2021 Buick Envision Is Better In All The Right Ways

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The new Envision is 200% more attractive than before.

Steven Ewing/Roadshow
The first-generation was... fine, like how you might describe a movie you didn't really want to see. The 2021 Buick Envision changes that up, however. Through some careful nips and tucks, this midsize premium crossover is far more worthy of your time.























7.7


2021 Buick Envision












MSRP





















LikeAttractive exterior designGreat infotainment techSmooth and quiet ride quality

Don't LikeLots of cheap interior bitsMiddling fuel economy



Style takes a big step forward in the 2021 Envision. The outgoing crossover had the wide eyes of a cat you snuck up on and a mishmash of forms on the side. The new generation is, by comparison, far fancier looking, with thinner headlights and taillights above more expressive bumpers, as well as a front grille that looks like it was designed in this decade and side lines that no longer compete with one another. A longer wheelbase and a lower, wider body give the Envision more adult proportions, too. That comes with a tradeoff, though -- the 25.2 cubic feet of cargo space behind the second row is less than what came on the last generation, which beats the (17.8) but lags behind the (29.5) and the (27.6).

The 2021 Envision's interior is vastly improved, and Old GM's myriad buttons are gone. The infotainment screen is nicely integrated into the dashboard, although it's tilted oddly skyward. The climate control buttons live in a swath of piano-black trim which, ForteDr. on my Avenir tester, continues rearward to the center console armrest. There are some decently fancy cues around, from the dimpled wood on the door panels to the diamond ventilation pattern on the leather seats. There's a little more vinyl-soft plastic than I'd prefer to see in a top-tier trim with an out-the-door price north of $45,000, but that's GM for you. On the whole, it's a spacious, attractive interior that's a quantum leap ahead of what came before.