Buick is enjoying a growth spurt. Its 4-vehicle lineup sits squarely on the line, dividing the mainstream and luxury segments while offering great value. If these characteristics are the basis of your vehicle search, we suggest starting with the 2025 Buick Envision and Encore GX.

While both offer seating for five passengers, the Envision is the larger of the two — and the second largest in Buick’s lineup — while the Encore GX looks the part of a nimble, quick, small SUV and retains the ability to carry five people.

Let’s take a deep dive into these two SUVs to see which one might serve you best.

2025 Buick Envision

2024 model shown

The Buick Envision enjoyed an exterior facelift for 2024, with the front end seeing the most updates, and the new face carries forward into 2025. Like its siblings, the Envision is a near-luxury entry, and, in this case, it features room for five passengers, especially four adults, very comfortably. It’s built to deliver a comfortable ride with great technology, which aligns it with the rest of the Buick lineup.

Available in three trim levels — Preferred, Sport Touring, and Avenir — pricing starts at $37,895, including the destination fee. It’s powered by a 2.0-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder, putting out 228 horsepower, and all-wheel drive (AWD) is standard. It has plenty of niceties, such as wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto and a hands-free tailgate. A slew of advanced driver safety technology is available in the middle and upper trims.

Buick Envision Highlights

Elegant interior: The first thing you’ll notice in the new Envision’s interior is a digital instrument cluster mounted flush with an expansive infotainment touchscreen. It stretches 30 inches diagonally and wouldn’t look out of place in a BMW, Mercedes-Benz, or Genesis product. Upper trims have niceties like perforated leather upholstery, a head-up instrument display, massaging front seats, and a digital rearview camera.

A little help: A feature of the available Super Cruise Package, the Enhanced Automatic Parking Assist assesses possible parking spaces — parallel or perpendicular — and then maneuvers the Envision into them.

Some luxury: Available as an option in the Avenir trim, a massaging driver’s seat kneads the occupant into full-on luxury vehicle territory. These front seats, covered in perforated leather, also have heating and ventilation.

Read our Buick Envision Expert Review or see 2025 Buick Envision models for sale near you.

2025 Buick Encore GX

2024 model shown

The smallest vehicle in the Buick lineup, the Encore GX doesn’t confuse compact size with being cheap or chintzy. The brand made its luxurious Avenir trim the top option of the three available for the Encore GX. Moving up gets you heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, leather upholstery, and soft-touch materials for the front passengers.

You have two engine options for the Encore GX: a 137-hp turbocharged 1.2-liter 3-cylinder or a 155-hp, 1.3-liter turbocharged 3-cylinder. Neither may sound overly impressive, but these are small, lightweight vehicles, so the more powerful 1.3-liter provides a surprisingly sprightly performance. Pricing starts at $27,235, including destination charge.

Buick Encore GX Highlights

Plenty of space: The exterior footprint may be small, but the interior cabin is spacious, including room for average-sized adults in the second row. Despite its smaller dimensions, it has almost as much cargo space as the Buick Envision.

Bigger technology: New for 2025, the Encore GX’s passenger cabin now features an 8-inch digital gauge cluster and an 11-inch infotainment touchscreen. This feature is standard across the lineup.

All-wheel drive: The new Encore GX is eligible for AWD — which also means choosing the slightly more powerful engine — 155 hp versus 137 hp, but that’s not bad. 

Read our Buick Encore GX Expert Review or see 2025 Buick Encore GX models for sale near you.

Similarities

The Buick Envision and Buick Encore GX certainly look like they are from the same family. Fortunately, it’s a good-looking group of siblings. Buick’s done a fine job of ensuring its vehicles offer plenty of interior room and excellent electronics.

Conclusion

The Buick Envision is a good vehicle for long trips. With comfortable seats and the latest technology, you’re sure to get where you’re going with minimal fuss and feeling good. However, if you want a quick, well-appointed compact to get around town in style, the more affordable and efficient Encore GX may be a better fit. These two vehicles are built for two different purposes and are both good choices.

The Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price for any individual used vehicle can vary greatly according to mileage, condition, location, and other factors.
The prices here reflect what buyers are currently paying for New 2025 Buick Envision vehicles and New 2025 Buick Encore GX vehicles in typical condition when purchasing from a dealership.
These prices are updated weekly. The manufacturer’s suggested retail price (MSRP) quoted includes the destination fee, but does not include tax, license, document fees, and options.