Many shoppers are considering the 2023 Buick Encore GX vs 2023 Honda HR-V. They are both affordable and stylish subcompact SUVs with energetic engine options and excellent powertrains. They’re great vehicles for commuters who need something that’s good on gas to go to and from the suburbs, as well as adventurers who needs a vehicle with rugged abilities to go wherever their adventurous spirit takes them on weekends. They both have intelligent systems that monitor the road, and great driver assist features that help you feel in command in a variety of conditions.
For many drivers today though, the final choice on a vehicle comes down to connectivity. Drivers have gotten used to being able to handle all of their connectivity needs from their vehicles. People want to look up information, handle correspondence, get suggestions, check traffic, stream podcasts, and more, all from their cars. If you spend a lot of time in your vehicle, this becomes particularly important, because good connectivity can actually give you time back. You can handle things in your vehicle, so that once you get to your destination, you have one less thing to do. Maybe you can even relax. The question is, does the Buick Encore GX or the Honda HR-V have better connectivity? It was a close call, but here is how the two hold up in a head-to-head contest.
What They Both Have
Both of these vehicles boast wireless smartphone compatibility for both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. So that means you don’t need to plug their cords into the USB port to sync your phone up to the touch screens. Bluetooth will handle that, and then you can see your smartphone apps populate right there on the touch screen. This also means you can control the music on your phone through the touchscreen, and play it through the car’s speakers. You can use your preferred navigation like Waze or Google maps, and see your directions right there on your dashboard. You can also make calls, dictate text messages, and pull up your contacts on the touch screen.
There’s one more way both vehicles let you live a cord-free life: wireless charging. Both have available wireless charging pads, so if you forgot your cord, no problem. Just place your device on the pad, and it will power up for you while you drive.
Where Buick Encore GX Stands Out
There are two features that the Buick Encore GX offers that the Honda HR-V doesn’t, and they’re big. The first one is built-in Amazon Alexa. If you already use an Amazon Alexa at home, then you know how handy these are. You can ask this smart device to look up and handle just about anything for you. If you’re driving and realize you need to defrost a chicken when you get home, you can ask Alexa to set a reminder to tell you to defrost that chicken at the perfect time. If you realize you’re out of pet wipes, you can ask Alexa, while you’re driving, to put in an order for more pet wipes. Do you want to know what the weather will be this afternoont so you know whether to bring your umbrella inside to your meeting? Ask Alexa. You can even use Amazon Alexa to control smart home devices. That means you can turn on the air conditioner before you get home on a hot day, and walk into a perfectly comfortable home. If you’re getting home after dark, you can ask Alexa to turn the lights on for you before you get there so you’re not walking into a dark house. There are so many ways that having Amazon Alexa in your vehicle streamlines your life. You don’t want to pull over to write down a reminder every time you think of something on the road. You probably remember many important things while driving. Many of us do, because it’s just you and your thoughts in the car. Having Amazon Alexa in your vehicle can act like your administrative assistant while you’re driving.
The Buick Encore GX also has is a built-in WiFi hotspot. The Honda HR-V has WiFi compatibility and can connect to an outside WiFi source, but, it doesn’t have its own hotspot like the Buick Encore GX does. With that hotspot, you can handle even more on the road. Imagine you get into your car at the mall parking lot, and realize you needed to fix one thing in that document before you get to work. You can just open up your laptop in the car, connect to the built-in hotspot, and make that document perfect before you arrive at work. A hotspot can benefit passengers, too. If you take friends or family on road trips, they can connect to that hotspot to stream movies and shows or play video games while you’re on the road. They don’t need to be devastated when they realize they forgot to download that series episode or movie before you left the house. If you’ve ever had bored kids on a road trip, you know what a perk this is.
The Buick Encore GX also has a larger touchscreen available than the Honda HR-V. If you want a touchscreen that feels like a mini television displaying your navigation, podcast episode, and more, that’s going to be on the Encore GX.
Finally, the Buick Encore GX has an available Bose sound system. Many connoisseurs of music would tell you that Bose is the best of the best. If you are particular about having a sound system that has every beat, bass, and note coming in as if the concert is happening in your vehicle, that will have to be the Buick Encore GX.
Connectivity Makes the Difference
Both of these vehicles, performance-wise, deliver a lot. You’ll feel a nice kick of power from their engines, and get good traction when you need it on all sorts of road surfaces. But cars aren’t just meant to get you from point A to point B these days. Drivers have come to expect vehicles with infotainment that keeps them connected, entertained, and productive. Only the built-in Amazon Alexa of the Buick will let you do that. With the Honda HR-V, you’ll have to wait until you get home to order those pet wipes or turn on the lights. Hopefully, you remember by then.
The WiFi hotspot in the Buick is a major advantage that vehicle has over the Honda. Your passengers will love that they don’t need to wait until they get home to keep streaming that show or finish working on that research paper. A lot of people practically live in their cars these days, so they need connectivity that lets them get more done from their cars. The Buick Encore GX undeniably delivers more for that demand than the Honda HR-V does. If you are serious about having the best in connectivity, you’ll want the Buick Encore GX. Plus, its starting MSRP of $25,600 is barely a couple thousand above the Honda at $23,800. What you get for the additional investment is well worth it.
