Luxury and space for large families in one? Yes it is possible with the Buick Enclave.
The Enclave is a large crossover vehicle with a sleek exterior and upgraded interior. It seats up to eight passengers which is fantastic for my lifestyle and family. Often we’ll go on road trips and need the extra space for hockey equipment or bringing other family along with us so we need the room and the Enclave has it.
I’m not an auto expert by any means but this ride was smooth and quiet and felt like I was driving a luxury car. I love the look and feel of it – curvy and sleek with chrome details. The kids and hubby also really enjoyed having it for the week and didn’t want to give it back.
The front seats are wide and roomy but so are the second-row seats, making them comfortable for my kids in their booster seats. The 2013 model seats have heating and ventilation – bonus! With the third-row seating as well, the Enclave is a true minivan alternative but with an upscale, luxury feel. The only thing missing is the sliding side doors.
The automatic trunk opening comes in handy when loading and offloading groceries. I love that there are two sunroofs, one in the front and one in the second row allowing for the sun to shine in, along with a drop down DVD player to keep the kidlets entertained on road trips.
The Enclave first came out in 2008 and has been on the market for five years. GM has added some changes to the exterior, making it more curvy in the front along with a new grille. The interior has new trim and materials with nice detail in the stitching. I love the leather seats especially and the dash – classic and conservative combined which you can see from the analog clock on top to the large LCD screen.
Buick’s IntelliLink1 system keeps you connected with its 7” high resolution, full-color touch screen radio. Its enhanced voice-recognition technology allows you to carry out a range of tasks with just the sound of your voice and once hooked up, IntelliLink becomes an extension of your smartphone.
The vehicle also features a rearview camera system so you can always be aware of what’s behind you which is important for me as I live on a street with a lot of children. It also comes with a USB port, HD Radio, satellite radio, and voice recognition – and these are standard. A ten-speaker Bose sound is a nice touch for music lovers like me (which I believe is an upgrade).
As for safety, there is a front center airbag, which helps protect front occupants in a side impact. Also, for the first time, a side blind zone alert system and a rear cross traffic alert system are offered in the 2013 Enclave, which has a five-star overall NHTSA rating plus its IIHS Top Safety Pick status.
The technical stuff? The Enclave models all have a 3.6-liter V-6 engine making 288 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque, with a choice of front or all-wheel drive. The new model has an updated six-speed automatic transmission. Buick offers the Enclave in front-drive or with available all-wheel drive, which I know I prefer in the winter.
Fuel economy is 24-mpg highway range for a big crossover. What does that mean to me? I travelled 400km with ¾ of a tank of gas which cost me about $60 to fill. It’s pretty much what I’m paying now for the minivan I currently drive.
But driving the Buick Enclave really feels like you’re driving a luxury vehicle, but it has all the space and comfort of a mini-van but with a cool, sleek look. Prices start $41,525 for the Enclave and for a luxury crossover, it’s worth every penny.
I was provided with a Buick Enclave to test drive for a week. All opinions are my own, always!