Compare the2022 Buick EncoreVS 2021 Toyota C-HR

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Payload
Servicing Ease
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 Toyota C-HR 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 C-HR doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Encore offers all-wheel drive to maximize traction under poor conditions, especially in ice and snow. The C-HR doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

Both the Encore and the C-HR have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver knee 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, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available 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 Toyota C-HR:

	Encore	C-HR
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	122	163
Neck Injury Risk	26%	27%
Neck Stress	298 lbs.	312 lbs.
Neck Compression	12 lbs.	24 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	363/313 lbs.	383/344 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
Chest Compression	.3 inches	.8 inches
Neck Injury Risk	38%	41%
Neck Stress	122 lbs.	238 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 and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Buick Encore is safer than the Toyota C-HR:

	Encore	C-HR
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	73	80
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.7 inches
Abdominal Force	120 G’s	126 G’s
Hip Force	388 lbs.	419 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	100	333
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	58 G’s
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Hip Force	707 lbs.	714 lbs.

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 C-HR’s (6 vs. 5 years).

There are over 59 percent more Buick dealers than there are Toyota 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 33 points higher than the C-HR.

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 Toyota vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick 7th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 27 more problems per 100 vehicles, Toyota is ranked 19th, below the industry average.

Engine

The Encore’s 1.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 11 more horsepower (155 vs. 144) and 38 lbs.-ft. more torque (177 vs. 139) than the C-HR’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Buick Encore uses regular unleaded gasoline. The C-HR requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

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 C-HR doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Buick Encore higher (5 out of 10) than the Toyota C-HR (3). This means the Encore produces up to 16.5 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the C-HR every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

The Encore stops much shorter than the C-HR:

	Encore	C-HR
60 to 0 MPH	113 feet	137 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	134 feet	147 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 C-HR LE’s standard 60 series tires.

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

Suspension and Handling

The Encore has standard front and rear gas-charged shocks for better control over choppy roads. The C-HR’s 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 C-HR doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

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

Chassis

The Encore is 4.2 inches shorter than the C-HR, 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 C-HR doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Encore has 6.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the C-HR (92.8 vs. 86).

The Encore has 1.5 inches more front headroom, 5.2 inches more front shoulder room, .5 inches more rear headroom, 4.1 inches more rear legroom and 2.1 inches more rear hip room than the C-HR.

Cargo Capacity

The Encore has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the C-HR with its rear seat folded (48.4 vs. 37 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 C-HR’s liftover is 31 inches.

Payload

The Encore has a higher standard payload capacity than the C-HR (1018 vs. 835 lbs.).

The Encore has a higher maximum payload capacity than the C-HR (1026 vs. 835 lbs.).

Servicing Ease

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. Toyota doesn’t offer a maintenance reminder on the C-HR.

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 C-HR doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

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 C-HR’s cruise control 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 C-HR’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Encore has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The C-HR doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

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 C-HR doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Recommendations

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

	Encore	C-HR
Consumer Reports® Recommends	TRUE	FALSE
Car Book “Best Bet”	TRUE	n/a