Road Test: 2024 Buick Envista Avenir

Compact SUV Coupe with a Head-Turning Design

The all-new 2024 Buick Envista makes its North American debut as the fourth Buick crossover SUV, becoming part of the family of—from smallest to largest—Envista, Encore GX, Envision and Enclave. Scheduled to arrive in late 2024, the all-new Envista will complete the all-SUV Buick family.

This is a complete change from the sedan-heavy, 125-year old brand that once included the likes of Century, Electra, LaCrosse, Lucerne, Park Avenue, Regal and flagship Riviera. We can expect the future of Buick to remain SUV/crossover centric, slowly becoming electrified. Buick may surprise everyone if the stunning Wildcat EV Concept becomes a reality.

Envista 911

The Korean-built Envista is a head-turning SUV Coupe, one that European brands should be kicking themselves for not designing first. Available in three trims—Preferred, Sport Touring and Avenir—the Envista offers a comfortable ride, roomy interior, solid infotainment system and a safety suite all for a starting price under $24,000. Not a typo!

The Envista replaces the Buick Encore, not to be confused with the Encore GX that is still in the Buick line-up, a completely different vehicle from the departed Encore. Confusing? Welcome to the world of automotive naming!

Clean Fleet Report drove the 2024 Envista Avenir, powered by a 1.2-liter turbocharged 3-cylinder engine, around Southern California. This little three-banger puts out 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque, mated to a 6-speed automatic transmission, driving the front wheels. All-wheel drive is not an option, but is available on the larger Buick Encore GX.

The EPA rates the 1.2L Buick Envista at 28 mpg city/32 highway/30 combined. Our real-world experience over 256 miles returned a combined average of 29.9 mpg but, with the adaptive cruise control set at 65 mph, we achieved an impressive 36.6 mpg over a 125-mile run. Fuel economy numbers reported by Clean Fleet Report are non-scientific and represent the reviewer’s driving experience using the dash gauge computer. Your numbers may differ.

Driving Experience: On the Road

The 3,115-pound Envista Avenir turned 0-60 times in a leisurely 9.5 seconds, but once up to speed, it cruises along well. Lacking paddle shifters to keep the 6-speed automatic held in a lower gear to wind out the torque, it is obvious Buick is not marketing the Envista as a sporty SUV. The person looking to buy an Envista will be satisfied with its ability to do what it does best: driving in-town and on open, straight freeways.

The Envista Avenir was equipped with 245/45 Continental ProContact all-season tires mounted on 19-inch machined aluminum wheels. The ride was stable and the tires gripped well until pushed hard on corners, where body roll limited any hard charging.

The highway ride at times had a slight floating feel, but it was not uncomfortable. Small movements and road imperfections were felt as the suspension responded to surface conditions that an independent rear suspension would help smooth out. The light steering made in-town driving and parking easy, and the 28.4-foot turning radius eliminated most three-point turns. Overall, the handling and ride were well-balanced with negligible wind noise.

While the brake pedal required a firm foot, the four-wheel disc brakes with ABS and brake assist made for straight and true stops.

“Hey, look at me” Design

The Envista has benefited from Buick designers taking a chance on a new direction, first shown on the Wildcat EV Concept. The most recognizable connection between the two is the pronounced front end with sleek, wing-like LED headlights coming to dramatic points aimed at the iconic Buick tri-shield emblem. Our test Envista Avenir was painted in a radiant Cinnabar Metallic. The additional exterior color choices are Moonstone Gray Metallic, Ebony Twilight Metallic and Ocean Blue Metallic. White Frost Tricot is available for a $600 premium.

The proportions for this subcompact crossover signal coupe. Small crossovers tend to be tall or narrow, or both, and all look the same. The Envista has an eye pleasing stance with a raked windshield that is made of sound-suppressing acoustic glass. The sloping roof extends, uninterrupted, all the way to the tip of the power lift gate ending in a very small spoiler. Slit LED tail lights, continuing the wings theme, sit above Envista, Avenir and Buick badges.

Buick has a history of reserved styling and not relying on fads or trends. This was evident on the Envista, where chrome was kept to a strip on the lower front and rear fascia, tastefully surrounding the side windows where it repeated, one more time, to a wing design on the C pillar.

Inviting Interior

In Buick speak Avenir is a sub-brand that is applied to a trim containing the highest content with premium touches. Clean Fleet Report’s ebony interior had terracotta piping accents on the perforated leather seats, with a stitch pattern on the seat backs and Avenir embroidered on the front seat head rests.

The tilt and telescoping, leather-wrapped heated steering wheel has a flat bottom and controls for the adaptive cruise control, telephone, voice commands and the sound system. A nice feature, one we prefer, are the channel and volume buttons located on the backside of the steering wheel. This frees-up space on the front side, and also has a natural feeling.

