Buick Encore vs Honda CR-V vs Ford Escape
A reliable SUV means intelligent design, whisper-quiet comfort, and agile performance. The compact SUV segment is fierce, but three models stand out: Buick Encore, Honda CR-V, and Ford Escape.
If you’re after a driving experience that maximizes comfort, our team at Andy Mohr Buick GMC has created this guide to their various features throughout Fishers, Indianapolis, and Carmel, Indiana.
Read more to learn about features of the Encore vs. CR-V vs Escape today.
Encore GX vs. CR-V vs. Escape Exterior Features
From the outset, the Encore?GX’s sculpted exterior commands attention. With its bold LED headlamps in a signature checkmark design and a tailored grille, the Encore?GX strikes an ideal balance between style and practicality. As the official brochure describes, “sculpted body lines, streamlined stance, and uniquely designed grille” reflect Buick’s commitment to upscale form.*
Sport Touring and Avenir trims enhance this presence with gloss-black or Black Ice accents, LED taillamps, and premium wheels, offering a design language that captures city sophistication and highway poise.
By contrast, the Honda CR-V leans into a more traditional, utilitarian design, while the Ford Escape offers sporty aesthetics but errs toward conservative premium trims. What sets the Encore?GX apart is how it integrates upscale visual cues into a compact footprint, a strategy ideally suited for both urban and suburban drivers.
Encore GX vs. CR-V vs. Escape Maneuverability
The Encore?GX delivers exceptional maneuverability. It’s nearly half a foot shorter than many compact SUVs like the CR-V or Escape, yet Buick skillfully engineers interior volume to punch above its class.
With 23.5?cu?ft of cargo space behind the rear seats (expanding to a generous 50.2?cu?ft with the seats folded), the Encore?GX offers space that rivals larger competitors in a notably smaller package. Families and commuters who struggle with suburban parking or narrow garages will appreciate the Encore?GX’s agility without sacrificing real-world utility.
Encore GX vs. CR-V vs. Escape Comfort Features
One of the Encore?GX’s most notable advancements is its acoustic performance. The SUV incorporates Buick’s QuietTuning™ system, which combines active noise cancellation, laminated acoustic glass, and comprehensive sound-absorbing materials. This technology is used in large, higher-end SUVs, which are now refined for a subcompact cross. Minor details like acoustic side windows and premium door seals enhance the interior atmosphere, making even high-speed drives exceptionally hush.
In comparison, while the CR-V includes active noise cancellation and the Escape offers decent sound insulation, neither delivers the holistic cabin tranquility engineered into the Encore?GX.
Adding to passenger comfort, the Buick includes a solar-absorbing windshield as standard. This reduces heat buildup on sunny days, reducing strain on the climate system and maintaining feature performance?. These refinements demonstrate Buick’s dedication to creating a well-rounded, quiet, and comfortable driving environment.
Encore GX vs. CR-V vs. Escape Performance Features
The backbone of the Encore?GX experience is its thoughtfully engineered powertrain options. The base trim features a 1.2L turbocharged three-cylinder engine, providing 137 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque that you can use for cruising. In addition, you can drive the distance with an EPA-estimated 30 city/31 highway MPG.
Upgraded trims employ Buick’s 1.3L turbocharged engine, pumping out 155 horsepower and 174 lb-ft of torque, paired with a conventional 9-speed automatic transmission and available all-wheel drive. This configuration earns approximately an EPA-estimated 29 city/31 highway MPG, offering both spirited performance and consistent efficiency.
This engine suite supplies robust power for everyday driving while maintaining a fuel-conscious profile.
The CR-V’s turbocharged engine delivers more horsepower with less fuel economy, while the Escape’s larger EcoBoost® options produce even more power with a similar tradeoff. The Encore?GX strikes the ideal balance, offering sufficient power without compromising efficiency.
Encore GX vs. CR-V vs. Escape Tech Features
Step inside any Encore?GX trim and modern convenience will greet you. All models have an ultrawide 11-inch touchscreen featuring wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Wi-Fi® hotspot capability, and responsive remote functions, including start and lock/unlock. Higher trims feature wireless smartphone charging, premium Bose audio, and panoramic moonroof options for enhanced comfort and refinement.
Interior tactile quality is also noteworthy: cloth/leatherette trim in Preferred trims, quilted leather-appointed seating, heated front seats and steering wheel, and 8-way power adjustment included in Sport Touring and Avenir packages.
While Honda and Ford often restrict premium amenities to select high-tier trims, Buick offers many features as standard, reinforcing the Encore?GX’s value proposition.
Encore GX vs. CR-V vs. Escape Safety Features
Every Encore?GX is equipped with Buick Driver Confidence—a cohesive suite of six advanced safety features, including Automatic Emergency Braking, Forward Collision Alert, Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning, Side Blind Zone Alert, Rear Cross Traffic Alert, and IntelliBeam® auto high beam). In Sport Touring and Avenir trims, Buick adds HD Surround Vision and front/rear park assist—enhancements that significantly aid maneuvering and confidence in urban and tight-parking environments?.
