The 2024 Envista Carries on Buick’s Legacy of Luxury

October 3rd, 2023 by

A close up shows the driver side headlight on a blue 2024 Buick Envista Avenir.

What do you get when you cross a high-end luxury SUV with a sports sedan? Head to Jim Ellis Buick GMC Mall of Georgia, your preferred Buick dealer in Buford, and the answer is sitting right here in our showroom––the 2024 Buick Envista. Buick reimagined the small SUV (again) to combat the category’s “vanillafication” and remind buyers that they don’t have to sacrifice luxury when choosing an affordable vehicle. The 2024 Envista starts at just $22,400, yet the cabin incorporates premium finishes and the newest in-vehicle infotainment and connectivity technology.[a]

The exterior lines evoke an athletic vibe but never depart from the overarching premium design. Buick calls the Envista a “premium crossover,” which is echoed by review site Car and Driver, whose editors use the term “coupe-like SUV” to describe Buick’s newest model. With a three-trim lineup that doesn’t venture above the $30,000 price point, Buick hopes to attract budget-minded buyers who have an eye for elegance.

However, Buick’s strategy isn’t a new one; the iconic automaker has always leaned into building elegant vehicles with uncommonly premium features. Compared to the competition, Buick models stand out for their upscale cabins and sculpted exteriors yet remain affordable for a wide range of buyers. Buick knows better than any other automaker that even cost-conscious buyers crave a few bells and whistles. How has Buick managed to combine mass affordability with refined luxury? A look back at two of Buick’s most iconic vehicles just might reveal the premium-grade secret sauce the Buford drivers still benefit from today.

The Buick Riviera: An Instant Classic

First revealed back in the early 1960s when JFK was president, and the average annual household income was $4,400, Buick launched the all-new Riviera. Deemed a “personal luxury car” by the automotive press, the 1963 Riviera––Italian for “coastline”––competed against the wildly popular Ford Thunderbird and wowed American drivers with its hidden headlights and dramatic flared fenders. A big-block V8 engine put the Riviera squarely in muscle car territory, but the cabin left no doubt that luxury was the theme.

A set of bucket seats in the front and rear made room for four passengers. Buyers could choose from cloth, vinyl, or leather seating surfaces, and available authentic walnut accenting was available as a deluxe add-on. Buyers could also opt for power windows, air conditioning, and iconic whitewall tires and choose from a palette of 16 exterior colors. Priced at $4,333, the Riviera was slightly less expensive than the Thunderbird, which may be the reason for its breakout 40,000-unit first-year sales.

It wasn’t until the Riviera’s third generation in 1971 that Buick offered a convertible body style. As part of a complete redesign that added unique “boat-tail” rear styling and a fastback rear window, the longer and heavier Riviera borrowed from earlier versions and repositioned itself as a sporty two-door luxury coupe. Buyers weren’t impressed, so Buick returned to its elegant roots with the fourth-generation Riviera in 1974. Gone was the dramatic rear styling, and in its place, Buick added a landau roof and a contoured grille.

Buick reimagined the Riviera nameplate in 1986 as a smaller unibody two-door coupe. In keeping with its reputation for building premium vehicles, Buick designed the newest Riviera with an electronic driver display––named the “Graphic Control Center”––which controlled the cabin climate and stereo. In its eighth and final generation, the Riviera returned with rounded exterior lines, genuine wood cabin accents, leather seating, and a sunroof, competing admirably with German imports costing thousands more.

A close up shows stitching on the grey leather seats in a 2024 Buick Envista Avenir.

The Buick Regal: Premium and Practical

The Regal joined Buick’s lineup in 1973 in both two-door and four-door body styles. Positioned as a more luxurious option than its sibling, the Century, the Regal came standard with woodgrain trim, a signature Buick cabin feature, and optional velour seating surfaces. In its second generation, Buick added the Regal Estate Wagon, a traditional station wagon configuration that grew popular with families for its comfortable cabin and roomy cargo area.

