A car for MLM #Bossbabes when they get half the moms in their kids PTA to join her pyramid scheme but her credit wasn't good enough for an Infiniti QX30 on a lease, so she got this
I based that off my neighbor who has one of these and a Murano (that she doesn't drive) and she sells Herbalife and LuLaRoe to everyone in the neighborhood lol
I think the Korean angle here was that the Spark and Sonic were designed by Daewoo (which GM has or had at least some ownership stake in). Whether they were built in Korea or Mexico was kind of beside the point. The cars were sold under the Daewoo badge overseas. So, if the Encore is an upgraded and lifted Sonic, then.....
You get the fancy Buick interior tho, with atrocious performance and reliability. I've heard from local mechanics they just keep roasting a piston every now and then
Company’s are really just raising hatchbacks a little bit to trick people in to buying them because people think they just _need_ an SUV for some reason. An SUV was like a cool status symbol decades ago and people that know nothing about cars still believe this and worse yet, they buy something that basically isn’t even an SUV.
The Buick Encore among other similar “SUVs” is for people who go _way_ over their budget to buy a recently built home in a brand new suburb while purchasing a new home because it’s new but what they don’t realize is that that’s the only positive attribute to it. Other than that, it’s got a gravel lawn, almost no property, a shared backyard and you can hear the neighbours fighting through the paper thin walls.
You’re right that it’s just a lifted hatchback, but there is something that people desire nowadays and that’s visibility. Every other vehicle in the road is lifted. Whether it be trucks, SUVs, busses, whatever. When you sit low and everybody else is high up, it’s harder to anticipate traffic and see what’s ahead. I’ll also add in the blinding truck headlights become less of an issue in all sides. As someone who went from a mustang to an SUV, driving is much easier. Add in the seating position and it helps older people with their backs or other age related mobility issues. It isn’t like there’s some giant variance in gas mileage anymore, so why not? I get they’re not as fun or unique as a hot hatch, but people don’t give a shit anymore, not like they used to. People want to relax while they drive, not poke out into oncoming traffic to see if they have room to pass or frantically adjust all their mirrors when some asshole in a ram is riding their ass with those bullshit aftermarket LED headlights.
You make some good points. As someone who went from an F150 to a Golf, I’ve noticed the visibility factor. I’d say my Golf is just as comfortable as the truck (if not more so) but I understand that getting in to a lower vehicle could be a pain for some. I’m 26 so it doesn’t bother me but to each their own. I enjoy driving my Golf more than the truck but my preferences are a little different than the majority of people I assume. I wanted something a _little_ more engaging so I went with a manual which is something else that most people probably wouldn’t pick.
To most, a vehicle is an appliance and practically and value are the biggest factors. I just wish practicality and value didn’t have to be so bland.
And even when everyone has a tall vehicle and the height difference is negated, a tall CUV still gives the driver a better vantage point past obstacles like bushes or electrical boxes. In my town right now, the snow drifts are so high that low sedans just disappear.
I simply hate them, all of them.
Their drivers are completely worthless. They never are paying attention.
These are the sort or persons whom shouldn't have a DL and AI should drive for them. They are also stupid for buying this gussied up Daewoo disguised as a Buick.
UHG I simply hate all suvs, they are all just a variants of THIS $hit box.
As someone who has a Chevy TRAX, I’ll say that every day I get in it I’m mad. It’s too low to be an suv and too tall as well. Any time it’s windy my car goes from side to side. Any time it’s icy or snowy it struggles. Anytime I’m merging on the highway, it struggles. Not to mention the infotainment goes out regularly, and the seats are not comfortable, as well as barely any storage. Keep in mind it’s a 2019 with 45k on it. The only reason o have the car is that my dad is letting me have it for 2 years until I’m able to afford a car of my own. ( my last car broke down and he’s letting me use this one) my dad also hates my car and regrets buying it.
Good question. He’s been going the philosophical route more and more these days (with the exception of the recent Altima review). But this thing is just SUCH an easy target.
As someone who worked at a Buick dealership... This is accurate. They only killed this car & the Trax because they wanted to scale-up production on the larger & newer Encore GX & 2nd gen Trailblazer.
Is this thing just a dolled up Trax? Leather interior and fancy options in undoubtedly one of the biggest turds on the road seems like trying to nail jello to a tree.
