Picture Gallery: 2009 Buick Enclave | Day 1 | Day 2 | Day 3 | Day 4 | Discuss
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My tester this week is the base model Enclave CX, a Buick without leather. No sunroof and no heated seats either; and this is an SUV without AWD, it being a front-wheel drive model. A luxury SUV missing all the luxury… I’m not really sure what to think of that. I suppose this gets you into a Buick for less, but I fully expected a Buick to be gussied up inside — I guess that proves how much I know.
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Some of the standard features include: fog lights, power liftgate, 18-inch aluminum wheels, air conditioning with automatic tri-zone climate controls for second and third row passengers, power mirrors and windows, ABS, traction control and stability control. Added as an option to my tester is the $800 driver confidence package which adds a backup camera integrated into the rearview mirror as well as reverse sensors.
When I drove the Enclave’s sibling, the GMC Acadia, back in 2007 I averaged around 15L/100km against its rated fuel consumption of 12.7L/100km city and 8.4L/100km highway. I hope the Enclave can do better than that so as to not break the bank!
2009 Buick Enclave CX
MSRP as tested (including destination): $43,785
For more information on Buick and the Enclave visit GM Canada
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The interior is filled with wood accents, and although I’m not a huge fan of the beige interior with light wood (it seems too “old” for my tastes), obviously it works since I have seen a few of these Enclaves on the road over the past few days. And, oddly enough, all have been CX-trim models with the same exterior colour!
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If you need eight seats, the Enclave delivers with two benches behind the front row captains chairs, a layout that is a no charge option. You can also get a seven-seat version of the Enclave with second-row captains chairs, which makes climbing to the third row a little easier as well as providing the second row with more comfortable seating.
With the seats folded cargo capacity is enormous, offering 3,265 litres of volume with the second and third rows folded down. I like to use the Honda Fit as a comparison as it is a very spacious small car: the Enclave’s interior volume is more than double that of the Fit. Heck, the Fit might actually, you know, fit inside the Enclave.
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And parking lots are tricky in the Enclave; there is something I have not yet pinpointed fully that makes it difficult to park. The smaller mirrors I believe are part of the problem; the vehicle’s sheer size is another part and visibility of the corners of the vehicle seems lacking.
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When I drove the GMC Acadia back in 2007, I felt it to be somewhat sluggish, but the Enclave — with its small bump in power, lower weight and reduced drivetrain drag (front-wheel drive versus all-wheel drive) — seems plenty peppy and moves along with little effort.
Also surprising are the Enclave’s handling abilities. It certainly is no race car and wouldn’t stay flat through the pylons, but the suspension does a good job of keeping the tires on the ground and body roll in check. The large wheels and tires absorb bumps fairly well; the suspension is not to my liking, though, as it tends to float over bumps yet still manages to transmit harshness to the driver, creating an odd feeling that it is rough yet marshmallowy at the same time.
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Interestingly enough, this is identical fuel mileage that I achieved in the similarly-sized Ford Flex, and slightly better than the 14.5L/100km I achieved in the Honda Pilot and Kia Borrego.
*Rating out of 5:
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*Rating based on vehicle’s classification
2009 Buick Enclave CX
MSRP as tested (including destination): $43,785
For more information on Buick and the Enclave visit GM Canada
May 27, 2009, 12:06:22 pm I agree GM has too many lines and models sharing the same platform.. I guess their reasoning was that loyal Buick drivers (mostly in or near retirement) need to squeeze more value out of their retirement fund. =)
May 27, 2009, 12:14:31 pm Most luxury makes have an entry level model without leather, etc. Case in point BMW, M-B. It's just that most of the models car journalists review are the top versions or very close. I think this Enclave still comes with a nice list of sandard features. I think HID headlights are even standard which is pretty rare.
May 27, 2009, 04:39:41 pm You're right nsmyhte. Every Euro company I can think of, start without many of these luxury items as standard. Nearly every review I see is of a fully decked out version. The Buick is different from an Acadia and other models because it's tuned to ride a bit softer, and the interior is quieter because or more insulation. It also looks a lot different than the Acadia, inside and out.
May 28, 2009, 09:00:27 am What gets me is that somehow it is bad for Buick to sell a non leather equped version, it is apparently cheapening the brand. Yet every luxury car I can think of comes as a base version without most of the same features.
We have a nice double standard there.
May 28, 2009, 09:12:26 am Yes, other manufacturers have stripped-down versions of their vehicles. That's true.
But they don't have 5 or 6 brands selling virtually the same vehicle. In GM's case, a stripped-down Buick runs into the territory of Chevrolet, GMC, and until recently, Oldsmobile. Confusing, bloated and unsustainable.
May 28, 2009, 11:47:48 am
May 28, 2009, 12:07:20 pm
I'm not sure I agree... can you imagine a GMC salesman having to tell its customer that they'll need to head to another dealer if they want leather in their vehicle?
I mean, it's not like a customer looking at the Accord needs to go to Acura to get leather in a mid-sized sedan...
The problem here is that Buick, GMC, Chevrolet and Saturn all sell THE SAME VEHICLE. That's the problem.
I don't see a problem with Buick selling a non-leather Enclave... but I may have a problem with Buick selling the Enclave period.
May 28, 2009, 12:35:27 pm the Enclave period is it any B***** Good..................
May 28, 2009, 01:22:04 pm At least the Saturn model disapears next year, but yeah, they saturated themselves with this one. I'm actually looking at buying the Acadia next year, because it's kinda in between the buick and Chevy version. Nicer than the Chevy inside and out, but not as nice as the Buick. In reality though, GM should have just merged GMC with Chevy trucks, and they wouldn't have half the overlap.
