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2022 Buick Encore starts at $25,795

The Buick Encore entered the market here for the 2013 model year, its combination of solid, practical, and premium-ish content working well enough to increase sales by about 10% every year until 2019. The shine on that first-year model was such that it was recently voted one of the best used-car buys under $10,000. Still in its first generation, the Encore soldiers into the 2022 model year with a few small changes. The biggest update for the 2022 Encore is a newer 1.4-liter four-cylinder engine with more power. The previous unit produced 138 horsepower and 148 pound-feet of torque; the new 1.4 will unleash 155 hp and 177 lb-ft. That engine will only be available on the Preferred trim — which is the only one left. In 2018, the Encore came in six flavors. Whittling reduced that to a base model and a Preferred model for 2021, and for next year the base departs. Also (kind of) under the hood, an electric heater and defroster replace the traditional heater core system, for faster toasties in cold climes.  The only change outside is the addition of an exterior temperature sensor. Inside, the eight-inch infotainment touchscreen shrinks to become a seven-inch touchscreen. The passenger's seatback will no longer fold flat, so Buick took the opportunity to add a seatback map pocket to the shotgun position. Buick will charge $25,795 for the 2022 Encore, that figure including the $1,195 destination charge. It's the same price as the 2021 Encore Preferred.  The continued paring of the lineup suggests GM is ready to wind the model down now that the tiny-bit-larger and more profitable Encore GX is killing the Encore in the sales race. Through the end of September, the Encore is down on its 2020 sales volume in the U.S. by about half, whereas the Encore GX has more than doubled its 2020 sales so far this year. Automotive News reported that the Encore will quit the U.S. market in 2023 without a replacement as the automaker digs into its electric efforts. GM Authority believes there's a chance the new-generation Encore sold in China could come here. 

2014 Chevy Malibu, Buick LaCrosse recalled over brake mix-up

The recall madness over at General Motors isn't letting up anytime soon, as evidenced by this latest call-back of 8,208 Chevrolet Malibu and Buick LaCrosse sedans. For those keeping track, this is the fifth recall that GM has announced in the past two weeks, not to mention the massive ignition-switch issue from earlier this year.
GM issued a statement saying these sedans are being recalled due to "possible reduced braking performance," according to Automotive News. The problem? Rear brake rotors may have accidentally been installed in the front brake assembly. And since both cars use more robust braking systems up front than out back, braking power could be reduced, increasing the risk of a crash.
Automotive News reports that, of the over 8,000 cars being recalled, about 1,700 are currently in the hands of customers, while the others are still in dealer inventory. GM is unaware of any crashes or injuries related to this problem. All of the affected vehicles are from the 2014 model year.

The new Buick Regal looks like a Mazda, and we're totally cool with that

Yes, this undisguised Opel Insignia, which will be brought here as the next Buick Regal, looks a lot like a Mazda. You can see it in the grille and headlights, especially – in fact, if you look at one of the photos with tape blocking out the badge in the middle of the winged grille, you might think this is a new Mazda6. The thing is, Mazdas look pretty darn good, so no one's complaining. And when you look at the rest of the car, there's a fair amount of originality going on. Aside from the GM-generic taillights (they look like they could fit on a Chevy, right?) the lines and details are all pretty fresh, and there are some design elements pulled from Buick's gorgeous Avista concept. A sweeping roofline leads to some healthy shoulders at the back, creating a coupe-ish profile with a very abbreviated rear deck. This appears to be a hatchback model and not the four-door sedan, but the general look should carry over. This is definitely a big improvement over the somewhat bulbous current-generation Regal, which also started life out as an Insignia. The car shown here is the Insignia OPC model, with Brembo brakes, big wheels, side skirts, and a front end with big (likely fake) intakes. It will most likely translate to a Regal GS for our market, as is the case with the current OPC and GS. The new Regal/Insignia is expected to use the same platform as the new Buick LaCrosse, which is also shared by the Chevy Malibu and Impala. They should once again be available with front- or all-wheel drive and a choice of turbocharged four-cylinder engines. Rumor has the Opel versions debuting at the Geneva show March, and the Buick would likely follow, possibly in New York in April. View 13 Photos And then there's the wagon. All signs point to Buick finally bringing the most practical Insignia to our market as a Regal. We got wind of a focus group testing the idea, Buick has trademarked the name Regal Tour X. That version would likely go up against the Audi Allroad in the classy, slightly lifted all-wheel-drive wagon category, basically acting as an almost-crossover for people who want a wagon but won't admit it to themselves. The Insignia wagon caught here is also an OPC, and we think it looks even more handsome than the hatch-sedan shown above. The trim piece stretching from the base of the A-pillar all the way up and back down to the tail is a nice touch in profile view, although we're not so sure about how it terminates abruptly at the taillight.