Category: Economy Cars

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Pros: Compelling design; ample space for the segment; quiet and refined driving experience; punchy and efficient engine; well-equipped; low price

Cons: All-wheel drive not available; armrests are a bit hard

The Buick Envista was arguably the most surprising new vehicle released last year. Both because we weren’t expecting it to be so wildly impressive and competitive, but because it legitimately surprised people when they found out what it was and how much it costs. We had multiple bystanders guess our test car cost $60,000 or even $80,000, and we agree it looks expensive. Thing is, our Sport Touring test car only went for about $30,000 and wasn’t even the top of the line. That’s very competitively priced for the subcompact segment, and moreover, you get a lot for your money – besides tricking folks into thinking you have a much higher car payment.

The 2025 Buick Envista boasts one of the biggest back seats and cargo areas in its segment, allowing it to be one of the more family friendly options. Its interior is well equipped, looks almost as good as the exterior, and has technology that’s attractive to look at and easy to use. Its tiny turbocharged engine also punches above its weight class by feeling quicker than its rather meager specs would indicate while delivering excellent fuel economy. The overall driving experience is awfully refined, too.

Cons? Well, if you have a lead foot, the engine will eventually run out of steam if you accelerate aggressively. All-wheel drive is also not available, and a few hard plastic interior surfaces betray the overall premium allusion. None of that prevents us from making the 2025 Buick Envista an Editor’s Pick. This is a thoughtfully engineered, designed and packaged small SUV that shows you don’t have to pay a lot to get a lot.

Interior & Technology    |   Passenger & Cargo Space    |   Performance & Fuel Economy

What it's like to drive    |   Pricing & Trim Levels    |   Crash Ratings & Safety Features

What's new for 2025?

Rear parking sensors are now standard on all trims, while remote ignition is standard on the Preferred and Sport Touring. The Sunrise Red option is no more, and you can no longer get Copper Ice Metallic on the Sport Touring – that’s the color-trim combo shown above, so don’t fall in love with it, K? The rest of the car carries over unchanged for 2025.

What are the Envista interior and in-car technology like?

There is lots of hard plastic inside the Envista, most notably on the doors. If that bothers you, it’ll probably be hard to find anything new at this price point. Otherwise, the Envista’s cabin is an attractive and user-friendly space. The Sport Touring’s leatherette seating (pictured) or the Avenir’s leather certainly maximize the Envista’s “It costs how much?” wow factor, though, especially with their dash-top pleather trim and contrast stitching.

We appreciate that Buick kept things simple in key places, such as its traditional shifter and physical buttons/knobs for the climate controls. Yet, the cabin’s showpiece is clearly the pair of displays encased in one curved housing. It looks expensive, and the screen graphics back it up. The all-digital instruments in particular are classy in appearance and simply provide the information you need (although the trip computer info being in the touchscreen is bound to confuse some at first). The 11-inch touchscreen is larger than most in the segment and is powered by a less feature-rich version of  GM’s Android-based infotainment system. It doesn’t do that much, but the radio controls look good and are well laid out, the menu icons remain docked on the left side of the screen at all times, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard. Wireless charging is available on all trims.

How big is the Envista?

The Envista has roughly the same length and wheelbase as a  Honda CR-V, but it’s ultimately in the next segment down (subcompact) because its rakish roofline significantly diminishes its total interior volume, especially in terms of cargo. Importantly, its price tag is more in line with subcompacts.

In practice, this means it has an abundance of rear seat legroom for the segment. A 6-foot-3 person was able to still fit back there with the driver seat set for himself, while there was plenty of room for the passenger seat to be scooted up out of the reach of a kicking toddler’s shoes. Headroom definitely is less than boxy compact SUVs, but the hair of that same 6-foot-3 person wasn’t grazing the roof.

Cargo space does indeed suffer because of the roofline. A rigid cargo cover and a lack of a dual-level cargo floor (as most competitors offer) do hamper its space and versatility as well. Nevertheless, we found that once you chuck that cargo cover,  the Envista was better able to carry our standard allotment of cargo test suitcases  than everything in its segment save  the Bronco Sport,  VW Taos  and  Kia Seltos  (in that order). That includes its mechanically related cousin, the Chevy Trax, that actually has a higher on-paper cargo volume (the Envista’s cargo area is longer, which turns out to be more beneficial for stuffing in luggage than the Trax’s extra height). Pretty great for something that looks so sleek.

