upscale, comfortable suv/crossover to ferry clients and my kids around town

Sorry, but the Envision is classified as average or mediocre by several journalists. U.S. News made a consensus of many Buick Envision reviews online and wrote, "The 2017 Buick Envision ranks 12 out of 15 Luxury Compact SUVs. The 2017 Buick Envision gets lost near the back of the luxury compact SUV pack. It's comfortable to drive and nicely equipped, and it offers good value for the money, but in a sea of over-achievers, the Envision is just average." On Car & Driver, the Buick Envision is ranked #18 out of 19 Luxury compact crossovers/SUVs, 3 out of 5 stars. It's a cheaper option, but even small mainstream SUVs get better ratings and are more well-recieved.

First option is the 2018 Kia Sorento SX with Advanced Tech Package. I drove one on a short road trip and came away thinking it could be a luxury SUV. The leather, ride, road noise, seat comfort for the front and rear, and the technology are next to Lexus quality. Reliability is also a standout and it has a 10 year/100,000 mile warranty. It seems to be an underrated car because the Highlander and Pilot get all the sales, but the overall feel of this car is superior to most of it's competition. The second row seats are comfortable and spacious, but the third row is almost unusable, so just leave the third row down and use it for the trunk. It's also tough to see out the back, but all the safety features come with the tech package. Also, this is way more expensive than a small SUV like the two below.

An equally good, more fuel-efficient choice is the 2017 Honda CR-V Touring. It has an optimal driving position like most Hondas, is spacious, comfortable, fun to drive, quiet, and safe. Going with the CR-V means you'll have more than $6k left over and still have a very nice car. Plus, lower insurance costs and high reliability.

The Mazda CX-5 Grand Touring with Premium Package ties for best small SUV with the CR-V. It gives you an extremely upscale interior for a fraction of the cost of the luxury SUVs. Add to that a smooth ride and more than $5k left over and you have a compelling package. It's the best looking SUV on the market in my opinion. It's reliable, too. It's more fun to drive than many luxury CUVs. It's one of the quietest SUVs in the segment. Like all three of these SUVs, the rear visibility is compromised by the styling.

A lot of luxury brands are producing compact SUVs that are not as smooth-riding or comfortable as the mainstream brands' small SUVs. Compare the Honda CR-V to the Lexus NX and you'll see what I mean. There are so many downsides to owning the NX over a top of the line CR-V.

Good luck and tell us what you buy!

My opinion is based on a vehicle on own, 2016 Buick Envision Premium ll that you do not and have not even set foot in.. I also own more and less expensive vehicles and usually average one different vehicle per year from German, Australian, Swedish, and domestic makes. I have owned multiple vehciles from those countries and from Canada, Korea, and China. So I have some seat time in different cars from different parts of the world. When your driving experience are two economy cars and a decade and a half old mini van, a new car today at any level can knock your socks off. Just regurgitating journalist reviews can only go so far and you have to spend some quality time in these cars. The Buick Envision can top $50,000 new and is made in Asia, not the U.S.A. Why would America's be interested in a middle sized crossover at that price? Because no one should pay MSRP and the price with a couple thousand miles is mid-to-low $30's and is feature packed. Those economy CUVS from Japan and Korea are just that, ~$20,000 CUVS that sticker just over $30,000. That is about where the entry level Buick Envision starts and includes many standard features not offered in those economy customers like rubber mounted subfrane like that in the Envision for better road isolation and lower NVH. Where those entry cuv's are directly mounted steel to steel and transmit more road noise. The Envision is a subcompact and the similar interior dimensions as the new BMW X1 which ranks #1 in Luxury Subcompact SUVs where the Envision would place #2 U.S. News Rankings. They take reviews from 26 sources and average them based on what consumers want so the Buick does really well. Car and Driver rankings are based on what? Do you know? Please tell us as commenter have asked the same question and we have not found the source of their rankings. So they don't hold much weight and are laughed at in the comment sections. Consumer Reports is another one to review the data from their testing and take their recommendation with a grain of salt. They complain about the Envision handling in their video review and praise the Jaguar F-pace. When looking at the data from their testing the results are almost identical. Hmmm? My fully loaded 2016 with 3,000 miles costs what a stripped Lexus NX does with no options, FWD, and faux leather. It is really over priced for a gussied up Toyota RAV4 that it is. The RDX, CR-V economy cuv with a V6, is no longer like by even Michael Karesh. A manufacturer can only expand on a entry level platform so far and run up the price adding features. Vehicles like Subaru and Mazda do not share their economy suv roots with another upper tier and have to carry their name further up the price scale by making the interior better and offering better options. Unfortunatrly, their power trains lack the punch when price gets into the $30's but have added acoustic glass and extra sound deadening to appease the noise complaints and the negative effects on handling and fuel economy. Continue to offer 2.0l and 2.5l making 150-180 horsepower while every else is offering 1.5-1.6T making torque where those two make peak power. Allot of over marketing and under performing

@NormT http://www.caranddriver.com/features/how-does-c-d-test-cars

No, I don't drive cars for my job. Consumer Reports is one of the most respected research websites available. It's non-profit and they buy their cars anonymously so the dealer doesn't modify them for their journalists. I also read mkaresh's excellent reviews which are very in-depth and helpful. We are not here to argue, but the reality is that more people buy mainstream cars than luxury cars simply because they cost less to buy and maintain and not everyone has money. The average car purchase is $34,000, which is perfect for a new well-equipped mainstream economy car or a very limited amount of new base luxury cars. Not everyone has this budget, but itis the average. I don't see a reason for most journalists to give negative reviews about the Envision if it is a fantastic car, so that's why I believe the consensus. I respect your love for your car, but I like to get multiple opinions from people who drive many cars and write about them.