Buick Enclave

The Buick Enclave is a model designed and manufactured by the Buick division of General Motors. It was launched in 2007 as a full-size luxury crossover SUV, replacing Buick’s truck-based Rainier and minivan-based Rendezvous. The Enclave features revised exterior styling with xenon headlights and LED running lights and taillights, as well as a new chrome waterfall grille. It received an 8.4 rating by U.S. News, and ranked #1 in both the Affordable Midsize SUV category and Affordable SUV with 3 Rows category.

Performance

U.S. News gives the Buick Enclave a performance rating of 8.0. While critics don’t think the Enclave is “sporty”, they say it offers a smooth ride and is adequately powered, and handles well considering the size of the vehicle. It has a 3.6-liter V6 engine, which is the same as the previous model. The engine is paired to a six-speed automatic transmission and produces 288 horsepower. The front-wheel drive Enclave gets 17 mpg for city driving and 24 mph for highway driving. The all-wheel drive version gets 16/22 mpg for city/highway driving respectively. It has a towing capacity of 4500 pounds, which is more than enough to tow a small boat or a trailer. Critics give the Enclave high marks for its comfortable ride and say the brakes are “confidence inspiring”, and offer a firm pedal feel.

Interior

The interior was revised by Buick for the  Enclave, and it did not go unnoticed. U.S. News gives the interior an 8.5 rating, while critics appreciate the Enclave’s spacious seats, abundant cargo space, and hushed cabin, as well as its high-quality interior with multiple features. The Enclave has seating capability for eight people. The second row features Buick’s SmartSlide, which allows people access to the back row by simply pulling a handle. Each row offers plenty of comfort and space, but the legroom and headroom of the front seats is especially excellent. Standard interior features include a power liftgate, satellite radio, a rearview camera, and Buick’s IntelliLink infotainment system, which comes with a USB port and Bluetooth. Buyers have the option of adding heated and cooled front seats, an upgraded Bose audio system, blind spot alert, and a rear-seat entertainment system. It has 115.2 cubic feet of room when the second and third rows are folded down; when all the seats are in use, it still has 23.3 cubic feet of space.

Pros/Cons

The Buick Enclave has terrific handling, especially for a heavy crossover, and offers a very comfortable ride. It has ample cargo space – the 115.2 cubic feet of room is bigger than some large SUVs. The interior is quiet and roomy, and has impressive features, such as the IntelliLink system, which is easy to use and well-integrated with the rest of the interior. The controls are also easy to use and well-placed. It has a very attractive exterior, and offers plenty of cabin space for small items. The Enclave is rather pricey however, and depending on what features you add, can run up to over $50 000. The rear visibility is a bit weak, although this is something the blind zone alert and backup camera can help with. Rival classes offer more powerful engines than the Enclave, and the gas mileage could be better.

Other Features

The Buick website has the Enclave available for a starting price at $38 445, although this price can increase significantly depending on what features you choose to add. It received a 9.8 safety rating by U.S. News, and has a very strong track record when it comes to crash tests. The IIHS calls it a Top Safety Pick, and the NHTSA gives the Enclave a five-star safety rating. The biggest safety innovation is the side airbag, which helps protect the front passengers from injuring each other during an accident. Cross-traffic alerts and blind-sport monitors can be added on for a price. Other optional features include a rear-seat DVD entertainment system, a push-button start, front parking sensors, and a navigation system.