2025 Chevrolet Traverse vs 2024 Buick Envista

Like many brands, crossover SUVs are now Buick's stock and trade. The venerable General Motors division now exclusively sells crossovers, in fact. And for the 2024 model year, there's a new name in the lineup.

The 2024 Buick Envista is the company's new entry-level subcompact crossover, replacing the Buick Encore and slotting below the Buick Encore GX (which confusingly keeps that name despite there no longer being a standard Encore). The Envista shares most hardware with the redesigned 2024 Chevrolet Trax but, as with all Buick models, it aims for a more upscale feel than its Bowtie-badged counterpart.

This new model launches in three guises, with Canada receiving the same trim line-up as the U.S. The Envista Preferred is the base model, the Sport Touring (ST) adds sporty styling touches, and the Avenir is the range topper. We sampled an Envista ST at a first drive event in Ann Arbor, Michigan, on some of the same roads GM engineers used to tune this new addition to the Buick lineup.

Redesigned in 2024, the 2025 Traverse gets a few additional changes. The formerly optional Trailering Package is now standard equipment — so it’s easier to take advantage of the Traverse’s 2,268-kilogram (5,000-pound) towing capacity — and a new Sun and Wheel Package is available. Those updates broaden this Chevy’s appeal but do not address perceived quality issues related to the powertrain and interior materials.

Verdict: Chevy gets a lot of things right with the 2025 Traverse. However, there are head-scratchers related to quality and usability. From the unpleasant engine note and cheap interior plastics to the fussy wiper controls and aggravating third row folding process, the Traverse regularly draws unfavourable attention to itself.