Lincoln Corsair vs Buick Encore GX

The 2021 Lincoln Corsair was introduced as a replacement for the Lincoln MKC, which had been based on the same platform as the Ford Escape. Despite a facelift in 2019, the MKC's cabin felt dated and lacked the athleticism of the Escape. The Corsair, however, rode on the new C2 platform, which also underpinned the new Escape. Lincoln succeeded in making the Corsair feel distinct from its Ford counterpart, unlike General Motors' Cadillac XT4 and XT5 crossovers. The Corsair's design featured slab sides, blacked-out rear pillars, and straight belt- and rooflines, giving it a refined look that made it appear larger than it was. Inside, the Corsair's cabin shared design cues with more expensive Lincoln SUVs, though it had more hard-touch materials. The black leather with dark wood trim seemed geared towards older buyers, while lighter palettes with tan leather were available for younger buyers.

The 2022 Buick Encore GX had a strong family resemblance to the Encore, with both SUVs featuring Buick's trapezoidal "waterfall" grille, high beltline, and similar headlight styling. The Encore GX's slightly longer wheelbase and additional length made it look less tall and stubby. The optional ST (Sport Touring) appearance package added body-color bodyside and rocker moldings, custom grille, sport bumpers with red accents, 18-inch aluminum wheels, and an "ST" badge. Inside, the Encore GX had an attractive cabin with soft-touch materials and not too much hard plastic. Cloth seats were standard on base models, while leather seats were standard on the top Essence trim. The heated, leather-wrapped steering wheel had handy redundant controls, though the rotary toggles embedded in the spokes were cumbersome. Overall, the controls and instrumentation were straightforward and easy to use.

The 2021 Lincoln Corsair offered a base 2.0-liter EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder engine with 250 horsepower and 295 pound-feet of torque. An optional 2.3-liter EcoBoost turbocharged four-cylinder engine provided 295 hp and 310 lb-ft of torque, delivering strong acceleration. Both engines were paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission. The 2.0-liter engine could be configured with front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD), while the 2.3-liter engine was exclusively AWD. The Corsair featured unique drive modes like "Conserve" and "Excite," with the latter akin to Sport mode. The 2.3-liter engine provided brisk acceleration and confident cornering, though there was some body roll and light steering. The suspension absorbed deeper potholes well, though road noise was noticeable. The Grand Touring trim added a plug-in hybrid powertrain with a combined 266 hp, 28 miles of pure EV driving, and an efficiency rating of 78 MPGe in electric mode and 33 mpg combined in hybrid mode.

The 2022 Buick Encore GX offered two turbocharged three-cylinder engines: a 1.2-liter unit producing 137 horsepower and a 1.3-liter motor making 155 hp. The 1.2-liter engine was standard on the Preferred and Select trims, while the 1.3-liter unit was standard on the top Essence trim and optional on the Preferred and Select. FWD was standard on all trims, with AWD available as an option. FWD models used a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), while AWD models used a traditional nine-speed automatic. The 1.3-liter turbo engine and CVT provided adequate power, though the engine was buzzy and harsh. The Encore GX's ride was noisier and less settled than expected, with noise, vibration, and harshness levels more intrusive than anticipated. The CVT, however, did not drone. The Encore GX was not taken off-roading, but it handled gravel driveways and dirt patches well.

The 2021 Lincoln Corsair had a spacious cabin with comfortable seats and ample storage space. However, the large lip when stepping in or out of the vehicle was a notable downside, as the floor sank below the doorframe, posing a tripping hazard. The test model featured reclining and sliding rear seats, providing impressive legroom for a compact SUV. The Corsair offered 27.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats and 57.6 cubic feet with the rear seats folded, both average for the segment. A power liftgate was standard, with a hands-free power liftgate available.

The 2022 Buick Encore GX, despite its small size, never felt cramped or uncomfortable. Ingress and egress were easy, with seat hip points at the right height. Controls and switchgear were clearly marked and legible, and visibility was excellent. Front-seat headroom and legroom were more than adequate, though rear-seat knee room was tight. Cargo space measured 23.5 cubic feet behind the rear bench seat and 50.2 cubic feet with the seat folded. The Encore GX's cargo area could accommodate items up to eight feet in length with the front passenger seat and rear seats folded flat. A two-level cargo floor created a flat load floor when the rear seats were folded. The optional hands-free power liftgate added convenience, with a rotary dial to adjust the maximum height.

The 2021 Lincoln Corsair came standard with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system running SYNC 3, with a logical menu layout and standard Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The steering wheel had a well-placed voice control button. The Reserve trim added wireless device charging, a 14-speaker Revel premium audio system, and a head-up display (HUD) with crisp graphics.

The 2022 Buick Encore GX offered decent tech for the price, with a standard 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, Bluetooth audio streaming, Buick Connected Services with a built-in WiFi hotspot, front and rear USB ports, OnStar telematics, and SiriusXM satellite radio. A navigation system was available on Select and Essence trims, along with built-in Amazon Alexa capability. The Advanced Technology package added HD surround vision, a head-up display, adaptive cruise control, and a memory card receptacle. The Convenience package included automatic parking assist with braking, wireless phone charging, a rear camera mirror and washer, and rain-sensing windshield wipers. The infotainment system was user-friendly, with an intuitive layout and efficient voice recognition.

The 2021 Lincoln Corsair came standard with forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, lane-keep assist, automatic high beams, blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear parking sensors. The Lincoln CoPilot360 Plus suite added adaptive LED headlights, surround-view parking cameras, front parking sensors, speed-limit sign recognition, stop-and-go adaptive cruise control, reverse automatic braking, and automatic parking assist. The Corsair was an IIHS Top Safety Pick Plus when equipped with high-feature headlights.

The 2022 Buick Encore GX came standard with blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, following-distance indicator, forward-collision warning, lane-keeping assistance with lane-departure warning, and automatic high-beam headlights. Teen Driver technology and a tire-fill alert system were also standard. The Encore GX earned five stars in NHTSA crash tests for overall crash protection, frontal and side crash protection, and four stars for rollover resistance. The IIHS gave the Encore GX "Good" ratings in all crash tests, with "Superior" ratings for front crash prevention. The top Essence trim received an "Acceptable" rating for its LED headlights, while Preferred and Select trims received a "Marginal" rating for their halogen headlights.