Compare the2022 Buick EncoreVS 2021 Toyota Corolla Hatchback

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
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 Toyota Corolla Hatchback 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 Corolla Hatchback 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 Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer all-wheel drive.

Both the Encore and the Corolla Hatchback 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 Corolla Hatchback:

	Encore	Corolla Hatchback
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	122	187
Neck Injury Risk	26%	27%
Neck Compression	12 lbs.	50 lbs.
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	207	356
Chest Compression	.3 inches	.6 inches
Neck Stress	122 lbs.	165 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 Toyota Corolla Hatchback:

	Encore	Corolla Hatchback
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	73	92
Chest Movement	.7 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	120 G’s	129 G’s
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	100	137
Spine Acceleration	33 G’s	43 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 Corolla Hatchback’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 Corolla Hatchback.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Encore third among small suvs in their 2020 Initial Quality Study. The Corolla Hatchback 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 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 26 lbs.-ft. more torque (177 vs. 151) than the Corolla Hatchback’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

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 Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

The Buick Encore comes standard with an automatic transmission, for driver comfort, especially in the city. Automatic costs extra on the Corolla Hatchback.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Encore	Corolla Hatchback
Front Rotors	11.8 inches	11.5 inches
Rear Rotors	10.6 inches	10.5 inches

The Encore stops much shorter than the Corolla Hatchback:

	Encore	Corolla Hatchback
60 to 0 MPH	113 feet	135 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Encore has larger tires than the Corolla Hatchback (215/55R18 vs. 205/55R16).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Encore has standard 18-inch wheels. Smaller 16-inch wheels are standard on the Corolla Hatchback SE.

Suspension and Handling

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

For better maneuverability, the Encore’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the Corolla Hatchback’s (36.7 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

Chassis

The Encore is 3.6 inches shorter than the Corolla Hatchback, 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 Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Encore has 8.2 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Corolla Hatchback (92.8 vs. 84.6).

The Encore has 1.2 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more front shoulder room, 1.2 inches more rear headroom, 5.9 inches more rear legroom and 4.6 inches more rear hip room than the Corolla Hatchback.

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 Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

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

Consumer Reports rated the Encore’s headlight performance “Good,” a higher rating than the Corolla Hatchback’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

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 Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Encore owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Encore will cost $860 to $2185 less than the Corolla Hatchback over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Encore is less expensive to operate than the Corolla Hatchback because typical repairs cost much less on the Encore than the Corolla Hatchback, including $224 less for a starter, $208 less for fuel injection and $127 less for front struts.

Recommendations

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

	Encore	Corolla Hatchback
Consumer Reports® Recommends	TRUE	Top Pick
Car Book “Best Bet”	TRUE	FALSE