2025 Buick Envista Avenir Review -- Stepping Forward and Backward

Buick remains a somewhat beleaguered brand. GM has slowly turned the one-time home of LeSabres and Roadmasters into a crossover-centric brand.

That's not necessarily a bad move strategically, given that it's a crossover world. But Buick -- or any entry-luxury brand, really -- needs to do more than just build crossovers. It has to build ones that are worth the price. Especially if they share a platform with a more "mainstream" vehicle.

That's where the 2025 Buick Envista Avenir ultimately falls short.

The Envista, which shares its platform with the Chevrolet Trax, is hatchbacked in shape, and it's quite a looker. Whether it's turning heads out of beauty or oddity is up to the eye of the beholder.

Under the hood is a 1.2-liter turbocharged three-cylinder (yes, three, not four) that puts out 137 horsepower and 162 lb-ft of torque. Not exactly barn-burning numbers, but the Envista has enough grunt for urban and suburban traffic.

A six-speed automatic transmission pairs with the three-cylinder, and this one is front-wheel drive.

Like the Trax, the Envista is a surprisingly good handler, and the ride strikes a nice balance between stiff and soft. It's a pleasant drive, though not the soft-luxe Buick of yore. For better and worse.

What got my goat wasn't the Envista's driving dynamics, but rather, the lack of special feeling in the interior materials.

The cabin is laid out in a user-friendly manner, with the infotainment screen well-integrated into the center stack, and buttons and switches that are easy to use.

But the materials feel too hard and downmarket (read: cheap) for something with the Buick badge. Even one bearing a value sticker price (see below). Things that are acceptable in the Trax are not in a Buick.

Not only that, but the inside does feel as small as it is -- and the sloping roofline cuts into rear-seat headroom.

Back to the exterior styling for a second -- I think the Envista is better looking than the Trax, and that might be why a Trax buyer would lay out a bit more cash for it over the Chevy. That, or perhaps because the ride is a tad smoother. Otherwise, I can't figure it out.

What about features, you might ask? Maybe that's the difference? Well this Envista Avenir came standard with keyless entry and starting, remote start, 11-inch touchscreen infotainment, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, wireless cell-phone charging, satellite radio, noise canceling, multiple USB ports, split-fold rear seat, heated steering wheel, single-zone climate control, flat-bottomed steering wheel, LED exterior lighting, 19-inch wheels, forward-collision warning, lane-keep assist with lane-departure warning, automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, rear vision camera, and rear park assist.

An option package added heated outside mirrors, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-change alert with side blind-zone alert, and adaptive cruise control.

A quick and not super-comprehensive check shows that the Buick doesn't offer much in terms of features over a top-end Trax. A few things, yes, and a few options on the Trax are standard here, but the difference isn't super stark.

The Envista Avenir is a touch nicer than the Trax upon which it is based -- the styling is smoother, it's a bit quieter, and the ride is a skoosh cushier. But the interior materials are too close to Chevy -- a Buick needs to feel like a step up.

Yes, this one was only $30K. Not a bad price for a Buick! But the Trax Activ I drove a while bac k is similarly equipped for a few grand less.

Unless styling makes a difference, I have a hard time understanding who the customer is. The upwardly mobile youth who makes just enough that driving a Chevy is slumming it but doesn't make enough to ignore the value pricing here? The Trax buyer who finds the Envista more attractive?

If Buick can give the Envista's interior a glow-up, it would be an excellent value buy from an entry-luxury brand. As it is, we have a gussied up Trax that still reveals too much of its humble roots.

[Images © 2025 Tim Healey/TTAC.com]

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