Buick Encore GX MPG by year — every rating on record
The Buick Encore GX has a combined EPA fuel economy rating for 7 model years, from 2020 to 2026. Across those years its best rated version returned 31 mpg (2020) and its thirstiest returned 27 mpg (2022). The EPA record holds 21 configurations for this nameplate, most recently a Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD / Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD.
Year-by-year EPA ratings
| Model year | Configurations | Best combined | Worst combined | Class rank that year | Drivetrains | Fuel | EPA class |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2020 | 3 | 31 mpg | 28 mpg | #8 of 63 (89th pct) | Front-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive | Regular | Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD, Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD |
| 2021 | 3 | 31 mpg | 28 mpg | #14 of 63 (79th pct) | Front-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive | Regular | Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD, Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD |
| 2022 | 3 | 30 mpg | 27 mpg | #21 of 68 (70th pct) | Front-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive | Regular | Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD, Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD |
| 2023 | 3 | 30 mpg | 27 mpg | #28 of 69 (60th pct) | Front-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive | Regular | Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD, Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD |
| 2024 | 3 | 30 mpg | 27 mpg | #44 of 77 (43th pct) | Front-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive | Regular | Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD, Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD |
| 2025 | 3 | 30 mpg | 27 mpg | #52 of 82 (37th pct) | Front-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive | Regular, Gasoline or E85 | Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD, Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD |
| 2026 | 3 | 30 mpg | 27 mpg | #49 of 71 (31th pct) | Front-Wheel Drive, All-Wheel Drive | Gasoline or E85, Regular | Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD, Small Sport Utility Vehicle 4WD |
Where it has stood in its class
Ranked against every other nameplate the EPA filed under the same class that year. The Buick Encore GX placed highest in 2020 at #8 of 63, and lowest in 2025 at #52 of 82. It spent 4 of its 7 ranked years in the top half of its class.
Every configuration on record
All 21 configurations EPA lists for this nameplate, newest first.
| Year | Configuration | Engine detail | City | Highway | Combined | Gallons/yr | Barrels/yr | EPA fuel cost/yr | CO2 g/mi | GHG |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026 | 1.3L 3-cyl All-Wheel Drive Automatic 9-spd Regular | SIDI, turbocharged, start-stop | 26 | 28 | 27 | 425.9 | 11.0 | $2,300 | 327 | 5/10 |
| 2026 | 1.2L 3-cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (variable gear ratios) Gasoline or E85 | SIDI; FFV, turbocharged, FFV, start-stop | 30 | 31 | 30 | 383.3 | 9.9 | $2,100 | 297 | 6/10 |
| 2026 | 1.3L 3-cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (variable gear ratios) Regular | SIDI, turbocharged, start-stop | 29 | 31 | 30 | 383.3 | 9.9 | $2,100 | 297 | 6/10 |
| 2025 | 1.3L 3-cyl All-Wheel Drive Automatic 9-spd Regular | SIDI, turbocharged, start-stop | 26 | 28 | 27 | 425.9 | 11.0 | $2,300 | 339 | 5/10 |
| 2025 | 1.3L 3-cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (variable gear ratios) Regular | SIDI, turbocharged, start-stop | 29 | 31 | 30 | 383.3 | 9.9 | $2,100 | 297 | 6/10 |
| 2025 | 1.2L 3-cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (variable gear ratios) Gasoline or E85 | SIDI; FFV, turbocharged, FFV, start-stop | 30 | 31 | 30 | 383.3 | 9.9 | $2,100 | 297 | 6/10 |
