2023 Buick Encore GX vs 2024 Volkswagen ID.4

General Motors has big plans for Buick. The near-luxury division positioned between Chevrolet and Cadillac is slated to go all-electric by the end of the decade, with a fresh lineup of EVs highlighted by a new design language. But those new models aren’t scheduled to arrive for a few more years, so for now Buick carries on with a lineup of conventional gasoline crossover SUVs, of which the 2023 Buick Encore GX is the entry-level option.

The Encore GX was launched for the 2020 model year as a larger sibling to the Buick Encore, but the standard Encore is being discontinued, leaving only the GX for 2023. It slots below the Envision and Enclave in Buick’s three-model crossover lineup.

While Buick is generally considered a step up from mainstream brands, the Encore GX’s size and pricing are more in line with subcompact SUVs from mainstream brands, such as the Hyundai Kona and Mazda CX-30, or the lifted-hatchback Subaru Crosstrek. In fact, the Encore GX shares powertrains and a basic platform with one of these vehicles—the Chevrolet Trailblazer.

The only change for 2023 is a new extra-cost Moonstone Gray Metallic paint option. That means the lineup still consists of base Preferred, mid-level Select, and top Essence trim levels. We tested out an Encore GX Essence for this review.

Thanks to a new, more powerful rear-drive motor, increased maximum driving range up to 468 kilometres, a next-generation infotainment system with substantial user-experience improvements, and a handful of comfort and convenience upgrades, the 2024 Volkswagen ID.4 is a better electric SUV than before. In Canada, it also includes complimentary DC fast charging for four years or 1,400 kWh with Electrify Canada.

Verdict: With the technology better sorted, improved comfort, an impressive sound system, and more power, performance, and range, VeeDub’s ID.4 electric SUV need not make apologies.