The Enclave was a ballsy statement for Buick when this three-row SUV crossover debuted as a 2008 model. It was a reinterpretation of entry luxury with chrome, leather and a gracious style in a big and roomy family vehicle. And it has been a top seller since.
Enclave was refreshed in 2013; the second generation debuted in 2017 as a 2018; and another refresh is expected later in 2020. Today, it is mostly carryover but with new infotainment systems, the 2020 Sport Touring package and more luxury features for the top-line Avenir, including massaging seats.
Of Buick’s seven model lineup, the Enclave is the second-top seller behind the Encore subcompact SUV and followed by the Envision compact SUV. The trio of SUVs overwhelmingly outsells the ing group of cars — the large LaCrosse sedan and the midsize Regals, with the sport GS sedan, five-door hatchback, luxury Avenir sedan and TourX wagon.
The Enclave is essentially a minivan of function without the sliding side doors, easier step-in height and better fuel economy. But it is well designed with creative storage areas, flip-and-fold seat function and a kid-friendly attitude.
Its architecture is shared with the long-wheelbase (120.9 inches), seven-seat Chevrolet Traverse and the short-wheelbase (112.5-inch), three-row midsize GMC Acadia, which is 10.7 inches shorter than its mates. But everything you see and touch is uniquely Buick Enclave, the company says.
There are many choices in this popular, family SUV segment, including the Ford Explorer, Honda Pilot, Nissan Pathfinder, Toyota Highlander, Kia Sorento, Subaru Ascent and VW Atlas.
In the recent J.D. Power 2019 U.S. Sales Satisfaction Index Study, Buick ranked highest among mass-market brands for the third time in four years. And its score improved by three points from last year, when it finished third in the index.
Buick was followed in 2019 rankings by GMC, Mini, Chevrolet, Volkswagen, Subaru, Ford, Honda and Nissan, which all ranked above the mass-market brand average of 772.
Pricing and features
The 2020 Enclave is sold in four trim levels in front- or all-wheel drive with the same powertrain: a 310-horsepower, direct-injection 3.6-liter V-6 and nine-speed automatic transmission.
Starting prices, including the $1,195 freight charge from Lansing, Mich., range from $41,195 for the Preferred (front-drive only) to $57,295 for the Avenir AWD. (AWD adds $2,000 to $2,300, depending on the trim level.)
Standard equipment on all Enclaves includes keyless locking and push-button ignition, heated front seats, rearview camera, Buick’s QuietTuning with a laminated windshield and active noise cancellation, an eight-way power driver’s seat (with seat-cushion tilt) and six-way power enger seat, six USB ports, seven air bags, all-LED exterior lighting and a hands-free tailgate with a Buick logo puddle light.
The Essence AWD tester was $49,055 with four option packages, including the $1,695 Sport Touring edition of 20-inch alloy wheels with satin-graphite spokes, black grille with body-color surround and an ST badge on the liftgate. A dual power moonroof added $1,400; Ebony twilight paint was $495; and all-weather floor mats, $270, included a cargo mat.
Except for Avenir, any paint color but white is a $495 option, Red Quartz Tintcoat is $595 and White Frost tricoat is $1,095. The only optional paint for Avenir is the $600 White Frost tricoat.
Standard safety features include seven air bags, rear parking alert, rear cross-traffic alert and lane-change alert with side blind-zone alert. To get more advanced safety technologies, including automatic emergency braking, means choosing a more expensive trim level, but those cannot be optioned with the ST edition. The trim adds automatic emergency braking. And the Avenir has a more complete safety suite, including front pedestrian braking, lane keep assist with lane-departure warning, low speed forward automatic braking, forward collision alert —but no adaptive cruise control.
Drivability
The Enclave feels robust on the road with a comfort-tuned suspension that treads lightly across bad road but still feels tow-haul tough with a jolt of head toss at driveways and speed bumps. The more engers aboard, the smoother the ride. Buick’s QuietTuning is calming but not vault-like.
The four-wheel-disc braking felt adequate but not overly reassuring from 12.6-inch front rotors and 12.4-inches rear.
