![]() Part of the connectivity system was that text messages could be received and sent. The 2017 Buick Encore had its own wi-fi hotspot. However, we were pleasantly surprised by the 120-volt grounded plug at the base of the center console in the back seat. In the storage bin below the climate controls on the center stack, the angle was so sharp to see the USB and auxiliary jacks as well as the 12-volt plug that Buick labeled the edge of the bin door. Also, they should make the seat either manual adjusting or power adjusting, not half and half. We found a couple of little things to quibble about: We thought the power seat cushion manual seatback cushion was, well, we just didn’t understand the philosophy. Anything that can be turned on the owner should be able to turn off. It worked so well, that engineers decided not to give the driver the option of shutting it off. It was so sensitive that the system could detect rolling stops and it wouldn’t shut the engine off. It had stop/start technology that was really not intrusive to the driving experience. There was a smart key, thus the car had pushbutton start/stop but also pushbutton lock and unlock on all four doors. ![]() In all, the Encore had 48 cubic feet of cargo space.īuick’s engineers really gave the 2017 Encore a lot of creature comforts that you would expect in a premium vehicle. What’s more, the front passenger seat folded forward to create even more cargo space for those long items that can be awkwardly shaped. ![]() Still, we noticed that the back seat cushion would slide forward and stand upright at the back of the front seat, allowing the seat back to fold forward and create a flat cargo floor after taking the headrest off. ![]() However, we don’t think three people sitting in the backseat would be comfortable. We climbed into the backseat and found plenty of headroom as well as legroom. The fuel and temperature gauges were above and it presented a horizontal crescent instrument pod that was easy to read. The instrument panel was redesigned with a new gauge cluster and 4.2–inch color driver information package between the odometer and speedometer. That probably had much to do with its 100-inch long wheelbase that certainly had much to do with its smooth ride.īuick also redid the interior of the Encore. The exterior came as close as we’ve seen on a production vehicle of having no overhangs. Sometimes, defensive driving means aggressive acceleration.įor 2017, the Encore got a new sculpted front end with restyled headlights, LED daytime running lights, a new hood, and new front fenders. We had to get on it once, and the Encore moved with authority, getting us out of harm’s way. Our 2017 Buick Encore had plenty of oomph. That may not sound like much but it makes a difference. It amounted to 11 percent more horsepower and 20 percent more torque. There is a standard engine without VVT that makes about 20 horsepower less and about 30 pound-feet less torque than our engine. That was for the all-wheel-drive version of the Encore which we had. This setup got 26 mpg in the city, 31 mpg on the highway and 28 mpg combined. It made 153 horsepower and 177 pound-feet of torque at 2,000 rpm. The test vehicle was powered by a 1.4-liter turbocharged four-cylinder engine with variable valve timing. ![]() But that may have been conducive to someone (women) with smaller hands. The only quibble we had about handling was the steering wheel it could have been a little thicker. The compact crossover had electric-powered rack and pinion steering that provided a little feel for the road. And a compound crank, coil springs with twin tube shock absorbers in the rear.Ĭombined with a 100-inch wheelbase, this setup gave the Encore a ride befitting a vehicle with a much longer wheelbase. It had a MacPherson strut with coil-over spring, direct-acting stabilizer bar and a steel six-point rigid attachment front cross member suspension in the front. It went over defects in the road with the thud of quality construction. The ride was smooth, the vehicle rolled over the bumps in the road without the hop associated with small cars and the Encore was quiet and well put together. ![]()
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