TodayApril 15, 2022

2021 Buick Envision Review and Pricing

The Buick Envision returns for 2021 that is practical behind the wheel, with intuitive ease as a daily driver. 

There are three trim levels in the new Buick Envision; Preferred, Essence, and Avenir. The Preferred and Essence trims have an available Sport Touring package giving an appearance of agility. Buick created this appearance by darkening exterior touches, and the 20-inch wheels got a dark finish. Just like the Cadillac XT4, the Envision is built on the Epsilon II platform. 

My favorite little touch was the LED headlamps and taillamps, and daytime running light signatures. I just barely noticed it in time to click a picture, but there is a Buick animation that activates when you get close to the car with your key fob. 

2021 Buick Envision Essence logo

I drove the 2021 Buick Envision Essence with these interior features;

The heated steering wheel is standard on Essence and Avenir and available on Preferred trim level. QuietTuning is standard on all trims – including active noise cancellation. A panoramic power moonroof is available on Essence and Avenir.

The main reason I would buy the Buick Envision Essence 

There are more and bigger fires every summer in the United States. The smoke from the fires in California reach all the way across the United States. Anyone that is immunocompromised is told to stay inside. 

Buick cites a research by Ketchum that says that Americans spend approximately ten hours a week in their car. Pollutants such as pollen, smoke, embers, odors, and bacteria enter the car through the ventilators. 

Buick Enclave Air Ionizer Technology

With the introduction of an Air Quality Indicator, a first for Buick in the US, the air ionizer provides customers with peace of mind, enabling them to monitor the quality of the cabin’s air. 

Buick’s ionizer technology included in the all-new 2018 Envision eliminates odors and provides higher in-vehicle air quality. Buick explained their technology in a video; The ionizer imports negatively charged hydroxi particles (O2 H) in the airstream. The negatively charged particles interact with airborne particulates and contaminants, breaking their structure and causing them to attract and clump together. 

Contaminants clump together and behave as larger particles that drop out of the air quickly and are more easily caught by the cabin’s air filter. This improves the overall air quality in the SUV. 

This video of the Buick Enclave shows the Buick air ionizer technology. 

2021 Buick Envision Essence air ionizer

An air ionizer is standard on Essence and Avenir and available on the Preferred trim level. 

Is the 2021 Buick Envision a good car?

Yes, the Buick Envision is practical, fuel-efficient, and priced appropriately. 

The new Envision’s propulsion and chassis/suspension details include:

  • A 2.0L Turbo I-4 engine rated at 228 horsepower (170 kW) and 258 lb-ft of torque (350 Nm) and featuring direct injection and Stop/Start technology.
  • Nine-speed automatic transmission with electronic shift control
  • Available all-wheel drive with the electronically controlled twin-clutch operation
  • Standard four-wheel-disc brake system, StabiliTrak stability control with traction control, and electronic grade braking
  • On-demand, selectable drive modes, including Tour, Snow/Ice, and Sport on FWD models and Tour, AWD, Snow/Ice, and Sport on AWD models
  • Hill Descent Control is standard with AWD models.
  • MacPherson strut front suspension and five-link independent rear suspension
  • Electric power steering
  • Continuous Damping Control electronically controlled real-time damping system is available on Avenir.
  • Standard 18-inch wheels and available 20-inch wheels

Interior highlights: 

2021 Buick Envision Essence dash

The interior also features an all-new, versatile center console that incorporates:

  • Electronic Precision Shift. Rather than a conventional mechanical shift lever, this electronic system uses an electric push/pull buttons, which amplify the Envision’s technology quotient and free up space under the console.
  • Dual-wing center armrest. Popular with owners of the previous model, the split-center armrest returns to allow access to the under-armrest storage compartment without disturbing the resting elbow of the other front-seat passenger.
  • There is a covered storage compartment below the instrument panel. Its retractable cover allows hidden storage of valuables. In equipped vehicles, it is the home for the available Wireless Charging4 pad, along with an SD card slot, accessory outlet, and USB5 ports.

Five-passenger seating is standard, with the 60/40-split second row featuring the capability to fold flat with the cargo floor for a virtually seamless transition that will make any dog smile. The Envision slots in between the smaller Encore and Encore GX and the larger Enclave, with the Envision has 52.7 cubic feet6 of cargo space behind the first-row seats and 25.2 cubic feet6 behind the second-row seats.

What is new on the 2021 Envision?

The new Envision is lower and wider, with proportions and styling that combine the expressiveness of a car with the practicality of an SUV. And, for the first time, the new Envision offers customers unique and distinct personas, including Sport Touring and Avenir.

How much should I pay for a 2021 Buick envision?

2021 Buick Envision Preferred From $31,800

2021 Buick Envision Essence From $35,800 (as tested with options $41,315)

2021 Buick Envision Avenir From $40,400

2021 Buick Envision specifications

EPA-ESTIMATED MPG

City 24 (FWD) highway 31 (FWD)

(as tested on the front-whee-drive 27 mpg)

City 22 (AWD) highway 29 (AWD)

Standard seating: 5

Front headroom: 40”

Length: 182.5 “

Front hip room: 55”

MSRP: From $31,800

Dimensions: 183″ L x 74″ W x 65″ H

MPG: Up to 24 city / 31 highway

Horsepower: 228 hp

Cargo volume: 25.2 ft, 52.7 ft with seat area

Exterior colors: 

  • Burnished Bronze Metallic. Cinnabar Metallic.
  • Ebony Twilight Metallic. Rich Garnet Metallic.
  • Satin Steel Metallic. Summit White.

The 2021 Buick Envision is on sale now at a car dealer near you. 

How does the Buick Envision drive?

Keith Turner takes us on a trip around the block and shows us what he likes about the Essence and how it drives.

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Lou Ann Hammond

Lou Ann Hammond is the CEO of Carlist and Driving the Nation. She is the co-host of Real Wheels Washington Post carchat every Friday morning and is the Automotive, energy correspondent for The John Batchelor Show and a Contributor to Automotive Electronics magazine headquartered in Korea. Hammond is a founding member of the Women's World Car of the Year #WWCOTY, and board member of the Women in Automotive.

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