So My Wife Really Likes These

"Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast" (danimalk)
04/09/2019 at 12:50 • Filed to: Wife Car Search, Help

We’ve driven a few now and it should serve her well but...

I’m not 100% sold. She’s coming from a 2010 Equinox (2.4) that she likes a lot but feels is too “loud and rough” for her new sales job which requires more time in the car driving. Better economy would be nice too.

Made her check out all the competition over the last 2 weeks. Mazda CX3/CX5, CRV/HRV, Rogue/Juke Terrain, Trax, Santa Fe/Tuscon/Sportage. Even some bigger sedans like the Lacrosse, 300, Accord.

(Yes, even the Regal TourX, but she vetoed the wagon as my heart was broken)

She liked and disliked various things about most of them. (I can give more details if you’re interested, just ask below)

She liked the Buick! The Encore is surprisingly quiet on the inside and very smooth (soft) over bumps. She, unlike us Oppos, is looking for basically a sensory deprivation chamber on wheels. She’s not a fan of most leathers so prefers a more premium feeling cloth seat. Interior on the Encore is somewhat tight compared to the others, but she never really uses all the space in her current ‘Nox so smaller should work for her.

She likes Deep Azure Metallic, and I’m pushing for the Sport Touring trim for these wheels and slightly higher HP, 1.4 Turbo engine. Lots of deals out there.

Anybody know about the engine in these? I have a Sonic with GM’s 1.4T, but this one has an optional 1.4 SIDI engine with more power and start/stop tech. The power/torque increase is tempting, but I don’t like that start/stop stuff. Should I go for the newer 1.4 with more power or the older 1.4 from the Cruze/Sonic?

So, I know it’s out of your comfort zone Opponauts, but any thoughts? I’m open to all feedback. The car is for a non-Oppo, so i wont be offended, haha!

I like the CX-3 the most, but my wife felt it was too stiff and low for what she wants. It was, but that was exactly why I liked it the most. The CX5 was my runner up, but the interior gets pretty cheap if you want cloth and don’t get the higher trim levels.

DISCUSSION (40)

HondoyotaE38: A Japanese and German Collab...wait a minute > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast
04/09/2019 at 12:52

Why not CR-V/HR-V tho

Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast > HondoyotaE38: A Japanese and German Collab...wait a minute
04/09/2019 at 12:56

So we drove these back to back with everything else. The CRV was noticeably louder inside that some of the others, maybe even louder than her current Equinox. A nd my wife wasn’t a fan of the HRV seating position. Like the CX3, it’s more reclined, and car-like VS the more upright position in the Buick.

Remember, she’s not one of us hahaha

Chariotoflove > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast
04/09/2019 at 12:57

She likes the Buick for what Buick does best. I don’t think there are too many small cars that equal the quiet you can get in a Verano, or apparently one of these. I too got my wife to try the CX-5, but she didn’t like it. That was when I realized I should just let her find what she wants.

I think the increased power will serve her well for passing and on ramps. I say l et her drive one with the start/stop and decide if it bothers her.

TysMagic > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast
04/09/2019 at 12:57

I like these. I know that’s very much not oppo

Did y’all check out the Lincoln MKC? My wife had one and loved it. For sensory deprivation , it was extremely quiet inside and easy to drive.

MrSnrub > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast
04/09/2019 at 13:00

If sensory deprivation is what you’re looking for the Encore is one of the better choices, if only because most other subcompact SUVs are pretty noisy.

If you’re also looking at the next size up , what about the current Equinox? They’re supposed to be pretty decent in terms of NVH from what I’ve heard.

TheRealBicycleBuck > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast
04/09/2019 at 13:04

Sensory deprivation is exactly what my wife prefers too. She selected an Explorer, but that may be quite a bit bigger than what you want.

Highlander-Datsuns are Forever > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast
04/09/2019 at 13:05

I don’t get the lifted mini-crossover thing at all, 10/10 would just buy a nice sedan like a Camry or Mazda3/6 .

Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast > TysMagic
04/09/2019 at 13:05

You know, we didn’t drive that one, but that’s probably a good option to try. We did see some Cadillac/Lexus options, but ironically enough, she felt they were old people cars.

“But you’re fine with Buick??” I said.

“Yes.”, she answered. So that’s that, I guess. Buick m arketing m ust be working.

Not sure if she has preconceived impressions of Lincoln though. We did try the big sedan (MKZ I think?) But that thing felt so small inside for how big it was, she said no as soon as she sat down in it.

I’ll look for a MKC nearby though, Thanks!

