- suv 36,795
- 21,755 high price
- Springfield, IL
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- autoshopper.com
- suv 36,795 gasoline automatic
2013 buick encore review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. New crossover utility vehicle delivers luxury in a small package. introductionthe 2013 buick encore is a new entry-luxury crossover utility vehicle. At first exposure, the encore is a bit confusing. More to the point, can this small luxury vehicle achieve the established buick image, which company spokesmen describe as inviting, approachable, warm? but climbing into the encore and pulling the door shut, instantaneously, the encore's luxury makes itself felt in its elegant design, fine instruments and high-quality switch-gear. With smoke-and-mirrors designing like that, the buick stylists have shown themselves wizards of clever packaging. buick's marketing plan for the encore was to build a nimble, agile suv that would be easy to park, maneuver, and have an excellent turning circle (a mere 36. 7 feet). It should have available all-wheel drive, the plan said, extremely flexible stowage adaptability, carry five passengers, and provide advanced technology in combination with real luxury. The good news is, that's the vehicle we tested on the urban and rural roads of georgia. but the good news continues: this little/big package showed very efficient over-the-road performance. Even with the heavier 3309-lb all-wheel drive model, the encore delivers an epa-estimated 23/30 mpg city/highway. The front-wheel drive encore gets 25/33 mpg city/highway mpg, the highest fuel economy of any front-wheel-drive crossover. encore's performance equation seems to be extremely well balanced. It delivers thrift and luxury in generous degrees, available for a very attractive price. Many starter families will be enticed by this vehicle. Optional safety features include all-wheel drive 1,500); forward-collision alert, lane-departure warning, and front and rear park assist (with premium package). walkaroundsetting a precedent as the first-ever small luxury crossover, the buick encore obviously has some obstacles to overcome. Smaller than the toyota matrix. It's 165 inches long, with a wheelbase of 100. 6 inches, and a track of 60. 6 inches. And because the encore is tall enough to make its occupants feel welcome, in pictures, its proportions make it look a little more like a smart car than its designers might have wished. but in person, the encore's proportions are less startling. Its nose features the signature buick waterfall grille, and its frontal view is muscular and attractive. As a world car, it boasts an extremely clean 0. 37 coefficient of drag, which is a snooty way of saying, it is aerodynamically very clean, helping it get optimum mileage at highway speeds. Achieving full five-passenger service and getting 30 mpg or so on the highway in a vehicle that pampers its occupants every mile of the way: for many, that's worth considering. interiorclimbing into the buick encore is where the real sleight of hand begins. One of the most pleasing aspects of the interior is the classically american dashboard. Buick has no interest in reinventing the wheel, as do so many offshore luxury-car builders. But at the same time, there is nothing dull or so-what about this buick instrumentation. If there was any complaint to be made, it's that the numbers on the speedometer and tachometer were small and hard to read. the center stack's secondary controls, too, are exemplary. The standard rearview camera (a welcome provision in this family vehicle) reads well, and the screen provides easily manipulated controls for the encore's very flexible audio system. This nav system continues to be winsomely simple to use, with excellent graphics. but there were other lesser keynotes throughout the encore that helped enhance its luxuriousness. All the switchgear had a sturdy firmness to it that confirmed its designers had taken their mission seriously. The driver's seat's excellent lateral support had a fine snugness that we preferred over the larger, less-fitted seats in the larger buick enclave. The saddle leather was of fine quality, providing first-class seating for five adults. Elegant woodgrain elements highlighted the dash and doors, and as in the enclave, at night, the encore's ice-blue tinted interior ambient lighting made us feel like we'd arrived in a very special place indeed. Acceleration is roughly in the 9-second zero-to-60 range, adequate most of the time. Engine noise is audible, but it's civilized and not unsettling, a revelation for such an engine. helping the engine enjoy life, the 6-speed automatic hydramatic transmission is very smooth-shifting, giving the encore's acceleration an altogether civilized, dare we say, luxurious tone. Further along the interstate, when we wanted to accelerate and floored the throttle, the hydramatic took a long time kicking-down two gears. However, when the gearshift button on the top of the shift lever was used, downshifting took place forthrightly. All doubts aside, the encore drivetrain is far better than any description of it might suggest. It's small, efficient, straightforward, and.
21,755 Springfield, ILSpringfield, IL at autoshopper.com