Buick Enclave History
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The Buick Enclave is a full-size crossover that arrived on the market as a 2008 model after first being previewed in concept form at the 2006 Detroit Auto Show. The vehicle is based on GM’s Lambda platform, which is used in vehicles like the GMC Acadia, Chevrolet Traverse, and former Saturn Outlook, and is capable of carrying up to eight people. The Outlook went away with the rest of the Saturn brand; of the remaining vehicles to share its running gear, the Enclave might be our favorite, just slightly ahead of the GMC Acadia and a few well-detailed steps ahead of the plainer Chevy Traverse.
The Enclave is priced from the mid-$30,000s, which is considerably cheaper than comparable vehicles like the BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz ML but pricier than its Lambda-based siblings and the Lexus RX 350. In standard form the Enclave comes with seven seats divided over three rows, with two captain's chairs located in the second row. The third row, also, is a real third row and not there only for advertising purposes. There's almost 19 cubic feet of additional storage space behind this third row, plus, maximum towing capacity is 4,500 pounds.
The Enclave also comes standard with front-wheel drive but is available with an optional all-wheel-drive system.
In looks, inside and out, the Buick Enclave has been enthusiastically received. The vehicle is generally praised for its curvaceous fenders and glamorous detailing. Inside, it's subdued, luxurious, and high-quality throughout.
In its first year of production the Enclave was fitted with a 275-horsepower 3.6-liter V-6 engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. With this combination, the vehicle offered decent acceleration and a reasonable fuel economy of 16 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway. For 2009, the engine in the Buick Enclave was upgraded with direct injection technology and offered up to 288 horsepower.
The Enclave still gets the same 288-horsepower 3.6-liter direct injected V-6, but its former trim levels have been deleted--now, customers simply choose option packages that add on features like a rearview camera, parking sensors, and a rear-seat DVD entertainment system. Fuel economy still comes in at 16 mpg in the city and 22 mpg on the highway, according to EPA estimates, although real world figures are likely to be worse, based on our experience.
The Enclave's crash scores have remained excellent even as testing criteria have changed. The IIHS calls it a Top Safety Pick; the NHTSA gives it five stars overall, with a four-star rating for front and a five-star rating for side impacts.
