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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  Make a mistake going from my Tahoe to this - 2011 Buick Enclave
  By Anna S - August 15 - 11:47 pm

  I gave up my Tahoe to go to this because my two older children had moved out of the house and I did not need such a large vehicle. I intended on keeping this car for many years and giving it my daughter when she started driving. It has been in the shop with so many issues we now intend on trading it in next year and going back to a Tahoe. We have had problems from the motor mount, the drive train, the axle bearings and several other things. Thank goodness we had bought an extended warranty so we have not had much out of pocket cost. The Buick dealership has been very nice and apologetic about all the problems. It is a comfortable car but it is not as comfortable as I feel it should be.

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  vacation killer - 2010 Buick Enclave
  By Paul Urnise - August 7 - 2:05 am

  You will more than likely have costly air conditioning issues in excess of 1,100 When you will need it most like perhaps your dream vacation, it will more than likely fail you. Tried to drive it to Florida from Missouri and we made it to Tennessee and what do you know, electrical issues. Ruined our dream vacation. Do yourself a favor and look elsewhere, and when I say elsewhere I mean stay away from GM products.

• 

  Amazing... - 2015 Buick Enclave
  By M. King - July 27 - 9:18 pm

  This car exceeded my expectations. It is so comfortable and quiet and did I mention comfortable. Excellent safety features with great care and consideration on the part of Buick to successfully produce a true luxury SUV.

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  Very uncomfortable seats - 2014 Buick Enclave
  By tiorob - March 31 - 11:22 pm

  Really like the car and the drive however there is one huge issue that makes me wish I never bought this vehicle. Since I bought this car I have had major neck issues. The drivers seat neck rest is extremely uncomfortable and has created ongoing issues. I am upside down on the lease and have been told by two dealers that there is nothing they can do. Yet I understand they completely changed the head rest design in the newer models. My husband refuses to drive it because it is very uncomfortable for him as well. Does anyone have a solution or similar issue? I still have over a year left on the lease. Like the Buick but disappointed in the issue not being resolved.

• 

  Expensive vehicle to own - 2009 Buick Enclave
  By donbee1 - January 30 - 7:47 am

  I bought my 2009 Enclave used with 60K on the clock a year and a half ago. Since then had to replace high pressure fuel pump, battery, and just got it back from the shop after having BOTH catalytic converters replaced for check engine light and rough running. I have owned a bunch of cars in my life and never had a catalytic converter go bad, let alone two on the same car at the same time. Love the ride and gagetry but repairs very expensive. Definately not a do it your self repair vehicle. Mileage combined around 20. I expected a little better. The third Buick I have owned and may be the last. The extended warranty was useless. Only covered "internal" parts.

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  Former Honda guy - 2015 Buick Enclave
  By joego1 - January 9 - 1:19 pm

  Recently purchased the Buick Enclave after a test drive and must say I was impressed with the quality of the vehicle both inside and out. We were shopping for a new SUV and being a big Honda/Acura owner we found these dealers had priced themselves out of our market range. I saw the commercials for the special sale of the Enclave and test drove one, liked it and the dealer gave us almost 20% off the list price. Wow! Suv has almost everything heated seats, heated steering wheel, Nav, leather, two sunroofs, remote start, lane and distance control etc. What a great car, we drove it on a 120 mile trip right after purchase in the snow and ice and are extremely happy with our purchase. A lot of ver

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  Beware! Unreliable! - 2009 Buick Enclave
  By hchambley - December 10 - 1:35 pm

  I purchased my used 2009 Enclave approx. 6 months ago. Carfax report looked good and a friend of mine had one and loved it. I have loved and sang praises of my new car! I traded my 2009 Yukon XL for this car to save on gas and loved the downsize and savings. Since I purchased my Yukon brand new and never had issues, I opted out of the extended warranty on this car thinking I wouldnt have issues either. Boy was I wrong! Within a month one of the coil packs went out but it was replaced at no charge under dealership 30 day warranty. About a month and a half ago I started having transmission problems and my transmission needed to be replaced. Within two weeks of it being replaced started

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  Love the Enclave but hate my car - 2009 Buick Enclave
  By kreshe - November 5 - 8:53 am

  I wish these reviews were posted before I purchased mine in 2011. After buying the car, I had issues with the engine light (gas tank cap leaked), water pump, air not blowing cold (dealer still unable to locate the problem), I just had my transmission rebuilt (two shops said they have seen this with this vehicle, Traverse and Acadia) and a day after shelling out over $3K, my engine light comes on (possible catalytic converter)!!! I am tired of the problems but after spending all of this money, I cannot afford another vehicle. I seriously wish General Motors would look into all of these issues!

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  Do not buy a 2008-2009 Enclave - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By mgaston - September 24 - 12:43 pm

  Look at Consumer Reports for its ratings on quality as well but you will have nothing but expensive repairs for the early model years. GM knows this but fails to support their customer base. They wanted new customers and got them but we are now leavaing. In later model years it looks ike they have fixed some of the problems but I would not feel comfortable after this kind of hell. I have had (2) transmissions (I paid for one $3200), rack n pion steering ~$1600, power steering pump ~$1200, shocks and struts at 75K miles (too early)- ~$1K, several steering related componens~$500 all within six months ($7.5K). The vehicle is only worth $18K. Be very cautious.

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  Never Buy GM Again - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By mgarner1234 - September 5 - 3:12 pm

  I bought this 2008 Enclave less than a month ago. Brought it in for a slight humming noise at low speed. After "evaluation" they wanted over $2000.00 to "fix" everything. Owned a Toyota that had over 216000 miles and never had to put $2000 in to "fix" it. The Buick has less than 60000 miles. Called and spoke to the service manager at McKinney Buick as they wanted 50% more than a standard repair shop and they will not budge on their over priced repairs. Then they wanted us to pay for a loaner car for the week it took them to diagnose the problems. Any other shop could diagnose and fix in 1-2 days. I have always owned Toyotas and know I remember why. If you value $$$ stay away from GM/Buick.