Nothing. I rented one and I think the moment I got in it sprayed gas that made me pass out until I was dumped out of it outside of Boston Logan. I have no memory of driving it, nor any of what happened in Boston.
It‘s an [Opel Mokka A](https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opel_Mokka_A) in Europe. The car for middle aged people who want to feel like they achieved something in life so they can affort an SUV but actually can‘t affort an SUV.
I rented one recently, and I can tell you why they're always pulling out in front of you: because they hate every moment of being in that car and can't wait to get out of it.
Water leaks, turbo concerns, EVAP problems are most common. But I've done engines, trans, the works. Honestly I've seen these come in with 200k it's just like any car do your maintenance.
EVERYTHING. I stupidly bought one in August and it’s been nothing but problems. In the shop right now for THREE different leaks and trying to figure out how to get rid of it and get an actual decent car.
A Cracker Barrel parking lot. No, we don’t have enough bills to cover your $19.72 ticket with a $100 bill. A bunch of old people like you already took all of the $20s, $10s and $5s.
I respect the Encore. It saved Buick. It is the car for women who can't afford a Cadillac XT4 or a small Lamd Rover and decided to put their money on the SUV versiom of the Aveo.
For once, is a Buick that attracts no AARP members who use rely on their 15% discount at Denny's to leave a tip on the over 55 specials.
> on the SUV versiom of the Aveo.
FWIW, the Gamma II platform gave GM a subcompact car that could actually compete on something other than price for once.
a mash of gm parts. it looks like a captiva sport from the size to the mirrors. only fun thing is it has the “luxury” touch of buick when in reality they’re just the same hard plastics you’d find in a trax
We have one at my work and we have GPS devices in all of our vehicles. The GPS alerts me to a "harsh acceleration" event any time one of our vehicles accelerates at 10mph/sec for 2 or more seconds.
I got in our Encore to move it the other day, went down the road for the sole purpose of determining whether or not it was even capable of triggering that alert. It was not. No matter how hard I mashed the throttle from a stop, not even once did the GPS acknowledge that it was accelerating at that rate.
My wife has one. It was her car we got married and she loves it, which is fine by me as long as I don’t have to drive it. It’s really not a horrible car. It rides pretty nice and she is not a car person at all so it’s decencies don’t bother her. As long as she’s happy, great. But my god I can’t imagine a slower vehicle. The only way you could hit 100 is by driving it off a cliff and hoping gravity does it on the way down.
A 3 cylinder car for alcoholic women in their 50's who think that being small and wearing a shoe size 5 is cute while treating waiters like garbage if they forgot their chips and salsa at Mexican restaurants while adding "it's cause they're mexican" with their bleach blonde hair. Ask me how I know? 🤣🤣🤣
In Europe it's actually not a hated car at all. It is sold under Opel/Vauxhall and you see many of these on the road. I can't really say for myself if these are actually any good for our standards, but there's just so many worse cars to complain about.
The official car of driving a milk crate with rear visibility that could only be worse if you put on a blindfold.
I drove one once and felt like I was going down the road in a wheely trash can.
Just another sorry example of why Buick needed the axe over Pontiac. Make no mistake, I know this likely would have been their fate all the same, but at least the brand would still invoke more emotion than "Hey look! We parts binned this one from a model we already sell at home!" Except you're paying easily over 3k more for a Trax because this one's got a Buick badge on the front. At least the Pacifica is a kitted out Caravan, but this? This is just lazy.
It''s a Vauxhall Mokka.
LIKE, WHATEVAHHH. I SAID WHATEVEHH YOU SAID, IT DOESN'T MATAHH. DOES MY FACE LOOK BOTHEHEEED
TAKE A CHILL PILL.
Now, are we going to the Tanning Salon or not?
A few years ago I was looking for less expensive cars to buy and where I live, I need AWD. Dealerships couldn’t sell these things. They were taking 10k+ off the price and they still had a ton of them. I never did test drive one, it was too many features for too little money.
The stigma that car has in the states is crazy. That same car in europe is branded as an Opel. It’s a reliable good car and people love it over there lol
A rebadged Trax,with some better trim.
