Ordered a new Encore GX today.
10-29-20, 06:48 PM
#181
Lexus Fanatic
iTrader: (20)
I guess I am confused, because this thing is on the Blazer platform, right? Or is it on the Traverse? I agree the Traverse is big, its actually larger in interior volume or cargo volume (I can't remember which) than a Tahoe. So if the Envision is based off that, I could see the size being an issue. But it looks blazer sized. The Encore/GX is based of the Chevy Trax, correct?
10-29-20, 06:48 PM
#182
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
I guess I am confused, because this thing is on the Blazer platform, right? Or is it on the Traverse? I agree the Traverse is big, its actually larger in interior volume or cargo volume (I can't remember which) than a Tahoe. So if the Envision is based off that, I could see the size being an issue. But it looks blazer sized. The Encore/GX is based of the Chevy Trax, correct?
According to Wiki, the new Envision shares its E2XX platform with the Cadillac XT4, though the Envision's actual size, IMO, actually makes it look closer to the XT5
Keep in mind that the Trax/Encore, which dates back to 2013, is NOT the same vehicle (or platform) as the newer, slightly larger Trailblazer/Encore GX. That has a lot of people confused. Different vehicles, different platforms, different drivetrains. There will be a new smaller Encore (non-GX) platform next year, but not for the U.S. market....only for China, where most of Buick's sales are.
Actually, I'm not surprised that some people are having a hard time keeping up with all of this. The ever-expanding world of crossovers keeps getting larger, more complex, more diversified (and more interrelated), and more difficult to follow each year.
Last edited by mmarshall; 10-29-20 at 06:54 PM.
10-30-20, 08:41 AM
#183
Lexus Fanatic
Yeah that is Blazer sized. The Encore GX is based off the Chevy TrailBlazer, I believe the Encore is based off the Trax. For some inexplicable reason they chose the name "Encore GX" when the "Encore" is unrelated.
10-30-20, 01:03 PM
#184
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
For some inexplicable reason they chose the name "Encore GX" when the "Encore" is unrelated.
....Probably the same at Chevy. The Trailblazer will almost surely replace the Trax next year, though both are being sold side-by-side at GM dealerships for the 2021 model year.
Frankly, I won't shed any tears to see the Trax go. While affordable/low-priced and space-efficient inside, it was not particularly well-built, used cheap materials, had dinky power-plants that underperformed even the Trailblazer's turbo-threes, and it would be stretching it to even call it an appliance on wheels. It was, though, decent base-transportation for those who needed space inside, a low price, and didn't care much about anything else.
Last edited by mmarshall; 10-30-20 at 01:13 PM.
10-31-20, 06:37 AM
#185
Lexus Fanatic
had dinky power-plants that underperformed even the Trailblazer's turbo-threes, and it would be stretching it to even call it an appliance on wheels. It was, though, decent base-transportation for those who needed space inside, a low price, and didn't care much about anything else.
10-31-20, 07:38 AM
#186
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
I'd say go test drive one before you make any more statements. The 1.3L turbo is quite responsive at low speeds and right off the line, where its torque-max is at 1600 RPM. Where it runs out of breath is at higher speeds, where I don't do much driving anyway.
I'd prefer one more cylinder myself (for more refinement), but for most suburban daily-driving of the type I do, you can't really pan it.
10-31-20, 01:15 PM
#187
Lexus Fanatic
I can pan it lol. I aint buying any car with a 3 cyl engine, certainly not a car that costs $35,000. Were it $15,000? Maybe.
10-31-20, 04:53 PM
#188
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Loaded Essence versions run that much. Mine will be a moderately-equipped Select with AWD...about 29K, before any applicable incentives and discounts. And I am purchasing it for myself, not a family of four.Buy (or lease) and drive what you want......and we're all here in Car Chat to discuss it and respect it...not be rude to one another.
And, as far as 15K goes, about all you will find in the American market, brand new, still listing for around that, will be stuff like the Mitsubishi Mirage, Nissan Versa, and maybe a completely stripped Kia Rio or Hyundai Accent. That's a far cry from a Encore GX.
Last edited by mmarshall; 10-31-20 at 08:00 PM.
10-31-20, 07:46 PM
#189
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
I've been checking out the Encore GX forums lately. Most owners quite satisfied, even with the 3-cylinder, although some reported occasional thuds or banging noises behind the dash under light throttle. A TSB pegged that as loose radiator-support brackets/bushings allowing metal-to-metal contact as the radiator slightly shifts, and the noise travels through the front subframe to the cabin. Been corrected on later 2020 and 2021 models.
https://www.carcomplaints.com/Buick/...IATOR-ASSEMBLY
https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/20...80314-9999.pdf
The 1.3L, among owners, not surprisingly, seems to be handily outselling the 1.2L. Not only does it have more torque (at a substantially lower RPM) than the 1.2L, but its more advanced technology gives it better mileage. And, with AWD, the 9-speed transmission comes with it instead of the risky and untried CVT, although the CVT may actually operate more smoothly in day-to-day operation.
