Fans of Buick vehicles may be a bit dismayed by the Encore, with its smaller size than the other SUVs in the Buick lineup, but others who can understand the need for a smaller SUV to choose from will love the great offering that is the Buick Encore. This SUV makes a great choice at a reasonable price for the younger generations to become Buick fans with their first SUV as well as offering a smaller vehicle choice for empty nesters who are ready to downsize, but don’t wish to give up the great features and benefits that are offered in all Buick vehicles. The excellent menu of options as well as the style of the exterior put the Encore in a class with the Mini Countryman and Mazda CX-5 however the price tag comes in much higher than other competitors such as the Nissan Cube and Kia Soul.

For 2015 the Encore adds the OnStar with 4G LTE to make the vehicle a rolling Wi-Fi hotspot to allow all occupants to stay connected on the road. Driving the Encore offers an elegant and sophisticated ride to allow occupants to feel and know they are in a luxury vehicle, even if it was purchased at a less than luxury price. The Encore is fitted with a highly-engineered suspension that allows the vehicle to dispel any road debris and abrasions. A highly responsive steering system is also in place to ensure the driver can navigate easily and may even be able to handle taking on some great canyon runs or low grade off road adventures. Add to these control features the fact the Encore has one of the quietest cabins on the market, as most of the Buick lineup does, and all inside can enjoy the ride listening to their choice of tunes instead of the road outside.

The Buick Encore is powered by only one engine, but Indianapolis Buick tells us that it offers enough of a power boost to be an engine that gives the vehicle plenty of energy and gives owners an exciting and enjoyable ride every time they enter the vehicle. This one engine comes in the form of a 1.4-liter turbocharged inline four-cylinder engine that offers 138 horsepower and 148 lb.-ft. of torque. The Encore engine is paired with a six-speed automatic transmission with a manual style shifting option that adds a bit more control where needed. This powertrain shows up with a very enjoyable fuel efficiency coming in at 25 city/33 hwy mpg for the front-wheel drive (FWD) models and 23 city/33 hwy mpg for the all-wheel drive (AWD) models.

Even though the Encore is the smallest and least expensive SUV from Buick doesn’t mean the company forgot to design something in true Buick style. The interior shows up with a great deal of soft and comfortable materials to enjoy along with plenty of space for five to fit comfortably. The rear seat offers 60/40 split folding bench that allows plenty of great cargo configurations to enjoy. This allows the cargo area to expand from 18-8 cubic feet to a massive 48.4 cubic feet. Along with this expansion the Encore offers exceptional Buick features and equipment that make it a great SUV for anyone to enjoy the drive in comfort, connectivity and style.

On the outside the Encore looks a lot like the larger Buick SUVs with its own great styling. The Encore starts with some very smooth and enjoyable curves and lines that make the outside of the vehicle to be one of the most appealing in the entire line of SUVs on the market for the new year. In true Buick fashion the Encore shows up with the signature waterfall grill on the front the vehicle which is flanked with high-performing headlights that lend themselves toward the look across the lines and curves of the Encore. To finish off the great look of the Buick Encore a full set of six-pointed star shaped wheels carry the vehicle from origin to destination.

The Encore shows up with a great deal of standard equipment to enjoy and take advantage of for anyone who selects and enjoys the great Buick styling and equipment on board. The Encore is equipped with air conditioning, Buick IntelliLink telematics with a seven-inch touch screen, a tilt/telescoping steering column, cruise control, a power driver’s seat, satellite radio, Bluetooth connectivity, Wi-Fi hotspot and a rearview camera. Moving up to the Convenience trim the equipment added includes dual-zone climate control, remote starting, fog lights and Rear Cross Traffic Alerts. The Leather trim for the Encore adds heated front bucket seats, a heated steering wheel, and a power passenger seat and driver seat memory. At the top of the line, the Encore Premium trim offers a Bose audio system, front and rear parking assistance, forward collision alerts and a Lane Departure Warning system. All models include StabiliTrak, OnStar with six months of Directions and Connections and ten airbags.

The optional features that are available to add to the Buick Encore come largely packaged in the different trim levels. There are several items that are actually packaged individually including a GPS-enabled navigation system, a power sunroof, an oil-pan heater, 18-inch chrome-alloy wheels as well as the seven-speaker premium Bose audio system. All of these additional features allow the Encore to become a Buick that all family and friends will be clamoring to take a ride in.

The starting price point for the 2015 Buick Encore comes in around $25,000. Adding the Convenience trim brings it to $27,000 and the Leather asks for $29,000 to open the pricing. The Premium trim comes in with a price tag of $30,500 and adding all-wheel drive to any of the modes will increase the price by $1,500 while a fully loaded model shows up at $35,000. Even though this isn’t the cheapest SUV in its class, it’s very reasonably priced for the vehicle that is purchased and won’t break the bank by any means making this a great choice as the first or last SUV someone may own.