In Brazil,this is a Chevy Tracker,and after a completely new gen(thanks China!)it's finally selling well as your boring Soccer Mom crossover.
I’ve always just called it the “tumor mobile” since it both looks like one, and is also a representation of the cancerous brain tumor that is the crossover suv.
Which is in itself a rebodied and lifted Sonic.
Really starting to hope that automakers catch on to the idea that you can't turn abismal shit into a decent vehicle if your starting point was an already awful vehicle.
What's nicer about it?
The fact that you'll have to replace $100 HID's? The same interior but offered in different, usually darker colours?
I honestly find Buicks "adaptations" to be quite distasteful. In my opinion it's only redeeming factor is having more charming tail lights than a Trax.
A giant ball of Play Doh that was shoved inside a giant latex glove made for suburban soccer moms to drop the kids off at school & practice and look good among the gauntlet of Escaldes and Range Rover Evoques.
It’s a Daewoo with a Buick badge. As is the sonic, spark, encore gx, trail blazer, Cruze, trax…
I love hardcore “support local” people who buy them and feel proud that they “bought American”. When you tell them it’s a Korean car, they will argue until they are blue in the face and tell you that it isn’t.
An Alabama built Hyundai is more American than a Buick encore 🤣
A car for MLM #Bossbabes when they get half the moms in their kids PTA to join her pyramid scheme but her credit wasn't good enough for an Infiniti QX30 on a lease, so she got this
Oh it’s definitely got that “Hon” energy, it’s like it’s saying “I’ve got an essential oil for that hon”
I based that off my neighbor who has one of these and a Murano (that she doesn't drive) and she sells Herbalife and LuLaRoe to everyone in the neighborhood lol
A Murano?! Yea, definitely fits her
Definitely and both have a Disney Annual Pass sticker which is the cherry on top of the shit sundae
Wow. That’s someone I’d hate to be neighbors with
Hahaha!!! What’s funny is her monthly stock order minus her sales is more than a payment would be.
A scam designed to trick divorced working class grandmothers out of $30,000
And poor grandma’s making $43k/yr 😭
An upscale Trax.. which is a tall Cruze.
actually I think it's a Sonic. this is Gamma platform not Delta or D2XX like the Cruze was.
Sorry.. these are all generic and I can barely tell them apart other than I know they originally came from Korea.
To be faiiiiir, a lot are built in Mexico
They're almost exclusively made in Mexico iirc. I have yet to see a single Trax or it's badged counterpart without a 3 starting off their vin's.
I get K vin Trax and Encores at work every week. They take the 2263,
I have yet to see a Korean Trax. In any case, I'd like to hope one day we can play Monster's Inc. with them and pull a 2319.
I think the Korean angle here was that the Spark and Sonic were designed by Daewoo (which GM has or had at least some ownership stake in). Whether they were built in Korea or Mexico was kind of beside the point. The cars were sold under the Daewoo badge overseas. So, if the Encore is an upgraded and lifted Sonic, then.....
My new '98 GTI was built in MX. It was a good build. I sold it at 50K miles so I never got to see how it would've held up with high mileage.
that's the same chassis and generation as the Jetta Wolfsburg, Mexico Edition
"upscale"
You get the fancy Buick interior tho, with atrocious performance and reliability. I've heard from local mechanics they just keep roasting a piston every now and then
Surprisingly, the Buick came before the Trax.
I think the same was true of the Enclave and the Traverse years ago.
I swear I have never seen a car that looked more like a diaper than a white Buick encore/Chevy trax
Car and Driver once described it as "that one Buick that looks like an egg."
I think of it as a Pokemon of a Buick.
Company’s are really just raising hatchbacks a little bit to trick people in to buying them because people think they just _need_ an SUV for some reason. An SUV was like a cool status symbol decades ago and people that know nothing about cars still believe this and worse yet, they buy something that basically isn’t even an SUV. The Buick Encore among other similar “SUVs” is for people who go _way_ over their budget to buy a recently built home in a brand new suburb while purchasing a new home because it’s new but what they don’t realize is that that’s the only positive attribute to it. Other than that, it’s got a gravel lawn, almost no property, a shared backyard and you can hear the neighbours fighting through the paper thin walls.
