Both the Trax and the Encore have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger 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 all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.
Compare the2022 Chevrolet TraxVS 2022 Buick Encore


Safety
Warranty
There are over 48 percent more Chevrolet dealers than there are Buick dealers, which makes it easier should you ever need service under the Trax’s warranty.
Reliability
To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Trax has a standard 525-amp battery. The Encore’s 438-amp battery isn’t as powerful.
J.D. Power and Associates rated the Trax third among small suvs in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The Encore isn’t in the top three.
J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Buick vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet 10th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 5 more problems per 100 vehicles, Buick is ranked 12th.
Brakes and Stopping
The Trax stops much shorter than the Encore:
|
Trax |
Encore |
|
70 to 0 MPH |
166 feet |
175 feet |
Car and Driver |
60 to 0 MPH |
113 feet |
126 feet |
Motor Trend |
Suspension and Handling
The Trax handles at .80 G’s, while the Encore AWD pulls only .72 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.
The Trax executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.4 seconds quicker than the Encore AWD (28.2 seconds @ .58 average G’s vs. 29.6 seconds @ .54 average G’s).
For better maneuverability, the Trax LS’ turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Encore’s (35.4 feet vs. 36.7 feet).
Passenger Space
The Trax has .6 inches more rear hip room and .3 inches more rear shoulder room than the Encore.
Ergonomics
The Trax LT offers optional heated front seats, which keep the driver and front passenger extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated seats aren’t available in the Encore.
Economic Advantages
The Trax will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Trax will retain 45.97% to 46.16% of its original price after five years, while the Encore only retains 40.44% to 44.81%.
According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Trax is less expensive to operate than the Encore because typical repairs cost less on the Trax than the Encore, including $162 less for front brake pads.
IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Chevrolet Trax will be $1301 to $3009 less than for the Buick Encore.
Recommendations
The Chevrolet Trax outsold the Buick Encore by 23% during 2020.