Redesigned after 10 years, new Buick Enclave is worth the wait
Its body sculpting suggests that arresting style and civility can coexist.
The Enclave, Buick's large, three-row crossover, has been redesigned for 2018, allowing the automaker to finally place its predecessor in a sepulchre and seal the entrance.
The first-generation Enclave that preceded this new model was in production for a decade. In the auto industry, a 10-year model run is akin to the life span of Mithridates.
But, you can argue that this new resident of Buickburg was worth the wait. Its body sculpting suggests that arresting style and civility can coexist. The interior is at once elegant and fresh. Room for folks and their stuff is exceptional, as is the big guy's ride and handling.
The Enclave starts at $39,995, making it markedly cheaper than similar soldiers from Europe and Asia. But the price can rise with the temperature of your hedonism. I spent a week with the Enclave Avenir, the latter being a new Buick sub-brand for top-of-the-line models. That vehicle checked in at $53,500. Options and shipping took it to $57,240.
Like its corporate cousin, the Chevrolet Traverse, with which it shares structure and mechanicals, the new Enclave is two inches longer than the previous car, signing in at 204 inches. Despite that growth, the more stylish new Enclave looks sleeker and slimmer than the old one. The Avenir adds several sporty touches, including a mesh grill and special 20-inch alloy wheels, which replace the standard 18-inchers.
If the new Enclave doesn't look its size, it doesn't feel its size when you drive it, either. The front-drive tester (the Enclave is also available with a sophisticated all-wheel-drive system) felt poised and planted in the corners. Happily, the competent handling wasn't at the expense of a nice ride, thanks, in part, to the Enclave's long, 121-inch wheelbase.
Motivation is afforded by a 310-horsepower edition of GM's 3.6-liter V-6, which gets the Enclave from 0 to 60 in a very presentable 6.6 seconds, and then takes it on up to 131 mph. Like this engine, the nine-speed automatic gearbox that sends the power along to the four corners is a real smoothie.
The Enclave is a quiet and comfortable cruiser. It is also nicely equipped. In base form, the Enclave provides stuff like three-zone automatic climate control, six USB ports, and an eight-inch touchscreen interface that affords Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and 4G LTE Wi-Fi connectivity.
The Avenir tosses in things like the black and brown leather-trimmed seats I found in the tester, a dual moonroof, a rear camera mirror, heated mirrors, seats and steering wheel, a hands-free liftgate, and all the usual electronic safety suspects — and then some.
The big Buick is available only in seven-seat form, with two captain's chairs in the second row and a three-seat bench in the third. Properly positioning the first- row power buckets and the sliding/reclining second-row chairs furnishes sufficient legroom for someone 6-foot-2 in all three rows, although the rounded back of the roofline means the headliner takes the place of the headrest for taller passengers. Access to the third row via the door or the second-row center aisle is fairly easy by three-row SUV standards.
Spelunkers visiting the Enclave's cavernous cargo space may need a native guide. There's 24 cubic feet available with all the seats up. Fold down the second-row chairs and hit the buttons that lower the rear bench and you have a top-of-the-class 98 cubic feet.
(Speaking of capacities, the tester came with an optional $650 trailering package that allowed you to tow up to 5,000 pounds.)
Although a relatively lean 4,600 pounds, the FWD Enclave's EPA mileage ratings ain't exactly newsworthy at 18 city and 26 highway.
2018 Buick Enclave Avenir
Base price: $53,500.
As tested: $57,240.
Standard equipment: 3.6-liter engine, nine-speed automatic transmission, front-drive, and a major dose of hedonism and safety gear ranging from leather, heated and ventilated front seats and power folding third-row seats to following distance indicator, forward collision and rear cross traffic alerts, lane departure and alert and lane keeping, blind side alert, automatic braking and surround vision.
Options: Additional safety gear, like adaptive cruise control, and trailering package.
Fuel economy: 18 city and 26 highway.
Engine performance: Above average.
Handling: Surprisingly agile.
Ride quality: Excellent.
Styling: Body design is an Enclave high card.
Warranty: Four years/50,000 miles bumper to bumper.
Four Bens: Excellent.