First Drive: Stylish 2024 Buick Envista Is a Bargain Runabout

Well-suited to empty nesters looking for a low-price, around-town car

Jeff S. Bartlett, Consumer Reports Managing Editor, Autos.

By Jeff S. Bartlett
Managing Editor, Autos

Updated April 16, 2024

Talking Cars: Buick Envista vs. Chevrolet Trax

Update: Since this first drive was originally published in September, 2023, we finished testing the Buick Envista. Read the complete Buick Envista road test.

The 2024 Envista expands the Buick line, with a small, stylish model that morphs elements together from a car and an SUV. It is sized a notch up from the Encore GX, yet priced beneath it, thereby carving a niche as an entry-level model. But it is not without compromises, as we have found in our initial time with this test car.

The Envista is offered in a base Preferred trim ($23,495, factoring in a $1,095 destination charge), a midlevel Sport Touring ($25,195), and a top-end Avenir trim ($29,695). We bought a Preferred, the version that stands out most for its value.

The one we purchased has a couple of option packages that add welcomed features. The Advanced Safety package adds adaptive cruise control, blind sport warning, and rear cross traffic warning. The Convenience 1 package has special appeal here in New England with remote start, heated steering wheel and front seats, and keyless entry being well-suited to our chilly winters. The one extra we could have lived without is the White Frost paint. At $1,095, it seems a bit excessive on a value-focused model, but because we buy models as soon as they arrive at dealerships for testing, often we do have to make such compromises. Then again, only a different Summit White color is included in the MSRP, with all other paint options costing at least $495.

The Envista is built in South Korea, and it is the mechanical sibling to the Chevrolet Trax. The Envista is 4 inches longer than the Trax, but most other dimensions, from width to wheelbase, are the same. We have finished testing the redesigned Trax, and we’re able to now share our first impressions of the Envista.

If you’re a Consumer Reports member, our initial expert assessment of the Buick Envista is available to you below. We have since completed 2,000 break-in miles and put the Buick Envista through more than 50 tests at the CR Auto Test Center, including empirical measurements of acceleration, braking, handling, car-seat fit, and usability. CR members have access to the full road test results.

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What we rented: 2024 Buick Envista Preferred
Powertrain: 137-hp, 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine; 6-speed automatic transmission; front-wheel drive
MSRP: $22,400
Options: Advanced safety package ($595), White Frost paint ($1,095), Convenience 1 package ($1,295)
Destination fee: $1,095
Total cost: $26,480

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Jeff S. Bartlett

Jeff S. Bartlett is the managing editor for the autos team at Consumer Reports. He has been with CR since 2005. Previously, Jeff served as the online editorial director of Motor Trend for 11 years. Throughout his career, Jeff has driven thousands of cars, many on racetracks around the globe. Follow him on X: @JeffSBartlett