2013 Buick Encore to Debut at $24,200

At this stage in the game, the number of compact premium crossovers available in this country is fairly small, but so is the price tag for GM’s first foray into the segment: The 2013 Buick Encore will be priced from $24,200 when it arrives at dealerships early next year, although that’s before a $750 destination charge. Still, it makes a nice first impression for Buick, with particularly high level of standard equipment, along with the best fuel economy of any front-wheel-drive, automatically transmissioned domestic crossover in America.

Which is why Buick’s vice president of Marketing, Tony DiSalle, can confidently report that:  “Encore opens the Buick brand to new groups of customers with a compelling blend of luxury, utility and efficiency. Its versatile shape, agile size and available all-wheel drive invite owners to live active lifestyles while enjoying Buick’s signature style, comfort and refinement.”

 Dealers will be offering the 2013 Buick Encore in four increasingly well-equipped trim levels:

• Encore—With a price of admission that begins at $24,200, all Encores come standard with a QuietTuned cabin that’s been enhanced by Bose Active Noise Cancellation, premium infotainment technologies including Buick’s IntelliLink connectivity tool and a display audio system with seven-inch high-resolution screen, Bluetooth phone and audio-streaming capabilities, a rearview camera, 10 airbags, and 18-inch wheels. Also standard: EPA marks of up to 25 mpg city/33 mpg highway/28 mpg combined.
• Encore with Convenience Group—Upgraded with amenities like a dual-zone climate system, auto-dimming rearview mirror, remote start, fog lights and a 120-volt in-cabin outlet, the Encore’s MSRP rises to $25,710.
• Encore with Leather Group—This package adds a comfortable and elegant leather interior to the Encore, welcoming leather-trimmed upholstery, heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, a power-adjustable front-passenger seat and memory functionality for the driver’s already-standard power-adjustable throne. The price tag here comes to $26,710.
• Encore with Premium Group—For $28,190, the range-topper then supplies front and rear park-assist tech, forward collision alert, lane-departure warning, rain-sensing wipers, a cargo net and mat, and a premium audio setup from Bose, with seven speakers that include a subwoofer.

Key options available on the 2013 Buick Encore include all-wheel drive, navigation and a sunroof.

Now, I wasn’t kidding up above when I intimated that the 2013 Buick Encore is among the first compact premium crossovers to hit the U.S. marketplace. Buick itself claims that the MINI Countryman S and Volkswagen Tiguan are the Encore’s “direct import competition,” but the former is almost seven inches shorter than Encore and the latter is six inches longer. In addition, the Countryman is a crossover only in the loosest of terms, while the only other folks who consider VW a premium automaker likely get their paychecks directly from Wolfsburg. Nonetheless, here’s a quick comparison of those two products with the Encore, and I’ve also tossed in the Audi A3 as another option. (The four-rings brand is expected to launch the Audi Q3 in America, and that will be an excellent match for the Encore as far as size goes, but it won’t land here until 2014.)

And while the Encore may seem a bit underpowered compared to this crew, Buick’s marketing mavens would no doubt say it delivers a better mix of fuel economy, value, versatility and standard content than the other trio—and they’d be right.