Buick Envision was introduced in 2016. It was the first Buick produced in China and sold in the United States. Today with the Avenir trim, it is the best of the best in the Buick lineup, competing quite nicely in the small SUV market.
Envision has the personality of a coupe. It’s handsome with a mesh grille, tightly woven sheet metal lines, and beautiful LED tail lights resting on sporty 20-inch aluminum wheels. My vehicle was painted Summit White outside, while embracing a Whisper Beige with ebony interior.
The line-topping Avenir trim places the Envision in the luxury trim category, competing with the Lexus NX which I recently drove. Features like heated eight-way power front seats and heated steering wheel were especially nice after a week of below-freezing temperatures.
The wood-accented door panels lead you directly to the 10.2-inch touchscreen navigation system and wireless smartphone charger. Modern features include voice recognition, Bluetooth audio streaming, Wireless Apple CarPlay, and Wireless Android Auto.
I liked the way the center stack leaned toward the driver, but not at the visual expense of blocking the screen from the front passenger. The driver-friendly cockpit was complemented by the Avenir’s diamond perforated leather seats and refreshing dual-zone automatic climate control air.
The 60/40 split-bench folding rear seat expands the cargo space behind the rear seats when needed, giving you a total 52.7 cubic feet of cargo space up to the front seats.
The push button gear selector allowed easy access to the “Park” button. The “Drive,” and “Reverse: buttons were also easy to access and press.
It was absolutely beautiful to watch the falling snow from the inside of my Buick that was so warm and cuddly.
Power is provided by a 2.0-liter Turbo ECOTEC 4-cylinder engine attached to a 9-speed automatic transmission, achieving a rated fuel consumption of 24 mpg in the city and 31 mpg on the highway for this FWD model. Opting for AWD and both fuel economy numbers take a hit of 2 mpg.
Buick provides a whole array of advanced safety technology features including Standard Front Pedestrian Braking, Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning, Following Distance Indicator, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, IntelliBeam auto high beams, Forward Collision Alert, and Automatic Emergency Braking.
This compact SUV did well on the NHTSA 5-Star Safety Rating, scoring a perfect Five Stars in Frontal Crash and Side Crash categories, and scoring Four Stars for Rollover.
Buick Envision definitely belongs near the top of the pack in the premium compact cross-over field. It features rich good looks, comprehensive safety technology, roominess, and spirit. All these positive features work together to make Envision the “Select Buy.”
Manufacturer’s Suggested Price $41,045 for the Avenir FWD model.
Warranty 3 years/36,000 miles Bumper-to-Bumper Limited Warranty 5 years/60,000 miles Powertrain Limited Warranty 3 years/36,000 miles Rust Limited Warranty 5 years/60,000 miles Roadside Assistance Program
