The Buick Enclave was built to compete with other midsize SUVs but instead falls short of the competition. See why you need to pass on the Buick Enclave for another, more affordable option. 

The Buick Enclave Can’t Compete 

To get started in the Buick Enclave, prepare your wallet because the base model starts around $40k.

This is a lot higher than the competition. Even the Grand Jeep Cherokee starts for about $32k. 

Plus, for this steep price, you won’t save at the gas pump because the Buick Enclave only gets up to 18 mpg in the city and 26 mpg on the highway.

It needs to get at least 30 mpg in the city to compete against its lower-priced competitors. 

Buick Enclave Performance 

On a positive note, the Buick Enclave comes with power. Under the hood, you’ll find a 3.6-liter V6 engine that provides 310 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque. 

However, the base model can only tow up to 1,500 lb. You will have to spend even more to include the towing package if you would like to tow up to 5,000 lb. 

We expected the Buick Enclave to be a little faster with its V6 engine, but it takes 7.2 seconds to accelerate from 0 to 60 mph. A luxury SUV is supposed to be a little quicker. 

Also, if you spend more, you can get your Buick Enclave with all-wheel drive, making it better equipped to handle slippery conditions like snow or gravel. 

For off-roading, the Buick Enclave has Stabilitrak electronic stability control, and that’s about it.

The components in the ‘premium suspension’ include a MacPherson strut in the front, which is the same suspension in the $25k Mazda CR-X. 

A five-link suspension is in the rear with no mention of stabilizer bars. This SUV is not designed to go very far off the pavement. But the four-wheel disc brakes will help you stop if needed. 

Buick Enclave Features 

The Buick Enclave may not be able to get down trails to your campsite, but it can comfortably seat up to seven passengers for road trips. 

The luxurious interior has leather-trimmed features along with large, leather padded seats to enhance comfort during the ride. 

Behind the rear seats, there is only 23.6 cubic feet of cargo space, making it tricky to fit all of your luggage. 

However, once the rear seats are folded down, you can access up to 97.6 cubic feet of cargo space for your equipment. 

The triple door seals and active noise cancellation do provide the Buick Enclave with a quiet ride, but again, the $25k Mazda CX-5 has a quiet cabin as well. 

The second row of seats has to be slid forward, whereas options like the Honda Pilot have power touch seats, making it easier for passengers to get in and out of the third row on their own. 

Also, the Buick Enclave only has a few standard safety features like forward collision prevention, pedestrian warnings, rear cross-traffic alert, and blind-spot detection. 

We were hoping to see hill climb assistance and hill descent control along with other features for handling rougher driving conditions.