Compare the2022 Buick EncoreVS 2022 Kia Seltos

For enhanced safety, the front shoulder belts of the Buick Encore are height-adjustable, and the rear seat shoulder belts have child comfort guides to move the belt to properly fit children. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages children to buckle up. The Kia Seltos has only front height-adjustable seat belts.

The Buick Encore has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Seltos doesn’t offer knee airbags.

Both the Encore and the Seltos have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, collision warning systems, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Buick Encore is safer than the Kia Seltos:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH, results indicate that the Buick Encore is safer than the Kia Seltos:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The Encore’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Seltos’ (6/100,000 vs. 5/100,000).

There are almost 3 times as many Buick dealers as there are Kia dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Encore’s warranty.

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Encore has a 130-amp alternator. The Seltos’ standard 120-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Encore’s reliability 46 points higher than the Seltos.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Encore third among small suvs in their 2020 Initial Quality Study. The Seltos isn’t in the top three in its category.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Kia vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Buick fourth in reliability. Kia is ranked 15th.

The Encore’s 1.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 9 more horsepower (155 vs. 146) and 45 lbs.-ft. more torque (177 vs. 132) than the Seltos’ standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

The Encore has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The Seltos doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

For better stopping power the Encore’s standard brake rotors are larger than those on the Seltos:

The Encore stops shorter than the Seltos:

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Encore has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Seltos.

The Encore has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Seltos doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Encore AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Seltos S (28.2 seconds @ .58 average G’s vs. 28.8 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

The Encore is 3.6 inches shorter than the Seltos, making the Encore easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Encore uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The Seltos doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The front step up height for the Encore is 1.2 inches lower than the Seltos (16.8” vs. 18”). The Encore’s rear step up height is 1 inches lower than the Seltos’ (16.8” vs. 17.8”).

An Oil Life Monitor is standard on the Encore to save the owner time and money by calculating maintenance intervals for oil changes based on actual driving conditions. This takes the guesswork out of keeping your vehicle in top condition and helps it last longer. Kia doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the Seltos.

The Encore’s front and rear power windows all open fully with one touch of the switches and its driver’s window also automatically closes, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside the car. The Seltos’ standard power window switches have to be held the entire time to close them fully. Only its driver’s window opens automatically.

The Encore’s power window, power lock, power mirror and cruise control switches are lit from behind, making them plainly visible and easier to operate at night. The Seltos’ passenger power window and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Encore’s optional wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Seltos’ manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Encore’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Kia only offers heated mirrors on the Seltos S/EX/Nightfall/SX.

The Encore offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Seltos doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Buick Encore has won recognition from these important consumer publications: