Compare the2024 Buick Encore GXVS 2022 BMW X1

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Chassis
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Buick Encore GX are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW X1 doesn’t offer height-adjustable seat belts.

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 X1 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests front crash prevention systems. With a score of 6 points, IIHS rates the Automatic Emergency Braking in the Encore GX as “Superior.” The X1 scores only 4 points and is rated only “Advanced.”

The Encore GX offers an optional Surround View to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The X1 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.

The Encore GX’s standard blind spot warning system uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. The X1 doesn’t offer a system to reveal objects in the driver’s blind spots.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Encore GX’s standard Rear Cross Traffic Alert uses sensors in the rear to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The X1 doesn’t offer a rear cross-path warning system.

Both the Encore GX and the X1 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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 and rearview cameras.

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 BMW X1:

	Encore GX	X1
OVERALL STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	185	328
Neck Injury Risk	24%	32%
Neck Stress	190 lbs.	360 lbs.
Neck Compression	15 lbs.	60 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	83/261 lbs.	257/329 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 and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Buick Encore GX is safer than the BMW X1:

	Encore GX	X1
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	91	143
Hip Force	459 lbs.	486 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	185	193
Spine Acceleration	41 G’s	65 G’s
Hip Force	517 lbs.	637 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	13 inches
Spine Acceleration	38 G’s	39 G’s
Hip Force	591 lbs.	815 lbs.

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 176 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The X1 last would have qualified as a “Top Safety Pick” in 2019.

Warranty

Buick’s powertrain warranty covers the Encore GX 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X1. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the X1 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 6 times as many Buick dealers as there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Encore GX’s warranty.

Reliability

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 13 points higher than the X1.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Encore GX first among small SUVs in their 2023 Initial Quality Study. The X1 isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2023 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Buick vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick fourth in initial quality, above the industry average. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 20th.

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 BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick second in reliability, above the industry average. With 40 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 15th.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Encore GX gets better mileage than the X1:

			MPG
Encore GX
	FWD	1.2 turbo 3-cyl.	30 city/31 hwy
		1.3 turbo 3-cyl.	29 city/31 hwy
X1
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/33 hwy

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 X1 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Buick Encore GX 1.3 turbo 3-cylinder AWD, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the X1.

The Encore GX has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The X1 doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Encore GX stops shorter than the X1:

	Encore GX	X1
70 to 0 MPH	174 feet	180 feet	Car and Driver
60 to 0 MPH	126 feet	134 feet	Consumer Reports
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	138 feet	142 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Encore GX Avenir’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the X1 (245/45R19 vs. 225/50R18).

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 X1 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Chassis

The Buick Encore GX may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 450 to 500 pounds less than the BMW X1.

The Encore GX is 4.3 inches shorter than the X1, 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 X1 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 X1 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Encore GX AWD is quieter than the X1 xDrive28i:

	Encore GX	X1
Full-Throttle	73 dB	75 dB
70 MPH Cruising	67 dB	70 dB

Towing

The Encore GX has a 1000 lbs. towing capacity. The X1 has no towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Buick service is better than BMW. J.D. Power ranks Buick fifth in service department satisfaction. With a 6% lower rating, BMW is ranked 7th.

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 X1 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Encore GX Avenir’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 X1 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

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 X1 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its BMW Assist can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Encore GX has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the X1 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Encore GX’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the X1’s standard halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

The Encore GX Avenir 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 X1 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Buick Encore GX, based on reliability, safety and performance. The BMW X1 isn't recommended.

The Buick Encore outsold the BMW X1 by almost seven to one during 2022.

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