2027 Buick Encore GX

2027 Buick Encore GX Expert Review

Decently comfortable

Roomy front seats

Unique style

Poor performance

Mediocre quality

Unimpressive fuel economy

In Buick’s all-SUV lineup, the Encore GX fits between the smaller Envista and larger Envision. Compared to other compact SUVs in General Motors’ portfolio, it’s nicer than Chevrolet models yet not as luxurious as Cadillacs. The Encore GX was introduced for 2020 and got a major refresh for 2024. Rivals include the Mazda CX-30, Kia Seltos, and Acura ADX.

What’s New

For 2027, Buick makes the Advanced Technology package unavailable on the Preferred trim. Numerous exterior paint, interior trim, and design detail options are discontinued.

What We Think

The Buick Encore GX makes for a decently comfortable daily driver. Supportive front seats, reasonable passenger space, clear infotainment graphics, and a compliant ride suit it to commuting and road trips. It handles rough pavement with confidence and offers good all-weather capability.

Shortcomings are hard to overlook, though. The weak turbocharged three-cylinder engines feel and sound unrefined, fuel economy is merely average, and AWD must be manually engaged instead of activating automatically like in nearly all of its competitors.

As a premium subcompact crossover, the Encore GX struggles to justify its price. Whether value, efficiency, practicality, or comfort are the priority, many other compact SUVs make a stronger case.

Top-Ranked Competitors:

MotorTrend Tested

As standard, the Encore GX is equipped with a 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine that produces 137 hp and 162 lb-ft of torque. A 1.3-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine making 155 hp and 174 lb-ft of torque is available as an upgrade. In MotorTrend testing, an Encore GX with the bigger engine and AWD accelerated from 0 to 60 mph in a sluggish 8.9 seconds.

On both engines, FWD is standard, and AWD is available with the larger engine. The FWD powertrain uses a CVT automatic, and the AWD system gets a nine-speed automatic.

MPGs and Range

Expect fuel economy for the 2027 Encore GX to measure at about 30/31 mpg city/highway with the 1.2-liter engine and FWD. The 1.3-liter engine gets 29/31 mpg with FWD and 26/28 mpg with AWD.

Driving range on a full tank of gas is approximately 396 miles for the smaller engine. The larger engine can also go 396 miles between fill-ups with FWD, or about 356 miles with AWD.

Safety Ratings and Features

In its most recent crash-safety testing for 2026, the Encore GX received the top Good score in the two IIHS tests it went through. The SUV earned the highest five-star overall rating from NHTSA.

Standard Features

Every Encore GX includes front and rear automatic emergency braking, rear cross-traffic alert, lane keep assist, blind-spot monitoring, and automatic high-beams.

Available Features

Adaptive cruise control is offered as an option on the Sport Touring and Avenir trims.

Cargo Space and Interior Room

Passenger and cargo space inside the Encore GX is generally comparable to its compact SUV rivals. The front seats stand out as particularly spacious.

Technology

Infotainment

Every trim level has an 11.0-inch infotainment touchscreen with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as dual Bluetooth connectivity. There’s also an 8.0-inch gauge cluster display. Both rows of seats have two USB ports, one Type-A and one Type-C.

Sound System

The base Preferred trim has a six-speaker audio system. The Sport Touring upgrades to a seven-speaker setup. The high-end Avenir model also has seven-speaker audio, but it’s provided by Bose.

Available Upgrades

A wireless device charging pad, digital rearview mirror, and 360-degree camera are offered on higher-end trims.

Value

Standard Features

In base Preferred FWD trim, the Encore GX starts at slightly more than $28,000. Standard features include 18-inch wheels, LED headlights and taillights, an 11.0-inch touchscreen, leatherette seat upholstery, and four USB ports.

Recommended Trim

Rather than an Encore GX, we’d recommend nearly any of its subcompact SUV competitors. But if you’re set on a GX, get the high-end Avenir trim with the bigger engine and AWD so you get all the bells and whistles. It costs almost $36,000, but it almost makes the Encore GX nice.