2025 Buick Envision

The 2025 Envision is a carry-over of the 2024-refreshed second generation and offers exactly one engine, GM's turbocharged 2.0L LSY I-4 at 228 hp, on Preferred, Sport Touring and Avenir alike. There is no upgrade engine, so the volume trim figure is also the model-range maximum.

Peak torque of the single available LSY 2.0L turbo, unchanged for 2025 and identical across all three trims. Healthy mid-range for the class even though peak horsepower is modest.

Instrumented testing of the 228-hp AWD Envision returns roughly 7.3 seconds to 60 mph, with Consumer Reports measuring a slower 7.7 seconds. That is mid-pack for a compact SUV and unchanged for 2025 since the powertrain carries over.

The LSY turbo is tuned for quiet and smoothness rather than urgency — reviewers consistently describe it as smooth and responsive enough for daily use, with low noise intrusion — but there is nothing eager about it and boost builds unhurriedly, which is why instrumented runs land in the low-to-mid 7s.

GM's nine-speed automatic shifts subtly and picks gears intuitively when driven smoothly, but reviewers note it gets caught out by on/off throttle inputs in the lower gears and delivers the occasional bumpy downshift — solidly in the 'mostly smooth with occasional harshness' band.

Maximum conventional rating is 1,500 lbs with the optional towing package (hitch receiver, wiring harness, added cooling), identical on all three trims. That is at the very bottom of the SUV band — enough for a small utility trailer or a pair of jet skis, not a camper.

AWD is not merely available but mandatory for 2025 — front-wheel drive was deleted with the 2024 refresh — and it is GM's active twin-clutch rear drive unit, which can shuffle torque side to side across the rear axle rather than simply engaging a rear driveshaft. Drive modes include a dedicated All-Wheel Drive setting alongside Tour, Sport and Off-Road. It stops short of the top band only because there is no low range or locking differential.

A unibody premium crossover with car-like ground clearance, no skid plates, no locking differentials, no low range and no off-road trim; the standard AWD and the Off-Road drive mode make it competent on a wet gravel road or a snowy driveway and nothing beyond that. The 20-inch wheels on upper trims work against it further.

One engine, one transmission, one driveline: the 228-hp 2.0L turbo with the nine-speed automatic and standard AWD, on every trim. There is no hybrid, no plug-in, no EV variant and not even an alternate output tune — a take-it-or-leave-it lineup at a time when most compact-SUV rivals offer at least a hybrid.

EPA rates the 2025 Envision at 24 MPG combined. Because FWD was deleted with the 2024 refresh, there is a single EPA entry for the model year and this figure applies to Preferred, Sport Touring and Avenir alike — no more efficient front-drive variant exists to raise the ceiling.

EPA city rating for the sole 2025 configuration. Stop-start and cylinder deactivation on the 2.0L turbo keep it respectable for a standard-AWD compact SUV, though well behind hybrid rivals in the same segment.

EPA highway rating for the 2025 model year, unchanged from 2024 since the powertrain and driveline carry over. Mid-pack among gas compact SUVs.

EPA publishes 386 miles of total range from the 16.1-gallon tank. That is a weak point relative to the segment: the tank is small for a standard-AWD premium crossover, so even respectable economy does not translate into long legs between fill-ups.

EPA's standard-assumption annual fuel cost for the 2025 Envision. The saving grace is that it burns regular; a premium-fuel rival at the same MPG would cost meaningfully more to run.

The 2.0L LSY turbo is calibrated for 87-octane regular unleaded despite being a boosted engine in a premium-badged vehicle — a genuine running-cost advantage over turbocharged near-luxury rivals that require or strongly recommend premium. No flex-fuel or alternative-fuel complication either way.

NHTSA crash-tested the 2025 Envision SUV AWD directly and awarded 5 stars overall, with 5-star frontal and 5-star side (barrier and pole) results; only the rollover sub-score falls to 4 stars at a 14.7% rollover probability, which is normal for a raised crossover.

The IIHS has never crash-tested the second-generation Envision — its Envision ratings page covers 2016–20 models only, so there are no small-overlap, updated moderate-overlap or updated side results for the 2021+ car and no Top Safety Pick of any kind for 2025. The one nearby data point is unflattering: GM's Buick Envista posted Poor in the updated moderate overlap front test, and the Envision is unverified against the harder post-2022 protocols that most of its rated rivals have now passed.

