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 Ford EcoSport has only front height-adjustable seat belts.
The Encore offers an optional collision warning system, which detects an impending crash through forward mounted sensors and flashes a bright light and sounds a loud, distinctive tone to warn the driver to brake or maneuver immediately to avoid a collision. The EcoSport doesn't offer a collision warning system.
The Encore’s optional lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane. The EcoSport doesn’t offer a lane departure warning system.
The Encore offers optional Ultrasonic Park Assist to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or in front of their vehicle. The EcoSport doesn’t offer a front parking aid.
Both the Encore and the EcoSport 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, 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, 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 is safer than the Ford EcoSport:
|
Encore |
EcoSport |
OVERALL STARS |
5 Stars |
4 Stars |
|
Driver |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
4 Stars |
HIC |
122 |
250 |
Neck Injury Risk |
26% |
36% |
Neck Stress |
298 lbs. |
403 lbs. |
Neck Compression |
12 lbs. |
60 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
363/313 lbs. |
495/441 lbs. |
|
Passenger |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
4 Stars |
HIC |
207 |
325 |
Chest Compression |
.3 inches |
.5 inches |
Neck Injury Risk |
38% |
38% |
Neck Stress |
122 lbs. |
200 lbs. |
Leg Forces (l/r) |
249/289 lbs. |
329/236 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 Ford EcoSport:
|
Encore |
EcoSport |
|
Front Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
Chest Movement |
.7 inches |
.9 inches |
|
Rear Seat |
|
STARS |
5 Stars |
5 Stars |
HIC |
100 |
195 |
Spine Acceleration |
33 G’s |
40 G’s |
Hip Force |
672 lbs. |
685 lbs. |
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 Safety Pick” for 2016, a rating granted to only 207 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The EcoSport has not been fully tested, yet.