I'm still a little concerned about the long-term durability of both of these engines (which we obviously don't have any visible signs of yet), but several things should work in my favor...One, I'm not a hard driver. Two, I don't put that many miles on a vehicle any more. Three, I am religious about maintenance.....particularly with the first oil-change, which is usually the most important one in an engine's life, to get the shavings and impurities out. Four, I usually don't drive fully-loaded (although the cargo-space and collapsable seats inside are nice when you need them), which keeps the weight down. Discipline with one's right foot is one factor (but by no means the only one) in powertrain-longevity.
https://www.carcomplaints.com/Buick/...IATOR-ASSEMBLY
https://static.nhtsa.gov/odi/tsbs/20...80314-9999.pdf
The 1.3L, among owners, not surprisingly, seems to be handily outselling the 1.2L. Not only does it have more torque (at a substantially lower RPM) than the 1.2L, but its more advanced technology gives it better mileage. And, with AWD, the 9-speed transmission comes with it instead of the risky and untried CVT, although the CVT may actually operate more smoothly in day-to-day operation.
I'm still a little concerned about the long-term durability of both of these engines (which we obviously don't have any visible signs of yet), but several things should work in my favor...One, I'm not a hard driver. Two, I don't put that many miles on a vehicle any more. Three, I am religious about maintenance.....particularly with the first oil-change, which is usually the most important one in an engine's life, to get the shavings and impurities out. Four, I usually don't drive fully-loaded (although the cargo-space and collapsable seats inside are nice when you need them), which keeps the weight down. Discipline with one's right foot is one factor (but by no means the only one) in powertrain-longevity.
Last edited by mmarshall; 10-31-20 at 08:35 PM.
10-31-20, 09:21 PM
#190
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Also, though it's probably not worth a new thread (I'll just ask the question in this one)....I'd like to get your opinions on something....would you all have ordered the ST (Sport-Touring) Package? Personally, I thought it a frill (basically just cosmetic stuff) and waste of money, but, in actuality, it isn't really that expensive...($650) when you're spending almost 30K. It includes the blackout grille with dozens of the little red-inserts, an ST logo, body-colored lower-fairings instead of the black lower-body-cladding, a red-trim bar in the lower-front fascia, and a red-trim bar under the hatch-lid, near the fake lower-exhaust outlets. I'm generally not a fan of lower-body-color paint on SUVs...the black cladding protects it from stains/chips, and the way they shaped the body-color fairings in the GX, And, personally, I didn't like the looks of the body-color fairings as much as the trimmer look with the standard black fairings. Last, the ST package limits the body color to one of four colors......and not the two colors that I liked best (the Bronze/Burnt-Orange and Black-Currant (dark purplish-red).
I DID spring for the ($520) Hands-Free-Liftgate option, which I thought was a handy feature and worth the money. It projects a light-beam and Buick logo on the ground, under the rear bumper. If your hands are full (which mine often are, at the grocery or Walmart), with the fob in your pocket just step on the logo, and the hatch pops open for you, and then power-closes.
I also sprung for the Advanced Technology package ($1935), which I thought was worth the money, and included several useful items.....360-surround camera, XM Radio with trial subscription, a NAV system, the Head-Up-Display in front of the windshield, Rear Park Assist, and Adaptive Cruise Control. Several other useful features....Rear-Traffic-Cross-Alert, Blind-Spot Monitoring, Obstacle-Detection/Braking, and Lane-Change-Warning, and heated (but not cooled) seats are standard on the Select trim level I ordered....though I could probably do without the Lane-Change buzzer, which I find annoying (I usually turn it off on test-drives).
There's only one feature offered on the Encore GX that I would have liked to have that I'm not getting...the wide-angle camera rear-view mirror, which lets you choose between the standard rear-view mirror and the camera when the rear cargo area is loaded and it blocks the rear-view out. A very nifty feature, particularly in this class.....but it is only offered (as an Package-option) on the top of the line Essence trim level, which comes with leather seats (I generally prefer cloth), and a loaded Essence version costs more (up to 35-36K) than I feel a vehicle of this size is probably worth.
I DID spring for the ($520) Hands-Free-Liftgate option, which I thought was a handy feature and worth the money. It projects a light-beam and Buick logo on the ground, under the rear bumper. If your hands are full (which mine often are, at the grocery or Walmart), with the fob in your pocket just step on the logo, and the hatch pops open for you, and then power-closes.
