2021 Buick Envision Essence ST AWD
Price As Tested: $43,113 CAD
Colour: Satin Steel Metallic
As far as I can recall I have owned only one General Motors product in my lifetime. That one vehicle was a 1997 Pontiac Sunfire Coupé in what I think was called “Bright Blue Metallic”. I can’t remember what poor life decisions led me to purchasing that car at the time. It was a base model with an AC button that did nothing but lie to me on hot days. It was a manual, so it wasn’t all bad. What I remember most about that car was how cheap it felt. The car was made from cheap materials, built poorly and the design (particularly of the interior) looked like it was supposed to be sophisticated and stylish but looked like runny mashed potatoes slowly sagging down the face of the dash. This was at a time when the Japanese automakers were crushing their American competitors in build quality. Japanese interiors were nothing to praise Jesus over, but they were made from reasonably appealing, rugged and durable materials that matched the mechanical aspects of the car. GM, Chrysler and Ford were still on their slow death march that until recently felt like it might never end. While both Ford and Chrysler have made moves in the right direction over the years I’ve always felt like GM’s approach was “We’re the biggest and thus the best, we don’t need to innovate or compete”. They have since been taken over by their betters and were left in a fog and couldn’t seem to find a solution or a direction. This of course led me to largely ignore their products for years at a time. While I’ve had my blinders on however, GM has made some significant changes to their vehicles. The 2021 Buick Envision is my first experience with the new General Motors and I must say, I like what I see.
power & performance
The 2021 Buick Envision only offers one engine option. The 2.0L turbo on offer gives you 228 hp and a 9 speed gearbox. This is enough power for a vehicle like this and certainly gets the job done. The power output comes at you in a sustainable wave and there isn’t too much turbo lag although it is there if you really pay attention.
How the power gets to the road is where the difference lies with the Envision’s AWD system. I put the vehicle in FWD and romped on it. The torque steer, while not dangerous, did remind me of the light frond end of my 2013 Toyota Sienna. Not finding this to my liking I switched immediately to AWD Sport. Starting again from zero I pinned the gas pedal to the floor and the Envision responded with a nicer rumble, a little kidney kicking and drove straight and true thanks to the AWD. A much better result and made for a much nicer driving experience.
I often mention on this blog my preference and desire for AWD in almost any vehicle. It simply makes sense. The Envision is another example, in a long line of recent test vehicles, that prove my point. The driving experience is better in AWD and it’s also safer and the system will take care of you should you get aggressive with the throttle and hit a slick patch. The difference in this vehicle between FWD and AWD is stark and the choice is obvious. There are other settings for the AWD system but they don’t feel that much different from Sport and the Sport setting is best so drop it into Sport and super glue the button shut.
braking
The brakes on the Envision were a proper let down. They are wooden and a little sketchy. They have almost no feel and as you press the pedal and nothing happens you begin to wonder if someone has slipped underneath and snipped your brake lines. Then all of sudden the brakes slam on while the vehicle will stop there is zero finesse in the system. This can make for a bumpy ride on the drive to work. It did come in handy however when my boys were battling each other in the back seat and I’d had enough. I started slamming the brakes on and off and rocking the Envision back and forth so hard even they had to take a time out.
The last thing I’ll touch on is the Start/Stop system on the Envision. It’s similar to all the other start/stop systems you’ll find on a myriad of other cars on the market. Also similar, is the inability to permanently turn this system off. I am old enough to recall a time when starting and stopping your car as often as these systems do was a recipe for disaster. When your engine suddenly shut off at a traffic light that was my cue to get out and start pushing my father’s legendary Tercel off to the side of the road. Clearly there is a fuel savings/environment benefit to these systems. Car design has certainly changed and I guess I have to change with them but Start/Stop is a real problem for me. It seems like it should be hard on the battery, starter, alternator and other ignition systems and would cause said systems to wear faster than with traditional use. Please do include these systems but leave the owner the option of turning it off. We paid for the car. We should have the choice.
exterior
The 2021 Buick Envision is a good-looking car. It has lots of competition in the market and how it looks is the first step to success or destruction. Say what you will about the stodgy reputation of Buick and its customers, they do make good looking cars.
There is also a touch of the upscale on this vehicle with the black plastic trim that runs along the outside of the car. Typically, this would just be bare, black plastic that then fades and looks all washed out and chalky in short order. With the Envision, Buick has trimmed the vehicle with plastic but it’s a glossy black plastic that may or may not have been painted but it looks miles better than the alternative. I really like this choice and it may not seem like much, but it will add lifespan to the appearance of the vehicle.