What are the Envista fuel economy and performance specs?

Every Envista has the same powertrain, and there are no options. A 1.2-liter turbocharged inline-three sends 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque through a six-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is mandatory; all-wheel drive is not an option.

EPA-estimated  fuel economy  is 28 mpg city, 32 mpg highway and 30 mpg combined. We were seeing similar fuel economy during our 300-plus miles behind the wheel. This is better fuel economy than most in the segment, although admittedly not by a lot.

What's the Envista like to drive?

Look at the above specs. They sound lame, right?  Three  cylinders? 137 horsepower?  Six-speed automatic? We didn’t even mention that the 0-60-mph sprint is somewhere in the 9s, making it one of the slowest cars in the segment and on the road, period. The thing is, you’d never know it by driving it. This is a good powertrain that’s been thoughtfully applied to this car to simultaneously assure a low price, good fuel economy and elevated refinement.

It starts with the engine itself. Forget the horsepower – those 162 pound-feet of torque come on early at 2,500 rpm, ensuring a punchy power delivery around town and when jumping into a faster lane of traffic. That six-speed automatic may sound antiquated, but it’s quick to respond and is more likely to find itself in the right gear (unlike eight-, nine- or 10-speed units), doesn’t stutter to engage (unlike a DCT) and doesn’t depressingly drone (unlike a CVT). Meanwhile, it still manages 30 mpg combined. Then there’s the ample sound deadening that reduces whatever racket that little triple-cylinder makes down to a pleasant muffled snarl. Basically, this car doesn’t feel slow and it sounds refined.

The accolades don’t stop there. We logged plenty of highway time and came away thoroughly impressed by the quiet noise levels, comfortable and well-composed ride, just-right steering effort, and comfortable driver seat. Our Sport Touring test car did come with the optional Watts linkage rear suspension upgrade that comes standard on the Avenir trim and is unavailable on the base Preferred. We have not tested the base suspension, so we don’t know just how much more comfortable and composed the upgrade makes the Envista, but given the car’s strong overall value, seeking a so-upgraded trim level seems like a good idea.

What other Buick Envista reviews can I read?

Buick Envista Avenir Interior Review

Get a closer look at the top-of-the-line Envista trim level, which ups the ante in terms of interior materials and ambience.

Buick Envista Luggage Test

Take a deep dive into the real-world capacity of the Envista's cargo area. It's better than we were expecting. 

Buick Envista Cupholder Mega Test

And now for the ultimate challenge: a jumbo Nalgene bottle!

Buick Envista First Drive Review: Budget belle

Our first time with the Envista, including information about its engineering and design.

What is the 2025 Envista price and where is it made?

The Envista is built in Bupyeong Gu, South Korea. Pricing starts at $22,900, but we didn’t know the destination charge for 2025 at the time of this writing. It was $1,095 last year. Assuming it stays relatively consistent, the overall base price is right in the heart of the subcompact SUV segment. If you’re simply prioritizing max passenger space in this price range, the base Envista Preferred would be a good choice.

The Sport Touring ($24,700 before destination) gets sharper looks and an upgraded interior with leatherette upholstery, plus access to the Experience Buick package that adds the Watts link suspension upgrade and 19-inch wheels. Otherwise, the same worthwhile Convenience package upgrades are available on both Preferred and Sport Touring: the Convenience I package (a power driver seat, heated front seats and steering wheel, proximity entry, remote ignition), the Convenience II package (power liftgate, auto wipers, wireless phone charging). 

All that optional content is standard on the Avenir pictured below ($28,600 before destination), which also gains leather upholstery, a rear center armrest, and various design/ambiance upgrades. Every Envista is available with the same package of driver assistance tech features described in the section below.

What are the Envista safety ratings and driver assistance features?

Every 2025 Envista comes standard with forward collision warning with automatic emergency  braking  and front pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist and rear parking sensors. The Advanced Safety package available on all trims adds blind-spot and rear-cross-traffic warning and adaptive cruise control.

The Envista still had not been crash tested by a third party at the time of this writing.