Compare the2023 Buick Encore GXVS 2022 Infiniti QX50

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 QX50 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Encore GX and the QX50 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, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, around view monitors 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 Infiniti QX50:

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

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its available headlight’s “Acceptable” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Encore GX the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2022, a rating granted to only 139 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The QX50 has not been fully tested, yet.

There are almost 10 times as many Buick dealers as there are Infiniti dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Encore GX’s warranty.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Encore GX has a standard 760-amp battery. The QX50’s 720-amp battery isn’t as powerful.

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 GX’s reliability 19 points higher than the QX50.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Buick vehicles are better in initial quality than Infiniti vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick above average in initial quality. With 14 more problems per 100 vehicles, Infiniti is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the statistics that show that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Infiniti vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick second in reliability, above the industry average. With 81 more problems per 100 vehicles, Infiniti is ranked 23rd.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Infiniti vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Buick fourth in overall reliability. Infiniti is ranked 11th.

On the EPA test cycle the Encore GX gets better mileage than the QX50:

Regenerative brakes improve the Encore GX’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. The QX50 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. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The QX50 doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Buick Encore GX uses regular unleaded gasoline. The QX50 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

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 QX50 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Buick Encore GX higher (7 out of 10) than the Infiniti QX50 (6). This means the Encore GX produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the QX50 every 15,000 miles.

The Encore GX stops shorter than the QX50:

The Encore GX has a standard space-saver spare tire so you can replace a flat tire and drive to have the flat repaired or replaced. A spare tire isn’t available on the QX50; it requires you to depend on its run-flat tires, which limits mileage and speed before they are repaired. If a run-flat is damaged beyond repair by a road hazard your vehicle will have to be towed.

The Buick Encore GX may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 800 to 900 pounds less than the Infiniti QX50.

The Encore GX is 1 foot, 1.3 inches shorter than the QX50, making the Encore GX easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

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 QX50 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Encore GX’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the QX50’s (1000 vs. 0 pounds).

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 QX50 can’t be towed flat on the ground.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Buick service is better than Infiniti. J.D. Power ranks Buick fifth in service department satisfaction. With a 10% lower rating, Infiniti is ranked 9th.

The power windows standard on both the Encore GX and the QX50 have locks to prevent small children from operating them. When the lock on the Encore GX is engaged the driver can still operate all of the windows, for instance to close one opened by a child. The QX50 prevents the driver from operating the other windows just as it does the other passengers.

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 QX50 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Infiniti Connection can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Encore GX’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Infiniti only offers heated mirrors on the QX50 Luxe/Essential/Sensory/Autograph.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Buick Encore GX Essence offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The QX50 doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

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 QX50 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 QX50 doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Insurance will cost less for the Encore GX owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Encore GX will cost $1075 to $5635 less than the QX50 over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Buick Encore GX will be $13183 to $25308 less than for the Infiniti QX50.

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Buick Encore GX and the Infiniti QX50, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Buick Encore outsold the Infiniti QX50 by over four to one during the 2021 model year.