Buick Envista test bench | Strong enough for him, but…

Yes, the fairer sex loves the Buick Envista. More than men. In the United States, at least. In Canada, the management of the American brand remains silent on the subject, but not its dealers. Women like the Envista, they say, because women, unlike men, have little or no memory of Buicks from the days when they appealed to those long past driving age.

Buick's stylists have strived to give a modern look to this car which intends to appeal to a public looking for a financially accessible car, but which, in appearance, does not show it. The general appearance of the Envista is rather attractive and dynamic – the design of the bezel receding upwards and a front end of which the only thing we can say is that it is very successful.

Assembled in South Korea, the Envista is not only pleasant to look at, but is also easy to handle. This Buick, however, is penalized by its turning diameter that is a little too large. More difficult to deal with, however, is the thickness of the rear pillars, which makes visibility perfect, and this window unfortunately does not have a windshield wiper. The defroster can't do everything. No more than the wind, in fact.

The Envista adapts without flinching to traffic rules and speeds imposed on our roads. Rushing it will quickly take you to its limits, which driving aids will try – sometimes in vain – to push back.

During strong acceleration, for example, the front axle will seem a little wobbly. It should be noted here that the Envista only relies on its front wheels for movement (traction). The addition of a four-wheel drive mode would undoubtedly have made the handling more balanced, but Buick does not offer it, even if, technically, it is possible.

Let's continue. The direction, for its part, lacks feeling. This Buick also appears well suspended, but this is only true if the road surface does not have too many significant imperfections. Otherwise, she sways. In short, the Envista doesn't like to be in the hands of people who are in a hurry. Let's be clear, this is a safe vehicle, but other cars on the market sold in an equivalent price range have more talents and provide more pleasure. The Envista recommends a quiet ride.

The criticism doesn't stop there. The 1.2-liter supercharged engine appears willing, consumes moderately the gasoline flowing in its tank, but is noisy when accelerating and when restarting. And to make matters worse, the six-speed automatic transmission that comes with it lacks smoothness, particularly during deceleration phases.

Nothing free

Elegant and atypical, the Envista opens its doors to a rewarding interior, provided you opt for the Avenir version which, you guessed it, is the most expensive. The others, Preferred and ST, are not bad either. Only less colorful, less equipped. In short, a little less “have you seen me”. Regardless, the assembly of the Envista appeared uneven to us, regardless of the livery. To this must be added several hard plastics and a rather thin carpet.

So the cabin shows some attention to detail, yes, but with the help of cheap switches and trim. Especially those who are found behind the wheel.

As in many modern vehicles, the infotainment system is the piece de resistance. Luckily, the commands don't all scroll on the small screen. Some have been dubbed. This is the case, for example, with air conditioning.

On board this Buick, you are correctly seated, in slightly raised seats with bases that some will consider too short. The two rear seats offer quite satisfactory living space. On the other hand, the ceiling is a little low and risks hindering entry and exit. The trunk, deeper than it is high, has a very suitable volume and is very competitive compared to urban SUVs. However, unlike many of the latter, the Envista refuses to tow any load.

Since its launch, this Buick has been viewed with a touch of condescension. Access model to the American manufacturer's range, this Envista will never establish itself among the automobile nobility of this American brand. “Poor man’s Buick,” the most elitist murmur knowingly. Fine, but the Envista covets a new clientele that does not belong to the old guard.