2013 Buick Encore
With the largest product offensive in its over 100 year history, Buick has been pretty successful in shaking off its old man image. From Enclave to LaCrosse to Regal and Verano, their modern luxury stable is bold without being brash. Still, I don’t think any Buick watchers saw this one coming down the pike: the Buick Encore. Compact luxury crossovers are supposed to be the next big thing. And this time, Buick is ahead of the game. Let’s see if that early lead pays off.
Buick was so eager to go after younger buyers with their next crossover that instead of going mid-size, they went small-size with the 2013 Buck Encore. Not that you have to be a Gen-Xer or Yer to enjoy the Korean-built Encore, as despite being based on Chevrolet’s subcompact Sonic, when you’re riding in the front seats of this luxury crossover it feels more mid-size, with plenty of room to get comfortable.
There’s also an unexpected fun to drive nature, though the Variable Effort Electric power steering feels overboosted most of the time; which combined with the short 100.6-inch wheelbase can lend a darty feel.
Interior material quality is an unexpected highlight in the design. Just like its larger Enclave sibling, there’s lots of luxury to go around, as well as cool features like the red tracers on the gauge needles, dual glove boxes, and a cargo cover that neatly stows behind the rear seats. But there are some built-to-a-budget reminders, like notable gaps around the center dash touch screen.
With so much room up front in such a small package, that leaves little for those in the back, and cargo space is limited to a car-like 18.8 cubic-feet, maxing out at 48.4 with the seats folded. But back up front there are lots of spaces to store electronics and other knick-knacks.
Buick’s voice activated IntelliLink gets updated, becoming easier to use. For safety on the plus side, both back-up camera and knee airbags are standard. Encore can also be equipped with lane-departure warning, forward collision alert, and park assist.
On the minus side, Encore did not score well in the new IIHS off-set barrier crash test.
Power comes from the Sonic’s 1.4-liter turbo I4 and clearly fuel economy is a priority over performance, as it puts out a meager 138-horsepower and 148 lb-ft. of torque.
But despite those numbers, there’s not a whole lot of Encore to move around and we actually found it plenty peppy whether zipping around town or road tripping. The engine isn’t as rough or noisy as in the Sonic, thanks to Buick’s first use of Bose Active Noise Cancellation. All-wheel-drive is available, but for the most part the Encore behaves like a front driver until there’s wheel slip; when power gets diverted to the rear to assist with traction.
At our test track, the Encore worked its way down the strip at a slow but steady pace to 60 in 10.1-seconds. The 6-speed automatic transmission went about its work very softly, helping the Encore clear the ¼ mile in 17.7-seconds at 79 miles per hour. Through the cones, the Encore feels very car-like with quick turn-ins and more grip than expected, thanks to the all-wheel-drive system lending assistance. Brakes were fairly impressive as well with strong and confident stops from 60 in 122-feet, just 3 feet longer than the Sonic.
And with the vehicle sitting still, it is easy to see that the Encore’s sculpted styling helps this mini-ute look just like a baby Enclave: a lot of class in a small package. Traditional Buick signature elements such as the waterfall grill and portholes are there, as well as hallmarks of modern Buicks like the blue headlight rings and 18-inch chrome wheels.
Government Fuel Economy Ratings are very good, at 23–City, 30-Highway, and 26–Combined; and we did even better at 31.1 miles-per-gallon of Regular. Which of course makes for a commendable Energy Impact Score of just 12.7-barrels of oil burned annually while emitting 5.8-tons of CO2.
The luxury compact crossover is not only a new segment for Buick, but for the entire auto industry. And with a base price of $24,950, the Encore is so far selling well. Along with other early entries to the segment like the Mini Cooper Countryman and BMW X1, the Encore’s starting price is high compared to traditional small crossovers like Honda CR-V and Toyota RAV4 that offer more space but are also less well equipped.
Regardless, the 2013 Buick Encore is off to a good start and we understand why. It is a very appealing overall design with fine fuel economy. So, good job Buick on getting out to an early lead. And, we hope you can stay there.
Specifications
- Engine: 1.4-liter turbo I4
- Horsepower: 138
- Torque: 148 lb-ft.
