2023 Mazda CX-30 vs. 2023 Buick Encore GX Comparison

Subcompact SUVs are often the most affordable vehicles on a dealer’s lot. They make easy-living daily drivers – small enough to maneuver in urban settings but with more cargo space than you might expect, given their small size. In 2023, many are high-tech and comfortable, with features like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto to mirror your phone on the car’s screen and optional leather interiors.

The little Encore GX is Buick’s best-selling vehicle. Most months, it nearly ties Mazda’s most affordable SUV, the CX-30, in sales numbers. But that doesn’t mean these two have the same appeal. Let’s compare them.

2023 Mazda CX-30

Critics say the same thing about almost every Mazda. They say it over and over again because it’s true – these are fun to drive. The Mazda CX-30 is the least expensive Mazda SUV but has the brand’s trademark tight handling and a too-good-for-its-price cabin feel. There are practical reasons to love it, too – such as standard all-wheel drive (AWD). Pricing starts at $22,950.

Mazda CX-30 Highlights

Standard AWD: Most manufacturers keep costs down by building their subcompact SUVs as front-wheel-drive vehicles and charging extra for AWD. But what’s an SUV without the grippy safety of AWD? In the Encore GX, power to all four wheels adds $2,000 to the price. It’s standard in the CX-30.

Lower starting price: Speaking of price, the CX-30 starts about $3,000 less than the Encore GX. Mazda builds it in seven trim levels, while Buick builds the GX in just three. That makes it easier to find a CX-30 with the features you want without overpaying for the ones you don’t.

That Mazda feel: The secret to Mazda’s success is torque vectoring – a system that brakes each individual wheel separately to point the car into turns without much body roll. It’s common on luxury cars but not common at this price range. Mazda, remarkably, builds it into even its cheapest cars. The CX-30 is also much more powerful than the Encore GX, even without springing for the optional turbocharged engine.

Check this week’s Fair Purchase Price or see the Mazda CX-30 models for sale near you.

2023 Buick Encore GX

Buick occupies a unique space in the automotive landscape, and it shows in the Encore GX. Buick is more premium than an affordable brand (cousin Chevrolet holds down that space). But it’s less expensive than a true luxury brand (cousin Cadillac has that job). Goldilocks-like, it builds cars a little less expensive than true luxury cars but a little nicer than average. That’s an excellent description of the Encore GX, a premium subcompact SUV without a true luxury sticker price. Prices start at $25,900.

Buick Encore GX Highlights

An upscale feel: Our test driver said the Encore GX “has a nice, upscale interior for the money. It’s not as premium as an SUV from a luxury brand, but it also isn’t as expensive.” That’s Buick’s sweet spot, and the GX hits it.

Generous cargo space: The CX-30 and Encore GX have remarkably similar front and rear seat dimensions, but the GX wins the cargo space battle with the rear seats up or down.

QuietTuning Technology: A well-equipped CX-30 has many of the trimmings of a luxury car. The one where Buick really sets itself apart, though, is quiet cabins. The Encore GX is probably the quietest vehicle in its class on the highway.

Check this week’s Fair Purchase Price or see the Encore GX models for sale near you.

Similarities

These two have nearly the same passenger volume, and both, fully equipped, are near-luxury cars.

Conclusion

The Buick Encore GX is a comfortable subcompact SUV with near-luxury aspirations and a quiet ride. But its higher starting price, added fee for all-wheel drive, and uninspiring 137-horsepower engine limit its appeal. The Mazda CX-30 is more fun to drive and more powerful, less expensive, and can be equally luxurious at higher trims.

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