One of the newest offerings by Buick in the compact SUV segment, the Envision, carries on with little to no updates for the 2022 model after the refresh for the 2021 model year. This second-gen Envision is a rather impressive SUV with decent features on offer and supple ride quality. But, is it enough for its asking price of $31,800?

Overview

If you want a premium experience without spending much, then the Envision might be worth a look. We mean, yes, it is based on the Chevy Equinox, but cancels on the cheaper interior while making the overall experience quite soothing. Planning for entry-level luxury SUVs from the German side of things is quite costly. So, there are a few options like the Lexus UX, the Acura RDX, and the Infiniti QX50 with a budget price tag. Then there is the Envision which is priced the lowest among the aforementioned options. So, are there any sacrifices worth noting? Well, there are a few, and that is where we come to let you know the bits and pieces about this second-generation Envision. For starters, there is just one engine on offer - A 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four which is mated to a nine-speed automatic gearbox and a front-wheel-drive system as standard. For the 2021 remodel, the Envision looks more handsome than it ever has, but nothing to make headlines about. That said, all Envisions come fitted with Buick Driver Confidence packing lane-keeping assist, blindspot monitoring, forward collision mitigation, and a safety alert seat for the driver. For the 2022 model year, Buick added the Sport Touring package as an option to both the Preferred and Essence trims. The package now includes “ST'' written floor mats and alloy pedal covers. So, should you consider the 2022 Buick Envision while leaving the Acura RDX or even the Lexus UX behind? It is both yes and no, but for more in-depth knowledge, read the review.

Trims and Features

This compact luxury SUV from Buick is available in three trims: Preferred, Essence, and Avenir. All three trims come with the same 2.0-liter turbocharged inline-four engine, a nine-speed automatic transmission, and front-wheel drive as standard. All three trims have an optional AWD system. Highlights for the aforementioned trims and other available packages are here for your reference:

Preferred } }

Price: $31,800

- 18-inch alloy wheels

- Roof rails

- LED headlights and taillights

- Keyless entry and ignition

- Rear parking sensors

- Eight-way power-adjustable driver seat

- Leatherette/cloth upholstery

- Single-zone AC

- Leather-wrapped steering wheel

- Six-speaker audio unit

- SiriusXM

- Eight-inch touchscreen

- Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integration

- OnStar remote assistance with WiFi hotspot

Standard Buick Driver Confidence suite of safety features include:

- Blindspot monitoring

- Lane-keeping assist

- Forward collision mitigation

- Safety alert seat

Comfort and Convenience package } }

- 10.2-inch touchscreen

- Remote engine start

- Dual-zone automatic climate control

- Heated front seats

- Heated steering wheel

- Seven-speaker audio unit with an amplifier

Essence } }

Price: $36,000

- Features of the Comfort and Convenience package

- Eight-way power-adjustable front passenger seat

- Memory functions for the driver seat

- Eight-inch driver information display

Sport Touring package } }

- Unique front grille design with ST badging

- Black exterior trim

- 20-inch dark gray accented alloy wheels

- Unique headrests

- Sport pedals

Technology package I } }

- Heads-up display

- Navigation

- 360-degree camera system

- Nine-speaker audio unit from Bose.

- HD radio

- Front parking sensors

Avenir } }

Price: $40,400

- Features from the Technology package I

- Ventilated front seats

- Driver’s seat massage facilities

- 120-volt household-style power outlet

- Wireless charging pad

- Heated rear seats

Technology package II } }

- Adaptive headlights

- Adaptive cruise control

- Adaptive air suspension

- Rearview display

- Automated parking assist

- A tweaked collision mitigation system

Exterior: Steps in the right direction

The latest iteration of the Envision is a modern-looking mid-size SUV and is far better than how it looked in the past. Thanks to the exterior design overhaul which includes new sleek LED headlights, a broader intake grille, and a new front bumper. As standard, you will get 18-inch alloy wheels, roof rails, heated exterior mirrors, and rear parking sensors. If you compare it to the 2020 model year, the 2022 model year is far better and is reminiscent of the other recently updated Buicks like the Enclave and the Encore GX. The rear has a lot sportier approach to the model it replaces with bigger and sleeker LED taillights and broader plastic claddings on the rear bumper.

