2013 Buick Encore Subcompact Luxury Crossover Video Review

The combination of the words Buick and "subcompact crossover" could cause your brain to go haywire if you try to think about it. Luckily, Buick has fried their brains for you and created a subcompact crossover that fits the brand's mold called the Encore.

The Encore features a lot of Buick's design DNA with a waterfall grille, portholes on the front hood, and blue tinting on the front headlights. The back end has sculpted taillights and a chrome-tipped exhaust. Inside, the Encore comes with distinctive two-tone leather upholstery and Buick's Intellilink infotainment system that provides a variety of services such as navigation and Pandora internet radio. The Encore also features Buick's Quiet Tuning which provides passengers one of the most quiet rides in the class.

Powering the Encore is a small 1.4L turbocharged four-cylinder with 138 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic is the sole transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard, while all-wheel drive is available. The EPA rates the 2013 Buick Encore at 25 City/33 Highway/28 Combined for the front-wheel model and 23 City/30 Highway/26 Combined for the all-wheel drive model.

Pricing for the 2013 Buick Encore starts at $24,950 for the base model with front-wheel drive and climbs to $30,440 for the Encore equipped with the Premium Group and all-wheel drive. Competitors to the Encore include the Volkswagen Tiguan and Nissan Juke.