May 28, 2009, 01:34:29 pm The Chevy was odd, after all the time with just the GMC they decided ... oh we need a Chevy now too!
May 29, 2009, 09:55:21 am We test drove a Traverse and found the exact same issue in parking the thing. It is a beast to park. That convinced us to go more compact. Other than that issue, it is a very well done package.
A Toyota Venza is on the way.
May 29, 2009, 12:56:52 pm Wing - I like your diplomacy and choice of words in this test......
May 29, 2009, 01:01:21 pm Good article, the advertisment is sold?
May 29, 2009, 03:57:46 pm Hey, you can't have your cake and eat it too. You complain about the size and how difficult it is too park, but then on the other hand not take into account having something this large that can carry 7 or 8 comfortably, and all their stuff too. If it were smaller like an Edge or Pilot, then there'd be complaints about cargo space.
May 29, 2009, 03:59:46 pm There are many large vehicles that are easy to park -- Ford Flex is one. This vehicle seems difficult to park that is all.
May 29, 2009, 08:35:38 pm Good article, Thanks. my name Philip.
May 30, 2009, 11:30:02 am The color of that SUV looks very classy and elegant. And the photo of the rear opening, cavernous...however, it kinda creeps me out that it feels like you can slide a "casket" in there. I am not dissing this Enclave, however, it is really huge in the photos. If I need a vehicle of this size, I believe, a minivan would be a better choice.
May 30, 2009, 03:53:56 pm
If I read the article right, the tester doesn't even have AWD which I always thought was one of the justifications for buying a vehicle like this one. The Enclave doesn't make sense to me.
June 01, 2009, 11:47:25 pm "Mozeby Says:
May 29, 2009, 03:57:46 pm Hey, you can't have your cake and eat it too. You complain about the size and how difficult it is too park, but then on the other hand not take into account having something this large that can carry 7 or 8 comfortably,"
Most DO NOT ever carry 7-8 people. More like 2-4
June 15, 2009, 10:02:27 pm
If I read the article right, the tester doesn't even have AWD which I always thought was one of the justifications for buying a vehicle like this one. The Enclave doesn't make sense to me.
I disagree.
FUEL ECONOMY: The Lambda crossovers and the Ford Flex actually get equivalent fuel economy to the Odyssey and Sienna, and better fuel economy than the Quest, Grand Caravan, and Hyundai/Kia minivans, if I recall correctly. You can check the numbers from www.fueleconomy.gov.
CHEAPER: The Enclave is going to be particularly "overpriced" because it's the fanciest of the four Lambda crossovers. Still, you're right that a base Traverse is going to cost several thousand more than a base Sienna...though maybe incentives and financing deals even the playing field?
STORAGE SPACE: Pretty equivalent. Slight advantage to the minivans, but it's not night-and-day. It's a smaller relative sacrifice than going from a sedan to a four-door coupe, and nobody suggests that VW CC owners are being socially irresponsible because they could have a bit more room with the same drivetrain in a Passat sedan.
EASIER TO PARK: Why? Big crossovers and minivans have about the same footprint and the same style of drivetrain. Seems to me they would be equally hard or easy to park.
AWD VERSUS FWD: If you're buying a vehicle for the interior space (just like you would on a minivan), why get AWD if you don't need it? The Sienna offers AWD for those who want it, but for most people, FWD is cheaper and more fuel-efficient, and they really just want the vehicle for the storage space. The same reasoning could work just as well for a Lambda crossover purchaser.
Basically, the difference between a large crossover and a large minivan isn't as big as many would think. After all, except for the sliding doors, they're basically the same vehicles under the skin--large FWD-based unibodies with transverse-mounted V6s. The biggest differences aren't objective performance differences (size, fuel economy, weight), but styling and door mechanisms.
June 16, 2009, 10:48:08 am Mitlov, I agree with everything except the storage space. I don't think they're THAT comparable. Minivans typically have a significantly lower floor than their SUVs giving them a lot more usable space.
Compare the cargo area of the Enclave to the Sienna, particularly the floor height of the comparted to the rear seats.
Enclave:
Sienna (note how the second row seat height is well off the floor.
Additionally, the Enclave has a cargo capacity of 3291 litres vs. 4220 for the Sienna. That's a big difference. Granted most people won't fill it but it could mean the difference between being able to fit that new TV in the back or having it delivered.
June 16, 2009, 11:09:47 am
Compare the cargo area of the Enclave to the Sienna, particularly the floor height of the comparted to the rear seats.
Additionally, the Enclave has a cargo capacity of 3291 litres vs. 4220 for the Sienna. That's a big difference. Granted most people won't fill it but it could mean the difference between being able to fit that new TV in the back or having it delivered.
Yeah, a minivan will give more height to the cargo area. Personally, I think height is the least important dimension. Back when I owned a wagon, I'd sometimes wish for more length or width to pack a certain load, but height was less important to me.
When you factor in height for a volume measurement of the cargo area, the Enclave is a step below an Odyssey or Sienna, but it's a step above many other three-row crossovers (20 cubic feet more than the new Highlander, for example).
That's why I think the CC-to-Passat analogy works. A bit of a loss of interior space in the name of style, but still roughly comparable in terms of interior utility.
June 16, 2009, 07:48:25 pm Granted most people won't fill it but it could mean the difference between being able to fit that new TV in the back or having it delivered
I would rather get the TV delivered, in case it is dropped on the way home
August 12, 2009, 06:45:50 pm These Enclaves are really hard to get used. I have been looking to get one for my wife for a while but they are hard to find and expesnive when they are available.
August 12, 2009, 06:53:41 pm
IS SHE WORTH $40k......MAYBE THROW IN YER FIRST BORN.............