Chuckles > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast
04/09/2019 at 13:09

If your wife loves the Encore, best thing to do is get her an Encore.

I don’t hate these things. I daily a Fiat 500, and when I’m stuck in traffic next to an Encore it feels like a larger, more comfortable and refined version of what I’m driving. And that blue is nice.

Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!! > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast
04/09/2019 at 13:18

Wow, that is a stubby little thing in profile! It’s almost Smart car like in propo rtion. I kinda like it.

The best advice I’ll give you is this. Do not influence your wife’s car buying decision. Get what she likes, otherwise you’ll just hear the complaining and have to get her something new in short order. I took a bath on a new 2008 Malibu that I liked and my wife apparently did not even though she never voiced that opinion at purchase time. Never again. I don’t even test drive a car until she’s narrowed it down and decided what she likes.

punkgoose17 > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast
04/09/2019 at 13:26

The Buick Encore is the right choice for comfort. Another option would be the Buick Verano which was produced through 2016. From what I read about the Encore is it is slow, so I would test drive the more powerful stop start version to see if you both like it.

Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast > Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!!
04/09/2019 at 13:35

This is literally our story with her current Equinox and exactly why I had her go see so many options.

We should be ok money-wise, but still...

412GTI > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast
04/09/2019 at 13:40

My boss picked up one of these earlier in the year and I spend a decent bit of time in it. I can’t hate it, for being a sub-compact SUV, they really do have a nice relaxed driving experience.

However, I don’t know if I would say it’s a great long distance vehicle. The seats are very narrow and not the softest. They bother me after awhile and I’m not a large guy. Def make sure she takes a long drive or even over night before purchasing. Also, the passenger seat doesn’t have an armrest. I wouldn’t pay 25k for a car with no passenger armrest.

Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast > MrSnrub
04/09/2019 at 13:43

Good call. Was going to mention that. We had a current one as a rental for a few days and while it was totally fine, there was nothing that really surprised us or impressed us too much. It just felt like a newer version of what we have and that’s also totally fine, but I think im my wife’s case, the newness of different brand and size segment make the encore seem more exciting or something.

One of our cheapest options was actually the refreshed version of the last gen equinox we have but with the V6. My wife liked the V6, but it was just the same beside that so she wasn’t really as interested. If the current Nox had a V6? Might be a stronger maybe

Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast > Chariotoflove
04/09/2019 at 13:49

It’s the newness of the start stop that has me worried, I guess. This platforms is at the end of its life so I’d hope the rest of it is pretty sorted out. Which also l eans me towards the older engine.

Wh at didnt your wife like about the CX5? What generation/year were you looking at?

Carbon Fiber Sasquatch > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast
04/09/2019 at 13:51

Your wife would probably get along with mine as we did the same thing 2 years ago. Sport Touring is the way to go as it’s the cheapest trim with the upgraded engine and remote start. We love it, it’s had no issues so far.

We're giving it back at the end of the lease though as it's too small for our needs currently. Really, that's our only complaint.

MrSnrub > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast
04/09/2019 at 14:05

The Equinox does have a 2.0L turbo available which should be pretty quick, but I get what you mean about the newness factor. Honestly the Encor e is perfectly fine as a non-Oppo car, my only problem with it is that it’s a bit slow and not as fuel-efficient as it should be (no better than the next size up anyway).

Eury - AFRICA TWIN!!!!!!! > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast
04/09/2019 at 14:08

Oof. Sorry to hear it. That was an expensive lesson for me.

Ash78, voting early and often > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast
04/09/2019 at 14:15

I don’t have road experience in the Encore, but in general short wheelbase vehicles can suck on a lot of highways. It depends heavily on the road surface, tramlines, expansion joints, etc -- but my experience is ALMOST always that SWB is more fatiguing than LWB.

Great for around-town handling, though. I’d consider the next size up just because it’s so much more vehicle for only a little extra cash (eg Equinox).

Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast > MrSnrub
04/09/2019 at 14:22

Modern f uel economy was an eye- opener for my wife. She wanted a higher driving position, but said a sedan could work if it got better fuel economy, which is why we checked some of those out .

Well , pretty much everything we looked at was within 3 mpg of each other, including the sedans. So, she saw no reason to compro mise on the lower seating position. It didn’ t help she liked the larger sedans, but most vehicles really do get pretty good/the same economy these days.

nerd_racing > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast
04/09/2019 at 14:33

They remind me of lifted previous gen Mazda 2s. Which means I like the way they look. Handling wise, not so much. Maybe get one, lower it, and give it some slightly stiffer suspension?