| 2024 | 1.3L 3-cyl All-Wheel Drive Automatic 9-spd Regular | SIDI, turbocharged, start-stop | 26 | 28 | 27 | 425.9 | 11.0 | $2,300 | 333 | 5/10 |
| 2024 | 1.3L 3-cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (variable gear ratios) Regular | SIDI, turbocharged, start-stop | 29 | 31 | 30 | 383.3 | 9.9 | $2,100 | 297 | 6/10 |
| 2024 | 1.2L 3-cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (variable gear ratios) Regular | SIDI, turbocharged, start-stop | 30 | 31 | 30 | 383.3 | 9.9 | $2,100 | 297 | 6/10 |
| 2023 | 1.3L 3-cyl All-Wheel Drive Automatic 9-spd Regular | SIDI, turbocharged, start-stop | 26 | 29 | 27 | 425.9 | 11.0 | $2,300 | 324 | 5/10 |
| 2023 | 1.2L 3-cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (variable gear ratios) Regular | SIDI, turbocharged, start-stop | 29 | 31 | 30 | 383.3 | 9.9 | $2,100 | 296 | 6/10 |
| 2023 | 1.3L 3-cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (variable gear ratios) Regular | SIDI, turbocharged, start-stop | 29 | 32 | 30 | 383.3 | 9.9 | $2,100 | 297 | 6/10 |
| 2022 | 1.3L 3-cyl All-Wheel Drive Automatic 9-spd Regular | SIDI, turbocharged, start-stop | 26 | 29 | 27 | 425.9 | 11.0 | $2,300 | 324 | 6/10 |
| 2022 | 1.2L 3-cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (variable gear ratios) Regular | SIDI, turbocharged, start-stop | 29 | 31 | 30 | 383.3 | 9.9 | $2,100 | 296 | 6/10 |
| 2022 | 1.3L 3-cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (variable gear ratios) Regular | SIDI, turbocharged, start-stop | 29 | 32 | 30 | 383.3 | 9.9 | $2,100 | 297 | 6/10 |
| 2021 | 1.3L 3-cyl All-Wheel Drive Automatic 9-spd Regular | SIDI, turbocharged, start-stop | 26 | 29 | 28 | 410.7 | 10.6 | $2,250 | 330 | 6/10 |
| 2021 | 1.2L 3-cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (variable gear ratios) Regular | SIDI, turbocharged, start-stop | 28 | 31 | 29 | 396.6 | 10.3 | $2,150 | 302 | 6/10 |
| 2021 | 1.3L 3-cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (variable gear ratios) Regular | SIDI, turbocharged, start-stop | 30 | 32 | 31 | 371.0 | 9.6 | $2,000 | 288 | 7/10 |
| 2020 | 1.3L 3-cyl All-Wheel Drive Automatic 9-spd Regular | SIDI, turbocharged, start-stop | 26 | 29 | 28 | 410.7 | 10.6 | $2,250 | 320 | 6/10 |
| 2020 | 1.2L 3-cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (variable gear ratios) Regular | SIDI, turbocharged, start-stop | 26 | 30 | 28 | 410.7 | 10.6 | $2,250 | 318 | 6/10 |
| 2020 | 1.3L 3-cyl Front-Wheel Drive Automatic (variable gear ratios) Regular | SIDI, turbocharged, start-stop | 30 | 32 | 31 | 371.0 | 9.6 | $2,000 | 288 | 7/10 |
How the rating has moved between model years
Comparing the best-rated configuration of each year. 0 of 1 year-over-year steps improved the top rating.
| Change | Best combined | Delta | Gallons a year at the newer rating |
|---|---|---|---|
| 2021 → 2022 | 31 → 30 mpg | -1 mpg | 383 gal |
What Encore GX fuel costs over a year
At the EPA's 11,500 miles a year, the 2026 Buick Encore GX burns 383 to 426 gallons depending on configuration. Below is what that costs at three pump prices, and how much more the thirstiest configuration costs than the most efficient one.
| Pump price | Most efficient | Thirstiest | Spread |
|---|---|---|---|
| $3.00/gal | $1,150 | $1,278 | $128 |
| $3.50/gal | $1,342 | $1,491 | $149 |
| $4.00/gal | $1,533 | $1,704 | $170 |
EPA’s own estimate for the 2026 model year is $2,100 to $2,300 a year in fuel, or $750 less than the average new vehicle over five years.
How it compares with other Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD
Across the 152 nameplates EPA classifies as Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD, the median best combined rating is 29 mpg. At 30 mpg the Buick Encore GX is 1 mpg better the median, which is worth about $46 a year at $3.50 a gallon.
- All Small Sport Utility Vehicle 2WD rankings — every nameplate in the class, best to worst.
Other Buick nameplates
Every Buick model compared → — all nameplates ranked by best combined rating, with what each one costs a year.