The hood of the Envision looks good. It has several forms stamped into it that are there to make the sheet metal strong and not flex. What they also do is look like sand dunes on the hood of the car. They accent the hood nicely and add to the curb appeal. Sometimes it’s the little things, I guess.
interior
The interiors of most GM products have always been a let down. Cheap and low grade materials passed off as something classy and high end. The Cadillac Escalade was a wonderful example of this design strategy. The Buick Envision is a complete turn around of this trend. It’s like GM woke up and said “Our cars are poorly made from cheap materials. We must fix.” Then they set about fixing them. I’m impressed with what is on offer in the Envision.
One thing that really stuck out was the rearview mirror. Something so simple but we look at it many times a day while driving. The rearview mirror in the Envision looks like an iPhone type glass screen. It’s a kind of edgeless design that looks fabulous and really is classy and elegant. I found myself looking through the rearview mirror so much I nearly stuffed the Envision in a ditch when a bend in the road caught me by surprise.
The Envision features the evermore common HUD system for easy driver reference. The system used by Buick is good and tells you what you need to know. The controls for adjusting the settings are right on the dash in easy reach. No need to dig through the infotainment system to find the settings.
The Envision utilizes a lot of toggles to control various functions. I typically prefer buttons and I stand by that. However, these toggles are very easy to use and are more preferable to any sort of touch pad arrangement you might find elsewhere. I like the way they look as well. They’re different and somewhat unique. Hard to do in modern car design where it feels like everything has to look the same.
The back window on the Envision is tiny. I know I’m one of the last people who actually turns around (no small effort when I’ve had an oversized lunch) and looks behind them when backing up a vehicle. Modern drivers use the backup camera and sensors to keep from mowing down errant pedestrians. I still like to see where I’m going so the lack of visibility was a challenge. Not to mention what you do when the camera becomes obscured by mud and rain.
One last thing I noticed on the Envision are the stereo volume buttons on the backside of the steering wheel. This used to be the place to put them until paddle shifters started clogging up that part of the steering wheel. Most cars have the volume control on the front of the steering wheel now and that’s fine but having them on the back is more intuitive and comfortable. It’s a nice return to form.
quality
Buick has always been a quality-oriented badge for GM. They haven’t always been quality products but the new Envision is very much a well-made car from good materials. All the cheap, scratchy nonsense is gone, and we’re left with a car you would really consider buying.
The Buick Envision is made in China. It’s one of the first North American vehicles I’m aware of that is made in the People’s Republic. This is a point of contention for some. I do miss the days when your car, if you lived in the right city, was made by your neighbors and reflected some sense of pride (deserved or otherwise). As I’ve mentioned before, times do change. Global manufacturing is a reality that isn’t going away and we should all prepare for more.
The carpet in the Buick Envision is a standard, mid quality carpet. What struck me was the incredible carpet they used to line the cargo area. This was a wonderful and plush carpet. Why they won’t spend a few extra Yuan and put this carpet in the whole car is beyond me.
CQI – 8 (Main Vehicle), 9.5 (Carpet Area)
value
Buick sits in a funny place in the market. It isn’t a real luxury brand as GM has Cadillac for that. It doesn’t however muck about in the mud with the budget brands and their offerings. It seems to almost fight it out with the top spec models from the lower ranges.
The 2021 Envision competes with everything from the Toyota Rav-4, Nissan Rogue/Murano, Mazda CX-5, Hyundai Tucson, Santa Fe and more. When you are looking to spend north of 40k that puts you in the realm of hybrids and PHEV. There are no offerings available for the Envision with any form of Hybrid or electric drive. These systems are the future and I think it leaves the vehicle lacking in the competitive market. It’s not going to be an automatic “no” right now but in another couple years GM better have a slew of electrified options available in order to compete.
final thoughts
The 2021 Buick Envision presents a new dawn between General Motors and Tracey Jay. It takes a lot to compel me to refer to myself in the third person. The Envision itself isn’t enough on its own, what it represents is. GM can make good, well trimmed cars from quality materials. They have proven it. I stand impressed. If this trend continues, I may well be forced to let go of the harsh memories and the damage to my psyche inflicted by the Pontiac Sunfire all those years ago. It’s now time to heal.
