Compare the2022 Buick EncoreVS 2022 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Ergonomics
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 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross 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 Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

Both the Encore and the Eclipse Cross have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee 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, 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 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross:

	Encore	Eclipse Cross
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	122	290
Neck Injury Risk	26%	35.1%
Neck Stress	298 lbs.	467 lbs.
Neck Compression	12 lbs.	65 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	207	244
Chest Compression	.3 inches	.5 inches
Neck Stress	122 lbs.	162 lbs.
Neck Compression	104 lbs.	143 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 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross:

	Encore	Eclipse Cross
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	73	145
Abdominal Force	120 G’s	154 G’s
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	100	162
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	55 G’s

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

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and with its optional front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Encore the rating of “Top Pick” for 2016, a rating granted to only 221 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Eclipse Cross has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

There are over 6 times as many Buick dealers as there are Mitsubishi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Encore’s warranty.

Reliability

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 41 points higher than the Eclipse Cross.

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

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 Mitsubishi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick fifth in reliability, above the industry average. With 16 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mitsubishi is ranked 13th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Mitsubishi vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Buick fourth in reliability. Mitsubishi is ranked 20th.

Engine

The Encore’s 1.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 3 more horsepower (155 vs. 152) than the Eclipse Cross’ 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Encore FWD gets better fuel mileage than the Eclipse Cross ES FWD CVT (24 city/32 hwy vs. 26 city/29 hwy).

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 Eclipse Cross 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 Eclipse Cross:

	Encore	Eclipse Cross
Front Rotors	11.8 inches	11.6 inches

The Encore stops much shorter than the Eclipse Cross:

	Encore	Eclipse Cross
70 to 0 MPH	175 feet	178 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	113 feet	129 feet	Motor Trend

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 Eclipse Cross ES’ standard 70 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Encore has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Eclipse Cross ES.

Suspension and Handling

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

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 Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Encore handles at .82 G’s, while the Eclipse Cross SE AWD pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Encore AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the Eclipse Cross SEL AWD (28.2 seconds @ .58 average G’s vs. 29 seconds @ .56 average G’s).

Chassis

The Encore is 10.6 inches shorter than the Eclipse Cross, 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 Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Encore has .1 inches more front headroom, 1.5 inches more rear headroom and .5 inches more rear legroom than the Eclipse Cross.

Ergonomics

The power windows standard on both the Encore and the Eclipse Cross 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 Eclipse Cross 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 Eclipse Cross’ standard power windows’ passenger windows don’t open automatically.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Encore has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Eclipse Cross only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Encore has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. When the ignition turns off, the headlights turn off after a delay timed to allow you to securely get to your front door. The Eclipse Cross has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the SE/SEL.

The Encore’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. The Eclipse Cross ES FWD 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 Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Recommendations

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

	Encore	Eclipse Cross
Consumer Reports® Recommends	TRUE	FALSE
Car Book “Best Bet”	TRUE	n/a