Who says vehicles are pricey today? Not Buick; yes, that’s right. Check out the all-new Envista and you will drive away from the dealer lot with a grin on your face and just $23,495 lighter for a base model. And the compact five-seater SUV comes packed with tremendous luxury and tech-laden features boasting a splendid combination of style and power. Once in motion, the body-on-frame, 3,115-pound Envista accelerates energetically with impressive handling and no understeer noticeable even at tight corners and turns.
Under the hood resides a sole 1.3-liter inline-two turbocharged engine that doles out 137 horsepower at 5,000 rpm and churns out 162 pounds-feet of torque at 4,000 rpm. Power is routed through a smooth-shifting six-speed auto transmission. Available only as a front-wheel drive, suspension is driven by an able MacPherson strut front and Watt’s link rear. The electric power rack-and-pinion steering is instant, precise and direct. Lest we overlook Buick’s legendary QuietTuning, which insulates occupants from road and wind noise.
‘Swoopy’ is the word for its styling, especially the roofline. In fact, the entire appearance is so non-Buick with a low profile, forward-leaning hood and thin LEDs that appear eyebrow-like. Comparable to its smaller Encore sibling, the ride also portrays the new and centered tri-shield insignia atop the gloss-black mesh grille.
This being a Buick, you are assured of an extravagant and generous cabin. Once again, it shares the Encore’s 19-inch curved panel made up of an 11-inch infotainment display and an 8-inch driver cluster screen that sits atop the dashboard and behind the steering wheel. The flat-bottomed steering wheel makes it effortless to turn the SUV at tight turns and corners. Opt for the $795 advanced safety package, which will fetch you rear cross-traffic alert, lane-change/blind-spot zone alerts, adaptive cruise control and heated exterior mirrors.
Other typical amenities include eight-way power driver and four-way manual front passenger heated seats, a power lift gate, perforated leather seats, remote start, a manual tilt/telescopic steering column and Avenir embossed on the front seatbacks.
Standard safety features include dual front and side airbags, a side curtain airbag, stability and traction controls, auto emergency and four-wheel antilock brakes, a rearview camera, forward-collision alert, lane-keep/departure warning, rear park assist, remote start, keyless entry, daytime running lights and a tire pressure monitoring system.
The Envista is a warning shot to all automakers who have swelled vehicle prices up the roof. Our top-level Avenir came in at right around $30,000 with several creature comforts that are optional in other small SUVs. Bold looks, abundant performance, plenty of passenger space and creditable fuel mileage make this all-new Buick a tremendous buy in our eyes. Ignore this magnificent ride at your own peril.
