Compare the2024 Porsche MacanVS 2024 Buick Encore GX

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The Macan has a standard Multi-collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Encore GX doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Macan. But it costs extra on the Encore GX.

Both the Macan and the Encore GX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, 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 around view monitors.

The Porsche Macan weighs 896 to 1377 pounds more than the Buick Encore GX. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Warranty

The Macan comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Encore GX’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Macan’s corrosion warranty is 6 years and unlimited miles longer than the Encore GX’s (12/unlimited vs. 6/100,000).

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Macan’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Encore GX’s camshafts. If the Encore GX’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

The battery on the Macan is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Macan’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Encore GX’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

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 Macan’s reliability 16 points higher than the Encore GX.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2024 Auto Issue reports that Porsche vehicles are more reliable than Buick vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Porsche 4 places higher in reliability than Buick.

Engine

The Macan has more powerful engines than the Encore GX:

	Horsepower	Torque
Macan 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder	261 HP	295 lbs.-ft.
Macan S 2.9 turbo V6	375 HP	383 lbs.-ft.
Macan GTS 2.9 turbo V6	434 HP	405 lbs.-ft.
Encore GX 1.2 turbo 3-cylinder	137 HP	162 lbs.-ft.
Encore GX 1.3 turbo 3-cylinder	155 HP	174 lbs.-ft.

As tested in Car and Driver the Porsche Macan turbo 4 cyl. is faster than the Buick Encore GX 1.3 turbo 3-cylinder:

	Macan	Encore GX
Zero to 60 MPH	5 sec	9.3 sec
Zero to 100 MPH	14.4 sec	31.2 sec
5 to 60 MPH Rolling Start	5.9 sec	10.1 sec
Quarter Mile	13.7 sec	17 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	98 MPH	80 MPH
Top Speed	144 MPH	130 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

The Macan has 6.6 gallons more fuel capacity than the Encore GX (19.8 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Macan has a standard locking fuel door which locks and unlocks with the power locks. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Encore GX. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Transmission

The Macan offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is more internally efficient than a CVT but just as easy to drive. The Encore GX doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The Macan’s optional launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Encore GX doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Macan’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Encore GX:

	Macan	Macan GTS	Encore GX
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	15.4 inches	11.81 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	14 inches	10.39 inches

The Macan’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Encore GX are solid, not vented.

The Macan stops much shorter than the Encore GX:

	Macan	Encore GX
70 to 0 MPH	163 feet	176 feet	Car and Driver

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Macan has larger standard tires than the Encore GX (F:235/55R19 & R:255/50R19 vs. 225/55R18). The Macan’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Encore GX (F:265/40R21 & R:295/35R21 vs. 245/45R19).

The Macan’s standard 255/50R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 50 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Encore GX’s standard 55 series tires. The Macan’s optional 265/40R21 front and 295/35R21 rear tires have a lower 40 series front and 35 series rear profile than the Encore GX Avenir’s 45 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Macan has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the Encore GX. The Macan’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 19-inch wheels on the Encore GX Avenir.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Porsche Macan has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Buick Encore GX has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Macan has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Macan flat and controlled during cornering. The Encore GX’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Macan offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Encore GX’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Macan has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Macan’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Encore GX doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Macan’s wheelbase is 8.3 inches longer than on the Encore GX (110.5 inches vs. 102.2 inches).

The Macan S handles at .93 G’s, while the Encore GX Avenir AWD pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For greater off-road capability the Macan has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Encore GX (7.9 vs. 7.5 inches), allowing the Macan to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Macan’s minimum ground clearance is 1.4 inches higher than on the Encore GX (8.9 vs. 7.5 inches).

Cargo Capacity

The Macan has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Encore GX with its rear seat folded (53 vs. 50.2 cubic feet).

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Macan. The Encore GX doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The Macan’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Encore GX’s (4409 vs. 1000 pounds).

Standard Trailer Stability Management on the Macan uses the Porsche Stability Management sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Encore GX doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

The Macan uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Encore GX uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The engine in the Macan is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Encore GX. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

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

Ergonomics

Unlike the driver-only memory seat and mirrors in the Encore GX Avenir, the Macan offers an optional passenger memory, so that when drivers switch, the memory setting adjusts the driver’s seat, outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations and the front passenger seat also adjusts to the new passenger’s preset preferences.

The Macan’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Encore GX’s passenger windows don’t close automatically.

The Macan’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Encore GX’s standard manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

To help drivers avoid possible obstacles, the Macan has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Encore GX doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Macan also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Macan to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Encore GX doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Macan’s standard rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Encore GX offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Macan has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats cost extra on the Encore GX. The Macan also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Encore GX.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Macan keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Encore GX doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Macan has a standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. Dual zone air conditioning is only available on the Encore GX Avenir.

Both the Macan and the Encore GX offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Macan has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Encore GX doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Porsche Macan has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the Encore GX.

Recommendations

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

The Macan was chosen as a Car and Driver’s “Top Ten” for 2024 and 6 more times in the last 8 years. The Encore GX has never been chosen by Car and Driver in their “10Best” issue.