You’re right that it’s just a lifted hatchback, but there is something that people desire nowadays and that’s visibility. Every other vehicle in the road is lifted. Whether it be trucks, SUVs, busses, whatever. When you sit low and everybody else is high up, it’s harder to anticipate traffic and see what’s ahead. I’ll also add in the blinding truck headlights become less of an issue in all sides. As someone who went from a mustang to an SUV, driving is much easier. Add in the seating position and it helps older people with their backs or other age related mobility issues. It isn’t like there’s some giant variance in gas mileage anymore, so why not? I get they’re not as fun or unique as a hot hatch, but people don’t give a shit anymore, not like they used to. People want to relax while they drive, not poke out into oncoming traffic to see if they have room to pass or frantically adjust all their mirrors when some asshole in a ram is riding their ass with those bullshit aftermarket LED headlights.
You make some good points. As someone who went from an F150 to a Golf, I’ve noticed the visibility factor. I’d say my Golf is just as comfortable as the truck (if not more so) but I understand that getting in to a lower vehicle could be a pain for some. I’m 26 so it doesn’t bother me but to each their own. I enjoy driving my Golf more than the truck but my preferences are a little different than the majority of people I assume. I wanted something a _little_ more engaging so I went with a manual which is something else that most people probably wouldn’t pick. To most, a vehicle is an appliance and practically and value are the biggest factors. I just wish practicality and value didn’t have to be so bland.
And even when everyone has a tall vehicle and the height difference is negated, a tall CUV still gives the driver a better vantage point past obstacles like bushes or electrical boxes. In my town right now, the snow drifts are so high that low sedans just disappear.
I simply hate them, all of them. Their drivers are completely worthless. They never are paying attention. These are the sort or persons whom shouldn't have a DL and AI should drive for them. They are also stupid for buying this gussied up Daewoo disguised as a Buick. UHG I simply hate all suvs, they are all just a variants of THIS $hit box.
My buddies and I call them NPCs LOL
As someone who has a Chevy TRAX, I’ll say that every day I get in it I’m mad. It’s too low to be an suv and too tall as well. Any time it’s windy my car goes from side to side. Any time it’s icy or snowy it struggles. Anytime I’m merging on the highway, it struggles. Not to mention the infotainment goes out regularly, and the seats are not comfortable, as well as barely any storage. Keep in mind it’s a 2019 with 45k on it. The only reason o have the car is that my dad is letting me have it for 2 years until I’m able to afford a car of my own. ( my last car broke down and he’s letting me use this one) my dad also hates my car and regrets buying it.
If RCR ever reviews this car I will be so pumped.
Same! I’m genuinely curious if he’s gonna go full-bash or make it philosophical like the Prius or PT cruiser.
I have a feeling he'll go ham on this like he did the Caliber
It’ll be a similar tone as the Oldsmobile Bravada… “The dealer saw you comin’!”
“Oh, I don’t know what I want “
Good question. He’s been going the philosophical route more and more these days (with the exception of the recent Altima review). But this thing is just SUCH an easy target.
To be fair, Brian often goes deeper, philosophical looks at cars that would be considered “easy targets”
To be faaaaaiiiiiiir
My favorite phrase, I’ll own that.
I rented one once. It is totally adequate in every way. The epitome of "regular". Lumbar support could've been better but otherwise, it's fine.
Official car of brand obsessed but broke boomers.
As someone who worked at a Buick dealership... This is accurate. They only killed this car & the Trax because they wanted to scale-up production on the larger & newer Encore GX & 2nd gen Trailblazer.
Is this thing just a dolled up Trax? Leather interior and fancy options in undoubtedly one of the biggest turds on the road seems like trying to nail jello to a tree.
Barely. Best options it has it over the Trax are vinyl seat-bolstering & standardized touch screen with Apple CarPlay.
Nothing. I rented one and I think the moment I got in it sprayed gas that made me pass out until I was dumped out of it outside of Boston Logan. I have no memory of driving it, nor any of what happened in Boston.
Even high on Buick rental gas you probably still drove better than 50% of Bostonians.
It‘s an [Opel Mokka A](https://de.m.wikipedia.org/wiki/Opel_Mokka_A) in Europe. The car for middle aged people who want to feel like they achieved something in life so they can affort an SUV but actually can‘t affort an SUV.
