Overview & Reviews

Buick has been on the upswing the past few years, introducing new models that are much more desirable than its mediocre past products. The Buick Enclave was one of the first vehicles to point Buick in the right direction.

The Enclave shares a platform with GM's latest group of large crossovers and features an upscale interior, a powerful 3.6-liter V6 and plenty of room for both passengers and cargo. If you're looking for a new or used large luxury crossover SUV with a number of family-friendly features -- such as a roomy cabin with easily accessed and adult-friendly third-row seats -- the Enclave is one of the better choices available.

Current Buick Enclave
The Buick Enclave is a full-size crossover SUV powered by a 3.6-liter V6 rated at 288 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. A six-speed automatic and front-wheel drive are standard. All-wheel drive is optional.

There are three trim levels: Convenience, Leather and Premium, all with standard seven-passenger seating. An available second-row bench seat increases capacity to eight.

The Enclave with Convenience Group comes with 18-inch wheels, xenon headlights, a power liftgate, tri-zone automatic climate control, a rearview camera, Bluetooth connectivity, smartphone app integration and OnStar. The Leather Group adds 19-inch wheels, a blind-spot warning system, rear cross-traffic alert, leather upholstery, heated front seats, a power passenger seat and driver memory settings. The Premium trim level features lane-departure and forward collision warning systems, active headlights, a power tilt-and-telescoping steering wheel, ventilated front seats and a 10-speaker Bose audio system. Option highlights include 20-inch wheels, a navigation system, a rear-seat DVD entertainment system and a dual-panel sunroof.

In reviews, we've praised the Enclave's spacious and pleasant interior, with its gently curving dash, rich-looking wood-grain inlays and soft, double-stitched leather. Adding interest are a Tiffany-style analog clock and aqua blue instrumentation. Access to the third row is excellent, with second-row seats that tilt and slide out of the way, and there are a useful 23 cubic feet of space behind the upright third-row seat. Folding down both rows yields a class-leading 115 cubic feet of cargo space. If you need more space for people or cargo, you won't find it in another crossover.

The Buick Enclave's V6 provides quick acceleration, along with a mildly sporty exhaust note. The six-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly. On the highway, the Enclave is quiet and smooth-riding, though some buyers may find that the optional 20-inch wheels degrade the ride noticeably. Overall handling is competent and predictable, though not necessarily the equal of its more driver-oriented (or smaller) rivals.

Used Buick Enclave Models
The Buick Enclave debuted for the 2008 model year and overall, any used Enclave will be a solid choice for an upscale, family-friendly crossover SUV.

In its first year, the V6 had a lower output of 275 hp and 251 lb-ft of torque. The following year welcomed the direct-injection 3.6-liter V6 (power increased to 288 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque) as well as other upgrades that included Bluetooth connectivity and a traffic feature for the navigation system. Until 2010, there were just two trim levels – base CX and luxury CXL. Also, for the first two model years the transmission could be lazy to downshift due to its fuel-economy-biased programming. For 2010, the transmission was reprogrammed for quicker response. Additionally, Enclaves from 2008-'12 have slightly different exterior styling than the current model as well as some lower-quality switchgear.

The Enclave's current, more descriptive trim levels of base, Convenience, Leather and Premium arrived for 2012. Two years later saw the addition of the lane departure and forward collision warning systems.

User Reviews:

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  Buick Enclave - 2010 Buick Enclave
  By Mike - May 12 - 7:25 pm

  Extremely happy with this vehicle thus far. Initially, I laughed at my wife when she brought this vehicle to my attention as a long term family vehicle, plus its a "Buick". Time will tell if Buick has truly revamped this brand and if they can compete with the long term reliability of Lexus, Toyota, and Honda. For now we are extremely happy with the interior and exterior luxury and features.

