mmarshall

GM may finally be ready to join the rest of the auto industry in the American market by giving the Chinese-built Envision SUV (which, of course, is sold here) a deactivation switch for the often-criticized engine start/stop system at idle. I have that feature, of course, on my Lacrosse, and, though I don't particularly care for it, it does operate either seamlessly or in a near-seamlesss manner most of the time. It is only programmed to operate under certain conditions of engine coolant-temperature, load, battery-charge level, and demand from heat or A/C....even when the engine shuts off, the fan still blows warm or cool air into the cabin at a reduced speed, so you don't lose all climate control or defrost. A two minute time limit turns the engine back on again even if you are still at a stop. In my experience, the system can be fooled or overruled if you feather the brake or gas pedals very gently, to keep the car from coming to a complete 100% stop....that, of course requires some creep-room front of you. The system also puts more stress and wear on some components in the drive train with the starts/stops, but I have to admit that it does affect urban and suburban gas mileage noticeably...my V6 Lacrosse actually gets better mileage under those conditions than my smaller 4-cylinder Verano did, though I suspect that the 9-speed automatic also contributes.


http://www.thedrive.com/new-cars/188...starting-price

The Buick Envision might not be the most exciting car on the road, but it’s an important one for GM’s premium brand. It just went on sale in the U.S. in summer of 2016 and the compact crossover is already getting refreshed for the 2019 model year along with a lower cost of entry starting at $32,990, about a grand cheaper than the current base model.

The untrained eye might not notice the facelifted design of the 2019 Envision, but it’s received a revised look in front and back along with new wheel options. A redesigned grille falls more in line with the corporate design language of the rest of Buick's lineup and it’s a rather handsome look.

“Some of the 2019 Envision’s most notable changes are the results of listening to our customers,” said Elizabeth Pilibosian, Envision chief engineer, in a press release. “Beneath the updated exterior are a number of changes guided by a goal of offering the most refined and pleasant driving experience possible.”






“Refined and pleasant” is the name of the game with the Envision. A few other highlights of this mid-cycle refresh include a new nine-speed automatic transmission for Envisions equipped with the 2.0-liter turbocharged engine. That engine also gets a boost in performance making 252 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, shaving a half-second off the zero-to-60 time over the previous model. Most Envision drivers probably won’t notice or care, but it’s a nice bonus.

For the first time in a Buick in North America, the 2019 Envision will have an engine stop/start deactivation switch in case you don’t like that little rumble that comes with waking the engine back up when you hit the gas pedal after it’s turned itself off.

The rest of the updates are quite minor like heated seats that warm up faster, a better microphone for the infotainment system, and enhanced visibility on the rear-view camera.

We couldn’t help but wonder if the Envision would be added to the swanky Avenir subbrand in the near future, so we asked Buick if that was in the cards. “Unfortunately we do not comment on future product plans,” said a Buick representative in a statement to The Drive. “As of now, we are focused on building the Avenir sub-brand on the Enclave Avenir and LaCrosse Avenir.”

Keep an eye out for the 2019 Buick Envision in showrooms and retirement home parking lots soon.

bagwell

don't see the big deal with start/stop hating....if I'm going to sitting at a red light for an extended period of time I usually shut off my engine manually in my WRX. I'm not gonna die in 2-3 minutes with no a/c....and newer vehicles KEEP the a/c on. ...and it's EASILY defeated anyway.

Allen K

iTrader: (4)

My Odyssey has start/stop and it's annoying because it can't differentiate between a small or a long wait (like you can doing it manually) and the delay between getting off the brake, waiting for the engine to start back up, and getting moving again. It's not a huge lag, but it's there and it's annoying

Toys4RJill

Toys4RJill

mmarshall

Not with current GM vehicles. You either have to put it in Neutral or Manual Sport Mode before coming to a full stop, or, keeping it in Drive, figure out ways to fool the system by feathering gas or brake. It does have one definite advantage, though, of saving gas in stop and go driving.

Allen K

iTrader: (4)

Agreed, I wish automakers would make it a setting rather than a toggle though. Not a big deal to push a button every time you start the car but still one more thing to do

pbm317

But that would change potentially rated fuel economy and emissions that the vehicle has achieved. Very similar to why cars with driving modes have to default back to normal vs staying in their respective "sport"

Allen K

iTrader: (4)

Annoyingly true

riredale

But I think the whole point of a luxury car is to not have to worry about creeping or manually shutting things down at a stoplight.

Sorry if I sound like a broken record but the more I drive an RX hybrid the more I think a hybrid represents the ultimate evolution of an ICE-powered car. Electric A/C, electric power steering, engine shuts off under conditions of high manifold vacuum dozens of times in even a short trip because it's so seamless and effortless to spin it back up. Beefy battery pack for the A/C and for additional traction motors for those times the ICE is shut down. Traction motors also recharge battery pack with otherwise-wasted kinetic energy when slowing down. And the planetary gearsets for the CVT-style transmission--very clever and bulletproof. And the power delivery with all this technology going on under the hood is turbine-like smooth.

A lot more complexity, but then an ICE is extremely complex and they run for many years. It's all in the engineering and Toyota really knows this stuff.

Anyway, my two cents.

corradoMR2

I didn't like the Start/Stop with my A4 as I found it rough and intrusive.

On the Stinger, it works really well and is controllable with pressure on the brake pedal. For instance, if I know I will be at a red light for at least 30 seconds, I will press the brake a little harder and it will engage (engine off). If I keep a light pressure on the brake, it will not engage however it must be light enough that the auto-brake-hold does not also engage. Very smart, and oh, very smooth quiet startup/shutdown. I like it!

bagwell

bagwell

Allen K

iTrader: (4)

If you destroy the engine the consumer has to buy another car

oldcajun

The wear on engine start is based on starting a cold engine where the oil has likely drained down from the cylinder walls. Restarting a warm engine that has been shutdown for a short time should cause no significant wear. Toyota's hybrids have been doing this for quite a few years. My objection to the shutdown is the hesitation and vibration on restart. I haven't driven a LaCrosse with this system, but on the Cadillac XT5 it was very annoying.