Sometimes a vehicle looks good on paper, but you go and test drive it and realize a flaw that would never show up on a stat sheet. Maybe the pillars hamper visibility. Or maybe the cabin controls seem to be in all the wrong places. We’d like to introduce you to two crossover SUVs that both look wonderful on paper, but one has a flaw you should know about before buying. Say hello to the 2019 Buick Encore and the Nissan Rogue.
Price: 2019 Buick Encore
We’ll start things out nice and slow by talking about starting price. You’ll see by the end how this is related. The 2019 Buick Encore starts at $23,200 and comes with a ton of standard features, like alloy wheels, six-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, flat-folding front passenger seat, push-button start, Bluetooth, Wi-Fi hot spot, rearview camera, satellite radio, two USB ports, and the Buick IntelliLink infotainment system with 8-inch touch screen and Apple CarPlay and Android Auto compatibility. Finally, there’s QuietTuning and Active Noise Cancellation, which you’ll want to remember later. We’ll come back to it.
Meanwhile, the 2019 Nissan Rogue comes with standard features like 7-inch touch screen, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, four-speaker audio system, Bluetooth, satellite radio, and two USB ports. There’s also plenty of advanced safety features, including rearview camera, intelligent lane intervention, high-beam assist, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane departure warning, blind spot monitoring, and rear cross traffic alert. All that comes for the low price of $24,920. The Buick Encore gives you more for less, but the Rogue is bigger, being in a different class of SUV.
Cabin Noise: 2019 Buick Encore
You don’t notice how quiet your vehicle’s cabin is until it’s not. Well, get ready to slip into silence with the 2019 Buick Encore. Even at highway speeds, the Encore is quiet. That’s thanks to the QuietTuning and Active Noise Cancellation technology that comes standard on every 2019 Encore.
What about the 2019 Rogue? Well, this is that flaw we were talking about. A noisy powertrain turns into a dull roar on the highway. Apparently, it’s the continuously variable transmission (CVT) that’s making a loud droning noise. Say goodbye to soothing music or casual conversation. You’ll need to speak up to be heard.
Reliability: 2019 Buick Encore
If the quiet cabin doesn’t persuade you, this might. JD Power and Associates gave the 2019 Buick Encore a reliability rating of 4.5 out of 5. The auto industry average is only a 3, so this is a nice feather in Buick’s cap. That high a rating indicates that buyers are very pleased with their purchase, having few if any issues mechanically or otherwise. Meanwhile, the Nissan Rogue gets a completely average score of 3 out of 5. On top of that, the Buick Encore offers a warranty that’s one year and several thousand miles longer than Nissan does. As you can see, there’s a lot of reasons to love an Encore, not the least of which is a quiet cabin.