question, the lid on Pandora’s box flips open. Why does anything unexpected happen in the auto industry? Why did the Nissan Murano CrossCabriolet happen? Why does the BMW 6-series Gran Coupe—a sedan version of a coupe based on another sedan—exist? We can say with certainty only that every brand is looking for new customers, Buick perhaps more desperately than others. Thus, the important question is: Will the Encore bring new buyers to Buick here in America?
The short answer: Yes. The brand has never offered anything like the Encore, and there’s much to like. It’s roomy for four, and its high seating position gives drivers a nice view of the road ahead. It can be fuel efficient, with an EPA rating of 25 mpg city/33 highway for front-wheel-drive models. (All-wheel-drive Encores are rated for a slightly less impressive 23/30 mpg.) The front-suspension struts and a torsion-beam rear axle are tuned to supply a Germanic discipline to the ride and excellent isolation from the road surface’s various failings. The electric power steering is unexpectedly proficient, being quick, weighty, and linear.
| Specifications: |
VEHICLE TYPE: front-engine, front- or 4-wheel-drive, 5-passenger, 5-door wagon PRICE AS TESTED (FWD/AWD):$31,530 (base price: $24,950) / $32,230 (base price: $26,450) ENGINE TYPE: turbocharged and intercooled DOHC 16-valve inline-4, iron block and aluminum head, port fuel injection Displacement: 83 cu in, 1364 cc
Power: 138 hp @ 4900 rpm
Torque: 148 lb-ft @ 1850 rpm TRANSMISSION: 6-speed automatic with manual shifting mode DIMENSIONS:
Wheelbase: 100.6 in
Length: 168.5 in
Width: 69.9 in Height: 65.3 in
Curb weight (FWD/AWD): 3250 / 3370 lb | C/D TEST RESULTS (FWD/AWD):
Zero to 60 mph: 9.3 sec / 10.0 sec
Zero to 100 mph: 34.5 sec / 37.8 sec
Rolling start, 5–60 mph: 10.1 sec / 10.5 sec
Standing ¼-mile: 17.1 sec @ 80 mph / 17.6 sec @ 79 mph
Top speed (drag limited): 116 mph / 116 mph
Braking, 70–0 mph: 175 ft / 165 ft
Roadholding, 300-ft-dia skidpad: 0.82 g / N/A FUEL ECONOMY (FWD/AWD):
EPA city/highway: 25/33 mpg / 23/30 mpg
C/D observed: 24 mpg / 24 mpg |
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