The 2024 Buick Enclave is a 3-row midsize SUV with a roomy, comfy, quiet cabin and loads of premium features. Pricing starts at $43,900. Buick views itself as a premium brand, falling somewhere between mainstream and luxury, and the Enclave follows this path. It’s a step up from the Chevy Traverse, with which it shares some DNA; yet, it isn’t on a par with luxury models like the Cadillac XT6. Our readers in their comments agree: The Enclave’s strong suits are passenger comfort, impressive cargo capacity, and a usable third row. Reflected in its above-average price (for its class) are an abundance of upmarket standard features. Moreover, its V6 delivers strong, smooth acceleration. The Enclave is starting to show its age, but it remains a roomy, comfortable over-the-highway family cruiser.
2024 Buick Enclave Pricing
The 2024 Buick Enclave has a starting sticker price of $45,295, with the range-topping Enclave Avenir kicking off at $58,895. But Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Pricing currently suggests paying $3,348 to $3,782 less than MSRP, depending on trim and equipment. These prices are updated weekly.
MSRP | KBB Fair Purchase Price (nat'l average) | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
Essence | $45,295 | $41,947 | ||
Premium | $52,595 | $48,871 | ||
Avenir | $58,895 | $55,113 |
Power, Ride, And Handling
Buick employs a 310-horsepower V6 to motivate the Enclave. A 9-speed automatic transmission hustles engine output to the front wheels. All-wheel drive (AWD) is available throughout the Enclave lineup. This horsepower number tops even the best in the midsize SUV segment with only Enclave’s kissing cousin, the Chevy Traverse coming close at 305 horsepower. The Enclave has been clocked in the run from zero-to-60 mph in roughly 6.5 seconds, effectively similar to most 3-row midsize SUVs. A pleasant SUV for the driver and passengers, the Enclave is engineered for open-road cruising. The standard V6 engine smoothly and evenly delivers ample power. Acceleration is satisfying and the suspension is compliant. We find that the steering is precise and responsive. In other words, the Enclave is a delight to drive. Moreover, your passengers will feel like they’re in a higher-end luxury SUV. In part, the Enclave’s pleasant ride comes from its QuietTuning system. This includes active noise cancellation, a laminated acoustic glass windshield, and lots of sound-deadening throughout the body, rendering the cabin whisper-quiet. When it comes to delivering hushed cabins, Buick definitely walks the talk. Posting a government-estimated 21 mpg in combined driving (18 city, 26 highway), Enclave fuel efficiency falls on the lower side of typical for the segment. Opting for AWD scrubs 1 mpg from the FWD’s number. You can explore more fuel economy information on the EPA’s website.Fuel Economy
Welcoming Cabin
Where the Enclave’s cabin is concerned, it’s tough not to repeat ourselves but we believe this SUV’s interior is a terrific place for a family to spend a day road-tripping. Wonderfully comfortable, loads of space, and user-friendly tech conspire to deliver an ideal family excursion experience. Some of the interior materials aren’t in full support of the Enclave’s premium positioning, but owners rarely mention it. And the bigger story is the wealth of standard interior content, even in the Essence grade, like leather seating, heated front seats, tri-zone automatic climate control, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Despite Enclave’s price point, it’s a value. Almost to a person, our commenting readers mention the Enclave’s above-average passenger and cargo room. With overall cargo room about equal to the big new Toyota Grand Highlander, only the Chevy Traverse has more, and it’s less than a 1.0 cu ft advantage. All other midsize SUVs lag behind. In terms of cargo capacity behind the third row, the Enclave leads the pack. Comparing third-row legroom, the Enclave’s 33.5 inches once again shines. Only the Volkswagen Atlas has more, and it’s less than half an inch.
Upscale Cabin
We like the Enclave’s exterior lines. It has solid curb appeal. Furthermore, it’s elegant with an impressive front lighting signature. For comparison, its exterior measurements are similar to the Chevy Traverse and VW Atlas.
Our Favorite Features And Tech
Spacious interior Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay Hands-free power rear liftgate Tri-zone automatic climate control Leather seating Heated elements
The Enclave has a 3-row interior with plenty of space for passengers and cargo alike. Unlike many of its more expensive competitors, the third row is roomy and easy to access.
These standard smartphone connectivity features make it easy to bring your music, maps, and more to the screen in the Enclave without taking your phone out of your purse or pocket.
Activating the Enclave’s rear liftgate is as simple as using a kicking motion below the rear bumper to open or close it.
A set-it-and-forget-it system, it separates the vehicle into three zones: front right, front left, and rear. Once the temperature is set for each zone, the system automatically maintains that temperature.
Reinforcing the Enclave’s claim of being a premium SUV, leather seating is standard across the lineup.
Standard throughout the Enclave’s lineup are heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated outboard mirrors. The Premium grade adds heated second-row seats.
Engine & Transmission
Although we’d like to see Buick adopt a turbo 4-cylinder engine option for the Enclave, the V6 and 9-speed transmission combine for above-average performance and acceptable fuel economy. On the other hand, the turbo 4-cylinder that’s standard in the Ford Explorer generates 300 horsepower and delivers 3 mpg more in combined fuel economy. Furthermore, it’s only a couple of eye blinks slower than the Enclave. Stepping up to Explorer’s turbo V6 bumps the horsepower output to 400. We’re just saying. That one small gripe aside, we could be quite happy with the Enclave’s power delivery. Buick’s bumper-to-bumper limited warranty is for three years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first, and the powertrain is covered for five years or 60,000 miles. This level of coverage is typical among mainstream brands. Buick also makes your first scheduled maintenance visit complimentary. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the Enclave its highest overall score of 5 Stars. Meanwhile, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) awarded it its highest score of Good in five of its six crash tests. Buick offers a comprehensive bundle of advanced safety tech in every Enclave. Standard are automatic emergency forward braking with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assist, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring with lane-changing alert, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear-park assist. High-beam assist is standard, as well.3-Year/36,000-Mile Warranty
Safety Rating
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KBB Vehicle Review and Rating Methodology
Our Expert Ratings come from hours of both driving and number crunching to make sure that you choose the best car for you. We comprehensively experience and analyze every new SUV, car, truck, or minivan for sale in the U.S. and compare it to its competitors. When all that dust settles, we have our ratings. We require new ratings every time an all-new vehicle or a new generation of an existing vehicle comes out. Additionally, we reassess those ratings when a new-generation vehicle receives a mid-cycle refresh — basically, sprucing up a car in the middle of its product cycle (typically, around the 2-3 years mark) with a minor facelift, often with updates to features and technology. Rather than pulling random numbers out of the air or off some meaningless checklist, KBB’s editors rank a vehicle to where it belongs in its class. Before any car earns its KBB rating, it must prove itself to be better (or worse) than the other cars it’s competing against as it tries to get you to spend your money buying or leasing. Our editors drive and live with a given vehicle. We ask all the right questions about the interior, the exterior, the engine and powertrain, the ride and handling, the features, the comfort, and of course, about the price. Does it serve the purpose for which it was built? (Whether that purpose is commuting efficiently to and from work in the city, keeping your family safe, making you feel like you’ve made it to the top — or that you’re on your way — or making you feel like you’ve finally found just the right partner for your lifestyle.) We take each vehicle we test through the mundane — parking, lane-changing, backing up, cargo space and loading — as well as the essential — acceleration, braking, handling, interior quiet and comfort, build quality, materials quality, reliability.
