Compare the2022 Buick EncoreVS 2021 Mazda CX-3

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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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 Mazda CX-3 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 CX-3 doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Encore offers optional Ultrasonic Park Assist to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or in front of their vehicle. The CX-3 doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

Compared to metal, the Encore’s plastic fuel tank can withstand harder, more intrusive impacts without leaking; this decreases the possibility of fire. The Mazda CX-3 has a metal gas tank.

Both the Encore and the CX-3 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, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, collision warning systems, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems 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 Mazda CX-3:

	Encore	CX-3
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	122	163
Neck Injury Risk	26%	27%
Neck Stress	298 lbs.	334 lbs.
Neck Compression	12 lbs.	19 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Compression	.3 inches	.4 inches
Neck Injury Risk	38%	39%
Neck Stress	122 lbs.	198 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	249/289 lbs.	252/310 lbs.

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 Mazda CX-3:

	Encore	CX-3
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	73	183
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.8 inches
Abdominal Force	120 G’s	199 G’s
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	100	241
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	85 G’s

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

Warranty

The Encore’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the CX-3’s (6 vs. 5 years).

There are almost 4 times as many Buick dealers as there are Mazda dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Encore’s warranty.

Reliability

To reliably power the ignition and other systems and to recharge the battery, the Encore has a standard 130-amp alternator. The CX-3’s 100-amp alternator isn’t as powerful.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Encore third among small suvs in their 2020 Initial Quality Study. The CX-3 isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Buick vehicles are better in initial quality than Mazda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick 7th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 34 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mazda is ranked 22nd, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Mazda vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick fifth in reliability, above the industry average. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mazda is ranked 14th.

Engine

The Encore’s 1.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 7 more horsepower (155 vs. 148) and 31 lbs.-ft. more torque (177 vs. 146) than the CX-3’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Encore has 2.1 gallons more fuel capacity than the CX-3 AWD’s standard fuel tank (14 vs. 11.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Encore has 1.3 gallons more fuel capacity than the CX-3 FWD’s standard fuel tank (14 vs. 12.7 gallons).

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 CX-3 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Encore’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the CX-3:

	Encore	CX-3	CX-3 AWD
Front Rotors	11.8 inches	11 inches	11.6 inches

The Encore stops shorter than the CX-3:

	Encore	CX-3
70 to 0 MPH	175 feet	181 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	127 feet	135 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	134 feet	148 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The Encore’s tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the CX-3’s standard 60 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Encore has standard 18-inch wheels. Only 16-inch wheels are available on the CX-3.

Suspension and Handling

The Encore has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The CX-3’s suspension doesn’t offer gas-charged shocks.

The Encore handles at .82 G’s, while the CX-3 AWD pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the Encore has a greater minimum ground clearance than the CX-3 (6.2 vs. 6.1 inches), allowing the Encore to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Encore uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The CX-3 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Encore has 5.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the CX-3 (92.8 vs. 87.6).

The Encore has 1.2 inches more front headroom, .7 inches more front shoulder room, 1.6 inches more rear headroom, .8 inches more rear legroom, 1.1 inches more rear hip room and 2.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the CX-3.

Cargo Capacity

The Encore has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the CX-3 with its rear seat up (18.8 vs. 17.8 cubic feet). The Encore has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the CX-3 with its rear seat folded (48.4 vs. 42.7 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Encore easier. The Encore’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 28.8 inches, while the CX-3’s liftover is 30.6 inches.

Servicing Ease

The Encore has a maintenance free battery for long life without checking the battery’s water level. The CX-3 doesn’t have a maintenance free battery, so the water level in the battery’s cells must be checked often to prevent damage.

Ergonomics

The Encore offers a remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior. The CX-3 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The power windows standard on both the Encore and the CX-3 have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Encore is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The CX-3 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

The Encore’s front and rear power windows all lower with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The CX-3’s passenger windows don’t open automatically.

Keyless Access standard on the Encore allows you to unlock the doors, cargo door and start the engine all without removing a key from pocket or purse. This eliminates searching for keys before loading groceries, getting in the vehicle in bad weather or making a hurried start to your trip. The Mazda CX-3’s Pushbutton Start doesn’t unlock the doors or the cargo door.

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 CX-3’s power window (except driver window) and power mirror switches are unlit, making them difficult to find at night and operate safely.

The Encore’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. The CX-3 doesn’t offer heated side mirrors.

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 CX-3 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Encore owner. The Car Book by Jack Gillis rates the Encore with a number “5” insurance rate while the CX-3 is rated higher at a number “8” rate.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Encore is less expensive to operate than the CX-3 because it costs $55 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Encore than the CX-3, including $104 less for a starter, $260 less for fuel injection, $28 less for front struts and $70 less for a power steering pump.

Recommendations

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

	Encore	CX-3
Consumer Reports® Recommends	TRUE	TRUE
Car Book “Best Bet”	TRUE	FALSE