I also sprung for the Advanced Technology package ($1935), which I thought was worth the money, and included several useful items.....360-surround camera, XM Radio with trial subscription, a NAV system, the Head-Up-Display in front of the windshield, Rear Park Assist, and Adaptive Cruise Control. Several other useful features....Rear-Traffic-Cross-Alert, Blind-Spot Monitoring, Obstacle-Detection/Braking, and Lane-Change-Warning, and heated (but not cooled) seats are standard on the Select trim level I ordered....though I could probably do without the Lane-Change buzzer, which I find annoying (I usually turn it off on test-drives).
There's only one feature offered on the Encore GX that I would have liked to have that I'm not getting...the wide-angle camera rear-view mirror, which lets you choose between the standard rear-view mirror and the camera when the rear cargo area is loaded and it blocks the rear-view out. A very nifty feature, particularly in this class.....but it is only offered (as an Package-option) on the top of the line Essence trim level, which comes with leather seats (I generally prefer cloth), and a loaded Essence version costs more (up to 35-36K) than I feel a vehicle of this size is probably worth.
11-01-20, 08:46 AM
#191
Lexus Fanatic
Also, though it's probably not worth a new thread (I'll just ask the question in this one)....I'd like to get your opinions on something....would you all have ordered the ST (Sport-Touring) Package? Personally, I thought it a frill (basically just cosmetic stuff) and waste of money, but, in actuality, it isn't really that expensive...($650) when you're spending almost 30K. It includes the blackout grille with dozens of the little red-inserts, an ST logo, body-colored lower-fairings instead of the black lower-body-cladding, a red-trim bar in the lower-front fascia, and a red-trim bar under the hatch-lid, near the fake lower-exhaust outlets. I'm generally not a fan of lower-body-color paint on SUVs...the black cladding protects it from stains/chips, and the way they shaped the body-color fairings in the GX, And, personally, I didn't like the looks of the body-color fairings as much as the trimmer look with the standard black fairings. Last, the ST package limits the body color to one of four colors......and not the two colors that I liked best (the Bronze/Burnt-Orange and Black-Currant (dark purplish-red).
I DID spring for the ($520) Hands-Free-Liftgate option, which I thought was a handy feature and worth the money. It projects a light-beam and Buick logo on the ground, under the rear bumper. If your hands are full (which mine often are, at the grocery or Walmart), with the fob in your pocket just step on the logo, and the hatch pops open for you, and then power-closes.
I also sprung for the Advanced Technology package ($1935), which I thought was worth the money, and included several useful items.....360-surround camera, XM Radio with trial subscription, a NAV system, the Head-Up-Display in front of the windshield, Rear Park Assist, and Adaptive Cruise Control. Several other useful features....Rear-Traffic-Cross-Alert, Blind-Spot Monitoring, Obstacle-Detection/Braking, and Lane-Change-Warning, and heated (but not cooled) seats are standard on the Select trim level I ordered....though I could probably do without the Lane-Change buzzer, which I find annoying (I usually turn it off on test-drives).
There's only one feature offered on the Encore GX that I would have liked to have that I'm not getting...the wide-angle camera rear-view mirror, which lets you choose between the standard rear-view mirror and the camera when the rear cargo area is loaded and it blocks the rear-view out. A very nifty feature, particularly in this class.....but it is only offered (as an Package-option) on the top of the line Essence trim level, which comes with leather seats (I generally prefer cloth), and a loaded Essence version costs more (up to 35-36K) than I feel a vehicle of this size is probably worth.
I DID spring for the ($520) Hands-Free-Liftgate option, which I thought was a handy feature and worth the money. It projects a light-beam and Buick logo on the ground, under the rear bumper. If your hands are full (which mine often are, at the grocery or Walmart), with the fob in your pocket just step on the logo, and the hatch pops open for you, and then power-closes.
I also sprung for the Advanced Technology package ($1935), which I thought was worth the money, and included several useful items.....360-surround camera, XM Radio with trial subscription, a NAV system, the Head-Up-Display in front of the windshield, Rear Park Assist, and Adaptive Cruise Control. Several other useful features....Rear-Traffic-Cross-Alert, Blind-Spot Monitoring, Obstacle-Detection/Braking, and Lane-Change-Warning, and heated (but not cooled) seats are standard on the Select trim level I ordered....though I could probably do without the Lane-Change buzzer, which I find annoying (I usually turn it off on test-drives).
There's only one feature offered on the Encore GX that I would have liked to have that I'm not getting...the wide-angle camera rear-view mirror, which lets you choose between the standard rear-view mirror and the camera when the rear cargo area is loaded and it blocks the rear-view out. A very nifty feature, particularly in this class.....but it is only offered (as an Package-option) on the top of the line Essence trim level, which comes with leather seats (I generally prefer cloth), and a loaded Essence version costs more (up to 35-36K) than I feel a vehicle of this size is probably worth.
