2024 Buick Envista Avenir Interior Review: A real winner from Buick

The 2024 Buick Envista is the first Buick I’ve driven in recent history that has had me thinking about it long after I turned the keys over. Much of that credit comes from Buick’s low price, but it’s not like there aren’t any other affordable cars out there. The difference, of course, is that the Envista is affordable and a very good car at the same time. You can read about how well the little 1.2-liter turbo engine works in our First Drive, or get the full download on the various trims in our Buying Guide, but I’ll focus on its most interesting interior. example form.

My test Envista featured all over is the Avenir trim, which is the top-shelf, priciest model, and still starts at just $29,695. That feels like a steal in today’s expensive car market given its size and level of equipment. So, what’s the catch?

First impressions are pretty good as I settle into the comfortable, heated Avenir leather seats and run my hands over the smooth leather of the flat-bottom steering wheel. Then I look at what’s in front of me and notice a neat dual-screen layout on a single panel on the dash. The 11-inch touchscreen infotainment system is barebones when it comes to software and user interface, but the simplicity is somewhat refreshing. You get wireless Apple CarPlay/Android Auto, along with enough hardware that everything operates smoothly and responds quickly to touches. The 8-inch digital instrument panel tends to be too simple in favor of minimalism, though. Most of the standard gauges you’d see on the cluster are instead placed in menus on the infotainment display, and customization of the cluster screen is similarly limited. It works, but there is room for improvement or at least customization.

The Pebble Gray and two-tone black look of this Avenir model is even more striking with the Cinnabar Metallic exterior paint, and the “Avenir” stitched into the headliners is a premium touch. Also appreciated is the smooth slope in front of the passenger with a good seam and an interesting pattern that resembles a fold in the material. This goes into the doors and door armrests, which are also sealed, something you won’t find in the brutally rigid doors of this platform, the Chevrolet Trax.

Everyone inside the Envista gets to enjoy a quiet cabin for this car’s downmarket segment, thanks in part to sound tuning that helps reduce road noise. With a turbo-charged inline-three-cylinder it produces an engine note that is neither loud nor unpleasant to the ear, which we can thank in part for its six-speed automatic – no CVT to complain! So, it doesn’t sound or look like a budget car, even if its price says it is.

Back to the “catch,” though, I can already tell that this interior will change badly over time, thanks to the abundance of black plastic trim it uses. It’s strategically placed to try and organize the interior better than flat black plastic, but its presence on high-touch areas like the center console, gearshift knob and climate control will result in a scratched mess after a few years. of use. At least Buick refrained from using piano black on the steering wheel, but it’s a small victory.

The quality of this car is well hidden by the hard plastic panels used in places that don’t really matter, although one area I wish Buick had spent a little more money on is the stalks, especially the turn signal. Not that this is a new GM thing, but it’s easily one of the wettest and cheapest turn signal stalks you’ll come across in a new car. I usually don’t need the feel of a turn stalk, but it’s awful. The HVAC system also didn’t seem to be as powerful as usual for GM products, resulting in prolonged warm-up, poor cold-weather performance and passengers complaining that it was cold long after many cars warmed up. during winter.

That’s all I have for the negatives, though. The same passengers who complained about the cold were happy as can be when it comes to legroom and space in the back seat. Buick says the Envista has 38.7 inches of rear legroom, and it feels every bit as big in the back. Additionally, despite the roofline stacked for its coupe proportions, the Envista will easily accommodate taller people with enough headroom to be comfortable. Senior Editor James Riswick found its shape somewhat hindered the overall performance of the luggage in his luggage test, but head over there for the full download of the storage capacity. One nice silver lining is that under the floor Buick doesn’t offer a spare tire, which is rarely offered these days.

The Envista is a rarity, a big win for Buick. Oftentimes our best feelings for the brand have been related to concepts like the Wildcat EV that we want to see in production, but often get lost in history. The Envista Avenir’s interior soars as does its powertrain, and man, the space! Creating a cool, affordable new car at a time when it feels like those cars are on the decline is a tall order, and the Envista does the trick to a unique degree.

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