I normally get a new vehicle every 4-6 years, trading in my old one....although sometimes I have done so a little sooner. My 2021 Encore GX is almost 4 years old (delivered in January)...so I would normally be seriously considering something new in another year or so. But this time, it may be different, because of a number of factors. One, whether or not Buick is still planning to go to an all-EV lineup in the U.S. market by 2030.....a BEV is probably a no-deal for me, as I don't have recharging-ability at my home. Two, despite a few quirks with it, I have been extremely well-pleased with my current Encore GX. While not quite as comfortable or quiet as my prior Lacrosse was, and I'd prefer a four-cylinder to the turbo-three, it has arguably been the best vehicle I have ever owned for the type of dense-traffic/suburban driving I do, combining maneuverability, ease-of-parking, utility, reasonably good reliability, superb highway mileage (I average 50 MPG or so on the Interstates and mid/high-20s in town, even without it being a hybrid), and with a decent measure of traditional Buick silence/ride comfort, making it quite comfortable for its small exterior size. Three, the Encore GX was given a whole new dash-panel and front end for 2024, new motor-mounts which make start-ups smoother, and the new dash has both better and worse features than the one on my 2021....the next major redesign is supposedly scheduled for 2026. Four, I'm not terribly impressed with the Buick Envista, which is cheaper than the Encore GX, but IMO its interior is not up to Buick standards, and it lacks several important features that I would want. Five, the new top-line Avenir trim-series on both the Envista and newer Encore GX are a deal-breaker for me because of the firmer-riding 45-series tires (I strongly dislike a firm ride), and the way they do the climate-control panel compared to lower trim versions. Six, also for a number of reasons, my next vehicle may be the last one I get for some time....so I don't want something I'll get tired of. Seven, I usually look at and test-drive some competitors before I make a buying decision, but that may not be the case with my next vehicle.......the Encore GX fits my needs and desires so well that the old saying may go....'If it ain't broke, don't fix it". Steve, for instance, liked his 2011 Jeep Grand Cherokee so much that he got a second one (2014)...and his wife liked their first Pacifica so much they got a second one. Eight, there are things about the new Buick Envision I like, but its stub-shifter for the transmission sucks, and it is built in China. I won't give the Chinese car-industry a single penny. Any vehicle I get has to be Union-labor, whether it is American or in South Koren-built, or, if not union, at least American-made. The Encore GX and several other small GM crossovers come from a Korean plant that is unionized.

So, although nothing is cast in stone, my next time for shopping for a new vehicle (probably another Encore GX) will also probably not be like it has been for many years. I think the last time I ever bought a new vehicle without considering something else was back in the 1980s when I was driving Mazdas, and I was replacing them from previous satisfaction.

 

Stick with what works for you!

 

2024 Buick Encore GX uses Chinese parts. 18% parts content.

 

Want American? Buy a Toyota truck/some cars or German SUVs

 

that's 6 years away, so if you buy anything before then, this is a non-issue.

would you only consider the avenir trim then? and as we've discussed endlessly, "45-series" means different things depending on the rim DIAMETER and tire WIDTH. just because it's '45' doesn't mean it's 'firm'. my lc500 rear tires are '35' but the ride is good.

so are you saying you'll just trade-in on another encore gx non-avenir? if so, when?

as jill pointed out, you already do.

 

True, but it is assembled in a Union-staffed South Korean plant, under far better working conditions.....actually, the plant is not very far from the one that built my brother's Kia Celts.

Now, Chinese-market Encore GX's are built in China, but they are not done to American specs, and are not shipped here. American-market ones come from Korea.

 

The point that's being made is that you said you won't give China a 'single penny'; so if you buy a car with parts sourced from China, then you are, in fact, giving China many pennies.

 

But you are still giving 1000s to china.....

I personally avoid most Chinese made stuff for both moral and quality reasons, last two phones I've had I didn't buy and all the parts I buy for my own cars are made here/Japan/Germany as are most things I buy like deck screws etc.

 

Not really. Mary Barra's mind seems to change every time she goes out to lunch....although underneath her public statements, she has an obsession with EVs.



I had tires close to that tire series size on my old Verano....and while it rode nice in hot weather when the rubber was soft and the shock fluid thin, it stiffened up quite a bit in the winter. As I mentioned in other threads, there are a few vehicles that ride nice (to my standards) with 45s.....not many.



Most likely...but a lot depends on if and when Buick stops making ICEs or hybrids. I'd like to see them do a hybrid, but Mary Barra has an obsession with pure BEVs. And Buick announced previously that the current Envista will be their last all-new vehicle with an ICE in the American market...but that may change.



I won't buy any vehicle assembled in China, although I agree that sometimes you cannot control where some parts and sub-assemblies are made. That's just the realities of today's (over-globalized) auto industry.

 

Yes.....the last time I had shelled-clams that were imported from China, they ended up going out of my body the same way they went in LOL. Mild food poisoning.

 

I don't know why you need us to validate your purchase if you like it. You didn't mention much of anything about your ownership experience, instead just listing your vehicle preferences as you always do to defend why you purchased this to begin with. Why care what others think if you like it?

 

Deleted by me

 

Honestly I don't see the point in trading at that point. If you're happy with the Encore GX there's no harm or shame in keeeping it a few more years. It's not going to fall apart after year 4. I've kept my truck for 7 years now, and plan to keep it at least another 7.

 

First, others here in Car Chat have shared their experiences/plans/preferences with me over the years (I've been here since 2003).....so I also do it. Second, I covered my detailed ownership experience with the GX in other threads. Third, I do make my own decisions, but I'm not totally blind to what others think...we are all part of the same forum.

Look at Steve, for instance, who replaces both of his family's vehicles every 3-4 years, or Striker 223, who probably buys and sells more used performance-cars on his property than Car Max LOL.

 

I have a bad tendency to only mention the stuff I keep on here lol! That or interesting flip cars, the generic stuff usually doesn't get a mention TBH

So far I've actually only had one "performance" car in terms of it being considered one by category/people and it's that S4 I bought down in Florida.