2025 is the year the Envision's standard suite became genuinely comprehensive: Buick made advanced adaptive cruise control, enhanced automatic emergency braking, intersection automatic emergency braking and side bicyclist alert standard, on top of the already-standard forward collision alert, front and rear pedestrian/bicyclist braking, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, blind zone steering assist, rear cross traffic braking, IntelliBeam auto high beams, rear park assist and a surround-view camera — so every one of the five core systems (AEB, ACC, LKA, BSM, RCTA) is present on the $37,895 Preferred base trim with nothing safety-critical held back for Sport Touring or Avenir.

The hardware story is good — enhanced AEB with front and rear pedestrian and bicyclist detection plus newly standard intersection AEB for 2025 — but none of it carries a published IIHS front crash prevention result for this generation, so there is no verified nighttime-pedestrian performance to credit. The only rated Envision AEB on record is the previous generation's optional system, which earned Advanced (not Superior) under the older, easier daylight protocol.

Unusually for the segment, both systems intervene rather than merely warn and both are standard on the base trim: blind zone steering assist actively steers away from an occupied blind spot, and rear cross traffic braking applies the brakes rather than only chiming. A standard surround-view camera backs it up when parking. Towing is a marginal use case here and there is no trailer-aware extension, which is the only reason this is not higher.

Lane keep assist with lane departure warning is standard, but the Envision has no lane-centering mode at any trim for 2025 — GM's assist here is a corrective nudge off the lane marking rather than a system that holds the car in the middle of its lane, and with Super Cruise absent there is nothing above it in the range. That is the functional-but-reactive middle of the band, and it is the weakest link in an otherwise strong standard suite.

Advanced (full-speed, camera-and-radar, stop-and-go) adaptive cruise became standard on every 2025 trim rather than an upper-trim add, and reviewers found it well behaved in traffic. It loses points only because it stands alone: with no lane centering to pair with, it is a good ACC rather than a combined highway-assist system, so the driver still steers throughout.

There is no hands-free highway option on the 2025 Envision at any trim or price. GM announced Super Cruise for the 2024 refresh and then dropped it, launching it on the 2025 Enclave instead — so a $47,595 Avenir sits below a same-showroom Enclave on the one driver-assist feature GM is best known for.

LED headlamps with IntelliBeam automatic high beams are standard on every trim, which is the right equipment set, but the IIHS has published no headlight rating for any Envision — not for this generation and not for the 2016–20 car — so the real-world beam performance that the item measures is entirely unvalidated by a third party. Standard auto high beams keep it out of the bottom band; the absence of any Good rating to point to keeps it out of the top.

Reviewers consistently describe sightlines as merely adequate — thick roof pillars compromise both the forward view and the over-the-shoulder check — and the 30-inch curved display can be partially masked by the steering wheel depending on adjustment, with the head-up display called distracting at night. Standard HD surround vision compensates well at parking speeds but does nothing for the at-speed blind zones, which is why this lands in the middle of the band rather than the top.

Two outboard positions carry complete LATCH hardware with a tether-only center, anchors are reported easy to find and connect to, and roughly 39 inches of rear legroom means a rear-facing seat does not force the front passenger forward. Against that, the previous-generation Envision's LATCH hardware was rated Marginal by the IIHS and the second-generation layout has not been re-rated, and a five-seat compact crossover with a tether-only middle position is not a comfortable three-across proposition.

The 2025 Envision is a two-row five-seater on Preferred, Sport Touring and Avenir alike — GM made no interior changes for 2025, and there has never been a third-row option in this body. Buyers needing seven seats are pushed to the larger Enclave.

First-row headroom of 39.6 in sits mid-band for a compact SUV — unremarkable but adequate, and unchanged for 2025 since the interior carries over untouched from the 2024 refresh.

Front legroom of 40.4 in is near the floor of the SUV normalization band — the Envision gives its second row the space instead, and tall drivers find the front row merely sufficient rather than generous.

Second-row headroom of 38.9 in is toward the upper end of the compact SUV band on paper, though Consumer Reports still found it tight for the tallest passengers because of the sloping roofline.

