Autoblog Heaps Praise on Buick Envista Interior

Why is good design so often expensive? Theoretically, it shouldn’t cost much more to bend sheet metal this way rather than that way or mold vinyl in a more pleasing shape. But in practice, inexpensive vehicles often get dull, uninspiring designs, particularly in the cabin. Enthusiast website Autoblog points to a prominent exception, the Buick Envista. Ewing Buick GMC tells you what they have to say.

The Entire Envista is Well-Received

If you are unfamiliar with the Envista, it is Buick’s newest model.  A small front-wheel-drive crossover that fully incorporates Buick’s new, aggressive front-end design and has a sleek low profile and fastback roof. It is also Buick’s least expensive model line, with a low starting MSRP of $22,400. Critics have lauded it as offering a lot of car, style, and versatility for the money. Autoblog was among them, but also recently devoted an entire article to the Envista interior.

Even When Small, Avenir Equals Luxury 

To be fair, Autoblog spent its time with the Envista Avenir model. Avenir is Buick-speak for a model lineup’s range-topping and most luxurious grade. But even at the Avenir level, the Evista is still priced under $30K. Specifically, it has a starting MSRP of $29,695, which Autoblog states: “feels like a steal in today’s ever-expensive car market given its size and level of equipment.”

The editor starts his review: “First impressions are wildly positive when I settle into the Avenir’s comfortable, heated leather seats and run my hands along the soft leather of the heated flat-bottom steering wheel.” He then describes the 11-inch touch screen that shares its housing with a digital driver information center. The infotainment system has a simple interface that they describe as refreshing before noting the wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and that the touchscreen quickly responds when engaged. 

They take note of the softness of the materials on the dash, which extends to the door panels where cheaper hardness is expected in this category. It is enhanced by flourishes such as the stitched “Avenir” in the headrests, dash stitching, and bright trim highlights. The Pebble Gray of their tester didn’t hurt either, as the interior was brightened by its lighter color on the seats, dash, and door panels. There are hard panels in the Envista cabin, but they are generally in areas where you will have minimal contact. 

Room and Quiet Add to the Impression

It is not just about the materials, however, as they also point out that 38.7 inches of rear legroom is generous for the class, the 6-speed automatic avoids the usual CVT drone among its competitors, and Buick’s “Quiet Tuning” is effective in keeping the cabin remarkably hushed for the class. Autoblog concludes their review by stating: “Building a truly pleasant, affordable, new car in a time where it feels like those cars are fast-dwindling is a big deal, and the Envista does the trick at an exceptional level.”

All this points to the Envista as a model that must be experienced by anyone looking for a new car that is economical to purchase and own but doesn’t feel like it. If this is you and you are anywhere near the Plano area, the best place to do that is Ewing Buick GMC, where we keep a well-stocked inventory of Envista models on hand.