While both the CR-V and Escape offer competitive safety features, including adaptive cruise control, blind-zone monitoring, and collision mitigation, the Encore?GX’s integrated systems and surround-view camera provide a notably enhanced level of situational awareness.
Encore GX vs. CR-V vs. Escape Interior Features
Buick designed the Encore?GX to offer a remarkably refined cabin experience, delivering an intelligent blend of comfort and practicality. With five-passenger seating, the front row provides 40.9 inches of legroom and 39.7 inches of headroom, a thoughtfully proportioned space to accommodate drivers and front passengers in stature and ease.
The Honda CR-V slightly exceeds this with 41.3 inches of front legroom, and the Ford Escape offers up to 42.4 inches. Despite their fractional gains, both SUVs come in larger package sizes, while the Encore?GX retains a subcompact footprint—making its interior spaciousness more notable relative to its exterior dimensions.
When you shift to the rear seating area, the Encore?GX offers 36 inches of legroom and 38.1 inches of headroom. While the CR-V provides a more generous 41 inches of rear legroom and the Ford Escape has comparable rear dimensions, it’s essential to acknowledge the Encore?GX’s strength comes from delivering commendable rear-seat comfort in a more compact frame—striking an ideal balance for drivers navigating urban environments.
Beyond sheer numbers, the Encore?GX’s cabin offers a premium ambiance. High-quality materials, an intuitive center console layout, and acoustic engineering contribute to a refined experience often reserved for luxury brands. Its flat-folding front passenger seat and thoughtful split-fold rear seats show a commitment to utility without compromising refinement.
The Encore?GX excels by optimizing interior comfort and practicality within a compact structure. It ensures that drivers and passengers enjoy spacious, modern luxury in a vehicle that easily handles urban traffic and tight parking.
Why the Encore GX?
What gives the Encore?GX its unique advantage is its meticulous coherence. Unlike its segment counterparts—where nameplates may emphasize size or pricing, the Encore?GX prioritizes integrating luxury features, urban suitability, and acoustic engineering. It’s less a matter of subtracting value from rivals and more a question of offering a complete, premium-driving experience that caters to drivers who appreciate design and driving quality in equal measure.
Drivers interested in a crossover SUV that combines premium refinement with compact efficiency will find the Encore?GX compelling. The Preferred trim delivers substantial value, Sport Touring introduces style and sophistication, and Avenir represents the highest ambition for subcompact luxury.
Urban professionals, small families, and commuters alike will appreciate features like QuietTuning™, solar-absorbing glass, surround vision, and complete safety measures—all packaged within a concise and maneuverable vehicle.
Apply for Encore GX Financing
For drivers eyeing a premium subcompact SUV, the Encore?GX is worth exploring in person. Here’s a seamless guide to experiencing, financing, and owning this versatile crossover.
Begin your journey by scheduling a test drive. Our online “Request a Test Drive” tool makes choosing your preferred location, date, and model easy. We also offer highly competitive financing options when you’re ready to buy.
The next step is financing once you’ve selected your preferred trim and configuration. Apply online to begin the process.
FAQs
Q: How do the interior dimensions stack up?
A: The Encore?GX delivers 40.9 inches of front legroom; the Honda CR-V offers slightly more front legroom at 41.3 inches, while the Ford Escape leads with 42.4 inches. But the Encore GX’s efficient packaging ensures that passengers still enjoy generous space without the larger exterior dimensions of its rivals.
Q: Which model offers the quietest cabin experience?
A: Buick’s QuietTuning™ system in the Encore?GX combines laminated acoustic glass, advanced sound-absorbing materials, and Active Noise Cancellation to target and neutralize unwanted sounds, resulting in one of the quietest cabins in the subcompact segment.
Q: How does seating comfort and material quality compare?
A: In addition to its efficient dimensions, the Encore?GX elevates interior ambiance with premium cloth/leatherette or available quilted leather seating, heated front seats, and an available heated steering wheel—amenities typically reserved for larger or luxury-branded SUVs.
Pick Between the Encore GX vs. Honda CR-V vs. Ford Escape Today
Which model do you want to test drive, the Buick Encore GX vs Honda CR-V or Ford Escape? Twenty-first-century automotive excellence is defined by harmonious design, thoughtful technology, intelligent packaging, and sensory refinement. By integrating QuietTuning™, intuitive safety, premium convenience, and engaging driving dynamics, the Buick Encore?GX defines what a subcompact SUV can—and should—achieve.
If you’re seeking a premium city crossover to take to Roy. G. Holland Memorial Park, contact us near Fishers, Indianapolis, and Carmel, IN, at Andy Mohr Buick GMC.