- 0-60 mph: 10.1 seconds
- 1/4 mile: 17.7 seconds @ 79 mph
- EPA: 23 mpg city/ 30 mpg highway
- Energy Impact: 12.7 barrels of oil/yr
- CO2 Emissions: 5.8 tons/yr
2024 Polestar 2
More Range And More Power For The Polestar 2
Volvo is well on their way to making the transition to an all-electric brand, but their sister-brand Polestar is already there. Now, we’ve spent lots of time in their all-wheel drive, five-door Polestar 2, having tested it in 2021, and a year later when a two-wheel drive version arrived. But, EV updates are coming quickly. So, let us be your guide for all that’s new with the Polestar 2.
While we are driving more EVs than ever, we’ve also been spending a lot of time recently circling back to ones we’ve previously tested. As in this new era of electrified vehicles, significant updates are arriving quickly, with R&D investments increasing and retrofitting them easier than ever. This is often done through software updates that can even be accomplished over the air. For 2024, the Polestar 2 has indeed gotten some software updates, but some physical ones as well.
Clearly aimed directly at Tesla’s Model 3 when it arrived; the Polestar 2’s build quality was vastly better, but range definitely came up short. So, addressing that was priority No. 1; and for ’24 the Polestar can travel up to 20% farther than before while consuming 9% less energy, and when it comes time to charge it back up, it can do that 34% faster too.
Range in the Single Motor version increases from a max of 270 to 320 miles thanks to a larger 82-kWh battery pack, and that solitary motor now powers the rear wheels, not the front wheels. It’s also bigger, coming in at 220 kW compared to the previous 170 kW front-wheel drive version, going from 231 to 299 horsepower.
Dual Motors keep the same 78-kWh battery, but still sees a boost from 260 to 276 miles and takes advantage of the larger rear motor for a new combined 310-kW output with 421 horsepower. Our test car has the added Performance Pack, which uses an additional 35 kW to deliver 455 horsepower and 546 lb-ft of torque, though max range drops to just 247 miles.
The new battery in rear-drive 2s will also charge faster, now accepting up to 205 kW for an 80% charge in 20 minutes; max for dual-motors stays at 155 kW, which puts an 80% charge at 34 minutes. Using 32 kWh of electricity per 100 miles, the Dual Motor earns a good efficiency rating.
The [Polestar] 2 has always been one of the most enjoyable EVs to drive, even more so now with that additional power coming from the rear motor.
Unfortunately, extremely cold temperatures kept us from seeing that increased range, as we were only on pace for about 194 miles in our test.
The 2 has always been one of the most enjoyable EVs to drive, even more so now with that additional power coming from the rear motor. And especially when equipped with the Performance Pack as it not only includes more power, but adds 20-inch forged wheels, upgraded brakes, and adjustable Ohlins Dual Flow Valve performance dampers. It greatly improves handling prowess without affecting ride quality, and is easily worth the $5,500 charge if you at all enjoy driving.
Even on a 20-degree track day there was plenty of grip through our handling course. No understeer or oversteer, and lots of feedback through the wheel. There was a nice, strong launch off the line that properly planted us firmly in the seat, and rocketed us to 60 in 4.5 seconds. Power delivery stayed pretty intense up until about 80 mph when there was a definite tapering off. Still, it was a 13.4-second quarter-mile at 102 mph; smooth, quiet, and stable the whole way.
When this car debuted, its Google-based infotainment setup was a novelty, but since then, more and more manufacturers are just “Googling it” so it doesn’t seem out of place at all. The wireless phone charger is easy to access, and there’s a great Harmon/Kardon sound system and panoramic sunroof to enhance the in-cabin experience. Exteriors have also been enhanced with a smooth grille insert and new wheel choices.
Hatchback practicality means 14.3 cu-ft of easy to access cargo space with split-folding seatbacks for longer items and expanding the space to 38.7 cu-ft. Plus, there’s even a sizeable storage bin up front under the hood.
Single Motor Polestar 2 pricing now starts at $51,300, with Dual Motors starting at $56,700; topping out at $64,400.
For a car manufacturer that hasn’t even been around for a decade yet, Polestar has kept itself busy, totally transforming their latest model in just a few years, making the 2024 Polestar 2 even more appealing. They are certainly off to a good start, and with a host of Polestars just over the horizon, including some all-important utility vehicles, this star will be shining even brighter.
Specifications
As Tested
- Motor Setup: Dual Motor
- Horsepower: 455
- 0-60 mph: 4.5 seconds
- EPA Range: 247 miles
- Efficiency : 32 kWh / 100 miles
- Battery Size: 78-kWh
- Torque: 546 lb-ft
- 1/4 Mile: 13.4 seconds at 102 mph
- MW Test Loop: ~ 194 miles
- Peak Charging Rate: 155 kW