39.3 in of second-row legroom is genuinely generous for a compact crossover and is the Envision's clearest packaging strength — adults sit comfortably behind adults on long drives.

There is no third row on any 2025 Envision trim and none has ever been offered — a two-row-only compact SUV scores in the bottom band for this criterion by definition.

25.2 cu ft behind the rear seats sits at the very bottom of the compact SUV band — roughly a third less than a CR-V or Tucson. The rakish roofline and the deep rear seat that produces that 39.3 in of legroom both come out of the cargo hold.

Maximum cargo volume of 52.7 cu ft falls below the floor of the compact SUV normalization band — one of the smallest seats-folded holds in the class, and a real limitation for anyone hauling bulky items.

The 2024-refresh console redesigned around the 30-inch display gives a decent covered bin, a standard wireless charging pad on every trim, usable door pockets and a 60/40 folding rear bench. Nothing here is innovative — no underfloor cargo well of note, no household outlet, no fold-flat front passenger seat — so it lands squarely in the competitive-everyday band.

Consumer Reports found the front seats plushly cushioned with adequate bolstering and the rear bench roomy in knee and foot space; ingress and egress are easy thanks to large door openings. Ventilated and massaging front seats plus heated rear outboard seats are Avenir-only, and rear headroom is snug for the tallest passengers, which keeps it out of the top band.

Buick tunes the Envision unambiguously for compliance and it works: reviewers describe a soft, smooth, composed ride that irons out pavement other compact SUVs transmit. The caveat is wheel size — Consumer Reports explicitly advises against the 20-inch wheels fitted to Sport Touring and Avenir, which hurt ride quality versus the Preferred's 18s.

QuietTuning with active noise cancellation is standard on every 2025 trim and it measurably works — Consumer Reports reports little wind or road noise at speed, and quietness is the single most consistently praised attribute of the car. The 2.0T itself is the weak link, sounding wheezy at low rpm and loud under hard acceleration.

Remote start became standard on every 2025 trim, and memory seat/mirror presets are standard from the base Preferred. But heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, dual-zone automatic climate control and the hands-free liftgate are all bundled into the $1,350 Comfort and Convenience Package on Preferred and Sport Touring rather than being standard — so on the trims most buyers take, basic winter comfort equipment costs extra. Ventilated and massaging fronts, heated rear outboard seats and the panoramic moonroof remain Avenir content (the moonroof a $1,495 option below it). Rear climate is vents-only with no separate zone.

For 2025 Buick dropped front-wheel drive entirely, so the entry Preferred is AWD at $37,895 delivered. GM raised 2025 Envision pricing in August 2025 by $1,500 MSRP plus a $500 destination increase (to $1,895), taking the Preferred to $39,895 for the tail of the model year.

Sport Touring is the mid/volume trim of the three-rung 2025 ladder (Preferred / Sport Touring / Avenir), all AWD, all with the 228-hp 2.0T and 9-speed. Launch pricing held for most of the model year, so the launch figure is the representative one.

KBB's 5-Year Cost to Own for the 2025 Envision breaks out $5,340 maintenance plus $1,846 repairs ($7,186 combined); CarEdge projects a much lower $2,875. Blended to ~$5,600 — the LSY 2.0T and 9T50 are high-volume, well-understood GM hardware, but premium-tier parts and dealer labor keep it above a mainstream compact SUV.

Three independent projections cluster in the mid-40s: iSeeCars 46.7%, CarEdge 47.9%, KBB roughly 40% (a $22,710 five-year hit against a $37,895 sticker). Weak even by the standards of a segment that itself averages ~46.6% retention, and well behind the Lexus NX benchmark.

GM cut Buick's bumper-to-bumper coverage from 4 yr/50,000 mi to 3 yr/36,000 mi effective with the 2020 model year, and the 2025 Envision carries the reduced term. That is the floor of the segment band — Hyundai/Kia offer 5 yr/60,000 mi and most luxury rivals 4 yr/50,000 mi.

Buick's powertrain coverage was reduced alongside the basic warranty for 2020 and stands at 5 yr/60,000 mi — the bottom of the 5–10 year band, half of Hyundai/Kia's 10 yr/100,000 mi and behind Genesis, Mitsubishi and Jaguar.

