2019 Buick Encore vs 2019 Ford EcoSport

• 2019 Buick Encore

  

  Starting at

  $23,200

  2019 Ford Ecosport

  

  Starting at

  $19,995

  27/33 MPG	Fuel Efficiency	27/29 MPG
  Starting at 138 HP	Horsepower	Starting at 123 HP
  8-inch	Standard Touchscreen	4.2-inch

  The subcompact SUV market is exploding as American families opt for more space and more power in the vehicles they drive. Two popular options are the 2019 Buick Encore vs 2019 Ford EcoSport. As the general public begin leaning more heavily towards these types of vehicles, the competition has begun to heat up with standard and available options on SUVs like the 2019 Buick Encore and the 2019 Ford EcoSport getting better! Both of these vehicles have similar cargo space, seat the same number of people, and get roughly the same gas mileage (though the Encore is better on the highway). There are, however, several differences you should be aware of before you decide to buy. Namely, the EcoSport’s lack of power on the road and its negative safety ratings. At Rick Hendrick Buick GMC Duluth, we want you to have all the information before you buy so that you will be happy with your decision for years to come! Check out this page for an honest side-by-side comparison of these two subcompact SUVs.

• Performance

  

  Handling

  When you’re out and about in your new subcompact SUV, the last thing you want to worry about is handling. Most people get an SUV because they want more space than a car can give them and the handling and power of a truck to keep them safe and speeding around without any trouble. Things like potholes and inclement weather are unavoidable, so the next best thing is to get a vehicle that can handle what’s thrown its way. The 2019 Buick Encore is considered to be exceptional for its class in terms of handling. You’ll enjoy a cushioned ride no matter how bumpy and rough the roads become. You also won’t find yourself and your family tipping sideways when you go around tight curves at higher speeds. Since the 2019 Buick Encore is a subcompact SUV, it’s sized to make it perfect for city driving and tight spaces. You won’t need to worry when you’re driving around a parking lot or when on rough back roads.

  The 2019 Ford EcoSport is a different story entirely. When the terrain isn’t of poor quality, you can expect to have fine handling. The second things get a little rough outside, brace yourself for a bumpy ride. The EcoSport is known for its dramatic ride quality decline when the roads get worse.

  Power

  Many people who decide to buy a subcompact SUV like the 2019 Buick Encore or the 2019 Ford EcoSport do so to transport their family around town with safety and ease. A little extra power on the road doesn’t go amiss, but the main goal is to get up to speed quickly and make it back and forth between school, the office, and extracurriculars in plenty of time. Both of these vehicles will likely get you where you need to go with both their FWD and AWD drivetrains, but you’ll need to upgrade the engine in the EcoSport to really get moving.

  The 2019 Buick Encore comes in two engine options, which means potential buyers can customize their ride as they see fit. You can either go with the standard turbocharged 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine that generates 138 hp or go with an upgraded version which produces 153 hp. If you choose to upgrade your engine to get some more power, you’ll need to opt for a higher trim level of the Encore like the Sport Touring or Essence. Depending on your engine and drivetrain combination, you can expect the Encore to get between 24-26 MPG in the city and 29-31 MPG on the highway.

  U.S. News and World Report, a trusted source of unbiased car reviews, ranked the 2019 Ford EcoSport #15 in its comprehensive review of subcompact SUVs. One of the things dragging the EcoSport down was its underpowered engine and sluggish ride. The EcoSport comes standard with a 123 hp, turbocharged 1.0L three-cylinder engine that can leave the driver feeling underpowered on the highway. To get even a normal ride quality, you need to go with the available 166 hp 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine, which will give you enough power and acceleration to drive around. All models of the EcoSport come with a six-speed automatic transmission that doesn’t deliver the smoothest shifts, either.

  Despite its name, the EcoSport isn't as fuel efficient as you might expect. The base EcoSport gets 27 MPG in the city and 29 MPG on the highway. And if you decide to upgrade to the optional 2.0L engine, you’ll get 4 MPG less when driving in the city.

• Interior

  

  Cargo Space

  If you’re looking for a practical subcompact SUV with plenty of cargo space, both the 2019 Buick Encore and the 2019 Ford EcoSport offer similarly good amounts of cargo space. The 2019 Buick Encore has nearly 19 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats, plenty of room for all your groceries. For even more cargo space, drivers can simply fold down the rear seats to make 48 cubic feet of space. If you need to move something long, the Encore comes with a fold-flat front seat as well, so even oddly shaped items can be transported. All of this space is more than enough to haul just about anything you could need and offers more than many other subcompact SUVs on the market.

  The Ford EcoSport provides slightly more cargo space than the Encore, but not by much. There's 20.9 cubic feet of cargo space behind the rear seats that expand to 50 cubic feet of space when the rear seats are folded flat. Like the Encore, the EcoSport offers more cargo space than many rivaling subcompact SUVs. Something that makes the EcoSport different than the competition, however, is its side-hinged cargo door, rather than the standard top-hinged doors you typically see on subcompact SUVs.

  Technology

  You’ll find many available and standard features in the 2019 Buick Encore. The most futuristic of these is potentially Apply CarPlay and Android Auto, an integration which let drivers connect their smartphone interfaces directly into the Encore. This type of integration feature is becoming standard across the car industry, but very few non-luxury brand vehicles offer them as standard features. The Encore is leading the charge. Buyers of the new Encore can also opt for a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hot spot to stay connected no matter where they go! An 8-inch touch-screen with Buick’s IntelliLink infotainment system comes standard as well as a six-speaker stereo, satellite radio, dual USB ports, and Bluetooth.

  The 2019 Ford EcoSport also is available with the new and exciting Apple CarPlay and Android Auto integrations, but they don’t come as standard features. Standard features in the EcoSport include two USB ports, a six-speaker audio system, and a SYNC infotainment system with a 4.2-inch display. This display is considerably smaller than the Encore’s touchscreen. The EcoSport, unfortunately, doesn't come with a whole lot of standard features. Other available features include satellite radio, navigation, a Wi-Fi hot spot, a seven or nine-speaker audio system, and HD Radio.

• Safety

  

  The National Highway Traffic Safety Administrated (NHTSA) awarded the 2019 Buick Encore an overall 5-stars for safety, the highest rating possible. The Encore comes standard with a rearview camera and has many available active safety features which include blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, forward collision warning, front and rear parking sensors, and lane departure warning.

  Neither leading safety organization (NHTSA or the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety) have yet rated the 2019 EcoSport. The 2019 model of the EcoSport hasn’t undergone any notable changes or upgrades since the 2018 version, so we expect its rating to be very similar, if not the same. This isn’t good for potential EcoSport buyers, as the 2018 model of the EcoSport only received an overall rating of four out of five stars by the NHTSA. It even received three stars in rollover crash tests! Not good for something that should be a family vehicle. Available features in the EcoSport include blind spot monitoring, rear cross traffic alert, and rear parking sensors while a rear-view camera comes standard.

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