2024 Buick Envista SUV

　　

2024 Buick Envista Review

byJared GallCorrespondent

　　Jared Gall started his career in the auto industry in 2001 with an internship at Car and Driver. He has written and edited many thousands of car reviews, technological deep-dives, industry analyses, and personality profiles. He is a correspondent at zzdcar and still has the 1969 Chevrolet C20 he dragged out of his parents' barn and drove until Car and Driver started giving him cars to evaluate.

　　Buick has been trying to lure younger buyers for decades, but the 2024 Envista looks like the brand's best effort yet. Sharing many parts with the Chevrolet Trax, the Buick Envista manages a much richer look and still keeps its starting price comfortably below $25,000. This compact SUV is larger than Buick's Encore GX and, even with its stylish sloping roofline, has a more spacious rear seat. Yet it undercuts the GX by several thousand dollars, and Buick asks buyers to sacrifice little, as the Envista's standard equipment includes a fully digital dashboard and a fair complement of safety tech.

　　

Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 2024 Buick Envista Preferred 4dr SUV (1.2L 3cyl Turbo 6A) and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.06 per gallon for regular unleaded in North Dakota.

Monthly estimates based on costs in North Dakota

　　$128/mo  for Envista Preferred

　　Envista Preferred

　　Preferred 4dr SUV (1.2L 3cyl Turbo 6A) (Most Popular) - $22,400 MSRPSport Touring 4dr SUV (1.2L 3cyl Turbo 6A) - $24,100 MSRPAvenir 4dr SUV (1.2L 3cyl Turbo 6A) - $28,600 MSRP

　　vs

　　$183/mo

　　Avg. Midsize SUV

　　

zzdcar spotlight: Is the Envista a good SUV?

If your definition of "good" includes available all-wheel drive, then, no, the Envista is not a good SUV. It is only available with front-wheel drive. But for buyers outside of the snowbelt, our answer is yes. The turbocharged 1.2-liter inline-three's 136 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque are meager but will safely get the Envista to freeway speeds without triggering other drivers' automatic emergency braking — which is standard on the Buick. It rides comfortably, and there's enough space inside for a quartet of 6-footers, which is rarely the case in new vehicles this affordable. And an EPA-combined fuel economy rating of 30 mpg means it's cheap to own too. Besides, it looks cool. When was the last time anybody said that about a Buick?

　　

Competitors to consider

We're in a golden age for quality compact SUVs: the Hyundai Venue, Kia Seltos and the Envista's corporate siblings, the Encore GX, Chevrolet Trax and Chevrolet Trailblazer, are all solid picks. For a driving experience that delivers on the excitement of its looks, the Mazda CX-30 is the 300-pound gorilla in the class (they're small gorillas). It has a lot more standard power and an available turbocharged engine that comes close to doubling the Envista's output. But most of the Buick's competition is smaller inside, particularly in the back seat. The spacious Volkswagen Taos is another model worth checking out alongside the Envista.

　　

Which Envista does zzdcar recommend?

Almost all of the equipment that is standard on the top-level Avenir trim is available à la carte on even the base model. That's why the base Preferred trim is our choice in the Envista lineup. Buyers can pick and choose the options and packages that are important to them and save significantly compared to a higher trim level.

　　

Buick Envista models

The 2024 Buick Envista is a compact SUV available with a single powertrain: a turbocharged 1.2-liter inline three-cylinder engine (137 horsepower, 162 lb-ft of torque) and a six-speed automatic transmission. The Envista is front-wheel-drive; all-wheel drive is not available. It's offered in three trim levels: Preferred, Sport Touring and Avenir. While the latter two do include more standard equipment, nearly all their additional content is available as stand-alone options on the lower trim levels, making them largely appearance packages.

　　Preferred

　　The base trim comes equipped with much of the Envista's most desirable equipment. Standard features include:

　　17-inch wheels LED exterior lighting Heated side mirrors Keyless starting Manual tilt-and-telescoping steering column Active noise cancellation Single-zone automatic climate control 8-inch digital gauge cluster 11-inch touchscreen Six-speaker audio system Satellite radio Android Auto and Apple CarPlay (wireless connectivity for both) Wi-Fi Rear-seat HVAC ductsStandard active driver assist features on the Envista include:

　　Forward collision warning with pedestrian detection and automatic emergency braking Lane departure warning Lane keeping assistance Following distance indicator (displays the amount of time, at the current speed, the Envista is behind the vehicle ahead of it)Sport Touring

　　This trim level goes for a more aggressive look, with:

　　18-inch black wheels Black mirror housings Black body trim Black synthetic leather seats with blue stitchingMajor option packages on the Preferred and Sport Touring include:

　　Convenience I package Remote start Keyless entry Eight-way power-adjustable driver's seat Heated front seats Heated steering wheel Convenience II package Power liftgate Rain-sensing windshield wipers Wireless phone charging Advanced Safety package Adaptive cruise control Blind-spot warning Rear cross-traffic alert Experience Buick package Sunroof 18-inch two-tone wheels (19-inch with an upgraded suspension on Sport Touring) Avenir

　　This top-of-the-line trim level reaches upmarket with:

　　Upgraded suspension for better handling 19-inch nickel-finish wheels Power liftgate Color-matched body trim Keyless entry Avenir sill plates Perforated leather seats, black with brown stitching, or gray with beige stitching Auto-dimming rearview mirror Remote start Power driver's seat Heated front seats Heated steering wheel Wireless phone chargingThere's only one option package available on the Avenir, the Avenir Advanced Safety package. It includes everything from the lesser trims' Advanced Safety packages, plus:

　　Heated side mirrors with integrated turn signals Rain-sensing windshield wipers

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