Buick Envision Sales Up, Second Only To Lexus NX During Q1 2025

Comments

1. 

   Everything on paper is great about this vehicle, except for the made in China part.
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   1. 

      Hopefully that will change soon since GM is going to be investing $4 Billion Dollars in bringing Manufacturing back to the USA. I definitely hope that this plan includes Buick. I’d Love for the Envista, Encore GX and Envision to be made at one of the 3 Assembly Plants that GM will be investing in. Lansing Grand River Assembly or Flint Michigan would be other Great places for Current and Future Buick Manufacturing including All Engines and Transmissions as well as All Parts and Components. I definitely would consider buying an Envision Avenir if it were Only made 100% made in the USA along with the other Bucks currently assembled overseas in China and Korea. ALL Buicks need to be built in the USA and NOT Overseas. GM needs to reinvest in Flint and bring Buick and Buick manufacturing back to Flint including a Brand New Headquarters.
      Reply
2. 

   Lexus NX competes with things like the BMW X3, Audi Q5 and Mercedes GLC it is one class up. The vehicle you should be comparing to is one size smaller Lexus UX
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   1. 

      Have you seen this car in person? Its nearly identical in size with the NX off by only an inch in each dimensional axis. Nowhere near the size of the UX.
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   2. 

      Disregard this other comment. I now understood why you said what you said. The NX and Envision should have been compared with the vehicles you mention. I would have also thrown in the Infiniti QX50 and Genesis GV70 onto that list. I am not sure why they compared them to these less popular sub-compact candidates. Unless they base it on price.
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   3. 

      Dennis, you are incorrect. Let’s segment out the vehicles in question.

      The RX has been Lexus’ D-segment utility since its introduction, essentially creating this space. Today, this space includes the likes of the X3, Q5, and GLC that you mentioned.

      The (rough) starting price for vehicles in the lux D-crossover space is $50K. Case in point:
      2025 Lexus RX starts at $50,475
      2025 BMW X3 starts at $49,950
      2025 GLC-Class starts at $49,250
      2025 Audi Q5 starts at $52,200
      You can see the rest of the models that compete in this space here:
      https://gmauthority.com/blog/2025/06/cadillac-xt5-sales-numbers-figures-results-first-quarter-2025-q1/

      One segment below these is the lux C-crossover segment. It contains the models we outlined in the Envision sales report here. Models in this space are smaller than those in the lux D-CUV segment and have a starting price point in the low $42K range. Examples:
      – 2025 Lexus NX starts at $42,140
      – 2025 BMW X1 starts at $41,350
      – 2025 MBZ GLA starts at $43,000 (and the GLB, which is the same model as the GLA but with a different body that fits three rows, starts at $45,800).
      – 2025 Audi Q3 starts at $39,800
      – 2025 Cadillac XT4 starts/started at $41,420

      The Buick Envision is within range of this segment, and starts at $36,500 due to Buick’s strategic positioning as the “value” luxury brand (aka premium lux).

      The Lexus UX, at $37,715, is notably smaller and less premium than most of the models in the lux C-segment space, essentially existing between the C and D segments. The UX is also offered exclusively as a hybrid. If it were offered as a pure ICE model, it would likely have a price point closer to the low $30K range, supporting the thinking I just outlined.
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      1. 

         Thanks, professor, for the class. A little adult ed never hurts.
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   4. 

      Price yes, size no.
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3. 

   I don’t think Buick has the cachet or is a true competitor to any of these models. Maybe it is cross-shopped with Acura but not Mercedes, BMW, or the rest of them. Granted the German brands don’t have the prestige they once did thanks to products like the X2 but they’re still considered Tier 1 luxury brands which Buick has never been. Thus, I think this chart is actually meaningless.
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4. 

   Sounds like it should start being built in North America for North Americans.
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   1. 

      Why? It clearly isn’t having an impact on sales.
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      1. 

         Yet……
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5. 

   They did make it in the US. It was called the Cadillac XT4 ( We bought a new 2024 Premium Luxury and love it), but it has been replaced by EV. I would never buy a vehicle like the Envision 100% made in the People’s Republic of China.
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   1. 

      The engine is made in Mexico
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6. 

