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 Lemon - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By bird30 - August 27 - 2:36 pm

  I purchased the 2008 Buick Enclave loaded in 2008 as I wanted a Luxury SUV and wanted to support the American Car Makers in time of crisis. I made a huge mistake! My car has had every seal replaced since I purchased it and barely has 60,000 miles on it. The car has been serviced and taken care of since I purchased and babied since 2008. The engine seals went out at 30,000 miles, numerous times the airconditioning system has been fixed over and over for problems (4+ times), steering gear/drive problems, water pump seals, rear tail gate pistons replaced, etc., etc. etc. The care is beautiful and comfortable but the biggest lemon and disappointment I have ever purchased.

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  scary - 2011 Buick Enclave
  By staugustine1 - August 12 - 9:55 pm

  I have had my Buick for about two and a half years now and love just about everything about it. It is comfortable, responsive, hold lots of people and things. My only concern is about six months ago my "service air bag" light came on. So I promptly took it to the dealer where they had it for several days and repaired the faulty piece. While I was there I asked the service tech if the airbags would still work if the light was on and he told me NONE of the airbags would have worked in a crash. The light came back on again today so I am bringing it back to the dealership to have it fixed for a second time. This is not some thing that I find acceptable in a 2 1/2 year old car.

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  19 months in, tearing my hair out over the gas bills - 2011 Buick Enclave
  By bigbaddave - August 6 - 12:46 pm

  I wrote my first review after driving the Enclave for a week weve had it now for 19 months. We bought it to transport my teenage daughter and her friends around and its been a great success. They love the luxurious leather seats, the sound system and the great ride. The back seats fold down in a variety of ways and you can transport pretty much whatever you want. The main drawback is the awful fuel consumption on the AWD version, which is less even than the 15 mpg Buick claims it will get. Our lease runs out at the end of 2014 and wed like to buy the Enclave, even though it will be a bit big for two people, but I think well downsize to a BMW X3 or the Audi Q5 just to save money on gas.

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  Made us Buy American - 2013 Buick Enclave
  By cbitman - July 10 - 11:15 am

  This is truly a wonderful car and our first American car in many years. We have three children under 10 and this is by far the most roomy and classy ride that money can buy. It is a quient and very nicely appointed interior. Having the captains chairs was a must for us and this is the nicest car with that option. One complaint is the hazard button is way too sensitive. i hit that all the time when using the radio. Otherwise, love this car!

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  Great Lease Deal - 2012 Buick Enclave
  By lasvegasrph - May 4 - 7:30 pm

  Took delivery of a 2012 Buick Enclave Convenience FWD in Cyber Grey/Ebony Cloth interior in Oct. 2012. The lease deal was way to good to pass up. Paying $333/mo for a $39,200 SUV with free Onstar, free maint, free XM radio for the whole 24mo lease! The Enclave is BIG, it drives BIG, goes down the road BIG. Power is ample for a heavy SUV and the 6sp automatic shifts very well to get you moving. Its got style, function, and looks. Very QUIET and chews up miles with ease. The MPG could be better (I am getting 17 city and only 20-21 HWY) but its only got 5,000 miles on it. Driver and passenger comfort are great, love the middle captains chairs, and 3rd row is fine for 2 adults or 3 kids.

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  Love Love Love my 2013 Enclave - 2013 Buick Enclave
  By enclave3 - May 4 - 4:22 pm

  I have had my 2013 Enclave for one month. We just returned from a 3,000 mile trip to the mountains and the Enclave performed flawlessly. It was so comfortable, quiet and efficient. I had a 2010 Enclave I thought was great, but this car is much improved. The transmission responds immediatly instead of hesitating and searching for gears. I look forward to driving this car. Kudos to Buick!!!!!!

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  Great...but very frustrating navigation system. - 2013 Buick Enclave
  By davidgi - May 3 - 8:15 am

  This car was primarily for my wife. She had been driving a Chevy Suburban. It was doing a fine job hauling our family around (three children and two large dogs) on vacation or around town. However, when it came time to replace the Suburban after 150+K miles, we switched to the Enclave. Its one of the finest SUV for the money. I highly recommend the Enclave, but the buyer should evaluate the touch screen and especially the Navigation system before they decide which vehicle to buy. My wife has no confidence in the Navigation system and often resorts to using her smart phone Maps App to find her way around.

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  BAD TRANSMISSION!!!! - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By msgoodie - April 10 - 3:13 pm

  Buyer Beware! I absolutely love the design of the vehicle. Its perfect for my family. As previous posts mention, the wave plate is a problem. The service engine light kept coming on and it kept losing power. I had to keep bringing it in and they said it was fixed and wouldnt have the problem again. Unfortunately, the problem persisted and after having my transmission rebuilt at only 48,000 miles, I just had it rebuilt again at 56,000 miles. Crazy right!! Unfortunately, Im now out of warranty. I have to figure out how to get rid of this vehicle that has a carfax report with multiple transmission issues.

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  Buyer Beware, Extremely Unhappy Customer… - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By smithe2 - April 10 - 1:32 pm

  I am joining this discussion, as we are also having an issue with our 2008 Buick Enclave. We need a new transmission. We have a 3/5/R wave plate fracture. It appears that this is a very common issue with the 2008 Buick Enclave, yet GM does not see a need to do a recall. I see unsatisfied Enclave consumers, on these forums, that are having issues with their transmission. We brought it to the service department, expecting it was still under warranty. To our surprise it was not, due to the in service date of the vehicle. Due to this date, we had missed the warranty coverage by six months. The service department quoted us $4900 to replace the transmission. We had a friend recommend calling GM direct and see if they had any cost assistance they could offer, let our frustration continue. I would like to cover the pain in detail, but there is not enough time. Basically after countless phone calls and two and half weeks later, I was told that they would not offer any help and per our case rep 70,000 miles for a vehicle, was a lot of miles. Imagine my shock that you could by a $50,000 vehicle and only expect to get 70,000 miles out of it. The woman who handled my case was rude and even suggested that maybe I should have bought a different brand vehicle. I did not expect GM to absorb the full cost, but I was hoping they would split the cost of the repair. I have owned GM vehicles for over ten years and after this experience, I am not sure I will ever buy or recommend another GM product. Any thoughts or help out there, I am open to suggestions.

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  Good to see Buick being relevant! - 2013 Buick Enclave
  By 4262 - April 10 - 1:08 pm

  My wife and I were in search of a 7-passenger vehicle and searched high and low. In the end, the refreshed Enclave offered everything we were looking for.