Hagerty Test Drive: The bunt that turned into a home run - Traverse City Record Eagle
Sticker: $31,775, including Experience Buick package ($1,690). Power: Turbocharged 1. 4-liter four-cylinder with 138 horsepower. - Woefully underpowered, lagging in technology by 2015 standards. Simply put, Buick has maneuvered itself in the right place at the right time, delivering a tiny utility vehicle with luxury trimmings just as that market segment was emerging. When the Encore first appeared on an auto show stage, I was probably not the only one thinking that it couldn’t possibly succeed. The automaker’s shortest model in 100 years – nearly a foot shorter than a Honda CR-V – its squashed appearance seemed out of context for Buick, and just shy of indecent to anyone with normal eyesight. Those dimensions might work for a youth-focused Asian brand, but never on something wearing a Buick waterfall grille and tri-shield badge. On the road, refinement proved to be up to Buick standards, thanks to the QuietTuning measures and standard Bose Active Noise Cancellation technology. Then there’s the added peace of mind in knowing that Encore earned a 5-Star Overall Vehicle Score in the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration’s 2015 New Car Assessment Program, and it was also named a 2015 Top Safety Pick by the. Source: www.record-eagle.com
