2015 Buick Encore AWD: Fun-sized luxury

As soon as our “mini-Enclave” arrived at home, Missi snatched the keys and ran out the door! I can’t blame her, the 2015 Buick Encore looks great, and happens to be what most families want nowadays, as most households progressively downsize and opt for size-conscious, pump-friendly crossovers.

We spent every moment of the last seven days trying to squeeze the most out of our glitzy, ruby red Buick Encore AWD. We used it for the mandatory kid-hauling and errand-running, but it wasn’t until our washer and dryer at home gave up on life, that we truly took advantage of its crossover magic. For the next two days we found ourselves stuffing the little Encore with laundry baskets, and venturing into a laundromat for our first time since college.

Alike many traditionally conservative brands like Lincoln and Cadillac, Buick has worked overtime to rebrand and appeal to a younger audience. The 2015 Buick Encore AWD is living proof of that, and a very good one, as the Encore has blown sales expectations out of the water since its debut in January 2013.

 

Photos:

Tested Features:

• All-wheel drive
• 4G LTE Wi-Fi Hotspot
• Buick IntelliLink System
• Navigation System
• XM Radio
• Lane Departure and Cross Traffic alert
• 18” aluminum wheels
• Memory Seats
• Remote Start
• OnStar RemoteLink App
• LATCH system

The Great:

• Fresh and unique styling
• Perfect size for one or two kid families
• Good combined MPG
• Surprisingly nimble handling at highway speeds

 

The not so great:

• Never ending buttons and confusing dials on the center dash
• Buick Intellilink can be a bit overwhelming.
• Trunk privacy cover won’t close when a car seat anchor is attached on the backrest.
• Partial power-seats make memory seating sort of useless. (Backrest isn’t powered)

 

2015 Buick Encore AWD

Starts at: $26,490

Price as tested:31,305