One covered first maintenance visit (oil and filter change, four-tire rotation, multi-point inspection), 5 yr/60,000 mi roadside assistance with courtesy transportation, and a Buick Connected Services / OnStar trial. That is a single free service — thinner than Toyota's 2 yr/25,000 mi ToyotaCare, BMW's 3 yr Ultimate Care or Jaguar/Volvo's multi-year plans — but the long roadside term keeps it out of the bottom band.

$40,395 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (45% retained, or about $18,178) leaves about $22,217 in depreciation. Add the projected $5,600 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $27,817 in total.

Consumer Reports gives the 2025 Envision a predicted-reliability score of 61/100 and awards it CR Recommended status — comfortably above average but not top-tier. The 2025 model year is a mechanical carry-over of the 2024-refreshed second generation, so the reliability picture is built on four years of field data rather than a fresh launch.

Buick is genuinely top-tier in long-term dependability: it ranked 2nd overall and 1st among mass-market brands in the J.D. Power 2025 Vehicle Dependability Study at 143 PP100, against a 202 PP100 industry average, and has been top-3 for several consecutive years. Consumer Reports separately places Buick 8th of all brands and highest of the domestics.

The 2025 Envision carries no NHTSA recalls at all, and the campaigns issued across the rest of this generation have been minor and non-mechanical — a daytime-running-light software fix (22V903, 2021-2023), a missing tire/load information label (24V710, 2024), and an airbag-warning-lamp software fault fixed over the air (21V421, 2021). No powertrain, fire or structural campaign has touched the generation.

Every 2025 Envision uses GM's 2.0L LSY turbo four (228 hp / 258 lb-ft) with the nine-speed automatic and standard AWD — an Ecotec-family combination in service since 2019 that most owners take past 150,000 miles, but one carrying real documented caveats: timing-chain-tensioner noise, LSPI risk if oil spec is ignored, GM bulletin PIP6047 thrust-bearing checks that can end in engine replacement, and early GM nine-speed selectable one-way-clutch contamination complaints. Proven enough to avoid the low band, not a benchmark.

Reviewers consistently call the Envision a cut above mainstream compact SUVs — leather-trimmed, tastefully restrained, with QuietTuning acoustic glass and active noise cancellation reinforcing the premium impression. But it is priced into premium territory and still shows GM parts-bin switchgear, hard plastic on the lower door panels and scratch-prone piano black on the console, so it does not reach the material standard of a true luxury compact.

SAIC-GM's Chinese assembly delivers consistent panel gaps and a notably quiet, rattle-free cabin, and Buick sits above the industry average in J.D. Power's initial-quality work. Scattered infotainment-software complaints against the 30-inch display introduced in the 2024 refresh, and GM's broader IQS softness on touchscreen-driven controls, keep it out of the top band.

GM's voluntary buyout program has cut the Buick franchise network by more than half — from roughly 1,958 stores at the start of 2023 to about 745 by early 2026 — which is the single biggest weakness in the ownership picture. It is partly offset by the fact that surviving stores are higher-throughput, most are co-located GMC dealers, and 89% of the US population is still within 25 miles of one; rural owners are the ones who feel the thinning.

Running costs are a standout: RepairPal puts the Envision's combined annual repair and maintenance at $318 versus a $494 segment average, with unscheduled shop visits at 0.2 per year against a 1.0 average, ranking it 1st of 32 in its SUV group. The LSY engine and nine-speed are shared across high-volume GM SUVs so mechanical parts are cheap and stocked everywhere; body and trim pieces unique to the China-built Envision are the one place sourcing can be slower and dearer.

The headline number is the 30-inch diagonal panel introduced with the 2024 refresh and standard on every 2025 trim, but that figure spans the digital gauge cluster and the touchscreen as one continuous surface. The actual center touchscreen the driver operates measures 11.0 inches, which is mid-band for a compact SUV rather than class-leading.

Google Built-in is standard on every 2025 trim, giving a familiar tile layout, Play Store apps and Google Maps natively; Consumer Reports calls the system user-friendly and Buick kept physical climate controls below the screen. Two things hold it short of the top band: portions of the ultrawide display can be masked by the steering wheel depending on adjustment, and this is still the older E2-architecture head unit rather than GM's newest stack.

