Lexus used to have full size spares on the last gen LS and the last gen ES350 a full size spare was optional. It’s too bad. Can’t be done today on a lot of cars because of the staggered tires sizes.

 

Temporary spares can usually be used in combo with any other size tire, particularly if AWD is not engaged, since they are designed to only go 50 miles at 50 MPH or less. You have a point, though.....that is not necessarily the case with a real spare.

 

The issue IMO is that without a full size spare. Your lifestyle is automatically disrupted if the tire gets changed to a donut or you shreds a tire. With a full size you can keep calm and roll on….

 

Well, you are preaching to the choir. You have known me long enough, and, no doubt, remember some of my reviews, where I used to list the lack of a true spare tire as one of a vehicle's Negative (Minus) features. Today, among the few places you will still find a true spare, particularly as standard equipment, is on some truck-based, off-road-capable pickups and SUVs.

 

I have no spare at all in either my coupe or suv now so i'm living dangerously. brave new world...

 

Same. On the edge!

 

Same here too. I've never felt so alive.

 

I took a look at the Second-Generation Encore (not the GX) on Buick's Chinese website. This is the new GEM (Global-Emerging-Market) platform Encore that, up to now, has been confined to the Chinese market...not sold in the U.S., although GM has not ruled out bringing it over here in a couple of years.

I'm not impressed with it, at least from the images and info on the site. Only four colors are offered, although they include an interesting bright blue and burnt-orange. And GM, after all these years of nicely-integrating the video-screen into the center dash where it belongs, now took the cheap way out and flopped it on top the center dash, just like Ford, Toyota, and a bunch of other automakers.

Just one more reason (among many) I'm glad I got a GX.

The web-site can be translated into English.


https://www-buick-com-cn.translate.g...ax,sc,elem#360

 

I like and I don’t like it. I think your model looks way better inside and out

 

Yes, in this vehicle, I was sorry to see GM give up the nicely-integrated dash/video-screens they had.....it's usually cheaper and easier just to mount it on top like most automakers do. But this GEM (Global-Emerging-Markets) Encore was not really intended for the American market....it will also be sold in a Chevy and perhaps Chinese-badged versions overseas. GM seems undecided as to whether they are going to bring it here at all. Besides, Buick is already offering a lineup of small crossovers this size (1Gen Encore, Encore GX, 2Gen Envision), and the Buick crossovers are clearly competing against GMC's own smaller crossovers (Terrain, Acadia), which are often sold out of the very same showrooms. Both Buick and GMC crossovers, of course, are considered upmarket to Chevy's.

 

I didn't post it here, but savagegeese did a review of the encore gx. It was not very positive.

 

Encore GX reviews can vary enormously from one video and review to the next...more so than with most vehicles I've seen. Some rate it very highly, some quite low. Most are quite complementary except for the three-cylinder power plant.