Chariotoflove > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast
04/09/2019 at 15:10

It was the 2015. I think it was a little loud and rough, but mostly it was just how it felt, especially the seating position. Being able to slide in easily and get a comfortable posture was key because of her muscle and joint pain from the rheumatoid arthritis. By contrast, when she sat in a Sedona, she said it felt like a glove that just fitted her perfectly. It’s funny because she’d never owned anything that big before.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast
04/09/2019 at 16:05

My wife and I looked at a top trim CX-5 and loved it, especially the interior, but I’m a little saddened to hear the cloth version sucks. If the turbo version of the CX-5 was available when we purchased, we probably would have gotten that. She was in an accident last fall and her hand-me-down 2004 Lexus RX330 was totaled. We weren’t necessarily looking for something that fancy, but we wanted something at least a little upscale - leather, heated seats, etc.

Regarding the 1.4T engine, I have a 2012 Cruze that has the “ old” LUV/Family 0/A14NET 1.4L turbo engine and I’m not a fan. It was great when I got it, and it’s awesome with a Trifecta tune, but reliability in the long run has been a wful. At 134k miles I’ve had to put on a new turbo, new water pump, new radiator end tanks , new intake cam VVT solenoid, 2 valve covers and 1 intake manifold. The turbo mostly affects older 1.4 cars , but the other stuff is fair game for all 1st gen 1.4L engines. T he PCV system is the worst - on this engine it’s a system of 3 valves built into the intake manifold, turbo inlet, and valve cover. The v alve cover valve can fail on it’s own , or if the intake or turbo inlet valve fail they eventually cause the valve cover valve to fail too. And being built in, you have to replace the entire component - intake manifolds are about $155, valve covers about $60, and turbo inlet tubes are about $50.

H owever, around 2015 or 2016 GM switched to the LE2/ SGE/B14XFT (Small Gasoline Engine) in all their small cars (Cruze, Sonic, Encore, etc.). This is a global common engine design that shares virtually nothing with the older engine . It’s all aluminum, has direct injection, etc. It’s a much better engine in every regard, and as far as I know doesn’t have the annoying PCV issue. I don’t own a car with this engine so I am not an expert, but I haven’t heard anything negative about them compared to the 1st gen 1.4 engines. Also, I’m pretty sure the Start/Stop can be disabled if you don’t like it.

Also, if your wife wants something upscale, we ended up purchasing a GMC Terrain Denali and my wife absolutely loves it. It’s a very handsome car, especially in the S teel M etallic color we got, she gets lots of compliments on it. And the Denali is their upscale trim, it’s basically equivalent to the top Buick or Cadillac. Honestly I think the CX-5 top trim interior is as nice, maybe even slightly nicer, but the Terrain rides and runs great, and that 262 HP turbo 4 is awesome and gets good gas mileage. Also, not a concern for you, but we’d been thinking about getting a truck as a 3rd vehicle before her accident, but with that idea dashed I got a 4x8 utility trailer and the Terrain is rated to tow up to 3500lbs with the towing package so now it does just about anything I’d need a truck for.

And right now it looks like GM, or at least Buick, is doing their financing discount, up to 16% off if you finance through GM. We did that with our Terrain, it was $42k sticker and combined with some other incentives we were out the door for I think around $36k. The interest rate wasn’t great, but I kept the loan for 3 months so the dealer would get his kick-back from GMC (I actually like this dealer a lot) , and then went to our Credit Union. They will extend “New Car” interest rates on used or re-financed new cars as long as they are under 6 months old and 7500 miles. So it was a win for everybody!

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast
04/09/2019 at 16:12

I can’t get over the proportions of “sub-compact CUVS” makes me thing that Honda needs a new AWD Wagovan. Which would actually just be an AWD Fit.

Khalbali > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast
04/09/2019 at 16:17

I like these a lot, always have. Never driven one though, and I like Buicks in general, but a sensory deprivation pod on wheels sounds more appealing every day.

Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast > Snuze: Needs another Swede
04/09/2019 at 17:21

This is a great write-up thanks! Do you have a link or something to more info on the pre/ post engines you mention ? I have a 2013 Sonic and they changed the PCV valve, so I’m somewhat familiar . They covered changing my leaky water pump, but so far so good on the Turbo /radiator. What happened to yours? Do you think it was tun e related ?

I def have the earlier one, but I’d like more specifics on the changes. I d on’t think the Sonic ever got the more powerful one, but the Cruze and this Buick did.

She tried t he Terrain, but foun d it a bit big feeling. I really like the CX5 we checked out but it was a little pricey. If you get the cloth seats all the cool HVAC trim is missing and back to a cheap rubber steering wheel.