As far as GM goes I find all the parts break early, I'd be hijacking the thread if I listed them out. I just did the front engine mount this Sat., and the top strut mount last Sun. No more shaking! (YouTube is excellent, first time I replaced motor mounts myself, or ever for that matter).
Personally, I've liked Buicks since a child. That it's a senior's car, I agree, I don't think so, and I'm not a senior and had one 9 years. My dad likes his '17 Envision.
edit: I think aftermarket for shocks/struts is less expensive and more substance than the factory with GM. All other parts were genuine GM, like the end links and strut mounts and bearings. The shocks/struts themselves, and MOOG sway bar bushings were aftermarket--the orig were tacky and mushy from age. New were as hard as skateboard wheels.
Last edited by Johnhav430; 11-01-20 at 09:28 AM.
11-01-20, 09:18 AM
#192
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
Welcome back, John...haven't seen you post for a while. 
Agree that Bilstein makes some good shocks, but the question if is they will fit whatever specific vehicle one has.
Couldn't agree more.....you are spot-on. The hare-brained dea that Buick is almost entirely a senior's car is complete nonsense.....another one of those Fake-News stereotypes fomented by the automotive press. I see young people, every day, driving older Centurys and Regals...they were very reliable cars that have held up over time. Plus, the last-generation Encore has sold like hotcakes to Not-so-Old people for years now....sold over 100,000 last year alone.
Not only that, but, before I was 20 years old, I had owned two Buicks, and liked both.
Not sure about sport touring. I just put Bilstein B6's on my wife's Enclave. I paid $420 labor to do it--was supposed to do it with her uncle on a lift in NYC, but COVID happened.....I was wondering man if the ride goes south, should I have done the B4's instead which are supposed to be closer to OE. Well, like my dad taught as a kid about shocks and springs....the ride hasn't changed because the old springs were used in the front, all the B6s do is to control/dampen them. From using genuine GM struts, I've found they leaked consistently after 60k, so why not go Bilstein instead the 3rd time. So I would say skip the touring option, and 60k down the road, slap in Bilsteins--they don't cost much more. I mean the rears were $80 instead of $60 (GM $108 list), and struts $114 vs. $100 (GM $185 list). Struts were made in Germany, shocks in USA. Never, ever, ever, ever, not ever, should one use a quick strut. That's what you get for $1,000 if you go to a muffler shop. They cost $99 online for a reason!
Personally, I've liked Buicks since a child. That it's a senior's car, I agree, I don't think so, and I'm not a senior and had one 9 years. My dad likes his '17 Envision.
The hare-brained dea that Buick is almost entirely a senior's car is complete nonsense.....another one of those Fake-News stereotypes fomented by the automotive press. I see young people, every day, driving older Centurys and Regals...they were very reliable cars that have held up over time. Plus, the last-generation Encore has sold like hotcakes to Not-so-Old people for years now....sold over 100,000 last year alone.Not only that, but, before I was 20 years old, I had owned two Buicks, and liked both.
11-01-20, 09:35 AM
#193
Lexus Champion
When talking about buyer demographics, new car buyers are tracked (young people driving older cars doesn't count). It's no secret when Buick had their sedans the average age of buyers was among the highest. Buick is lowering that age with their SUV/CUV lineup but it won't happen overnight. Also nothing wrong with appealing to an older group of buyers. In addition to Buick, Lexus, Lincoln etc. are in the same boat and have stated they want to lower that average age. They have to. Anyway, what's wrong with older people driving a brand?
11-01-20, 09:54 AM
#194
Lexus Fanatic
Thread Starter
When talking about buyer demographics, new car buyers are tracked (young people driving older cars doesn't count). It's no secret when Buick had their sedans the average age of buyers was among the highest. Buick is lowering that age with their SUV/CUV lineup but it won't happen overnight. Also nothing wrong with appealing to an older group of buyers. In addition to Buick, Lexus, Lincoln etc. are in the same boat and have stated they want to lower that average age. They have to. Anyway, what's wrong with older people driving a brand?
Buick is lowering that age with their SUV/CUV lineup but it won't happen overnight
Last edited by mmarshall; 11-01-20 at 04:58 PM.
11-01-20, 10:34 AM
#195
Pole Position
Thanks. And, Yep, time flies, doesn't it?.............Been more than three years. I had not planned on another vehicle this soon, but my driving needs are changing. This time, I'm getting what I need, instead of what I necessarily want...though I did like just about everything in this vehicle but the engine(s).
And, Yep, time flies, doesn't it?.............Been more than three years. I had not planned on another vehicle this soon, but my driving needs are changing. This time, I'm getting what I need, instead of what I necessarily want...though I did like just about everything in this vehicle but the engine(s).