   So to compare it to models of the same size, see below for Q1 2025 sales:

   Mercedes-Benz GLC: 8,680 <– Took this off Good Car Bad Car because MBUSA only posts total sales (67,400).
   BMW X3: 11,235 <— Taken from BMWBlog
   Audi Q5: <— 13,659 Taken from Audi of America

   At 15,495 for the Envision compared to these German heavy hitters people tend to happily pay more for is not bad at all. The case for keeping Buick alive and well in the US gets more and more stronger.
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   1. 

      85Z see my reply to Dennis above. Throwing the Envision into the same segment as the X3, GLC and Q5 makes no sense based on simple economics.

      The 2025 Envision stars at $36,500. That’s almost $15K LESS than the German models you mention:
      2025 BMW X3 starts at $49,950
      2025 GLC-Class starts at $49,250
      2025 Audi Q5 starts at $52,200

      Remember that vehicle size isn’t the only measure of segmentation. Cadillac has been playing this game for almost two decades (ATS and third-gen CTS notwithstanding).
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   2. 

      Envision is purchases. More expensive foreign are almost all leases.
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      1. 

         A sale is a sale and GM gets paid regardless of the sale type. I’m not sure if what you’re saying is correct, since I don’t have the stats handy… but assuming this is the case, let’s not forget that GM has (had) the Cadillac XT4 here too, which tracks heavier on lease than Buick typically does. The Optiq that’s replacing the XT4 will likely be even heavier still on leasing.
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7. 

   I saw. Thanks for the explanation Alex. I figured it was more to do with price and not so much size.
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8. 

   Buick is a missed opportunity for gm. It needs to be built in North America. I don’t understand why China is getting all the hot vehicles first and the US is second, if at all.
   I totally understand cheap labor and the US is too expensive to build most vehicles, but Mexico or Canada would benefit all of NA.
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9. 

   Going based off price is incorrect, everything by size class is determined by size, then price determines the luxury vs standard class. Some are lower price luxury (ie Genesis & Lexus vs the top end germans).
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   1. 

      “Going based off price is incorrect, everything by size class is determined by size, then price determines the luxury vs standard class.”

      I can’t tell if you’re kidding or are serious… but if you’re serious, it sounds like you’ve never sold a vehicle or been close to real customers in the sales process to observe their decision-making.

      First, let’s baseline the primary purpose of segmenting vehicles, and that’s to identify a group of vehicles that are similar so that customers can compare them in the shopping process, and reviewers can provide them with the proper info (while analysis and automakers can build businesses around the obvious demand spaces). In that regard, segments are not monoliths and are not defined by any single characteristic, be it size, weight, price, etc. Instead, segments are created as a result of various factors, certainly including the ones mentioned above.

      Now to take your position to its logical conclusion: you seem to be saying that car buyers look up a vehicle’s size class first, followed by price. But that’s not true.

      Here’s how it typically works for AVERAGE consumers, which represent the overwhelming majority of the car-buying market, as opposed to us ENTHUSIASTS (a small part of the market). First, average consumers loosely determine the kind of car they want, followed closely by the price they’re willing/able to pay. Both of those factors then funnel into availability. In some cases, the price becomes the principal factor, with vehicle type falling to second on the priorities list. Availability plays a large part for those buying off the lot (majority of purchases of non-specialized vehicles).

      No one outside of car fans like ourselves here wakes up and thinks… “I think I’m in the market for a midsize D-segment crossover with two rows and a V6 engine. Let’s see what’s out there.” No, most car buyers don’t even know the segment that the car they are shopping for or have purchased slots into. What they do know is what they want in very BROAD strokes: “A nice SUV with two rows of seats… not too big, not too small.” That’s verbatim from a cross-sale report I saw a few months ago. It’s the normal decision making of customers shopping for D-segment luxury utility vehicles, in this example.

