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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  Comfort and Classy - 2010 Buick Enclave
  By Enclave Love - January 2 - 12:56 am

  Love my Enclave. This has been a great vehicle for me. Love the AWD and traction control. Only real issues have been the many recalls. Dealerships have been wonderful to fix, but too many.

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  New Buick Enclave owner-first road trip-AWESOME!! - 2015 Buick Enclave
  By DMZ - December 29 - 10:23 pm

  Had 05 Rendezvous for 11 years/134K - great service out of this car. Wife has a 10 LaCrosse that we love. With "in stock the longest" discount plus, we were able to purchase a 15 Buick Enclave Premium. What a beautiful car! And it is loaded! Just took our first family road trip in it - 700 miles RT. Wonderful experience. After 7 hours of driving, not even fatigued upon arrival! Smooth, very quiet, solid, confident ride (was that a bump we just went over?). And quite stylish especially with 20" wheels. Car sits just high enough for perfect lookout height and visibility on the road. The blind spot monitor system is a huge safety assistance tool on the interstate. Extremely comfortable front seats with heated/cooled feature. I am 6-4" tall and enjoy the spaciousness in the drivers seat area. The console sitting low contributes to open feel. Telescopic and tilt provision allows for just the right positioning of the steering wheel - and the seat positioning controls allows for just enough options in getting it right. Other brands offering a bit of overkill with seat adjustments IMHO. Beautiful sounding Bose system - natural production of sound. Not a fan of over-punchy, bass rumble systems other brands are offering. Had third row folded down and that provided a cavernous amount of space for our luggage, Christmas gifts, and still plenty of room for our mid-size dog carrier in the back. At 6-4", I appreciate that I can walk under the liftgate when it is open without banging my head. I test drove the newly designed Lincoln MKX and that was one of a number of issues I had with that car. VERY HAPPY WITH THIS CAR!! If anything, should have a push button start like our six year old LaCrosse. Looking forward to many more road trips in this car but in the meantime, I will enjoy my commute to work everyday in this premium automobile. Buick should bring back their tag line from years ago - "...because how you get there is as important as where youre going." Bravo, Buick...

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  Night mare - 2009 Buick Enclave
  By JK Mir - December 21 - 11:27 am

  Bought it new 2009 1. All steering wheel hydraulic parts had to be replaced 2. Water pump went bad 3. Now transmission is gone.

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  DO NOT BUY - 2011 Buick Enclave
  By ROGER GIROIR - December 16 - 4:07 pm

  HAD TO CHANGE MOTOR MOUNTS TWICE IN CAR. A/C BROKE IN FIRST MONTH. OVERPRICED. BEEN IN THE SHOP OVER TWENTY TIMES AND GMC DOES NOT STAND BEHIND THEIR PRODUCT.

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  Do Not Buy a Buick - 2011 Buick Enclave
  By Leaks - December 16 - 12:56 pm

  2011 Buick Enclave with 113,000 miles: A/C has never worked properly, the car body leaks water into the interior when it rains, the suspension is noisy, the car has been in the shop multiple times with less than crappy support from the local dealer but I see where that customer care support comes from when I called the Buick hot line and was a given a number to document our call with no resolution to the problem.

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  Beautiful / Horrible - 2009 Buick Enclave
  By Herb Walstreet - December 1 - 9:58 am

  This car is cursed. We had a Yukon XL for 10 years and never had any issues. We have 80k miles or so on this vehicle and have spent around $10k in various maintenance and repairs. Weve had to replace the transmission 11 months ago and its currently in the shop because of a stutter it has in cruise on the highway (ignition coils?). We know our power steering is going out but its not bad enough that Buick will replace it under the extended warranty. Our heated seats only stay on for about 5 mins then go off. The instrumentation buttons (AC temp control) have worn incredibly fast (replaced them once already), have had a "stuck strut", replaced rotors, replaced the battery and some decorative adhesive molding on the window frames is bubbling up and shredding (looks horrible when you look at the drivers side of the car). All of this and our gas mileage is terrible also (13 in the city and 18 highway). I want to like this car - its really good looking but weve got to get rid of it and well avoid Buick. My recommendation, steer clear!

