Lost in the crowd of more exciting General Motors brands, Buick has quietly put together a relatively strong lineup of premium crossovers. The compact Envision, for example, was overhauled for the 2021 model year and is now cheaper than the model it replaced and is far more attractive to look at. And at the top of the lineup, the mid-size three-row Buick Enclave was given a facelift for the 2022 model year, including handsome new styling, interior upgrades, and a new Sport Touring Package.
And at the top of the pack sits the Enclave. CarBuzz recently spent a week driving the 2023 Enclave in its most luxurious Avenir trim. The Avenir, which is marketed by Buick as a sub-brand, has been a massive success for the company. After driving the Enclave Avenir, we believe it's justified in claiming the title of GM's best crossover model. But that doesn't mean it lacks flaws.
Avista-Ish Styling
Prior to the most recent facelift, the Enclave was a pudgy-looking, forgettable thing that we wouldn't easily pick out from a field of soccer-mom wagons. But Buick injected some flavor with styling that harks back to the company's stunning 2016 Avista Concept. The result is a more handsome front end that no longer looks anonymous amongst its platform stablemates. We are happy to see Buick move in a bolder design direction, especially with upcoming EVs that were previewed by the Wildcat Concept.
The Enclave Avenir gets unique styling elements, including a model-specific grille, unique front and rear fascias, fresh taillights, and unique 20-inch wheels. A panoramic roof is also standard. Our tester's Avenir-exclusive Rich Garnet Metallic paint stands out from the other boring color options and certainly lends credence to its premium aspirations.
More Premium Than A Traverse
The Enclave is underpinned by GM's C1 platform, meaning it is heavily related to the Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, and Cadillac XT6, among others. A cynic might criticize GM for badge engineering, but to our eyes, the Enclave sets itself apart from its stablemates. The interior design, especially post-facelift, looks nothing like the Traverse or Acadia, and it comes pretty close to matching the XT6 with premium materials.
Nearly all surfaces in the Avenir trim are soft-touch, and the seats are supremely comfortable. In fact, the Enclave gets access to massaging seats, which are unavailable in the pricier Cadillac. The Buick makes a strong case for itself within the GM lineup, but the lack of ventilated seats in the second row and heated seats in the third row seem like glaring omissions when Hyundai offers them on the Palisade at a lower price.
Overlooked On Tech Features
GM's tech game has been strong lately, but the Enclave seems to have been overlooked in this area. Super Cruise is notably missing, meaning you'll have to step up to the smaller but pricier Cadillac XT6 to experience hands-free highway driving. It gets adaptive cruise control and a head-up display as standard, at least.
The Enclave's infotainment system is easy to use and includes wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, though it lives on a tiny eight-inch screen that looks even smaller sitting in that massive dashboard. The smaller Envision gets a 10.2-inch screen, so we know Buick has a larger one available in the parts bin. Ditto for the 10-speaker Bose audio system, which lacks punch for a supposedly "premium" setup. We'll give Buick a pass on this since features like the HD surround-view camera still work well.
General Motors Makes Great Motors
With regards to platform sharing, the Enclave admittedly doesn't offer any differentiation under the hood. It employs the same 3.6-liter V6 engine found in other GM crossovers, mated to the same nine-speed automatic transmission. But this isn't a negative since this might be one of our favorite six-cylinder engines available today.
The engine is gutsy, and the nine-speed transmission is tuned perfectly for a smooth experience. 310 horsepower is plenty for this segment and, despite only producing 266 lb-ft of torque, the transmission keeps the engine low in the rpm range to avoid making the Enclave feel underpowered. Few automakers outside of GM know how to make a drivetrain that fades into the background like this, so we don't mind that the Enclave doesn't have a unique engine.
It's MASSIVE
Where the Enclave truly shines is behind the first row. Nothing short of a full-size SUV or minivan offers more space than this. Even with the third row in place, there's a usable 23.6 cubic feet of space with more room available under the floor. To put that in perspective, the larger Tahoe (which costs more and uses more fuel) only packs two cubic feet more behind its third row.
Drop those power-folding seats down, and the storage space opens to 57.7 cubic feet. With the second row folded, the Enclave offers a total of 97.4 cubic feet of space. A comparable Kia Telluride has ten fewer cubes, while the Chevrolet Traverse offers a tad more space at a lower price. The Cadillac XT6 is actually smaller, only offering up to 78.7 cubic feet at most.
Worth The Price?
The 2023 Enclave starts at $43,300 for the FWD base model, rising to $55,600 for the luxurious Avenir trim. Add another $2,000 if you want AWD. With all the options added, the AWD Enclave Avenir costs upwards of $68,000. That's noticeably more expensive than the Chevrolet Traverse (starting at $34,220), which shares a platform and drivetrain with the Enclave. But load up a Traverse to its top High Country trim (starting at $51,700), and that price difference shrinks considerably.
As for the Cadillac XT6, it starts at $48,595 in base form, though available options on the top trim can easily pull it above $80,000. We think the XT6 is the more attractive SUV, but that, along with Super Cruise, is not enough to offset the smaller size, similar material quality, and lack of massage seats.
The Buick Enclave exists nicely in the middle of GM's three-row crossover family, and it is where we would put our money if we were forced to buy one. It's far from perfect, but we think Buick's version offers the best combination of pricing, premium feel, features, and styling. We are confident in saying it is GM's most well-rounded crossover right now.