With a curb weight of 4,568 pounds, the V-6 engine is almost a requirement, but the engine-transmission calibrations are so tuned for fuel economy that acceleration is resistant, until the foot goes down and the engine digs into its 266 foot-pounds of torque at 2,800 rpm. There is no Sport mode to sharpen performance, but there should be.
All-wheel-drive fuel economy ratings are 17 mpg city, 25 highway and 20 mpg combined on 87 octane, improving by 1 mpg for front-wheel drive. I worked up to 18 mpg combined, but I expect that average would increase with more highway driving.
To save fuel, the all-wheel-drive system functions in front-drive until the driver selects AWD.
Cabin amenities
The interior design is contemporary with solid assembly and durable plastics with many soft-touch surfaces. Interior color choices include light gray (shale) with black (ebony), tan and black and dark gray and black.
The driver area is fully functional with easily viewed and accessed controls. Sightlines are open over the hood and at the side mirrors, but a 360-degree camera with a front view would be helpful when parking (but only available on the Avenir). There is a stealth storage area beneath the shifter console and an e-bin charging area.
The 39-foot turning circle is large, but some family sedans have a foot-wider radius.
Back seats
The back doors open to almost a right angle for easy step-in. The second-row seats are not quite “captain” class for full-size adults, but there is plenty of legroom at almost 39 inches and a flat floor; fore-aft slide allows more third-row legroom. The right-hand seat folds and tips forward for access to the third row. Or just let the youngsters sidestep through the space between the captain’s chairs. Useful details include air vents in the ceiling, a pair of charging USBs and fan-temp controls.
The third row is a kid zone, with cup holders and USBs at each window seat, a ceiling vent and overhead lights.
With both rows of seats folded, the cargo space is substantial with more than 7 feet of length, by 4 feet wide, with a decent entry height of 31 inches. There’s also 3 cubic feet of basement storage, which could be handy for wetsuits, boots and other gear.
There isn’t much substance to the contents of the ST edition, but it’s a change in attitude for a family vehicle big in family values.
2020 Buick Enclave ST AWD
- Body style: full-size, 3-row, 5-door front-wheel drive SUV crossover
- Engine: 310-hp, direct-injection 3.6-liter V-6; 266 lb.-ft. torque at 2,800 rpm
- Transmission: 9-speed automatic
- Fuel economy: 17/25/20 mpg city/hwy/combined; 87 octane
SPECIFICATIONS
- Fuel tank: 21.7* gal. *19.4 gal, front-drive
- Cargo space: 23.6-58 cu. ft.
- Front head/leg room: 41.2*/41.2 in. *w/o moonroof
- 2nd row head/leg room: 39.9*/38.9 in. *w/o moonroof
- 3rd row head/leg room: 37.6/33.5 in.
- Length/wheelbase: 204.3/120.9 in.
- Height/width: 69.9*/78.8 *w/roof rack
- Curb weight: 4,568 lbs. *4,359 lbs. front-drive
- Turning circle: 39 ft.
- Towing: 5,000 lbs. w/trailering package
FEATURES
- Standard equipment includes: smart-key locking and push-button ignition, rearview vision camera mirror, 8-inch infotainment touch screen with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto and Bluetooth phone and audio, Buick Quiet Tuning and active noise cancellation, leather-trimmed upholstery, 8-way power driver’s seat, 6-way power enger seat, heated front seats with power lumbar, manual-folding third row seat, LED headlights and running lights, heated side mirrors with turn signals (manual folding), hands-free liftgate with Buick logo puddle light
- Safety features include: 7 air bags, rear parking alert, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-change alert with side blind-zone alert, stability and traction controls
PRICING
- Base price: $45,195, including $1,195 freight charge; price as tested $49,055
- Options on test vehicle: Sport Touring package, $1,695, includes 20-inch alloy wheels w/satin-graphite trim and 255/55 all-season tires, sport grille with body-color surround, liftgate badging; dual power moonroof $1,400; Ebony twilight paint $495; all-weather floor mats, $270, including cargo mat
- Where assembled: Lansing, Mich.
- Warranty: 4 years/50,000 miles bumper to bumper with 2 free scheduled maintenance appointments; 6 years/70,000 miles powertrain