Wireless Apple CarPlay and wireless Android Auto are standard on all three 2025 trims — Buick retained phone projection on the Envision even as GM removed it from some of its newest EVs, which is exactly the top-band condition.

Google Built-in means the native navigation is Google Maps and the native assistant is Google Assistant, with natural-language recognition — effectively the phone stack running on the head unit. Buick provisions OnStar Basics free for eight years so maps, live traffic and voice keep working without a subscription, which is unusually generous.

A nine-speaker Bose premium system is standard on every 2025 trim including the base Preferred — there is no weak base stereo to upgrade out of, which is rare at this price and puts it in the top band.

The driver-facing third of the 30-inch panel is a full reconfigurable digital cluster, standard on every trim with no analogue fallback anywhere in the range. It renders as one uninterrupted surface with the infotainment display, though it is not as pixel-dense or as configurable as the best luxury clusters.

GM delivers over-the-air software updates to the Envision through OnStar-provisioned connectivity, covering infotainment and select vehicle modules. But the Envision sits on the older E2 platform rather than the newer centralized electrical architecture behind GM's feature-adding whole-vehicle OTAs, so this is closer to the infotainment/maps band than to Tesla-style capability.

The myBuick app covers the core set — remote start, remote lock/unlock, lights, locate and vehicle status — and remote start hardware became standard on every trim for 2025 so the app function works on any Envision. It is held to the middle band because Remote Access is subscription-gated after its included trial and there is no phone-as-key or digital key on this model.

Wireless phone charging is standard from the base Preferred, backed by four USB ports split across both rows — solid rather than abundant. There is no 120V household outlet and no onboard-power provision, which keeps it out of the top band.

Keyless entry, push-button start, a power liftgate and — new for 2025 — remote start are all standard across the range, which is a complete conventional keyless package. It stops short of the top band because the hands-free (kick-activated) liftgate requires the $1,350 Comfort and Convenience Package or the Avenir trim, and no phone-as-key is offered.

HD Surround Vision — GM's 360-degree camera with selectable views — is standard on every 2025 trim, not an upper-trim add, and is paired with rear park assist and rear cross-traffic braking. That combination is genuinely strong for the segment; the absence of any automated parking assist is the only real gap.

A head-up display is standard on all three 2025 trims including the entry Preferred — well above the segment norm, where a HUD is usually a top-trim or package item if it is offered at all. One reviewer found it distracting at night, which is the only mark against it.

The strong point is space: 39.3 in of second-row legroom means a rear-facing seat installs without shoving the front passenger forward, and large door openings make loading easy. Against that, only the two outboard positions carry full LATCH hardware (the center is tether-only, so three across is not a real proposition), the previous generation's LATCH hardware was rated Marginal by the IIHS and this one has not been re-rated, and 25.2 cu ft behind the rear seats makes a stroller plus a grocery run a genuine squeeze.

2025 is the year the standard suite got genuinely comprehensive on the trims families actually buy — advanced adaptive cruise, intersection AEB, front pedestrian and bicycle braking, rear cross traffic braking, blind zone steering assist and HD Surround Vision are all standard on the $37,895 Preferred, and NHTSA awarded the 2025 Envision AWD five stars overall. What keeps it out of the top band is verification and coverage: the IIHS has never crash-tested the second-generation Envision, so there is no Top Safety Pick to point to, and there is no lane centering at any trim.

A very quiet QuietTuning cabin, a soft ride and class-generous rear legroom make four adults comfortable for multi-hour drives. The limits are equipment and luggage: rear climate is vents-only with no separate zone, heated rear outboard seats and the panoramic moonroof are Avenir content, there is no rear-seat entertainment option, and 25.2 cu ft behind the second row means a family of four folds a seat for a week's luggage.

This is what the Envision is built for: a soft, quiet, unstressed commuter with standard advanced adaptive cruise on every trim, standard remote start for 2025, standard wireless CarPlay/Android Auto and a standard 360-degree camera. The 228-hp 2.0T is smooth in traffic; the friction points reviewers cite are occasional front-tire scrabble pulling away, a nine-speed that can deliver a bumpy downshift, and an engine that sounds wheezy at low rpm.