In an original brochure for the 1983 Regal, Buick’s press team writes, “When you settle into the seat of a Regal, right away you know that interior comfort and luxury were prime considerations in the designers’ minds.” The Regal’s fluffy bench seats looked more like living room sofas, and the vehicle’s small luxury touches––like color-coordinated seatbelt buckles and “pleasant chimes” that replaced annoying dash alerts––showed how Buick leaned into cabin comforts.

Flash forward to the Regal’s third generation, and Buick’s commitment to personal luxury was even more evident. Initially available only as a coupe, Buick added a four-door sedan a few years later. The upscale Gran Sport trim was added to the lineup in 1989, offering standard aluminum wheels and premium leather seating. The next redesign happened in 1997 when Buick added heated leather seats, an upgraded Monsoon audio system, and dual-zone climate control to the list of standard equipment.

The last-ever Buick Regal rolled off the assembly line in 2018. Designed as a sporty liftback, the 2018 Regal had a four-trim lineup that hovered in the $30,000 range yet included a plethora of standard driver-assist systems and an available eight-inch infotainment touchscreen. While most manufacturers shied away from the less popular sedan category, Buick leaned in, outfitting the Regal with family-friendly cabin dimensions and plenty of extra room for cargo, along with available heated and ventilated seats and leather seating.

The Buick Envista: New Age Luxury

Today, Buick embraces its premium roots without abandoning the affordability Buick fans have come to depend on. The new 2024 Envista is Buick’s latest entry-level crossover. Buick calls it “one of the most affordable SUVs in the segment” but reminds buyers that the Envista’s low price doesn’t mean sacrificing creature comforts. All 2024 Envistas come with a massive 11-inch infotainment touchscreen, LED headlights, a sporty flat-bottom steering wheel, and automatic climate control.

Opt for the mid-range Sport Touring trim, and the list of features expands to include larger 18-inch glossy black wheels, an available Watts Link rear suspension, and “ST” embroidered front headrests. A trim-exclusive Sport Touring grille and standard gloss black side mirror caps add to the ST’s sporty curb appeal. Buford buyers can select from optional equipment packages to add upgraded cabin features, larger 19-inch wheels, and wireless device charging.

Sitting at the top of the Envista lineup is the Avenir. Synonymous with high-end luxury, the Avenir trim is present on all Buick models. The Envista Avenir’s long list of standard luxury features includes a heated steering wheel, remote start, leather seating surfaces, and a power liftgate. While all Envista trims include the Buick Driver Confidence suite of six driver-assist systems, additional technologies, such as Adaptive Cruise Control and Rear Cross Traffic Alert, are available.

The front-wheel drive Envista is at home in cities like Buford, delivering 137 hp via an efficient turbocharged EcoTec engine. Its nimble handling allows the small SUV to easily navigate congested streets and tuck into tight parking spaces. Eight available exterior colors show off the Envista’s angular lines, and the sleek embedded LED headlights wrap around the front end, giving the crossover a modern, elegant vibe and defying its low starting price.

A silver 2024 Buick Envista Avenir is shown on a tree-lined road after leaving a Buick dealer in Buford.

Buick Corners the Premium SUV Market With the New Envista

Though Buick’s days of building coupes and sedans are over––for now, anyway––the 2024 Envista reminds us that automakers are not abandoning the affordable small SUV. The market for inexpensive crossovers is crowded, but finding a vehicle with premium features and styling isn’t easy. If you wanted features like oversized infotainment touchscreens and upgraded cabin amenities, the only answer has been an upper-level trim at a much higher price.

Luckily, Buick found the formula for an affordable premium crossover. The 2024 Buick Envista embraces Buick’s decades-long commitment to luxury without breaking the bank. Seating for five, up to 42 cu.ft. of cargo space, and a class-leading 11-inch diagonal infotainment screen highlight the Envista’s family-friendly features. Even the most expensive Avenir trim keeps the base price affordable, giving luxury seekers here in Buford a budget-friendly path to premium cabin appointments and next-gen connectivity.


[a] MSRP may change without notice. See dealer for complete details.