The Encore only saw one generation during its life, but some of the more recent models brought great features. When this generation first hit the road, it came in 4 trims, with two drivetrains, and one engine. The trims you can find are the Base, Convenience, Leather, and Premium, while the drivetrains are FWD and AWD. The engine that you can find from this time is the 1.4L I4, able to produce 128 horsepower.
This engine is surprisingly efficient, having an EPA-rated 28 MPG combined, able to go 392 miles in total. If you want something efficient and won’t cost a lot, this will be one you want to look for.
Being that the Encore was lacking a bit when it came to a sporty feel, Buick aimed to change that. In 2016, the Sport Touring joined the lineup. This brought flashier looks, upgraded tech in the form of remote start, and even more importantly, a new engine. The engine that came with it was a similar size to the one on the other trims, but this one was able to output 153 horsepower.
The next biggest change came in 2017, with the lineup now having 6 trims. The trims are the Base, Preferred, Sport Touring, Preferred II, Essence, and Premium. The main purpose of this refresh was to bring a new look to the model, but it also brought some new features. This refresh brought a revised center stack, which brought a new 8-inch frameless screen.
When 2018 came around, so did some new features. While a large update happened the year before, Buick felt like it needed more, so they added HD radio. With the 2019 models, Buick was moving on to different models, so the Encore saw a hit to the trim levels. Now, it comes with the Base, Preferred, Sport Touring, and Essence trims.
If you find some Essence trims from this year, you want to see if they include the Safety Package II. This added rain-sensing windshield wipers, front and rear parking sensors, forward-collision warning, and lane-departure warning.
But if you don’t care for these features, Car and Driver thinks that Sport Touring is the way to go, thanks to its “visual punch to the Encore's appearance”. In 2020, the Sport Touring took a hit, losing its more powerful engine, as well as the dual-zone climate control that it had picked up over the years.
When 2021 came around, the writing was on the wall, with only being offered in the Base and Preferred trims. With nothing being added this year, things seemed bleak, but Buick had one last trick up their sleeve for 2022. In 2022, the lone trim was the Preferred, but the base engine saw a bump in power, now sitting at 155 horsepower.