Compare the2022 Buick Encore GXVS 2021 Toyota Corolla Hatchback

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics

Safety

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In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Encore GX are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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

The Encore GX Select/Essence offers an optional Surround View to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Corolla Hatchback only offers a rear monitor.

Both the Encore GX 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, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available 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 GX is safer than the Toyota Corolla Hatchback:

	Encore GX	Corolla Hatchback
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	185	187
Neck Injury Risk	24%	27%
Neck Stress	190 lbs.	243 lbs.
Neck Compression	15 lbs.	50 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	83/261 lbs.	330/310 lbs.

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

Warranty

The Encore GX’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 GX’s warranty.

Reliability

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 GX’s standard 1.2 turbo 3-cylinder produces 11 lbs.-ft. more torque (162 vs. 151) than the Corolla Hatchback’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder. The Encore GX’s optional 1.3 turbo 3-cylinder produces 23 lbs.-ft. more torque (174 vs. 151) than the Corolla Hatchback’s 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

Fuel Economy and Range

Regenerative brakes improve the Encore GX’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer a regenerative braking system.

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Encore GX’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. (Start/Stop isn’t accounted in present EPA fuel mileage tests.) The Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

The Encore GX 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.

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Buick Encore GX higher (7 out of 10) than the Toyota Corolla Hatchback (6). This means the Encore GX produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Corolla Hatchback every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

The Buick Encore GX 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 GX’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Corolla Hatchback:

	Encore GX	Corolla Hatchback
Front Rotors	11.81 inches	11.5 inches

The Encore GX stops much shorter than the Corolla Hatchback:

	Encore GX	Corolla Hatchback
70 to 0 MPH	174 feet	175 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	122 feet	135 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Encore GX has larger tires than the Corolla Hatchback (225/55R18 vs. 205/55R16).

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

The Encore GX has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Encore GX is .8 inches wider in the front and 1.1 inches wider in the rear than on the Corolla Hatchback.

The Encore GX Essence AWD handles at .84 G’s, while the Corolla Hatchback XSE pulls only .82 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Encore GX’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the Corolla Hatchback’s (36.8 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

Chassis

The front grille of the Encore GX uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Encore GX 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 GX has 9.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Corolla Hatchback (94.3 vs. 84.6).

The Encore GX has 1.3 inches more front headroom, 1.5 inches more front shoulder room, .5 inches more rear headroom, 6.1 inches more rear legroom and 2 inches more rear hip room than the Corolla Hatchback.

Cargo Capacity

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Encore GX’s power liftgate can be opened or closed just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening trunk.

Towing

The Encore GX has a 1000 lbs. towing capacity. The Corolla Hatchback has no towing capacity.

The Encore GX AWD can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Encore GX can be unhitched and driven around locally. The Corolla Hatchback can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Ergonomics

The Encore GX 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.

When two different drivers share the Encore GX Essence, the memory seats and mirrors make it convenient for both. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position and outside mirror angle. The Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Encore GX Essence’s standard easy entry system glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Encore GX Select/Essence offers an optional heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer, warning and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Encore GX’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

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

When the Encore GX Essence is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Corolla Hatchback’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Encore GX Essence’s standard rear view mirror has an automatic dimming feature. This mirror can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on it, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer the luxury of an automatic dimming rear view mirror.

On extremely cold winter days, the Encore GX Essence’s standard heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Encore GX Essence has a 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.

The Encore GX Essence’s optional Automatic Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting and stopping automatically, with the driver only responsible for switching from reverse to drive. The Corolla Hatchback doesn’t offer an automated parking system.