2020 Buick Encore GX Tweener SUV Gets Low Entry Price, High Mileage

Buick has given its new Encore GX small SUV a starting price of $25,095, including a $995 destination charge, for the base Preferred trim level with front-wheel drive. But you’ll need to get the more powerful engine option if you want the highest gas mileage.

Related: 2020 Buick Encore GX: Big Surprise in a Small Package

The GX will offer  three trim levels, with Select and Essence above the base Preferred. The Select starts at $26,695 and the Essence at $29,495. All-wheel drive is a $2,000 option for all trim levels. Front-wheel-drive versions have standard a 137-horsepower, turbocharged 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine mated to a continuously variable automatic transmission. Optional with FWD is a 155-hp, turbocharged 1.3-liter three-cylinder, also with a CVT. The 1.3-liter is standard — with a nine-speed automatic instead of the base CVT — on AWD models.

But it’s also the more powerful 1.3-liter engine with the front-drive/CVT combo that delivers the highest EPA mileage rating at 30/32/31 mpg city/highway/combined. The 1.2-liter and the 1.3-liter with AWD both deliver 28 mpg combined.

As Buick builds out its lineup with SUVs, the GX is a “tweener,” a larger subcompact that fits in size and starting price between the subcompact Encore and the compact Envision. The Encore starts at $24,195 with $995 destination, while the Envision starts at $33,190 with $1,195 destination. You can compare their pricing and features with the Encore GX on Cars.com here.

The Encore GX, due on sale early in 2020, is a more upscale, less rugged-looking SUV that shares some of its DNA with the coming 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer subcompact SUV that Chevy says will start around $20,000. GX pricing, which can run up to the mid-30s for an optioned-up Essence, positions the model as a premium but less expensive alternative to small SUVs from full luxury brands such as the Mercedes-Benz GLA, BMW X1 and Volvo XC40 — but it also will compete with similar-size mainstream SUVs, including the new Mazda CX-30. In gas mileage, the Encore GX’s best of 31 mpg combined compares to EPA bests of 28 mpg for the GLA and CX-30, and 27 mpg for the X1 and XC40.

Standard safety gear for all trim levels includes a forward collision warning with automatic braking and pedestrian detection, lane keep assist with lane departure warning and automatic high beams.

Option packages include a Sport Touring Package with dark wheels, more aggressive bumpers and red exterior accents. The base Preferred trim level requires a $345 Safety Package if you want rear parking warning and a blind spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert. A $950 Cold Weather Package adds heated front seats, a power driver’s seat and satellite radio. A power liftgate is $520.

Select and Essence trim levels offer additional options, including a power moonroof, in-car navigation, adaptive cruise control, wireless charging, rear parking sensors, a head-up display, a 360-degree camera system, and automatic parking system with braking and a video rear camera mirror.

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