This subcompact crossover tries to deliver Buick refinement in a budget-friendly package, and mostly succeeds, until you need to merge onto a highway. The turbocharged three-cylinder engines feel genuinely sluggish under load, turning acceleration into a patience exercise rather than a confidence boost. Families with three kids consistently report the cabin feels cramped, though the cargo area punches above its weight class. The current generation (2020+) uses different engines than the troubled original Encore, and early owners report solid reliability with regular oil changes, but there's not enough mileage out there yet to call it proven. Buy it if you want a quiet, comfortable commuter with nicer materials than the Chevy Trax, skip it if you need quick merging power or room for a growing family.
This GM Ultium-based EV wears a Honda badge but carries the baggage of an abandoned product line. When it works, it's a spacious, comfortable cruiser that glides quietly and charges fast enough for road trips, many owners rack up 20k+ miles without drama beyond a CV axle click that dealers won't fix. The catch: Honda pulled the plug on EVs in early 2025, leaving buyers with one EV tech per dealership and no future updates. A vocal minority report high-voltage system failures that strand the car for weeks, plus software that got buggier after the recall fix. Lease deals are killer ($300, $400/month), making it a solid short-term bet if you can tolerate orphan-product risk. Long-term buyers should consider the Blazer EV or Ioniq 5 instead, same platform or better tech, with manufacturers still committed to the segment.