Is the 2025 Buick Envision the Right Compact SUV for You?

You’re in the process of making a large decision that will forever change your life for the better, and we’re here to help. You’re shopping for a 2025 Buick Envision, and why shouldn’t you be? It’s one of the most appealing compact SUVs on the market—but upon closer inspection, is it everything it’s cracked up to be? Is the 2025 Envision worth your time and money? We’ll answer these questions, so keep reading, and you’ll know everything soon enough…

Reading the Room

Before we speak more about the 2025 Envision itself, let’s look at the competition and see what’s out there this year. Alongside the 2025 Envision, other compact SUVs on the market include the Subaru Forester, Toyota RAV4, Ford Escape, Honda CR-V, GMC Terrain, and Chevy Equinox. Sure, the Envision may be slightly costlier than its competitors, but hear us out. Like the premium brand it is, Buick ensures your money isn’t wasted and directly benefits you with exceptional performance, luxury features, and more that help it stand out from the competition in many ways. 

There are a few things worth noting before we move on. Firstly, the largest infotainment center from the competitors we mentioned is 15 inches, and the smallest is seven inches; this compares to the Envision’s mammoth 30-inch screen. Also, every model (except the RAV4) gets less than 200 hp in its standard configuration, compared to the Envision’s 228 hp. Now, let’s see how these vehicles compare to the 2025 Envision…

Finding a Median

The 2025 Envision finds a middle ground with its performance, achieving a balance between versatility and efficiency while also ranking it as the compact SUV this year with the highest horsepower at the base level, with 228 hp standard across all trims, even the entry-level. The only SUV to come anywhere close is the RAV4, which has a base non-turbocharged engine that outputs 203 hp. 

The 2025 Envision makes 258 lb-ft of torque—again, the highest of any base-level engine in its class—and it’s all thanks to its turbocharged 2.0L I-4 engine paired with a 9-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive (AWD) is standard with every 2025 Envision, making this model a viable option for light off-roading and camping trips. AWD also helps every 2025 Envision handle exceptionally well on wet terrains. 

It’s fair to say that base-level performance is great with the Envision. You don’t need to go any further into your wallet to achieve the horsepower and torque output of the base Preferred trim. However, strength is only half of what it takes to find that middle ground we mentioned; fuel efficiency is the second half. Combine the two, and you’ve got the 2025 Envision. 

You may expect AWD to reduce fuel efficiency, but given it’s the only drivetrain available for the 2025 Envision, Buick has optimized its turbocharged powertrain for a distinct blend of performance and efficiency. The 2025 Envision has EPA-estimated ratings of 22 MPG in the city, 28 MPG on the highway, and 24 MPG combined. It has a decent-sized 16.1-gal fuel tank, which, when filled, should net you an estimated 386-mile travel range before hitting empty. 

A Multimedia Hub

We’ve seen large infotainment centers grace the compact SUV class before, but everything pales in comparison to the multimedia experience inside the Envision. Like its predecessor, which introduced a beastly 30-inch screen stretching from the leftmost side of your dashboard to the middle, the 2025 Envision uses the same screen. This isn’t a surprise given that it’s already best-in-class, and as the age-old saying goes, “If it isn’t broken, then why fix it?” 

Another increasingly common trend in modern vehicles is replacing analog gauges with a digital screen with more capabilities, owing to its organically dynamic nature. We’ve seen attempts at combining these screens with infotainment centers with varying success, but we feel the results have always left something to be desired. That is until the 30-inch screen was introduced in the 2024 Envision, which combines the functions of a Driver Information Center and an infotainment center within one seamless screen, creating a unique appearance while providing a remarkably robust and intuitive user experience. 

Your speedometer, fuel gauge, odometer, and any other information you have displayed on the left-hand side of this 30-inch screen is accompanied by a visually appealing background that matches what’s on the infotainment center portion of the screen to create a unified look that further heightens that impressive feeling when you consider that everything is running flawlessly under one operating system. Speaking of which, the 30-inch screen primarily functions with Google Built-In, giving it a more tablet-esque interface out of the gate, complete with integrated Google services like Maps and the Play Store for third-party apps, music, and much more. 

Google Built-In is becoming a beloved feature across the industry. It gives any infotainment center the best functionalities typically reserved for bespoke smartphone integration, like Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. One example is support for third-party apps like Waze, Pandora, Spotify, and more through the aforementioned app store. One problem this presents is that some brands are getting too comfortable with this idea; General Motors is famously phasing Apple CarPlay out of its electric vehicles, no doubt to save money by backing out of agreements with Apple, with one of the primary reasons being the infotainment centers providing smartphone-esque functionality already with Google Built-In. 

The problem is that Google Built-In isn’t an end-all solution, especially with the millions of iPhone owners who prefer CarPlay for reasons including, but not limited to, Apple’s design principles that replicate familiar operating system environments like what you already know and love on your iPhone or iPad. Where does this leave Buick? Buick is making the right call and continues supporting wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto with the 2025 Envision, despite also having Google Built-In. 

A Brief Look Inside

The 2025 Envision will blow you away with its tech, but what about its size? You’ll be thoroughly impressed with the 2025 Envision’s spaciousness despite “compact” being its class designation. The Envision’s front row has 39.6 inches of headroom and 40.4 inches of legroom, though the model’s Avenir trim slightly reduces the headroom to 37.8 inches. Second-row passengers have 38.9 inches of headroom, meaning they don’t even lose an inch over what you and your front-row passenger get; the Avenir lowers this again, this time to 37.2 inches. The second-row seats also give passengers an ample 39.3 inches of legroom.

Provided that every seat is upright, the 2025 Envision has 25.2 cu.ft. of rear cargo space, making it not the largest SUV in its class, but also not the smallest. Folding down the second row of seats increases your maximum cargo space to 52.7 cu.ft. This is a 109% increase and is great when you need extra room in a pinch.

Envision Your Future

The 2025 Envision is worth your time and money because it’s a compact SUV built with drivers like you in mind. We know you’ll love driving a 2025 Envision, and whether you’re the owner of an older Envision, upgrading from an Envista, or shopping for your first Buick SUV, you’ll get years of enjoyment out of the 2025 Envision. This is especially true considering many of its competitors must now play catch-up if they want to look even remotely appealing when stacked against the Envision and its jaw-dropping screen, excellent base-level performance, and everything else that makes it a must-buy this year.