Okay, I was wrong. When I first saw the 2013 Buick Encore, I thought “Aztek,” as in the unlamented Pontiac crossover that was the subject of many Motor City jokes. General Motors’ marketing folks said the Encore was designed to attract younger buyers to the Buick marque and I posted a comment saying the only thing the Encore would attract was flies. After a week with the Encore, I am cheerfully munching my words: once inside, the little Buick crossover is a pretty nice place to be. And I am even getting used to the exterior styling. The Encore is a product of the cooperation of GM’s German subsidiary, Opel, and its Korean operations, formerly known as Daewoo. Across the Atlantic, it’s known as the Opel or Vauxhall Mokka, for the coffee bean, and it’s sold here and in China under the Buick name. The Mokka and Encore are very similar but, mercifully, the Mokka does without the fake Buick portholes on top of the hood. The Encore could get along just fine without them, too. When I first saw the Encore, I was surprised at just how small it really is. At 168.4 inches from bumper to bumper, it’s ten inches shorter than than a Honda CR-V and five inches shorter than a Chevrolet Sonic sedan. The Encore is built on GM’s Gamma II platform, the same one used for the Spark and Sonic. The platform is built up a bit to accommodate the Encore’s greater weight and the engineers did a good job of keeping most of the handling dynamics that make the Sonic such fun to drive. Power comes from GM’s 1.4-liter turbocharged 4-banger with variable valve timing, which is good for 138 horsepower and 148 lb-ft of torque. The engine is mated to a six-speed automatic transmission that allows manual selection of gears, to a point. This is the same engine/transmission combination found in the Sonic RS but now it has more than 300 additional pounds to move and it shows. A light foot on the accelerator will make you friends in school zones but nowhere else. Being a bit more assertive helps but 0-60 is still in the nine-second range which means look for long freeway on-ramps. Even navigating city streets requires frequent glances at the speedometer: the two main roads closest to my office have 45 mph speed limits and in the first couple of days with the Encore, I had to pay extra attention to keep up with traffic. Once on the highway, though, the Encore really surprises. Buick’s active noise-cancelling technology damps out most of the road and wind noise and the ride is comfortable without being mushy. You can feel the road but in a good way. On the 75 mph section of our evaluation route, the Encore cruised happily but passing required prior planning and a clear lane ahead. Of course, being relegated to racing snails for pink slips does provide a benefit: the 25 city, 33 highway, 28 combined fuel efficiency ratings are good for any crossover. One last quirk relating to the engine will be found when the hood is raised. For a moment, you wonder where the engine went and then you look down. The Encore doesn’t have an engine bay, it has an engine pit. There’s almost enough room to add a Hillborn fuel injector, complete with velocity stacks, without cutting a hole in the hood. The Encore’s cabin is well appointed and quite comfortable. Buick calls the Encore a premium subcompact crossover and the description fits. The leather-trimmed power front seats seats are firm and supportive and the brown, brown and more brown color scheme is well coordinated. The “wood” inserts add a nice, upscale touch to the ambiance. Fit and finish is good and the materials are pleasant to the touch. One omission that is rapidly becoming a pet peeve of mine is GM’s unwillingness to give the front-seat passenger a center armrest. There’s a decent fold-down armrest for the driver, but a premium anything should have some provision for the passenger, too. With the front seat adjusted for a six-footer, there was room in the back seat for my high school football player son to be comfortable. However, with both of us in front, the narrow cabin didn’t leave much shoulder room. Buick says the encore is a five-seater but the three in the back better be small children or those high-fashion models that weigh 25 pounds dripping wet. Better to consider it a comfortable conveyance for four. Being “length-challenged” creates another problem with the Encore: Space behind the second row of seats is limited to 18.8 cubic feet. That’s room for groceries and not much else. On the other hand, duffle bags can hold a tremendous amount and are more flexible than traditional suitcases. If just two are traveling, the second row of seats can be folded down, opening up nearly 49 cubic feet of space for luggage and the other accoutrements of a fun holiday. The controls are well laid out and GM’s infotainment system is easy to use. The seven-inch non-touch display screen actually rises above the dash; a good idea as it requires minimal eye movement away from the road. It’s especially nice when using the Encore’s rear-mounted camera while reversing. The controls mounted on the steering wheel are logical and their use quickly becomes intuitive. While I could wish for a bit more power, the Encore is nimble and comfortable and fits in even the most au courant parking space. In both in-town driving and highway cruising, the little crossover delivered the promised goods and lived up to its premium billing. Our review vehicle was loaded with about everything GM could throw at it but the specs of even the under-$25K base model make it well worth a look for those in the market for a smaller ute.