Yahoo Autos 2024 Buick Envista Makes an Attractive Base
A new vehicle's perceived value often is muddied by the tech and features it incorporates. Sure, manufacturers are quick to tout their competitive pricing strategies, but usually only after showing you how cool their new creation is with all its pricey options included. That's not the case with the new 2024 Envista, which, as the new entry point into the Buick brand, combines handsome design with straightforward packaging at a surprisingly reasonable price.
Costing a mere $23,495 to start, the Envista is mechanically related to the redesigned 2024 Chevrolet Trax, but you wouldn't guess it by the former's sloping fastback roofline. Within Buick's lineup, it slots below the boxier and $3400 dearer Encore GX, even though the Envista's sculpted lines and grander curb presence lend it a more expensive vibe. In practical terms, the Envista has an additional 4.1 inches between its axles compared to the Encore GX and is 11.2 inches longer overall, and that translates to a slightly larger rear passenger compartment (46 cubic feet to the Encore GX's 42) but with a 21-cubic-foot cargo hold behind the rear seats that's 3 cubes smaller.
Competent Performance
Perhaps more important, particularly for shoppers in the Snowbelt, the Envista is front-wheel-drive only—one of several concessions Buick made to keep its price low—whereas the Encore GX can be had with all-wheel drive. A front-drive layout also helps keep the Envista's curb weight in check. We estimate it will tip the scales at around 3200 pounds, making for a relatively modest burden on its 136-hp turbocharged 1.2-liter inline-three. Backed by a six-speed automatic transmission, the Envista is rated by the EPA at a respectable 30 mpg combined. That's the same estimate levied on a front-drive GX powered by either a similar 1.2-liter base engine or an optional 155-hp 1.3-liter turbo-three (a CVT transmission is standard on both setups, though all-wheel-drive GXs come only with the larger engine and a nine-speed automatic).
With an estimated 60-mph time around nine seconds, the Envista won't win any awards for its performance. Ample low-end torque (162 pound-feet at 2500 rpm) from its muffled three-banger helps it motor around town comfortably and reach highway speeds by the end of most entrance ramps, but there's not much left in its well beyond that. A transmission that settles into top gear at the earliest opportunity—and can be somewhat reluctant to downshift with prods of the accelerator—reinforces its easygoing nature.
Should you feel the urge to toss the Envista down a twisty road, it behaves in a nicely controlled manner. Its structure is adequately solid, its brake pedal reassuringly firm and easy to modulate, and what little feel comes through the steering wheel is precise enough. Perhaps its greatest dynamic enabler is the sense of agility brought on by its lower center of gravity compared to the Encore GX, which stands nearly three inches taller. Wheel size also is worth noting, as the standard 17- and optional 18-inchers provide a slightly more compliant ride over bumps at the expense of body roll in corners. Conversely, the available 19-inch wheels (optional on the midrange Sport Touring model, standard on the top-spec Avenir) ride more firmly, yet they bring a Watt's link to the Envista's torsion-beam rear axle, which helps discipline the lateral forces acting on the chassis. The more sophisticated setup does make for a slightly more planted and responsive attitude around turns, but it's not a game-changing upgrade.
