2014 Buick Lacrosse Leather on 2040-cars

Auto blog

Buick Encore GX fuel economy out, 1.3L more efficient than 1.2L

EPA fuel economy ratings for the 2020 Buick Encore GX are out, the most powerful engine taking the overall trophy. The new, slighty-less-compact subcompact crossover comes with a turbocharged 1.2-liter three-cylinder as its base engine, putting out 137 horsepower and 166 pound-feet of torque. Available solely with front-wheel drive and with a continuously variable transmission, the powertrain gets 26 miles per gallon in the city, 30 on the highway and 28 combined. The optional engine is a turbocharged 1.3-cylinder with 155 hp and 174 lb-ft. Mating it to the CVT in front-wheel drive guise returns the best fuel economy in the Encore/Encore GX family, being 30 city, 32 highway, 31 combined. That's spot on GM's prediction last year for combined fuel economy. Buyers who opt for the 1.3-liter with all-wheel drive — the engine costing an additional $395, the drivetrain a $2,000 upgrade — get a nine-speed automatic transmission, that combo returning 26 mpg in the city, 29 mpg on the highway and 28 mpg combined. Among luxury front-wheel drive entries, the 2020 BMW X1 sDrive28i gets 27 mpg combined utilizing an eight-speed automatic, the Lexus UX 200 gets 33 mpg combined with a CVT. Among less the expensive options, the Nissan Kicks returns 33 mpg as well through a CVT, the Mazda CX-30 rated at 28 mpg combined and employing a six-speed auto. The Encore once offered two versions of its turbocharged 1.4-liter, but is now left with the lesser-powered unit producing 138 hp and 148 lb-ft, paired with a six-speed automatic. Fuel economy with front-wheel drive is 25 city, 30 highway, 27 combined; with all-wheel drive, that shrinks by one mpg across the board to 24 city, 29 highway and 26 combined. The Encore GX is scheduled to hit dealership sometime this spring. Related Video:

GM opens military discount to 21M veterans and their spouses

May marks the start of National Military Appreciation Month, and General Motors is getting into the spirit by expanding its military discount program to, well, just about everyone. That includes a total of 21 million military veterans and their spouses, along with the current slate of active duty, reserve, and National Guard members. The discount can slash thousands of dollars off the price of a new Buick, Chevrolet, or GMC vehicles, with Automotive News listing an $1,100 discount on the top gas-powered version of the Malibu, the Premiere. Those that want a bit more spice can get $1,700 off the price of a last-generation 2015 Camaro SS, while truck buyers will enjoy $3,000 off the Chevy Silverado All Star. That's just a start, though, since the military discount can be paired with other GM incentives. The discount doesn't apply to everything, though. Some are understandable – none of Cadillac's vehicles are included in the deal, nor is the Corvette Z06. You'll also be unable to apply the discount to a range of base-level trims, like the Chevy Cruze or Equinox L, the base Colorado, or the entry level GMC Acadia, Canyon, and Terrain. A full list is available at GM's dedicated military discount website. GM's expanded discount plan runs from today through May 31. News Source: General MotorsImage Credit: General Motors Buick Chevrolet GM GMC Car Buying Car Dealers Military

2021 Buick Envision fuel economy revealed

Despite being revealed a few months ago, the 2021 Buick Envision has been lacking in in-depth details. But thanks to the EPA, we have a bit more information on the luxury crossover, specifically fuel economy. And it seems the new model is significantly more efficient than its predecessor. The only powertrain combination we have numbers for at the moment is the turbocharged engine with all-wheel drive. The Envision is expected to have a front-wheel-drive version, too, though an example with the old model's naturally aspirated four-cylinder is probably long gone. As for the turbo, all-wheel-drive Envision, it will get 22 mpg in the city, 29 on the highway, and 25 combined. That's the exact same as the old naturally aspirated, front-drive Envision, and it's an improvement of 2 mpg in town, 4 on the highway and 3 in combined driving over the previous turbo, all-wheel-drive version. As an extra bonus, the EPA notes that the new turbo Envision runs on regular gasoline, rather than premium like the old Envision. So not only will it use less gas, what it uses costs less. We're expecting the new Envision to go on sale early next year. While we know that the Envision will have a turbocharged engine, and the naturally aspirated one is probably discontinued, we don't know which engine it is. It could be an updated version of the old engine, which made 252 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque, or it could be the engine from the Cadillac XT4, which makes 230 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The latter seems more likely, since the XT4 gets similar fuel economy. A nine-speed automatic and front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive are also planned for the crossover. Related Video: