TripleL

Saw a GX on the road Sunday and it was definitely a little bigger and I thought a noticeably wider vehicle.

JDR76

They had an Encore GX at Costco yesterday in black. I thought it looked good.

Motor Trend did a comparison test of the Encore GX versus the Mazda CX-30. Full article is here.

Here is the spoiler:

mmarshall

Thanks. Yes...I've seen several different Encore GX / CX-30 comparisons. They have varied somewhat in their findings, though, in general, Mazda has long-been a brand that the enthusiast-magazines like.

I have a lot of respect for the CX-30, but, for my specific needs (and Likes) the Encore GX was a better choice. Plus, I get excellent service and treatment from my GM dealer, and I believe in rewarding good service.

SW17LS

Did you drive a CX30?

I continue to maintain if the Encore GX wasn't a Buick it wouldn't be on the way to your garage

mmarshall

Briefly. Nice road manners, but I didn't care much for the design of the interior, though it had decent materials inside. But I also thought the GX was much better-looking inside and out. I also liked the way that the Encore GX's front seat folds flat, and the rear seat has the 60% part on the passenger's side...it makes it easy to fit stuff up to 8 feet long into that relatively short interior, which will come in handy at Home Depot or the furniture store.

I wish I HAD a garage LOL.

SW17LS

So no, you really didnt lol

Nothing wrong with just walking in and buying the brand and model you want, whether or not its the best. I bought two LS460s that are/were special to me without shopping their competitors and knowing full well they werent the best cars in their segment. But, I own that and will be the first to tell you they aren't.

mmarshall

Didn't what? I told you what I did.

SW17LS

You changed what you posted after I already posted.

You bought what you wanted, and there ain't nothing wrong with that. But, somethings not the best in class because its what you wanted. You clearly have a strong affinity for Buick, and that drove this decision a lot it seems.

I love my LS460, and its very special to me which is one reason why I havent ordered a replacement for it yet, but it was last in class when I bought it in terms of any objective comparison of the cars available. I have a strong affinity for the Lexus LS which stems largely because my dad drove them and loved them so much which is why I chose this car, not because it was the best car

mmarshall

I was editing the post. Sorry if it was unclear. This spell-check stuff on Safari can drive you nuts.....after you type something, you often have to go back and redo half of it, because it thinks you want to say something different from what you actually typed. I really like the Apple programs, but that is their one big weakness.

SW17LS

Actually you added a whole paragraph after I posted Your post when I responded was just that you wish you had a garage and nothing else.

mmarshall

Truth on both sides. I didn't choose it simply because it is a Buick. I chose it because I liked it, it is the right size for my needs, and well-designed. The upcoming 2021 Envision is also a Buick, but it has a couple of features I definitely don't like.....one of them a probable deal-breaker. The past versions of the Encore are simply too small and awkward-looking...and underpowered (the new 1.3L turbo three actually outpours it). And the Enclave would be too big for my present needs.....essentially a Lacrosse station wagon.

Johnhav430

One could say we bought the SUV because it was a Buick. Why. Because in 2011, Buick had a 4/50 bumper to bumper. 1 more year over Chevy and GMC. We used it right to the last day. Believe it or not, back in 2011, my 2 criteria among all else were xenon headlamps, and direct injection.

Then, the literature said "courtesy transportation." since BMW had that and I was accustomed to it going on 5 years at the time, I took it to mean, loaner car when in service. I didn't realize it actually meant, "If your repair is not overnight, you will be shuttled shoulder to shoulder with other customers in a 2003 Buick Rendevous." Let's ask what makes sense, when a car comes in, how is one going to know if it takes 24 hours or not, for the repair? lol

p.s. for real, when the steering rack got replaced at 27k, I said look give me a Suburban we need the space, and they did. 5 days later, the guy says the car is ready. I say great I'll see you first thing in the morning. No lie, the service guy screams, "I need my car back!"

I told him pal, I work on the other side of the river, it's 14:30 EST, I'll see you tomorrow. CLICK

With BMW (it happened), one can say hey I'm traveling this week and I'm in Ohio with your loaner, I won't be able to come back for another week. They'd say no problem, for real.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

SW17LS, please stop the provoking posts immediately. mmarshall doesn't deserve this badgering and you should know better.

mmarshall

Yes, that 6/70 and 4/50 luxury-grade warranty was a strong Buick selling point, giving you essentially the same level of protection as Lexus, Cadillac, Lincoln, Acura, and Infiniti for (often) significantly less money. From a personal point of view, naturally, I'm not happy to see it lower for 2020, and Buick become just another run-of-the-mill company in terms of protection. But (obviously), it's not necessarily a deal-breaker.

Direct Injection has good benefits in terms of drivability and performance/emissions, but, in a number of engines, it can lead to carbon build-up in certain areas, because of the way that air/fuel spray is injected, causing the mixture to avoid some surfaces that need to be kept clean.

mmarshall

Interesting. As I was discussing my insurance policy with a GEICO rep this evening (and paying it off), I had them look up what the 6-month premium is going to be for the new Encore GX when it comes in, and he told me there will be about a 10% drop in my rates (with the same coverage-limits)....even though it is a vehicle that will be 4 model-years newer, AWD instead of FWD (which is often more expensive to repair), and a small crossover more prone to flip-overs, although today's stability-control helps in that department. GEICO, for some reason, seems to like GM and Subaru products...even as a good driver, I've gotten some of my best rates with vehicles from those companies, particularly the Saturn SL2 I once owned. With the simple clip-on plastic body panels, and the panels that could be ordered from the factory pre-painted, the Saturn plastic-bodied vehicles had a strong reputation for being easy to repair after an accident, and, of course, resisting typical dings/dents that require small bodywork.