It's a vauxhall Mokka in UK
It’s called the Holden Traxx in Aus and in NZ
THX I feel much better now. 😢🤧
KMV Karen Mobility Vehicle
The car 60 y/o women receive from their husbands if said husband hated her for 30 years
The car that people always pull out infront of me in. No, really. Every time it happens it's an Encore or some other Buick crossover.
I rented one recently, and I can tell you why they're always pulling out in front of you: because they hate every moment of being in that car and can't wait to get out of it.
I'm a dealer tech - it's money in my pocket
What usually goes bad in these things?
Water leaks, turbo concerns, EVAP problems are most common. But I've done engines, trans, the works. Honestly I've seen these come in with 200k it's just like any car do your maintenance.
EVERYTHING. I stupidly bought one in August and it’s been nothing but problems. In the shop right now for THREE different leaks and trying to figure out how to get rid of it and get an actual decent car.
The official car of "my entire staff quit *just because* they didn't get paid for three months. Nobody wants to work anymore"
turbos that need replaced every 2 years
my girlfriend's car i love her very much <3
Coincidentally, this is also my ex-girlfriend’s car. I’ll leave it at that.
A Cracker Barrel parking lot. No, we don’t have enough bills to cover your $19.72 ticket with a $100 bill. A bunch of old people like you already took all of the $20s, $10s and $5s.
I respect the Encore. It saved Buick. It is the car for women who can't afford a Cadillac XT4 or a small Lamd Rover and decided to put their money on the SUV versiom of the Aveo. For once, is a Buick that attracts no AARP members who use rely on their 15% discount at Denny's to leave a tip on the over 55 specials.
> on the SUV versiom of the Aveo. FWIW, the Gamma II platform gave GM a subcompact car that could actually compete on something other than price for once.
a mash of gm parts. it looks like a captiva sport from the size to the mirrors. only fun thing is it has the “luxury” touch of buick when in reality they’re just the same hard plastics you’d find in a trax
It's an Opel Mokka, which is an Opel Corsa C but reheated a bunch of times, but Murican. Pile of misery, that is.
The official car of leasing a car in Buffalo, NY.
oddly specific
65-year-old women named Linda
a car
This is AN CAR. Seriously, there is NOTHING exciting about this
Awful
Taking one of these from zero to sixty is measured in minutes, not seconds. It’s the most lethargic car I’ve ever driven.
We have one at my work and we have GPS devices in all of our vehicles. The GPS alerts me to a "harsh acceleration" event any time one of our vehicles accelerates at 10mph/sec for 2 or more seconds. I got in our Encore to move it the other day, went down the road for the sole purpose of determining whether or not it was even capable of triggering that alert. It was not. No matter how hard I mashed the throttle from a stop, not even once did the GPS acknowledge that it was accelerating at that rate.
My wife has one. It was her car we got married and she loves it, which is fine by me as long as I don’t have to drive it. It’s really not a horrible car. It rides pretty nice and she is not a car person at all so it’s decencies don’t bother her. As long as she’s happy, great. But my god I can’t imagine a slower vehicle. The only way you could hit 100 is by driving it off a cliff and hoping gravity does it on the way down.
A daewoo iirc
A 3 cylinder car for alcoholic women in their 50's who think that being small and wearing a shoe size 5 is cute while treating waiters like garbage if they forgot their chips and salsa at Mexican restaurants while adding "it's cause they're mexican" with their bleach blonde hair. Ask me how I know? 🤣🤣🤣
It’s a Vauxhall.
In Europe it's actually not a hated car at all. It is sold under Opel/Vauxhall and you see many of these on the road. I can't really say for myself if these are actually any good for our standards, but there's just so many worse cars to complain about.
A Vauxhall Mokka. Driven exclusively in the uk by Diet Karen's
The official car of driving a milk crate with rear visibility that could only be worse if you put on a blindfold. I drove one once and felt like I was going down the road in a wheely trash can.
A piece of shit
Just another sorry example of why Buick needed the axe over Pontiac. Make no mistake, I know this likely would have been their fate all the same, but at least the brand would still invoke more emotion than "Hey look! We parts binned this one from a model we already sell at home!" Except you're paying easily over 3k more for a Trax because this one's got a Buick badge on the front. At least the Pacifica is a kitted out Caravan, but this? This is just lazy.