Things we didn’t like about the new Envision are the fake exhausts, and if you know, the earlier generation had real exhausts on the sides. To add a sportier flair to the Envision, Buick offers the Sport Touring package which adds blacked-out exterior trim, 20-inch dark-gray colored alloy wheels, and an “ST” badged front grille. To sum it up, the remodeled Envision looks far better than what it was all these years. It is certainly sportier with a lot of cuts and creases but everything is subtly put together.

Compared to the outgoing generation, the new Envision has a slightly shorter height and is wider, contributing further to its sportier stance. The 2022 model year weighs 3,692 pounds which is about a few hundred pounds less than the QX50 and the RDX. The Envision is 182.5 inches long, 74.1 inches wide, and 64.6 inches tall. We feel that the UX is the most compact SUV among the bunch, while both the RDX and QX50 have slightly better height and are longer than the Envision. The wheelbase is set at 109.4 inches, which is about an inch smaller than the QX50 but definitely longer than the UX and the RDX.

2022 Buick Envision Exterior Dimensions

Interior: Techier, more driver-focused

We wouldn’t complain much about the interior’s not-so-good build quality especially if you compare it to the QX50 or the MDX or even the UX. For the price tag, we think that the interior is good-looking and well-made. Sitting on the driver side will let you have a look at the new dashboard design which is more driver-focused. The infotainment display is titled more towards the driver, not as much as the Corvette C8, though.

The 4.2-inch driver information display sits on the center of the two analog dials, as standard. An eight-inch driver information display comes fitted to the Essence trim onwards. The steering wheel is leather-wrapped as standard and there are plastic paddle-shifters tucked behind it. The dashboard materials are mainly soft-touch plastics and there are leatherette wrappings on the door panels. Yes, the buttons and shiny parts on the center console are mainly plastics, but we feel that they are being embraced to look premium. We are not sure how you would feel about the transmission buttons. They look clean but you will find yourself distracted a lot of times to simply put the Envision to, let’s say, in reverse. Lifting the front armrests will give you extra space for storing up to two water bottles, and some packets of your favorite snacks.

Coming to the seating comfort, the standard cloth/leatherette upholstery offers good cushioning for long-distance drives. Full leather seats come with the Essence onwards, which are even better and we highly recommend them. As standard, only the front driver seat is power-adjustable and you have to choose the higher trims to get a power-adjustable front passenger seat. Features like heating and ventilation functions are optional as standard. The Envision has a seating capacity of up to five people. We are speaking from personal experience, there is plenty of space in both the front and rear rows. You are looking at 39.6 inches headroom and 40.7 inches legroom at the front. The longer wheelbase and the overall length have led to an increase in the rear legroom which is now 39.3 inches. The headroom is a respectable 38.9 inches, allowing taller passengers to enjoy the rides. While both the UX and the RDX have slightly better front legroom, the QX50 has the best front headroom at 41 inches. The Envision, on the other hand, has the best rear legroom while the UX has the least.

But it shakes its hand with the Envision when it comes to the default cargo capacity. The QX50 and the RDX have over 30 cubic feet, so the Envision is not the best in terms of overall practicality.

The interior features of the 2022 Buick Envision are as follows:

- Dual-zone automatic climate control (Optional)

- Leather-wrapped steering wheel

- Eight-way power-adjustable driver seat

- Eight-way power-adjustable passenger seat (Optional)

- Eight-inch driver information display (Optional)

- Leather upholstery (Optional)

- Heated front seats

- Ventilated front seats (Optional)

- Heated rear seats (Optional)

- Wireless charging pad

2022 Buick Envision Interior Dimensions

GM’s infotainment is one of the most user-friendly interfaces and with the new Envision, Buick introduced its first 10.2-inch touchscreen display which is an optional fitment for the Preferred but comes standard with the Essence and Avenir. The base Preferred gets the more conventional eight-inch display which we see in most of the other GM cars. You will get both, wireless, Android Auto, and Apple CarPlay integration as standard. Buick has added a six-speaker audio unit, active noise-cancellation system, SiriusXM, and a Wi-Fi hotspot as standard. Other optional features are listed below:

- Nine-speaker Bose premium audio unit

- Navigation system

- Heads-up display

- HD radio

- 360-degree camera system

Performance and Handling: A great city driving SUV

Unlike the previous generation, there is just one engine powering the Envision.