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  Love my buick enclave - 2009 Buick Enclave
  By jack rezai - May 11 - 10:17 am

  GM won me back with this SUV! The interior and exterior quality is excellent. I had an 08 highlander before my buick, and the quality was not even close. seats are very comfortable and very supportive. Driving this vehicle is a joy. Ride is smooth, comfortable, stable and quiet even in high winds. AWD system works perfectly. I live in Calgary, AB, Canada, and the AWD, Stabilitytrack, and traction control system provides stable and comfortable ride. I have not gotten stuck in snow and mudd even once. My sister with her subaru SUV got stuck, I didnt. This vehicle has lots of rooms! Love the look and the style. Welcome Back GM! Great work :)

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  Buick Enclave - 2010 Buick Enclave
  By donna miles - May 5 - 1:51 pm

  After owning my Enclave for only 2 months, it went into lock down mode, i had to have it towed to the nearest dealership. I was 1 hour away from home and this was very inconvienent. onstar got a tow service quite fast and found out after 3 days in the shop that there was a short in the wiring behind the passenger seat..The battery is hidden inside of the vehicle and that is also a big problem. On a positive note, I do enjoy driving the vehicle and love the way it looks. I think it is well made and pray that i dont have any more problems like this one again...

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  Amazing - 2010 Buick Enclave
  By Frank - May 5 - 8:48 am

  Overall amazing SUV. Ride is very comfortable, holds a lot of people/luggage. Friends still cant believe how nice and luxurious it feels inside. The articulating headlights are amazing--make this car look like a spaceship when starting at night.

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  Only 16 MPG - 2010 Buick Enclave
  By V8A - April 29 - 3:10 pm

  Love the car just do not love the MPG it is giving me. I know it is a heavier car but they should at least give you 18 MPG. Extra weight hurts. Turning on the A/C hurts. If I do both, it only give me 15 MPG. how sad. It looks great exterior and interior, but the MPG are horrible. They should do better.

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  Solid but not stellar - 2009 Buick Enclave
  By Freddy K - April 24 - 5:10 pm

  Car looks great and lots of compliments. Gas Mileage is not that great. Seats need more support. Very smooth and quiet. Car need more power and better transmission. GM Navigation is bad. We have an Acura MDX and Lexus GS with Nav systems that are light years better than the GM system.

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  Quiet and comfortable - 2010 Buick Enclave
  By Ken - April 20 - 10:32 pm

  As comfortable and quiet as our Lexus RX with more room. Love the seating and the Navigation/Audio system. Bluetooth hands free phone very convenient. Fuel economy near low end of city/hwy range and it doesnt have the pickup of the Lexus. Of course, its also 10k less than Lexus. Never had OnStar before and its a definite plus with downloadable directions to Nav system. Love the black exterior but only when its clean.

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  Enclave - Room to Roam - 2010 Buick Enclave
  By SLOJO - April 14 - 2:43 pm

  The Ladies Love the Enclave, which replaces a 2010 Toyota Highlander (Wife worried/daughter new driver/TRUST was not there) Glad to be back in a US car. There is room for my ___ and all the other stuff we haul. Ride is smooth, peppy and confident with appropriate credit to the Enclaves Wide Stance. Trim and fit are excellent. Quiet ride. Exterior appearance is great. One trip so far and it was enjoyable but would like a little more driver leg room.

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  Our new family Enclave - 2010 Buick Enclave
  By FrozenTundra - March 25 - 8:21 pm

  My wife and I have 3 children ages 5, 2, infant and we have previously owned a Town & Country as well as a VW Tourag. We test drove just about all vehicles that seat a family of our size and hands down we enjoyed the Enclave the best. The ride is wonderful and my wife and I fight to drive the Enclave (over the BMW 745Li). The ride is sturdy but sporty and the interior is very quiet and comfortable especially for a crossover type vehicle. Despite some complaints I read during our vehicle research I find the turning radius and overall maneuverability to be excellent. The Enclave takes the many railroad tracks in the area with ease and the electronics features in the Enclave are fantastic.

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  Great Vehicle - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By Jon - March 20 - 5:02 pm

  Have nearly 40,000 miles on the vehicle. Absolutely no issues and a wonderful driving experience every day. Great use of space in this vehicle. Hard to believe it has this much space, good power and still gets over 20 mpg consistently on the highway. Drives like a car with much better versatility. Home run for GM.