Buick touts the 2013 Encore as the most fuel-efficient crossover from a domestic carmaker.
The EPA puts the Encore's gas mileage at 25 mpg city and 33 mpg highway, for a combined mpg of 28, with the model's standard six-speed automatic transmission. This figure is based on 45 percent highway and 55 percent city driving.
The Encore's mileage, Buick says, is better than the 2013 Ford Escape (23 city/33 highway/combined 26 mpg), the automatic Jeep Compass (23 city/28 highway/combined 25 mpg), the automatic Mini Countryman S (25 city/32 highway), and the Volkswagen Tiguan (21 city/26 highway).
Buick points out that it will cost $500 a year less to fill up the Encore at the pump than the Tiguan, partly because it is recommended that the Tiguan - like the Countryman S - receive premium gasoline. The Encore is designed to run on regular, which is part of the reason its owner will save $2,100 over five years compared to the owner of the average new vehicle. The Encore's EPA-estimated annual fuel cost of $1,900 is the same or lower than any 2013 crossover sold in the US, foreign or domestic.
Buick cites the 2013 Encore's lighter, high-strength steel body as part of the reason for its fuel economy. The crossover is powered by a 1.4-liter turbocharged engine.
"Right from its inception, Encore was designed to offer customers the safety and comfort expected of any Buick, but with an added emphasis on space and fuel efficiency," Jim Danahy, the Encore's chief engineer, said in a statement. "We did things like specify one optimized wheel and tire package to ensure that every customer has the best driving experience possible."
Fuel economy estimates for the all-wheel drive Encore will be announced at a later date.
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