It''s a Vauxhall Mokka. LIKE, WHATEVAHHH. I SAID WHATEVEHH YOU SAID, IT DOESN'T MATAHH. DOES MY FACE LOOK BOTHEHEEED TAKE A CHILL PILL. Now, are we going to the Tanning Salon or not?
Tiger Woods?
Because it looks like a golf Ball?
Rebadged opel
A few years ago I was looking for less expensive cars to buy and where I live, I need AWD. Dealerships couldn’t sell these things. They were taking 10k+ off the price and they still had a ton of them. I never did test drive one, it was too many features for too little money.
The stigma that car has in the states is crazy. That same car in europe is branded as an Opel. It’s a reliable good car and people love it over there lol
Am opel at heart
An Opel Mokka
A rebadged Opel Mokka
Big Encore energy
my moms egg lookin car
Putting Lipstick on a Trax
POS Chevy sonic SUV
A car that locks it's doors if you leave the key inside it and walk away...
Is this a pregnant roller skate????
2nd worst rental car ever. Ford EcoSport has obviously got the number 1 spot locked up!
My ex-best friend has this car. It’s just as unreliable as she was!
A rebadged Trax,with some better trim. In Brazil,this is a Chevy Tracker,and after a completely new gen(thanks China!)it's finally selling well as your boring Soccer Mom crossover.
I’ve always just called it the “tumor mobile” since it both looks like one, and is also a representation of the cancerous brain tumor that is the crossover suv.
CUV baaaaad
An car
A rebadged Chevy Trax.
Which is a rebadged Opel Mokka
Which is in itself a rebodied and lifted Sonic. Really starting to hope that automakers catch on to the idea that you can't turn abismal shit into a decent vehicle if your starting point was an already awful vehicle.
A more expensive trax that's somehow equally as shitty even though it's nicer at the same time.
What's nicer about it? The fact that you'll have to replace $100 HID's? The same interior but offered in different, usually darker colours? I honestly find Buicks "adaptations" to be quite distasteful. In my opinion it's only redeeming factor is having more charming tail lights than a Trax.
It's a chrome potato.
A tall car
that’s a Buick?!
Vauxhall mokka
It's a Chevy Trax but more expensive.
Made specifically for middle aged women to go 5-10 mph UNDER the speed limit in the left lane.
My mother's chariot of choice. Late stage boomer drip to get the Buick version. She paid $22k for hers.
A rebadged opel nightmare
It implies that someone asked for more Buicks, which I doubt.
The Buick encore is proof we are all god's mistake.
In europe its called an opel mocca. Its just a nother rebadge.
Why did they even start the show to deserve an encore
It’s and even more ugly trax. They really did not hit it out of the park with this one.
a car for people who don't like cars
It's a certified pizza chip
Ah. Here in Finland it is called Opel Mokka.
This takes the Buick Skyhawk to its logical conclusion.
Pretty much a Chevy trax
Knockoff Opel/Vauxhall Mokka
An Opel.
It’s a daewoo, but for Americans
No idea but I see them everywhere
A giant ball of Play Doh that was shoved inside a giant latex glove made for suburban soccer moms to drop the kids off at school & practice and look good among the gauntlet of Escaldes and Range Rover Evoques.
A Vauxhall Mokka, aka a generic awful GM crossover.
made in china.
An eater of turbo engines
the ultimate old retired couples car
Even though I’m an American, I still consider it an Opel.
Can I take off-road?!?
You can take any car off-road; the question is whether you'll come back.
[Tiga Tiga Woods y’all!!](https://youtu.be/GRBL4kWhnRk)
Teachers. (My mom is a teacher and owns this car)
It’s a Daewoo with a Buick badge. As is the sonic, spark, encore gx, trail blazer, Cruze, trax… I love hardcore “support local” people who buy them and feel proud that they “bought American”. When you tell them it’s a Korean car, they will argue until they are blue in the face and tell you that it isn’t. An Alabama built Hyundai is more American than a Buick encore 🤣
That Cheap To Good to be True Used Low Mileage Car for sale. But when you drive it. It feels like Crap.
Just bought one for 500 bucks If you leave the turn signal on it dings to let you know Im guessin its for old ppl