2016 BUICK ENCORE

While it's certainly a radical departure from Buick's long history of building large luxury sedans, look a little closer and you'll find the 2016 Buick Encore subcompact SUV still embodies many of the elements this brand is known for. Indeed, it manages to retain much of its essential Buick-ness by virtue of its hushed cabin with near-luxury trappings and a long list of available upscale features, including a heated steering wheel and a built-in 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot.

New this year is the Sport Touring model with a version of the standard turbocharged 1.4-liter engine that puts out an additional 15 horsepower and 29 pound-feet of torque. It's a welcome upgrade, which should make for livelier acceleration. Unfortunately, the regular turbo 1.4-liter engine is still used on the remaining Encore trim levels. No matter the trim, though, the Encore's small size makes for impressive maneuverability when it comes time to negotiate crowded streets or fit into a tight parking space. Other strengths include impressive fuel economy numbers and top crash-test scores.