| Pros | Cons | ||
| ✓ Sharp styling | ☓ Top-end Avenir trim is relatively pricey for a sub-luxury SUV | ||
| ✓ Good standard tech | ☓ Underwhelming acceleration and handling | ||
| ✓ Quiet, comfortable cabin | ☓ Less-than-stellar fuel economy for a small SUV | ||
| ✓ Nicer interior materials |
The 2025 Buick Encore GX aims to woo luxury-minded buyers with a more appealing price tag.
Take a look around the entry-level crossovers from most luxury brands and a painful theme emerges: Since when do these pipsqueaks cost upwards of $40,000 or more!? Rhetorical question, of course, as that’s a sign of where the industry’s going as a whole — most new cars are stomach-churningly expensive, so it’s refreshing to try out some options that bring some better value for your money. Enter the 2025 Buick Encore GX, a model that’s coming off a recent refresh with a new look, better tech and that oh-so-important (at least for me) value proposition.
In fact, this little SUV, which does indeed share platform and powertrains with the Chevrolet Trailblazer, starts at $27,295 for the base Preferred trim. That selection gets you a tiny 1.2-liter three-pot motor pushing out 137 horsepower to the front wheels through a continuously variable transmission. Before I get into the nitty-gritty of all the trims and options, here’s my first recommendation for the TL;DR folks: Skip the 1.2 and go for the slightly larger, four-cylinder 1.3-liter mill. Not only does that get you a more robust 155 horsepower, but you also get access to all-wheel drive. FWD 1.3L models still get a CVT, but AWD Encore GX trims get a conventional 9-speed automatic instead.
From the Preferred model, prices rise to at least $28,495 for the mid-range ST (Sport Touring), then $33,100 for the luxury-minded Avenir. Opting for all-wheel drive will cost you around $1,600.
Since we are mainly talking about value here, it’s worth noting exactly where Buick sits in the bigger picture of small crossover SUVs. The Encore GX, for its part, sits in the upper-mainstream part of the market, rather than as a direct competitor against bona fide luxury models like the Audi Q3, BMW X1, Mercedes-Benz GLA and Lexus UX, among others. If you’re cross-shopping this car with its closest rivals — and you definitely should, since it’s always smart to try out the whole field before buying — then it makes the most sense to look at Buick’s entry-level offering against similarly priced cars like the Kia Seltos, Hyundai Kona and Mazda CX-30.
Is there anything new for 2025 vs. 2024?
Since the 2024 Buick Encore GX’s revamp, there’s not much new to report for this model year. GM tweaked 1.2-liter-equipped models to run on E85 fuel (while still accepting normal ‘E10’ gasoline), but fuel economy dips to 22-23 mpg, as opposed to the 30-31 city/highway mpg you get running on conventional pump gas.
A new Aquamarine Blue option joins the color palette, while the bright Sunrise Red Metallic and White Frost Tricoat are no longer available on Preferred or ST models. Cinnebar Red, shown on this Encore GX Avenir, is still an option, though the top trim also gets the optional Copper Ice Metallic hue, instead of the ST. Other changes boil down to accessory options, like bright chrome lug nuts, wheel locks or an Ebony interior on the ST.
Across the range, all 2025 Buick Encore GX models get remote start as standard equipment.
Good points: Styling, tech and comfort
I wouldn’t call the pre-refresh Buick Encore GX ugly, but it didn’t do enough to stand out in a veritable sea of small crossover competition. The recent update certainly helped sharpen up the styling inside and out, as well as bring it into line with its larger siblings, the Envision and the Enclave. From the more prominent front end to the modern tri-shield badge and the clear taillights, the outer aesthetic gets a solid thumbs up.
Inside, the 2025 Buick Encore GX also gets things mostly right in terms of style and ergonomics. In keeping with the brand’s market position, it’s nicer than your mainstream Toyota Corolla Cross, Honda HR-V and Nissan Kicks, but the lower IP (apart from the piano black trim and classier climate controls) still brings in a fair share of cheap-feeling black plastic. Everything you frequently touch, though, is more pleasant leather and solid feeling switchgear, while all Encore GX models get dual 11-inch cluster and infotainment displays.
Key features come as standard fare across the entire Encore GX lineup, generally speaking. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto capability, for example, as well as a Wi-Fi hotspot, a heated steering wheel and heated front seats and a host of driver assistance systems like automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning and lane keep assist.
Options like wireless smartphone charging, adaptive cruise control, a 360-degree surround-view camera system and rear park assist are also available across the range, and every trim gets more goodies bundled into convenience and technology packages (including the top-end Avenir, which doesn’t come fully loaded out the gate). Encore GX models can also be equipped to tow, but only up to 1,000 pounds.