And yeah the financing deal is nice. There are some new $ 30k Encores listed for nearl y $20k with incentives. We might wait a little bit longer and see if there are better deals towards the end of the year. There should be an all new Encore on the way for 2020, so we might snatch a leftover 20 19 even cheaper if we can find them.

nermal > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast
04/09/2019 at 17:30

Add a Toyota Avalon and a Subaru Crosstrek to the shopping list.

The Toyota is the perfect road-warrior-sales vehicle. The Crosstrek is slow but everybody that buys one loves it.

Snuze: Needs another Swede > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast
04/09/2019 at 17:37

If you want some basic info, Wikipedia has some decent knowledge on the Family 0 and SGE . Beyond that, I would say head over to the Cruzetalk forum and look in the Gen II section for information on the newer SGE . As far as I know it’s the most active forum for GMs small cars currently.

Regarding your Sonic, if you have a 2013 you should be safe from turbocharger woes. I don’t think it’s tune related. It’s a casting defect that causes the wastegate actuator to bind up and renders it unable to control boost. It only affects 2011 and 2012 cars, and it’s happened on stock cars as well as tuned ones . Luckily mine failed about 2k miles and 2 months before my warranty was up so I was able to get GM to replace it. They covered the cam solenoid while they were in there. So not all that that expense was on me, but its still a hassle to be without my car, and also makes me leery of trusting it.

Regarding the Terrain, was it a 2018/19? The previous Terrains were on the Theta platform which was a bit bigger, but the 2018+ moved to the new D2XX platform which is an update to the Delta, which underpins the Cruze amongst other things . T hough both are still bigger than the Encore. I also just realized the Encore is a Gamma II , the same platform as your Sonic. It’s like... a Super Sonic! (sorry... couldn’t resist)

Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
04/09/2019 at 17:39

They would tell you they already sell an AWD Fit

Kinja'd!!!

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast
04/09/2019 at 17:41

It’s not the saaaame. The HRV has less cargo space, and much smaller windows.

TysMagic > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast
04/09/2019 at 17:45

MKZ is the “mid size” fusion based sedan. Continental is the big boy again. We only had it because I worked for Ford at the time otherwise it would never be on the radar. Lincoln is really doing great stuff in a very low key way. You can go full on black label and drop over $50k on a fancy escape, but the mid to even entry trip is a lot of bang for your buck.

Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast > Snuze: Needs another Swede
04/09/2019 at 17:50

Cool man, thanks! It was a 2018 Terrain.

I think her size comment stemmed more from how it felt vs physical dimension. Compared to others we drove, it had a higher feeling belt-line that made you (her) feel shorter inside. She didn’t dig the more “rugged, chunky” looking interior design after driving more elegant looking Buicks and Mazdas.

“I also just realized the Encore is a Gamma II, the same platform as your Sonic.”

“Super Sonic” is exactly how I described it to her, haha. We might even trade my Sonic for it (hatchback for hatchback) and I keep the Equinox as my daily... Then I can save for our fun, impractical Oppo-friendly third car. ;)

Let’s just say I’m keeping an eye on the used Miata RF market as well. I do really like the short ratio trans on the Sonic, though.

404 - User No Longer Available > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
04/09/2019 at 17:57

This is probably closer, and yes it’s available with AWD. Just not sold here.

Kinja'd!!!

HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles > 404 - User No Longer Available
04/09/2019 at 19:07

I NEED THAT

404 - User No Longer Available > HFV has no HFV. But somehow has 2 motorcycles
04/09/2019 at 19:27

They’re everywhere in Hong Kong, lol.

wafflesnfalafel > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast
04/09/2019 at 19:51

T hose little Buicks a really pretty decent looking and if she’s looking for quiet/ride out of a subcompact CUV then that’s probably the one to get.

BaconSandwich is tasty. > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast
04/09/2019 at 22:58

I swear every single one of these I've seen has been driven by a middle aged woman.

Tapas > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast
04/10/2019 at 03:40

Im sorry, but this is grounds for divorce.

Tapas > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast
04/10/2019 at 03:42

Well, they couldn’t make Honda Fats or a HR-Ps (Herpes) so we have HR-Vs

fhrblig > Danimalk - Drives a Slow Car Fast
05/27/2019 at 10:17

I actually like the Encore, but if I were you I’d tell her to take it on an extended test drive that includes freeway on ramps. They feel a tad underpowered sometimes.

Personally I like the Sportage the best out of all the compact CUVs. And let me put on my flamesuit for this one... I like the Ford EcoSport too.