The 2015 Buick Encore is sleek, sexy and… safe. Really, really safe. So safe, it’s almost like an overprotective parent watching your back. The type who texts incessantly, constantly checking in when you’re out of their sight for more than 3 hours. They mean well, but it’s overbearing. You don’t understand it until you’re older. 

If that’s your thing, (or if you’re that parent,) keep reading to learn more.

Buick touts that this small luxury SUV is the perfect size for your next adventure. So I put them to the test and drove Cookie, as I’ve dubbed her, from Washington, D.C. to Brooklyn, Ny. for Afro Punk Festival. The drive was fun, comfortable and entertaining.

Features like the Rear-Cross Traffic Alert and Side Blind Zone Alert take the guesswork out of switching lanes. The icons in the corner of the mirrors light up when a car in the next lane is within range of a potential collision. The sound system beeps when you’re too close to alert you to stop, whether you’re merging traffic or backing into a parking space. Speaking of which, the rear view camera is a nice addition to the safety features too.

As for the sexy, the tan leather interior, chrome & wood grain detailing made for an eye pleasing experience inside. 

USB ports, in-dash navigation and Sirius XM radio made for an enjoyable road trip to New York from DC. Me and my two passengers were able to scan genres from Hip-Hop to R&B, talk radio to comedy keeping us occupied and providing an eclectic soundtrack to a group bonding experience. To keep the partying going, we were able to charge our phones and even our laptops with the rear seat 150 watt power outlet– just like you would into a wall.

Parking is hard to come by in the Big Apple, but due to its compact size we lucked up several times. 

Though the 2015 Buick Encore had a smooth highway ride and great handling in crazy city traffic, I was a little disappointed that there was no sunroof on my model. And the learning curve to figure out how to operate the in-dash control panel was steep. I’m not the type to read a manual. I prefer to learn by doing and the controls were not as user-friendly as I’ve experienced in other similar cars. 

Also, acceleration was gradual no matter how hard you pushed. So, no pedal to the metal action. Bummer for the speed demon in me, but that may be a great thing for the ledfoot driver. Perhaps, another safety feature?

Overall, I enjoyed my adventure. With $24,065 as the price tag, the 2015 Buick Encore was spacious enough to enjoy driving for long distances comfortably, it has great highway gas mileage, it has all the features for the digital millennial in you all while turning heads.

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Note: I’m a General Motors Influencer and this is a fair & honest review. Pinky Promise.