EPA 22/28/24 mpg on regular 87-octane with a $2,550 annual fuel bill is unremarkable for a compact SUV and clearly expensive against the hybrids that dominate this segment — a RAV4 Hybrid or CR-V Hybrid runs roughly 50% further on the same fuel. Consumer Reports measured 23 mpg in its own testing, below expectations for the class. Consumables are ordinary GM commodity parts, which offsets part of the fuel gap.

A 182.7-in body on a 109-in wheelbase with a roughly 38-ft curb-to-curb turning circle is easy to thread through a city, and standard HD Surround Vision plus rear park assist on every trim compensate for the thick pillars and rising beltline that hurt the over-the-shoulder view. Not the tightest-turning compact SUV, but comfortably in the manageable band.

A 1,500-lb maximum trailer rating, 52.7 cu ft of cargo with the seats folded, no bed, no payload-oriented configuration and a 228-hp engine tuned for quiet rather than pulling put the Envision firmly in the not-meaningfully-work-capable band. It will move a small utility trailer and nothing more.

The mechanical baseline is respectable — the LSY 2.0T and GM nine-speed are high-volume, well-understood hardware, and Buick has a strong brand-level dependability record. But nothing about the car is specified for abuse: leatherette or leather trim and carpeted surfaces throughout, no fleet or contractor configuration, no vinyl-floor option, and a unibody premium crossover chassis that was never meant for jobsite duty.

There is no 120V household outlet, no onboard power, no washable flooring and no upfit ecosystem — the work-adjacent provisions amount to a carpeted cargo floor with tie-down loops plus extra-cost accessory trays, cargo nets, all-weather liners and a hitch. That is the bottom band by the item's own definition.

A genuinely good mile-eater: QuietTuning with active noise cancellation, a compliant ride, plush front seats, standard advanced adaptive cruise on every trim, and roughly 450 highway miles between fills from the 16.1-gallon tank at 28 mpg. What holds it back is the driver-assist ceiling — there is no lane centering and no Super Cruise on the Envision at any price, so the driver steers the whole way, and the 20-inch wheels on Sport Touring and Avenir cost some of the ride advantage.

Standard twin-clutch AWD on every 2025 trim genuinely helps on wet gravel and snow, and there is an Off-Road drive mode. Everything else says pavement: 6.7 in of ground clearance, no skid plates, no low range, no locking differential, 20-inch wheels on two of three trims, and a 1,500-lb tow rating that rules out most trailered toys. Roof rails will carry a bike or a box, which is about the extent of it.

Both cargo figures — 25.2 cu ft behind the second row and 52.7 cu ft with the 60/40 bench folded — fall at or below the floor of the compact SUV band, making this one of the smallest holds in the class. A 60/40 split, roof rails and an accessory hitch add some flexibility, but the 1,500-lb tow limit and the small square footage cap what you can actually bring.

Secure but not remotely eager. Consumer Reports found noticeable body lean in corners yet judged the car 'utterly controlled and capable' through the avoidance manoeuvre, and Edmunds calls handling decent but not nimble — a chassis tuned for isolation that never misbehaves and never rewards. Avenir's adaptive dampers tighten it slightly; the volume trims run passive dampers.

The weakest of the Envision's dynamic traits. Consumer Reports describes the steering flatly as 'vague and overly light' — accurate enough to place the car but with no build-up of weight and no feedback about grip. Easy at parking speeds, uncommunicative everywhere else.

A quiet strength. Reviewers rate braking performance better than average for the class, with a pedal that is easy to modulate and inspires confidence — no grabbiness and no fade complaints in normal use. Short of the top band only because the Envision does not post class-leading instrumented stopping distances.

The 228-hp LSY 2.0T and GM nine-speed are calibrated for smoothness over urgency and largely deliver it, but the seams show: Consumer Reports notes occasional front-tire slip when accelerating from a stop and an occasional bumpy downshift, and the unhurried boost build is why instrumented 0–60 runs land in the low-to-mid sevens rather than feeling quick.

At a cruise the standard QuietTuning package and active noise cancellation keep the engine well suppressed, but this item is about the powertrain itself and the 2.0T is the cabin's least refined element — Consumer Reports describes it as wheezy at low rpm and loud under acceleration. Inoffensive in normal use, coarse when worked.