      The customer then goes to a dealer and realizes that one model (the Cadillac XT5) is what they want, while another might be too small (XT4) or too big (XT6). Automakers have understood this, and have built their vehicle portfolios around this. That’s why most models in a particular segment tend to be very close in terms of dimensions, feature sets, and price points. The difference when it comes to GM is that they tend to offer vehicles that are a bit bigger than the competition, particularly when it comes to Cadillacs, but also some Chevys and Buicks. The Cadillac CT5 is a prime example: it was developed to be a D-segment car and is priced like a D-segment car, but is dimensionally larger than most D-segment cars on the market:
      https://gmauthority.com/blog/2019/12/the-2020-cadillac-ct5-v-stacked-up-to-the-competition/

      The same rings true for the Cadillac XT5. It’s now a decade old, and only now has the German trio of BMW X3, MBZ GLC, and Audi Q5 caught up to it in terms of dimensions. In other words, the XT5 was physically larger than an entire generation of German contenders in that space.

      This also applies to the likes of the Chevy Traverse, Buick Enclave, and third-gen GMC Acadia. GM calls these enormous crossovers “midsize”, despite them being dimensionally (over 200 inches in length!) on par with full-size SUVs like the Tahoe and Yukon. In much the same way, the Buick Envision is part of this environment. For GM, you see, offering more room is a unique selling proposition, and size classes will simply need to stretch to accommodate the bigger size of the GM offering. It’s the infamous in-between segment strategy, creating what we call “tweener” models here at GMA.

      Now, you are correct in saying that size is a big part of determining a vehicle’s segment, but it’s far from the ONLY metric for doing so. A larger vehicle at the price point of a particular segment still puts that vehicle into that segment, per my examples above (CT5, XT5, Envision).

      At the end of the day, if a customer is looking for a “nice personal crossover/SUV for me” (note: no family, no need for third row), they could very much consider the BMW X1 or X2 in much the same way they would consider the Buick Envision. In other words, someone wouldn’t no longer consider the Envision as an alternative to the X1 just because the Buick is bigger. They would much more likely NOT consider the Buick based on other factors like the less desirable external image of the brand compared to BMW, or if they are tight on space (as is the case for many European markets)… but a slightly larger vehicle size generally wouldn’t be the lone reason that prevented someone from choosing the Envision.

      “Some are lower price luxury (ie Genesis & Lexus vs the top end germans).”

      But have you seen the prices of some of Genesis and Lexus models lately? They’re right on par with the Germans in many cases.

      Let’s look at the most competitive luxury vehicle segment today – the D-segment utility space I mentioned earlier.

      The two established German models in this space, the 2025 BMW X3 and Mercedes GLC-Class, start at $49,950 and $49,250, respectively. Their rivals from Lexus and Genesis would need to be lower in price compared to these established German models, right? Not quite.

      The 2025 Genesis GV70 starts at $47,985 and the 2025 Lexus RX starts at $50,475. These figures are on par with BMW and Mercedes. In fact, the Genesis will be more expensive to lease due to a lower residual value. Pick one option grouping in the Genesis and you’re quickly into the mid-$50s.

      Though there are exceptions, Lexus and Genesis are no longer treating themselves (or being treated by the market) as second-tier auto luxury brands. That’s been the trend for the past few years.

      Anyway, the editorial staff here at GM Authority / Motrolix, myself included, have conversations exactly like this one every few months when deciding how to segment models. Size and dimensions certainly matter, but they’re not the only factor at play here.

      Thanks for reading this essay of a comment… hopefully it was useful.
      Reply
   2. 

      Too
      Much
      Ignorance
      Reply
10. 

    If GM were to build it in North America what would be the most logical plant? Building it here could be a nice marketing plus for it. We have a ‘23 Envision and really like it.
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    1. 

       Looks like Fairfax and Spring Hill are spoken for. The only plant that has excess after these moves is Lansing Grand River. The changeover cost from RWD to FWD biased would be an issue. Another wild card- assuming a satisfactory trade deal can be reached with Canada- is the CAMI plant in Ingorsol that is building the Brightdrop dud. Move the Brightdrop to Factory Zero and add the Terrain, Envision, and some Equinox production. After all, that is what that plant build before.
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11. 

    Sales would’ve been higher if it was the size of the Equinox and had the previous gen front end. Good job though
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12. 

    Why doesn’t someone ask a GM official (Barra, Reuss, p.r. dept, Buick dealer council) given the good sales of the Buick Envision, why can’t it be manufactured in the U.S.?
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    1. 

       Working on that 🙂
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