2024 Buick Envista consumer reviews

In August 2023 I purchased the 2024 Envista preferred in ebony twilight black for $25k, Mine came with convenience 1 package and advanced safety package. The center and door arm rests are the hardest and most uncomfortable I have ever felt in a car. The stupid sewn seams are at the top corners of the arm rest right where the corner of your elbow is. If it was softer then it may not be as bad. I laid a couple microfiber clothes on top and it feels a little better. The back seat does not have a fold down armrest unless you spend another $6k for the Avenir version. The half cloth/half fake leather seats are comfortable and I prefer this so my back and bottom breathe better. The convenience 1 package has heated seats and steering wheel which work great. The vehicle is light and the 17” tires came from factory inflated to 41/42 psi. Driving on the interstate or 70 mph and higher, the vehicle felt like it was being blown side to side by the wind, but the wind was no more than 5-10 mph and it should not have been swaying in the wind. I lowered the psi to the recommended 35psi and most of the sway went away but I could still feel it. I am not sure if it is less on the 18” or 19” wheels on the ST/Avenir models. I only have 500 miles on the vehicle. No other vehicles I have owned have done this with the little bit of wind. Engine- comparing the 3 cylinder turbo engine to my other vehicles: the Buick’s turbo does not seem to be a twin turbo because from a stop, it takes a second to kick in, but when it does you can feel the torque. I am not sure if this was by design so you don’t spin the front wheel drive wheels when you floor it. I think Buick is quicker than my base 4 cylinder Kia. Gas mileage is great. Driving around town with nice and easy acceleration will get you about 27 mpg. But if you floor it a lot with the turbo it will be closer to 20. On the highway cruising at 70-75 I was getting 35 mpg. The Buick transmission likes to keep the RPMs low, I’m guessing for better MPG’s, but the throttle is responsive to minimal input while driving along the road which I like. Some people say it shifts a lot, but not if you get the feel of the engine and shift points based on your throttle management. I like the 6 speed transmission compared to the CVT’s. The Buick drives smooth and quiet for a $25k vehicle. Quieter than the Kia, Taurus, Tahoe and the Odyssey. The wheel base is long for this small of a vehicle and there is more room behind the rear seats than other vehicles in this price range like the Mazda CX-30, Hyundai Kona, etc. The rear seats have ok leg room, but not near as much as my Kia Optima. It will fit my 29” mtn bike with the front wheel removed. The technology and digital displays are very nice. The tachometer/speedometer could have been designed a little better. The top of steering wheel blocks the icons along the top of the screen. Maybe an update might give another display option where the headlight indicator and other icons can be along the bottom. No issues with the speed because it is always clear in the center. The Apple CarPlay works well and the screen is beautiful. The OnStar remote start/unlock-lock in the Buick app is a great feature to have at this price point. You get 3 years from the purchase date. Basically, I bought the Envista new for $25k instead of a used car I would have to put money into in a few years with the hopes the Envista will last 10+ years with minimal issues (fingers crossed). Am I happy with it now? Yes. Would I buy it again? Probably not. What would I buy instead for this price? No idea…. Car shopping with these ridiculous prices is not enjoyable. The Kia Sorento hybrid really had my eye, but 30k plus taxes etc was not in the budget. My wife liked the ride height of the Envista. She does not like driving low to ground in a sedan on daily basis or I would have purchased a Kia K5 or Hyundai Sonata for around the same price.