There’s no better way to get to know a new vehicle in detail than to take it on a road trip. And that’s the strategy he was looking to use with the new Buick Envision 2017 crossover, General Motors’ promoted compact vehicle that is assembled at its shanghai, China plant.
What is Envision? Envision has just made its launch in the Canadian market. It is larger than the very popular Encore (also new for 2017), but smaller than the now mythical Enclave (very revised for 2018). Actually, the Envision can be compared to the new Chevrolet Equinox and GMC Terrain, which is much more luxurious. In any case, it fills a void in a segment of the market where Buick, until now, had no weapons to face the popular Acura RDX, Lincoln MKC and others.
The Buick Envision will be available in several editions, starting with the fundamental model, equipped with a 4-cylinder, 2.5-liter (197 hp) engine and front-wheel drive. The road vacation edition made for me through General Motors Canada was the Envision Premium II model; It features a 2.0L turbocharged 4-cylinder engine with 2.0 horsepower, 252 horsepower and 260 pound-feet of torque with a 6-speed automatic transmission and is supplied with four-wheel drive. This last feature is, in fact, a valuable asset during the winter season for others living in snowy climates.
Here we go! The Envision Premium II is the best selection for a 6-hour tour from Montreal to New York. A glance at a map shows that the direction between the two cities takes position on a maximum direct line. From Montreal, you have to use one of the main bridges of the island city to succeed on the South Shore (in our case, the famous Champlain Bridge), then south on Highway 15 towards the U.S. border, a short adventure of less than an hour. With an early morning departure and a little luck, we would temporarily cross the border to succeed on Interstate 87, known as one of the most beautiful roads in the United States.
The Buick Envision offers a remarkably quiet ride, which becomes even more evident on this road that offers an almost excellent road surface, which feels as elegant as the fabric of a pool table. The published speed limit is 105 km/hy I made the decision to set the cruiser to 112 km/h. This gave my spouse and I the opportunity to enjoy the beautiful scenery that comes through the Adirondacks Mountains, a region of evergreen forests with enough snow to create small waterfalls and waterfalls. It was a pleasure to appreciate everything from the Envision, which gives occupants intelligent visibility in all directions. And despite its softness, this route featured climbs, descents and long fast curves that made everything still boring. We shared the road with some occasional transport truck, but they lived in peace with personal cars like ours.
If you’re wondering how the turbocharged Buick Envision works in terms of performance, it’s clear that the car doesn’t dream of sports glory. Still, it offers proper acceleration (from 0 to 100 km/h in about 8 seconds) and is even more convincing in its ability to overtake the trucks we found.
A relaxing cabin When you spend several hours in a vehicle, it is clear that it is an advantage to have a pleasant atmosphere. In this sense, the Buick Envision Premium II is difficult to beat in its market segment. The color and end of the fabrics are as pleasing to the eye as to the touch. For drivers, instrumentation is intelligently organized into their vision box and the dials are transparent and easy to read. Specifically, I appreciated the speedometer shown in an image reflected inside the windshield. Frankly, this generation will be universally included in all new cars, as it allows drivers to control their speed without taking their eyes off the road.
The design of the board is rarely the most elaborately designed, however, its lines are sublime and reminiscent of the superbly designed cars of the 1960s. The giant screen in the middle of the dashboard is useful for accessing the navigation formula as well as the rear view camera (although the Envision does not yet have entries for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto formulas). As for the console, it is not too intrusive and offers enough space for the cup holders and the central compartment of the garage. The gearshift knob is supplied with a push button and, in the appearance of the knob for manual mode. There are no gearshift cams on the guide wheel, which is probably a smart thing, because the guide wheel is already full of yettons.
Heated and ventilated front seats offer impressive comfort on long journeys. If you are travelling with rear passengers, you must also use individually controlled thermal pads and have more legroom than in any competing model. The Buick Envision used on this long-distance control track had no sunroof, which would give the rear occupants even more headroom. This rear seat, across the road, can accommodate 3 passengers if needed.
Behind those passengers, the trunk is giant enough to accommodate the luggage of at least two other people traveling to New York (I was able to stack all my bags as well as my partner’s, plus a giant picnic basket). Load capacity may be higher if the rear seats are flattened. The electric tailgate can be opened in several ways, adding slide the foot under the rear bumper (as long as you have the key fob with a transmitter in your pocket).
Another wonderful facet of Interstate 87 is the presence of many resting spaces (often with facilities such as gas stations, food outlets, etc.) that offer wonderful picnic settings directly at the back door or on the on-site tables. We discovered on our holiday that the Envision is an incredibly quiet vehicle, with the help of a giant component through high-end Hankook Ventus tires. The guide is impressively accurate without requiring too much effort on the driver component. Braking didn’t cause surprises, but it seemed perhaps a little less harsh compared to some of its competitors. Buick turns out to have reinforced the suspension compared to the manufacturer’s models of yesteryear, but manages, along with Hankook tires, to offer strong, reassuring handling.
Once in Albany, the capital of New York State, it was time to leave Interstate 87 and take the New York Thruway (87-90) turnpike, which took us to the Big Apple. This road is a little older but just as comfortable and took us through the Catskills Mountains, a domain of trees covered with grass and vegetation. I chose to leave this address just before I got to New York, at Exit 135, which allowed me to take Palisades Parkway (a 1940s heavy vehicle road) and took me to the George Washington Turnpike. He took us across the Hudson River and the Henry Hudson Parkway, and despite the whole center.
For many non-New Yorkers, driving in this wonderful American city is a frightening prospect. And yet, with the exception of the city’s former component at the southern end of Manhattan, nothing can be simpler: the street grid (with the exception of Broadway, which begins in Central Park) is arranged in a ring, and the city is surrounded by (few) walks. All you have to do is take your time and read the traffic signs. In addition, pedestrians in New York are a disciplined breed. However, one thing to keep in mind is parking: if you need to park your Buick or any other vehicle in Manhattan, expect to pay more than $60 per day! Our Envision fit perfectly into this urban environment, making smart use of the Stop-Start formula to save the engine at red traffic lights.
For the return from New York to Montreal, we came back on our itinerary. When we returned to the starting point, the Hoax Envision’s on-board computer had an average fuel intake of 9.2 L/100 km. However, it is worth noting that Buick recommends incredible fuel for the turbo engine. It sold to US$1.59 gallon in New York State … or about the equivalent of $0.90/liter at home, taking into account the exchange rate!
Conclusion The Buick Envision Premium II 2017 used in our has a base value of $49565, with the Paint End Chili Red Metallic and the driving assistance organization bringing the total to $52035. Add $1700 in transportation fees and $100 air conditioning tax, and that will increase to $53,835.
When it came in 2016, GM and its Chinese-made Envision arrived here with a fair complaint (particularly from U.S. auto unions. They saw the foreign-made invading vehicle!). Anyway, I don’t think the vehicle will satisfy the desires of those looking for athletic performance, for long and comfortable trips on the road, it probably can’t be beat. If it’s more your thing, you may not be disappointed!