Another area the 2025 Buick Encore GX scores well is in ride comfort. For such a tiny car, the cabin is decently spacious. You get 40.9 inches of legroom up front and 36 inches in the rear, while the 50.2 cubic feet of cargo space (23.5 with the rear seats in place) is perfectly respectable for the class.
The ‘meh’ side of the Encore GX: Performance and fuel economy
Against the likes of the Mazda CX-30’s available 2.5-liter turbo engine with 250 horsepower and 320 lb-ft of torque on tap, the 2025 Buick Encore GX isn’t really in the same league with its tiny 1.3-liter mill putting out 155 horsepower and 174 lb-ft of torque. For its diminutive displacement, though, it is a reasonably peppy engine when you’re running around town, though it isn’t at the top of its game in an all-wheel drive configuration (more on that in the ‘verdict’ section below).
On paper, fuel economy isn’t horrible for the front-wheel drive models, managing 29 city / 31 highway / 30 combined mpg according to EPA figures. All-wheel drive models fall into the upper 20s, with 26 city / 28 highway / 27 combined ratings. For a small car with a small engine billed for efficiency, that’s…okay. To use the CX-30 as a reference yet again, you get all that extra power with a nominal hit to fuel economy (it still manages 25 combined), while the naturally-aspirated model is still more powerful and gets better fuel mileage. In other words, the Buick Encore GX could do better.
One side note: The all-wheel drive Encore GX does have a mode switch on the center console to actually activate all-wheel drive. While you can leave it on for better traction in slippery situations, it stands to reason you can eke out slightly better mileage by disengaging the AWD mode so it’s front-wheel drive only. In my testing, acceleration was also a little bit better without the AWD button pressed, as well.
Weirdly, you don’t get any better results if you opt for the 1.2-liter, either. Even if you stick to the base Preferred FWD trim with the CVT (the only one where the 1.2L is available), you get the same 30 mpg combined, and again just 22 mpg if you run it on ethanol. Both engines and transmission packages exhibit the same problem: Either way, you have to mash your right foot to get decent acceleration, and you wind up chewing through fuel getting up to speed in anything approaching a hurry.
So, acceleration and fuel economy are checks in the minus column for me. It’s something to keep in mind, but don’t count the 2025 Buick Encore GX out entirely based on those impressions. Again, ride comfort is above average for a car this size, as is a relatively quiet cabin with little road noise. Its handling chops are pretty decent, too — not incredibly dynamic, but the AWD Encore GX holds on well in slightly spirited cornering.
Verdict: Should you actually buy a 2025 Buick Encore GX?
Over the past few years since it replaced the original Encore, the South Korea-designed Encore GX has been the brand’s strongest seller, and for good reason. It’s a genuinely solid little SUV, and fits the bill perfectly for its intended market of those folks who want a more upscale feel without paying the gut-wrenching high price tag.
That said, I do have a few reservations I want to pass along if you’re in the market. First off, I wouldn’t recommend buying this particular Encore GX: the Avenir. Fully loaded with the $1,395 Technology Package (adaptive cruise control, wireless phone charging, surround-view camera and rear camera mirror) and the $1,295 Convenience Package (power liftgate, Bose sound system, rain-sensing wipers and rear park assist), this example comes out to $37,085.
Sure, it’s still cheaper than the luxury rivals…but not by much, at that point. From a value perspective, the base Preferred AWD with similar packages — including wireless charging, adaptive cruise control, the surround-view camera, rear park assist and remote start — comes in nearly $6,000 lower than the Avenir. If you’re looking for a bit of a more aggressive look, the mid-range Sport Touring is only marginally more expensive. Though the top-spec model gets you closer to the luxury pack, the price jump just isn’t worth it, in my opinion.
So that’s the one condition on which I’d recommend the 2025 Buick Encore GX: Stick with the Preferred or the ST. Now, if you want to save even more money, there is another route (and you don’t even have to leave the Buick brand): Buy the Envista.
You do have to sacrifice the larger engine, all-wheel drive and a bit of practicality in the process, but just like the Chevy Trax on which it’s based, it’s a seriously good little car. With a 6-speed automatic mated to that 1.2-liter engine rather than a CVT, Buick’s coupefied small crossover actually makes much better use of what power it has, to the point where it feels a lot zippier than it feasibly should on the street. On the price front, you’ll also save a ton, as the Envista starts at just $23,495 (for 2024) and rises to $29,695 for the Avenir. So, even if you get the top-end car, you’re still saving a few thousand bucks.
No matter which little Buick you do buy, the automaker offers an industry-standard 3-year/36,000-mile limited warranty and a 5-year/60,000-mile powertrain guarantee. Buick only offers complimentary maintenance on the first visit, though, whereas its premium rivals offer up to three years or 36,000 miles of coverage.
Check out more on the 2025 Buick Encore GX (and its Envista counterpart) in the videos below:
