Compare the2023 Buick Encore GXVS 2022 Lexus UX

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 UX doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

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 UX only offers a rear monitor and front and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the sides.

Both the Encore GX and the UX 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 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 Lexus UX:

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

There are over 8 times as many Buick dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Encore GX’s warranty.

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 Lexus vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick second in reliability, above the industry average. With 12 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lexus is ranked 6th.

The Encore GX’s standard 1.2 turbo 3-cylinder produces 11 lbs.-ft. more torque (162 vs. 151) than the UX 200’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder.

Regardless of its engine, regenerative brakes improve the Encore GX’s fuel efficiency by converting inertia back into energy instead of wasting it. Lexus only offers a regenerative brake system on the UX Hybrid.

Regardless of its engine, the Encore GX’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. Lexus only offers an automatic engine start/stop system on the UX Hybrid, and doesn’t offer a disable button.

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

The Encore GX has 2.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the UX Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (13.2 vs. 10.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

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 UX 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 Lexus UX (6 to 7). This means the Encore GX produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the UX every 15,000 miles.

The Encore GX stops much shorter than the UX:

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 UX doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

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 UX; 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 Encore GX Essence AWD handles at .84 G’s, while the UX 200 Luxury pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Encore GX AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the UX 200 (27.8 seconds @ .6 average G’s vs. 28.2 seconds @ .62 average G’s).

The Buick Encore GX may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 300 to 350 pounds less than the Lexus UX.

The Encore GX is 5.6 inches shorter than the UX, 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 UX 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 UX doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Encore GX has 3.9 cubic feet more passenger volume than the UX (94.3 vs. 90.4).

The Encore GX has 2.5 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more front shoulder room, 1.8 inches more rear headroom, 2.9 inches more rear legroom and .7 inches more rear shoulder room than the UX.

The Encore GX has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the UX (23.5 vs. 17.1 cubic feet).

The Encore GX has a 1000 lbs. towing capacity. The UX 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 UX can’t be towed flat on the ground.

The power windows standard on both the Encore GX and the UX 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 UX 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 UX doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

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 UX 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 UX 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 $440 less than the UX 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 $4482 to $5320 less than for the Lexus UX.

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

The Buick Encore outsold the Lexus UX by over five to one during the 2021 model year.