By: Joshua Lee
April 8, 2025
Buick’s 2024 Encore GX attempts to carve out a niche for itself as a compact crossover that blends comfort, practicality, and a touch of luxury. As part of Buick’s higher-end trim, the Avenir offers a more premium experience in the crowded compact crossover market, but is it truly premium enough for Buick? Thanks to General Motors Canada, we will see if it stacks up to the competition in its segment.
The Buick Encore GX Avenir offers an Ecotec 1.3-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine with 155 horsepower and 174 lb-ft of torque. Paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, the engine delivers smooth power delivery, though it can be slightly noisy when pushed hard. On the road, the Encore GX Avenir AWD performs well. It offers a quiet and comfortable ride, ideal for city commuting and longer highway drives. The suspension is well-tuned, absorbing road imperfections. The steering is light and easy, providing good maneuverability, but it lacks the feedback and precision that would elevate it to true luxury status.
The 2024 Buick Encore GX receives a refresh that sharpens its design without departing from the signature Buick look. The front end features a bold new grille with a more sculpted appearance, flanked by sleek LED headlights. The redesigned front bumper enhances its modern appeal, and the overall shape has been made slightly more aggressive, providing a more substantial presence on the road. From the side, our Ocean Blue Metallic Avenir stands out with its 19-inch premium pearl nickel aluminum wheels and satin chrome accents. The rear features updated LED taillights that are clear for a more streamlined design, complementing the rest of the vehicle.
Inside, the Avenir offers a well-appointed cabin, though it falls short of the ultra-luxury finish seen in higher-end crossovers. The seats are comfortable, upholstered in leather with premium stitching, and provide good support. The Avenir trim stands out with a few additional luxury touches, such as a power-adjustable driver’s seat with memory settings, a seven-speaker Bose sound system, heated steering wheel, and active noise cancellation. There’s still a bit of plastic in the interior, and while the materials are fine, they don’t quite have the richness and attention to detail found in other premium brands.
Tech-wise, the 2024 Encore GX Avenir comes well-equipped with a suite of features that includes an eight-inch digital display and an 11-inch infotainment system. The infotainment system is relatively user-friendly, but due to Buick’s new Virtual Cockpit System, the screens feel smaller as you can see the huge bezels that surround them. Cargo capacity behind the 60/40 split-folding bench starts at 665L and expands up to 1422L with them down.
The Encore GX Avenir trim comes standard with the Buick Driver Confidence package that includes automatic emergency braking, lane keep assist, and automatic high beams. The Avenir Technology package adds adaptive cruise control, rear camera mirror, 360-degree camera, and wireless charging.
According to EnerGuide, the Buick Encore GX Avenir is rated at 9.1L/100KM city, 8.4L/100KM highway, for a combined 8.8L/100KM, which we achieved during our test.
There are three trims Buick offers on the Encore GX: Preferred at $34,483, Sport Touring at $36,133, and Avenir at $39,413. At the time of testing, our tester had a total price of $42,694 with $4,015 in options.
The 2024 Buick Encore GX Avenir is a solid offering for those looking for a well-equipped compact crossover, but it ultimately falls short of being a true luxury vehicle. It does offer luxury touches, but driving dynamics and performance need to be more inspiring. This subcompact SUV is undeniably stylish and should appeal to buyers looking for a more refined appearance compared to typical economy models.
Vehicle Specs
Segment: Subcompact Crossover
Engine: 1.3L turbocharged inline-3 (Ecotec)
Horsepower: 155 hp
Torque: 174 lb-ft
Fuel Efficiency (City/Highway/Combined): 9.1L/100km / 8.4L/100km / 8.8L/100km
Observed Fuel Economy: 8.8L/100km (mixed driving)
Cargo Capacity: 665 L (seats up), 1,422 L (seats down)
Base Price: $39,413 CAD
As-Tested Price: $42,694 CAD
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