2024 Buick Envista First Drive Review: Making Affordable Look Good

Despite its affordable price tag, the Envista does not feel spartan inside. Even the base model spoils occupants with an Ultrawide Infotainment Display with 19 inches of LCD screen real estate. The 11-inch infotainment system is the largest in its class and features wireless CarPlay and Android Auto. This pairs with a sizable eight-inch gauge cluster display that further improves the modern atmosphere in the cabin. Both screens are a bit dim, though, and the contrast isn't very high, meaning it can be difficult to see what's displayed when exposed to bright sunlight. Using CarPlay does mostly fix the issue on the main display.

一个s for the cabin materials, even the basic Preferred trim feels well-appointed. Cloth seats with leatherette edges don't appear cheap, and the black leatherette with blue accenting in the ST trim is properly sporty. The Avenir is available with a leather interior that evokes a more premium vibe.

Price, performance, practicality: buyers are typically forced to choose two out of three, especially at this price. With the Envista, performance is the area that gets thrown into the sacrifice pit. The only engine option is a 1.2-liter turbocharged three-pot that squeaks its way to 136 hp and 162 lb-ft of torque. That power is sent to the front wheels only (no all-wheel-drive option is available) through a basic-for-2023 six-speed automatic transmission. Buick says a new turbocharger allows the tiny three-cylinder engine to reach torque lower in the rev range and maintain it longer, leading to "responsiveness and a fun and engaging driving experience for customers." It sounds like marketing mumbo jumbo, but there's some truth to it.

If you want a fast car, look elsewhere, but drivers who don't rush from light to light won't find much fault with the Envista. And fuel economy is rated at 28/32/30 city/highway/combined, which is towards the upper half of the segment, although Mazda'sCX-30crossover with its more powerful engine manages to beat this. Naturally, this also lags behind hybrid competitors like the Kia Niro and Toyota Corolla Cross Hybrid.

Despite its handsome appearance, the Envista was not designed to be sporty. The three-cylinder engine is adequate, never feeling particularly strained to pick up speed. From a standstill, it can manage to squeak the tires on its way to 60 mph in around nine seconds, a feat made possible by a sub-3,100-pound curb weight. The transmission's lack of gears means it only takes one or two shifts at most to get the engine in its happy place with enough torque to avoid a downshift in many leisurely passing situations. Even if you do need to mash the throttle, the three-pot is quiet enough not to sound like it's on its deathbed when asked for max acceleration. Highway noise is also relatively low, thanks to Buick's QuietTuning system.

The steering feel is on the light side, and it's not what we'd describe as sharp. Inputs are fairly dull but not completely disconnected. Preferred and ST trims come standard with a torsion beam rear suspension, but ST trims with the 19-inch wheels and all Avenir grades get a more sophisticated Watts Link setup. Will buyers of the Envista notice a difference? Likely not, but the rear suspension does yield slightly more spirited handling.

Despite being positioned below the Encore GX in Buick's lineup, the Envista is 11 inches longer, and its wheelbase is stretched by around four inches, too. These dimensions pay dividends in terms of cabin space, where the Envista bests its sibling with 41.9 inches of legroom up front and 38.7 inches in the rear. Those are tremendous numbers for this class of vehicle.

The Envista's lower, coupe-like roofline does yield a sacrifice behind the seats, where the trunk houses 20.7 cubic feet of space to the GX's 23.5. Those figures are similar with the seats folded; the Envista opens up to 42 cubes while the GX has 50.2 cibes. But don't let the numbers fool you. The "smaller" Envista actually has more length, so unless you plan to stack boxes up to the roof, the Encore GX isn't a more practical cargo hauler in the real world.

Beyond its attractive styling, well-appointed interior, and generous standard technology, the 2024 Envista's best attribute is itslow starting price. $23,495 (excluding destination) gets you a base Preferred trim, the ST starts at $25,195, and the Avenir is $29,695. The Preferred appears to be the best bargain of the bunch, especially since many of the high-end features found in the ST and Avenir (including heated seats, a power tailgate, power driver's seats, and more) can all be added to the base trim, all for around $26,000.

The Buick Envista may share a lot with the Chevrolet Trax, including its engine, but it does so without drastically increasing the price. For simple transportation with a premium flare, the Envista makes many more expensive crossovers feel overpriced.