The engine comes mated to a nine-speed automatic gearbox and drives the front wheels as standard. Buick offers the AWD system as an optional extra for all three trims. The engine has enough grunt for city driving but not so much on the highways. Unlike the previously optional 2.0-liter engine, the power and torque figures are considerably lower than what you would desire. So, if you compare it to its prime rivals like the RDX or the QX50, it surely is underpowered. The AWD-equipped Envision does a 0-60 in 7.3 seconds and a standing quarter-mile in an uninspiring 15.7 seconds. Similarly, the RDX and the QX50 take about a second less than the Envision for the 0-60 miles per hour but all three SUVs are milliseconds apart in the quarter-mile acceleration. The 2.0-liter engine of the Envision is quite refined, even at higher speeds. We feel that Buick should retune the engine to extract a bit more power which can possibly make the experience better.

Compared to the earlier Envision, its newest iteration is more focused but nothing like the new RDX. If you want a more engaging drive with more confidence around the corners, the Envision is not the perfect option for you. While it is better than what it was, the new Envision offers a more balanced drive, emphasizing more on comfort. Like the Chevy Equinox and the Cadillac XT4, the Envision’s suspension is soft and soaks most of the rough patches. The cabin noise reduction is next-level and no other competitors come close to what Buick is offering for the sub $45,000 price point. The Technology package II, which is available only for the Essence and the Avenir, offers adaptive suspension. This will boost up the dynamics of the Envision and will help go around corners without much hassle. As for driving modes, there is Tour, All Wheel Drive, Sport, and Off-Road. We couldn’t find any difference in the overall engine power and the transmission. However, if you put the driving mode on to the Tour, it will drive the front wheels only and will offer a more relaxed acceleration.

2022 Buick Envision Performance Stats

Fuel Economy

While the Envision is not the sportiest performer, it is quite an efficient SUV. The EPA has rated the standard Envision with 24 miles per gallon in the city, 31 miles per gallon on the highways, and 26 miles per gallon combined. The all-wheel-drive Envision is rated at 22 miles per gallon in the city, 29 miles per gallon on the highways, and 25 miles per gallon combined. The UX provides the best mileage figures among the bunch but at the cost of a largely underpowered engine. Considering the power figures of the MDX and the QX50, the mileage figures are acceptable. Both the SUVs maintain a balance between good fuel economy and engine power. For the FWD Envision, Buick has packed a slightly smaller gas tank of 15.9 gallons while the AWD variants have 16.1 gallons. You will get about 400 miles combined range with either of the two variants.

2022 Buick Envision Fuel Economy

How safe is the 2022 Buick Envision?

The Envision, according to the NHTSA, is a safe SUV as it has been rated five stars for its overall crashworthiness. The IIHS is yet to test the limits of the Envision but we feel that this compact Buick will bag the “Top Safety Pick” award. Buick also packs a suite of advanced driver assistance features, as standard, which includes blindspot monitoring, lane-keeping assist, lane-departure warning, rear cross-traffic alert, forward collision mitigation, and safety alert seat. For the price, we think that the list is quite impressive. Other standard safety features include:

- Dual side-mounted airbags for both the front and rear rows

- Tire pressure monitoring

- Emergency braking assist

- Electronic stability control

- Dusk-sensing headlamps

The Technology package II, which is available only for the Essence and the Avenir, will add more advanced safety features such as adaptive cruise control, enhanced frontal collision mitigation, an automated parking system, and adaptive headlights.

Should you consider the 2022 Buick Envision?

The Envision is a good value-for-money compact SUV with an adequate set of features needed for daily use. It has got a spacious cabin to accommodate your family members or your friends for weekend getaways. The engine power is just okay. We wouldn’t say that the performance is underwhelming in any way, but it isn’t as much as you would get from the likes of the Acura MDX or the Infiniti QX50. If you have a tighter budget, the Envision will soothe every need without much trouble.

How much does the 2022 Buick Envision cost?

How fast is the Buick Envision?

Is the Envision is a reliable SUV?

How efficient is the Buick Envision?

FAQ

Q: How much does the 2022 Buick Envision cost?

The entry level Envision will set you back about $35,000, including destination charges.

Q: How fast is the Buick Envision?

The Envision can do a 0-60 in 7.3 seconds and a standing quarter-mile in 15.7 seconds.

Q: Is the Envision is a reliable SUV?

According to the J.D. Power, the new generation Envision scored 85/100 for its quality and reliability

Q: How efficient is the Buick Envision?

The EPA has rated the new Envision to 24/31/26 for city/highway/combined for the FWD variants.