Thanks to well-managed wheel and body motions and the big 120.9-inch wheelbase, ride quality is excellent on all but the roughest pavement. But the AWD models felt more planted on the road while still rotating neatly around moderately quick corners, particularly so with the upscale rear axle. (Both systems can be disengaged to run as front-drivers via a button on the dash.) Back-to-back drives with all three setups in Georgia hill country revealed the lighter front-drive version to be slightly quicker to respond to initial steering inputs. Front-wheel drive is standard, with all-wheel drive available in two forms: a $2000 conventional on-demand system for mid-level Essence models, and a $2300 setup on Premium and Avenir trims, which includes a rear axle that can apportion torque to either wheel to minimize understeer with the use of individually clutched half-shafts. Riding on a strut-type front suspension and a multilink setup out back, Buick’s new bus doesn’t drive nearly as bulky as its size suggests. While our interior sound measurements reveal the Enclave to be not quite as hushed as luxury three-row crossovers such as the Audi Q7, the Buick’s active-noise-cancellation system, plentiful sound-absorbing materials, and an acoustic insulating windshield and front side windows contribute to its appreciably quiet driving environment. The nine-speed works through its many ratios with precision and smoothness, with the V-6 emitting a muted growl. On the move, the Buick feels alert and powerful, if never exciting. The new engine’s 2800-rpm torque peak, however, comes 600 rpm lower than before, which, along with the standard nine-speed automatic transmission, improves overall drivability. It develops an ample 310 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque-up 22 horses yet down 4 lb-ft versus the previous 3.6-liter. The Enclave shares its 3.6-liter V-6 engine with the Traverse (there is no four-cylinder option). There’s also a three-cubic-foot storage bin beneath the load floor and a standard power liftgate with a remote-opening sensor under the rear bumper-the latter includes a light that projects a small Buick shield logo on the ground so you know where to flail your foot when your arms are full of groceries. The Buick’s size and clever packaging afford it a substantial 24 cubic feet of cargo space with all of the seats up, and the standard power-folding third row and collapsible captain’s chairs allow quick access to its full 98-cube capacity. There’s ample room in the rear bench for two full-size adults on short trips, but we started to cramp up after about an hour squeezing in three occupants is a big ask, so it’s best to think of the Enclave as a six-seater. As with the Traverse, only the passenger-side seat in the second row folds forward to allow access to the wayback. The front two rows are all-day comfy if minimally supportive around corners the sliding and reclining second-row seats offer limo-like amounts of legroom. The overall effect is warm and comforting, and even the lesser models exude a pleasing sophistication.Īvailable only with seven seats, the Enclave has second-row captain’s chairs and a third-row bench with belts for three. Also included are embroidered headrests, some woodgrain trim on the leather-wrapped steering wheel, and Avenir-logo sill plates and floor mats. Avenir models-like the example tested here-upgrade the latter to a more detailed 8.0-inch unit while sprucing up the rest of the cabin with attractive brown and black leather upholstery trimmed with contrast piping and stitching. HIGHS: Shapely design, tons of usable space, refined road manners, lots of available features.Īlong with three-zone automatic climate control and six USB ports, all Enclaves feature an 8.0-inch central touchscreen interface with Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and 4G LTE Wi-Fi connectivity, as well as a 4.2-inch color display in the instrument cluster.
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