Mid-band for a compact SUV — tight enough for parking garages and U-turns without being a standout. Three independent spec listings agree within rounding.

Getting in and settling is easy — large door openings, naturally positioned seats, a power driver's seat with memory presets standard from the base trim, and a user-friendly control layout that kept physical climate switchgear below the big display and moved the gear selector to the column in the 2024 refresh. Two demerits: thick pillars compromise the over-the-shoulder view, and the ultrawide display can be partly masked by the steering wheel depending on how it is set.

Pleasant and completely uneventful. Light, feedback-free steering, body roll, a wheezy-sounding turbo four and a chassis tuned entirely for isolation add up to a car nobody takes the long way home in — Edmunds notes it doesn't feel quick from the driver's seat and frames that as a feature rather than a flaw, which is the whole brief.

2025 is the Envision's most generous base spec yet: all-wheel drive became standard on every trim (it was a ~$2,000 option before), the 30-inch ultrawide curved display went standard across the line rather than being reserved for upper trims, and remote start joined heated front seats, heated steering wheel, leatherette upholstery, wireless CarPlay/Android Auto, HD surround vision and an expanded driver-assist suite (adaptive cruise, enhanced automatic emergency braking, blind-zone steering assist) on the $37,895 Preferred. Rivals in this price band rarely include AWD, a screen of that size and adaptive cruise together at base.

At $37,895 delivered with AWD standard, the Envision undercuts a Lexus NX ($42,115), Mercedes GLB ($46,950), Audi Q5, Acura RDX and Cadillac XT5 by $4,000–$10,000 while matching or beating them on screen size and standard driver assistance. Working against it: a single 228-hp 2.0T with no hybrid or PHEV option, only 24 MPG combined, and mid-40s five-year resale that erodes the up-front saving over an ownership cycle.

Three trims (Preferred, Sport Touring, Avenir) spanning roughly $38K–$48K is a reasonable but narrow ladder, and 2025 actually narrowed it: making AWD standard removed the FWD configuration and with it the cheaper entry point. One engine, one transmission, one drivetrain, no electrified or performance variant — buyers choose equipment level and nothing else.

The Envision is one of the strongest sellers in the premium compact SUV class, not a niche player: 47,340 US deliveries in 2024 (an all-time peak) and 41,662 in 2025, with Q1 2025 volume trailing only the Lexus NX in the segment. Scored below the top band because the second half of 2025 fell away sharply — Q3 was down about 35% year over year, ending the calendar year down roughly 12%.

Buick scores well on dependability and sales satisfaction — it topped J.D. Power's US Sales Satisfaction Index among mass-market brands two years running — and the tri-shield rebrand has modernized the look, but the marque carries little aspirational pull against Lexus, Acura, Genesis or the Germans and still skews to an older, value-driven buyer. Chinese assembly (the Envision is built by SAIC-GM and imported) remains a friction point for some shoppers.

GM keeps standing money on the Envision hood — promotional APRs from 0.9% for 36 months, a $1,000 purchase allowance, conquest/loyalty cash, deferred first payments, plus the military, supplier and GM employee pricing programs — and dealer discounting on leftover 2025s ran into the mid-four figures. Real transaction prices land comfortably under MSRP without the model reading as a fire sale, which is a genuine buyer advantage over luxury rivals that discount less.

The second-generation Envision arrived for 2021 and was facelifted for 2024 with revised front-end styling and the dashboard-mounted digital displays, so 2025 is the second year of a current refresh with genuinely modern cabin tech. It is mid-cycle rather than new, and the promised Super Cruise never materialized, leaving the driver-assist suite a step behind GM's own flagship offering.

Reviewers consistently place the Envision as competent but never the class pick: Edmunds rates it 6.6/10 after road and track testing, US News ranks it #12 among luxury compact SUVs, and KBB's experts give 3.9/5. Praise goes to the quiet cabin, ride quality and screen; criticism to unremarkable 7.7-second acceleration, mediocre fuel economy and interior polish short of the badge. No major awards for this generation — the frequently cited IIHS Top Safety Pick+ belongs to the first-generation car, and IIHS has not published crashworthiness ratings for the 2021-on Envision. Owner sentiment runs warmer than the press (88% of KBB reviewers recommend it).