The heated, power front seats, 8-way for the driver with memory and manual adjustments for the passenger, were comfortable, but could have had a wider seat bottom between the thigh bolsters. The rear seat splits 60:40 with 20.7 cubic feet of cargo space with the seat upright, growing to 42.0 cubic feet when lowered. Rear seat head and leg room is very good for two adults, three in a pinch for a short trip, and included USB A and C charge-only ports.

The dash houses an 8-inch diagonal color configurable driver information center screen, and an 11-inch color touchscreen where with a 6-speaker audio system that includes Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, AM/FM and SiriusXM (with a complementary six-month subscription).

The USB-A and C ports accommodate connected devices. The Bluetooth worked very well for voice recognition, with most of the entertainment being controlled by switches on the steering wheel. We wish Buick would have added a knob to control the radio channels.

The Envista Avenir is well-equipped with convenience features, including Buick Quiet Tuning and active noise canceling, wireless phone charging, remote keyless entry and start, power windows with express down, a single zone automatic climate system, tire pressure monitor, rain sensing windshield wipers, keyless push button on and off, and OnStar. One key feature missing is auto hold, which holds the car in-place at a stop light without applying the brake, preventing lower leg fatigue.

A note regarding OnStar: a simple push of a button connects you with a friendly General Motors representative to handle emergencies, directions and general assistance to make your driving experience safer and more enjoyable. This is one area where GM is an industry leader. After the initial service plan expires, it is well worth renewing.

Safety

The Envista comes with an extensive list of standard and optional safety features. Since some of the features are available on higher trim levels and through packages, we advise getting your car with as many advanced driver technology and safety features as possible.

Features available on the Envista include front, side, knee and head airbags, rear seat reminder, high definition rear view camera, forward automatic emergency braking and collision warning, stability control, rear cross traffic alert, rear park assist, vehicle stability management, traction control, lane change, side blind zone alert and a theft deterrent system. Check-out the Teen Driving technology that offers parents some peace of mind.

 Pricing

 The 2024 Envista comes in three trim levels, with these prices including the mandatory $1,095 mandatory destination fee.

• Preferred              $23,495
• Sport Touring     $25,195
• Avenir                   $29,695

 Warranties

• Bumper-To-Bumper – Three years/36,000 miles
• Powertrain – Six years/60,000 miles
• Roadside Assistance – Six years/60,000 miles
• Corrosion – Three years/36,000 miles
• Rust-Through – Six years/100,000 miles
• Courtesy Transportation – Six years/60,000 miles

Observations: 2024 Buick Envista Avenir

There are many choices in the subcompact crossover SUV category, making it tough saying one is the best. To simplify, one decision area is design, where the Envista is the best-looking of the lot. To this point, I was approached by several people asking what car I was driving, which was reminiscent of a Buick advertising campaign a few years ago where 30-somethings, with eyes aghast, asked “That’s a Buick?!” After a brief walk-around, everyone I spoke with liked what they saw.

The 2024 Buick Envista is a comfortable crossover that gets 30+ mpg, with ample storage, passenger space and a quiet ride. It adds up to the Avenir being a bit more premium than others in this category.

But make no mistake, the Envista is an entry level crossover, the second least expensive vehicle General Motors offers after the Chevrolet Trax. Because of this, the Envista, even on the top Avenir trim, has some areas, such as hard plastic and thin carpet, that remind you why the Envista doesn’t cost thousands more. These should not dissuade you from taking a test drive at your local Buick dealer. Remember, every car, SUV and truck was designed for a specific reason, and the Envista is no different. It stands-out in design with a high level of interior fit-and-finish.

The Envista should be popular with small families, first car buyers and empty nesters looking for a vehicle that can get all their tasks done around town, then head out on a road trip. If you need more traction for inclement weather, check-out the Encore GX with an all-wheel drive option.

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Story and photos by John Faulkner.

A run through recent Buick news & vehicles:

News: Buick Unveils Wildcat EV Concept

Road Test: 2021 Buick Envision Avenir FWD

Road Test: 2020 Buick Encore GX

Road Test: 2019 Buick Enclave Avenir

Road Test: 2019 Buick Envision AWD

Road Test: 2018 Buick LaCrosse Avenir

Disclosure:

Clean Fleet Report is loaned free test vehicles from automakers to evaluate, typically for a week at a time. Our road tests are based on this one-week drive of a new vehicle. Because of this we don’t address issues such as long-term reliability or total cost of ownership. In addition, we are often invited to manufacturer events highlighting new vehicles or technology. As part of these events we may be offered free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our best to present our unvarnished evaluations of vehicles and news irrespective of these inducements.

Our focus is on vehicles that offer the best fuel economy in their class, which leads us to emphasize electric cars, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and diesels. We also feature those efficient gas-powered vehicles that are among the top mpg vehicles in their class. In addition, we aim to offer reviews and news on advanced technology and the alternative fuel vehicle market. We welcome any feedback from vehicle owners and are dedicated to providing a forum for alternative viewpoints. Please let us know your views at publisher@cleanfleetreport.com.