bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

most vehicles don't make sense to most people.

the engine may work hard if someone wants to accelerate fast, but for people in florida on flat roads driving quietly and comfortably to the mall, a movie, or the supermarket, it hardly matters.

mmarshall

OK, it's obvious that we are just going to disagree on whether it is a properly-done Buick or not........so no sense in continuing that point any longer.

One thing, though, DOES make some sense.....and I may (?) have overlooked it in previous posts. Many people, today, are safety-oriented, especially mothers with their kids. The Encore's good NHTSA/DOT/IIHS safety-ratings may be helping to attract some buyers.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

ok, i know you don't like stereotyping, so what do you mean by a 'properly-done Buick'? and isn't the Encore basically a tall Verano?

i'd bet the average buyer age is WAY beyond mom's with kids. i just think the encore is a very well-targeted retiree car that doesn't care about going fast, but likes a tall ride with easy space for the golf bags and groceries.

mmarshall

IMO, it's not getting too deep intio stereotype-territory to say that a "properly-done-Buick" should not have the dimensions/body-shape of a oversized Smart-for-Two, or a Mickey-Mouse engine with a blower on it. Of course, I do agree that the interior is well-done (it uses many of the same materials as the Verano)....and worthy of the Tri-Shield emblem. Yes, despite its relative unrefinement the engine is adequate under a light load and in level areas....but not every state is a billiard-table-flat as Florida.

I'm not necessarily just picking on the Encore's engine, BTW. Though I have not formally test-driven one, I think I'm probably going to have the same opinion of Ford's new (to the U.S.) three-cylinder Turbo Ecoboost.....but I'll wait for a formal test-drive to be sure.


As a Verano owner myself, I'd say no. Despite some interior styling/material similiarities, they are really two completely different vehicles in almost every other way.

I have done a full-review on an Encore, BTW. I gave it respect (and credit) where I thought it was due, but I still don't think that it is as well-done as several other new excellent GM offerings.

You might have a point there. But Grandpa and Grandma, at their age, are probably just as concerned about their own personal safety (and the Encore's high safety-ratings) as they are about their grandchildren's.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

a bit confused by those two points - in your review you drove it.

perhaps you think that because it doesn't fit your idea of a 'proper' buick, but i'm not a brand guy, i'm only interested in specific models. this is obviously a hit!

you would know that just because someone's retired, doesn't mean they're grandpa or grandma, right?

and it goes without saying that everyone is concerned about safety.

LexBob2

At GM, Buick in particular has done a good job of platform sharing. Cruze/Verano, LaCrosse/Impala,/XTS, Encore/Daewoo etc.

Not sure if they've shaken off the old persons image or not, but their sales are good.

Sulu

The Encore shares its platform with GM's subcompact cars, including the Chevy Sonic (Aveo) and Spark (which, you are correct, are GMDAT -- Daewoo -- engineered platforms). GM South Korea (Daewoo) is putting its mark on many GM compact (Cruze) and sub-compact (Aveo/Sonic, Spark) cars. I seem to remember that Daewoo had input on the LaCrosse also.

mmarshall

Sorry if it was unclear. I was refering to not having test-driven a Ford three-cylinder Ecoboost turbo.

I was being facetious. I myself am retired, and have been single all my life (though not always by choice).

Unless you're Major Hassan, who apparantly can't wait to get to get his lethal.

mmarshall

No. This is an often-repeated but incorrect comparison. The Cruze was developed mostly from a Daewoo platform. The Verano, except for its Buick drivetrain and Quiet-Tuning sound insulation, comes mostly from the Opel Astra. The interiors, especially, are almost identical except for some very minor trim/logo differences and dash-lighting.

Same, BTW, for the Buick Regal, which comes mostly from the Opel Insignia.


Though they were obviously popular with seniors, Buicks never were quite as much of a gray-hair-exclusive brand as auto magazines and journalists would have made you think. That was an incorrect stereotype.

(In fact, I myself owned two used 60s-vintage Buicks, in college, before I was 20 years old...and a Plymouth Barracuda)

LexBob2

I don't think it was the magazines and journalists who gave Buick the older persons image. They merely report who is/was buying the vehicles. Most seniors don't read the automotive press enough to be influenced by them.

mmarshall

They jumped on that image, though, like a kid playing hopscotch, and usually didn't miss an opportunity to toss a Grandpa/Grandma barb at Buicks whenever they had a chance. I know what those guys said......I've been reading their mags for more than 40 years.

True. They buy what they want....and can afford. Most seniors usually place ride-comfort/quietness, crash-safety, and visibility first.

LexBob2

This seems like a bit of a contradiction. First it's the press making too much of it and then it's seniors buying what they want. My guess is that it's the later and the press just has some fun with it. Same with the Avalon, ES, LS, Lincolns etc.

mmarshall

You have to remember, though, that the auto-mag guys and auto enthusiasts were (and are) are primarily looking for sportiness, quick steering, responsive handling, short braking distances, high skidpad/slalom figures, and slingshot acceleration. Buicks are great cars, especially if you like comfort and quietness, but, for decades, sportiness was simply not their forte. The journalists simply couldn't stand that, and got their barbs in whenever they could.

However (ironically), the trend in most new cars towards stiff rides, low-profile tires, and sportiness has been so strong that even some journalists are now complaining that it has gotten out of hand, and that a little of that old Buick comfort would not be a bad idea.

LexFather

OMG they sold 12,000 25k cars in 6 months!! THAT IS ....


nothing

This is more sensationalism...BMW did nearly 10k 3 series cars in a MONTH. They seem to have found a niche but those sales numbers are a pittance in the overall picture.

mmarshall

I don't think one could expect this vehicle to sell like the 3-series, which has been a sport-sedan icon for decades. Still, given its (IMO) design-deficiencies (which I've covered in previous posts), it's selling decently.