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  Third Impressions - 2015 Buick Enclave
  By Paul Horvick - November 24 - 9:40 am

  This is my third posting. We recently completed a 4987.5 mile trip with the Enclave, from Arizona, to South Carolina, to Florida and back to Arizona. I now have more extended time in the car, and can fine tune my thoughts. The good news is that, on the road travelling, the car is superbly easy to drive, very nice ride, and a feeling of safety and substance. Gas mileage on the highway was also very good, with an overall 26.5MPG for the trip. All worked well, comfort was very nice. The sound system is excellent. The BOSE system and radio was superb. When you also have a very quiet interior even at highway speeds, this was an easy car to be in and drive. The lane deviation system is a very nice feature, particularly useful on the highway. The blind spot warning is also a great feature, particularly when side and rear vision is less than ideal. The forward collision warning system was not in play, but seems like it would be a good feature. The ride, on the highway, is controlled, serene and quiet. (Unlike city driving, where the ride was harsh...feeling every road imperfection.) The navigation system is not particularly intuitive (although when set correctly it was helpful). One very annoying thing is that when our iPhone 6+ was connected via USB, the radio automatically defaults to the music on the iPhone and you must manually go thru the menu to get back to what was on the radio. Front seats are comfy, supportive and good for a long ride. The automatic return to a seat setting was very nice, as were the heated seats and heated steering wheel. Cruise control worked fine, but more than once I inadvertently turned on the heat to the steering wheel rather than engage cruise control. As noted in an earlier post, the middle row of seats is a joke. Compared to our Sienna van, the seats were uncomfortable even for people that are well under 6 tall. I really want to like the car. It is good looking, cruises well, and gets good MPG on the highway, But....the ride is harsh in town, about 15MPG in town, and the lines of sight in the rear and sides are awkward, more so in town driving. The rear seat comfort also is very poor for a car in this price category. We bought at the end of the 2015 model cycle it had an MSRP of $47K, and we paid just over $37K. Buick also has a fairly decent reliability rating, and the 48mo warranty is a plus. Lots of good things about the car....a few that are poor. But, if the rear seat is not a concern, and perhaps without the towing package the city ride would improve, it is a safe and good looking car.

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  Whyyyyyyyyy? - 2009 Buick Enclave
  By judi - November 14 - 12:00 pm

  Why does everything go wrong with this horrible car? It is never without a problem and is costing me every month for a repair. Has anyone had buick respond?

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  Not my luck - 2008 Buick Enclave
  By Dorathy - November 9 - 9:51 pm

  I bought the Enclave in Apr 2008, I have only 44,500 miles always to it to the dealership for any maintenace to include oil changes. I have to tell you the car is a money pit. I have had 2 recalls on bought the extended warranty. In the last 12 months I have spent $2500. Last December I had it checked out and they flushed and replaced the brake fluid. Front end alignment. So now I took it in for a check for a road trip. Well I found out the master cylinder and booster on the brakes needed to be replaced. The rack and pinion steering had to be replaced, also the the timing chain cover was leaking oil into the engine and needs the gasket to be replaced, front struts need replacing and the navigation system isnt working and to fix I would have to replace the entire radio system. I needed a front end alignment after they replaced the rack and pinion, another $90. The buttons to turn the fan up or down turned green after the black peeled off. The car has never been in an accident and kept it serviced and at 44,500 it falls apart. I will never by a Buick again. The repairs costs as much as the resale value.

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  Quiet and smooth - 2015 Buick Enclave
  By Does it matter? - November 1 - 9:12 am

  Bought a fully loaded model in September of 2015. Im fairly tall and leg room was a big concern for me, so my options were somewhat limited. We wanted a mid-sized SUV but ended up with a large SUV because we liked the comfortable seating so much. The ride is great! It is exceptionally quiet and smooth. You can spread out and make yourself comfortable. The engine is a bit undersized but I dont push it so it works fine. There arent enough cup holders up front for such a big car, my old Toyota Seqouia (sp?) had about 100. And the space for storing stuff isnt all that good. I added an aftermarket cell phone holder which really helped. We charge our phones from the back USB ports to save on clutter. The interior looks luxurious. The AC seats rock, but I wish they were stronger. My biggest complaint is the driver side seat has something that pokes me in the thigh and is uncomfortable - I plan on addressing this at my first (complimentary) servicing. The sun roof is small but doesnt blow you away when open so I ride with it open almost everyday. Mileage is terrible. I drive in So Cal traffic everyday and knew this before buying it from other reviews. The infotainment system is pretty good, but the favorites could be a little easier to work with. The navigation system is a joke. Voice control is non-existent even after taking it to the dealer to get it fixed. Not the biggest issue because I trust my cell phone navigation more anyway. Swapping from my phone to my wifes phone via Bluetooth is easy. I plan on not renewing the satellite radio because I can get everything I need from my cell phone at a fraction of the cost. The Bose stereo system is fantastic - makes me wish I listened to louder music. Needs to have a push button start it has everything else, Im cant believe they left this out. The remote start is a nice feature. Safety features like blind spot detection and front collision warning are extremely helpful. The rear backup camera is very helpful, but I have seen clearer cameras on other vehicles. Tons of space on the inside! More storage than we commonly use. Suggestion: if/when you buy this car make sure you speak with a knowledgeable salesperson who can show you the features. I would buy this car again.