The 2011 – 2012 Buick Enclave is similar to the 2011-2012 Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia. All three vary in trim levels and features, but share many of the same general characteristics as found in this review. Crash test results apply to all of them. There are no major changes for 2012 on these popular models. I received the very nicely equipped 2WD, 7-passenger CXL-2 version for review (An 8-passenger trim is optional, as is AWD).
This review is mostly going to focus on some safety related and carseat related issues with a few other comments. Detailed technical specifications and comparisons can be found in mainstream auto reviews. As for crash safety, it gets top overall results from the IIHS and NHTSA and is one of the safest vehicles as listed by InformedForLife.Org. We generally concur with InformedForLife in many cases where a full set of crash test results is available, as is the case with the Enclave.
Aside from safety, the Enclave CXL rides very nice and was relatively quiet, too. There was a minor transmission whine noticeable at low speeds, but otherwise engine, road and wind noise were luxury class, especially on the highway. On the other hand, my wife and I both found that it drove like a large SUV. For example, I felt that roomier Honda Odyssey I just drove had better handling and road feel, though the ride was not as smooth or as quiet as the Enclave. In any case, the Enclave’s handling seemed secure and it is certainly a big step up from a full size truck-based SUV in this regard. The Enclave’s power was very good from the engine, both from a stop sign and also while passing. I found the transmission was not as smooth as some other vehicles I’ve driven recently and often seemed to hesitate to shift up or down as I would expect.
The CXL-2 trim was loaded with tons of features and options. Navigation, Bose audio, rear entertainment by Panasonic, power sunroof with rear skylight, 20″ Aluminum wheels, rear camera, parking assist, adaptive headlights, power rear hatch and very nicely appointed interior trim. It also features comfortable leather seats with driver and front passenger seats that are both heated and air conditioned. I’m not a big fan of leather seats because they can get very hot in the summer, but the cooled, perforated leather is simply awesome and is one of my favorite features.
The Enclave has some drawbacks if you have more than a couple small kids. It only provides LATCH in the two second row captain’s chairs. The center of the third row does have a top tether anchor only, but this spot lacks a head restraint. The outboard head restraints in the third row are relatively small and non-adjustable. It will be tough to fit some rear-facing infant and convertible seats in the third row, as there may not be quite enough room even with the second row seats moved all the way forward. Also, the width is enough to fit only a carefully selected set of narrow carseats/boosters if you need to do 3-across. The second row head restraints are adequate, but also non-adjustable and non-removable.
Otherwise, the second row seats are quite comfortable and roomy. They are wide enough for the biggest models like a Recaro ProSport (video, above) or a Frontier 85 SICT (below, left). There’s plenty of room for rear-facing seats, leaving legroom for the front seats, too. The seat cushions are somewhat angled. That’s a good thing for older kids using a Sunshine Kids Radian XTSL or Diono Radian RXT (below left-center), that installs a little more upright than in other vehicles when rear facing. There’s also a good location for a rear-facing tether accessory strap to be attached (below, right-center). The Graco Snugride 30 installed well (below, right) with the recline foot extended all the way, too, but rear-facing seats may require a noodle to get the necessary recline for a newborn or small infant.
Top 10 Pros:
- Great Crash Test Results from the NHTSA and IIHS.
- Shoulder belt adjusters in the 2nd and 3rd row
- Wide access to third row with 2nd row chair folded forward
- Above average interior space and cargo space compared to midsize SUVs
- 8th seat option available
- OnStar. Crash reporting is a valuable safety feature!
- Power tilt/telescope feature helps with comfortable driving position
- Perforated and heated/cooled leather seats!
- Styling. It is very distinctive and I like it.
- Substantially made and assembled in the USA
Top Ten Cons:
- LATCH only present in two second row captain’s chairs
- Head restraints and seatbelt stalks may be an issue for some child seats
- Rear center seats lack a head restraint, others are non-adjustable
- Visibility is mediocre, but aided by large rear view camera display
- Handling feels heavier and less road feel than some other midsize SUVs
- Transmission a little slow to find the right gear sometimes
- Third row may not fit 3 large adults or 3-across carseats
- Mediocre fuel economy. I got 17mpg around town with conservative driving.
- Apparently no Bluetooth streaming audio, odd for a loaded, luxury model
- Quirks? Spastic power window, tiny analog dash clock, gear shifter moves into low gear too easily
Overall, the Buick Enclave is a great choice for safety and is relatively roomy and luxurious compared to many midsize 7-passenger SUVs (I did not evaluate the 8-passenger option). The first and second rows are very comfortable and with a family of four, there is a good amount of cargo space available. Even with all three rows of seating in use, the space behind the last row is bigger than average for its class. The third row is better than average in terms of legroom, but can be problematic for child safety seats. Even so, the Enclave simply does not compare to a top minivan in terms of cargo space or seating flexibility and it doesn’t do quite as well on fuel economy, either. On the plus side, it comes a lot closer to a minivan than most other midsize crossover SUVs! If you’re looking for a better handling and safe alternative to a full-size monster truck-based SUV and don’t want a minivan, this is a great option for you!
The Enclave starts at $36,675 in CX trim. The CXL-2 starts at $42,095 and was $47,790 as equipped. Thank you to General Motors and G. Schmitz & Associates for the Enclave used for this review.
Just wanted to give a big thanks for creating this site. What a smart idea. With a 3-yr-old & a baby on the way, your review of the child seating pluses & minuses really helped. Also cool that you too are in Chicago. Good luck w/the success of your site and if you need any other reviewers, drop me a line 😉
I just wanted to add a few comments since we’ve owned a Saturn Outlook since 2007 – which is also the same vehicle as the Enclave.
– The belt stalks have never turned in to an issue for me. They look like they could be, but because there is a slight front to back movement, and they are short, they’ve never caused problems with any of the seats I’ve had in there.
– Lack of center headrests is a giant miss in my opinion and I hope you told them that in no uncertain terms if they listened to your opinion since it might tell them just how important it is. 😉
– Shift hesitation has been present right since the very first model. They have improved the transmission calibration since our model year (complete with a re-flash for older MY’s as they tweaked it each year,) but it is still noticeable and something that you learn to “drive” for.
– I don’t know if your model had it or not, but these have a towing package available and a 5000lb towing capacity. We’ve only towed a tent trailer, but the difference in terms of acceleration wasn’t noticeable at all.
– Mileage improves immensely once you get over 10,000 KM’s – I’m not sure what that is in miles, but we’ve gotten 9L/100km on highway driving which looks like it’s about 25 mpg if the calculator I found was correct. City driving we get about 21mpg now. (We have 43,000 km on ours now – very low mileage for an 07, but enough that mileage has stabilized.)
– It looks like the head restraints have been changed somewhat since the initial model years as ours point forward much more substantially than the model year you reviewed. That being said, all seats that I’ve installed ff’ing in there have fit.
– The 3rd row is narrow as you point out. I have had 3 harnessed seats in a 3 across in a 3rd row before, but it was very tight and very very difficult – not something I’d choose to do if I could avoid it.
– 3rd row room is further decreased if you have a seat installed in the 2nd row either with LATCH or a ff’ing seat as the manual requires the seats to be reclined for LATCH and reclined for ff’ing if the headrest interferes with the carseat. The recline does remove the interference, but it significantly reduces 3rd row passenger space if you plan to have the 2nd row all the way back.
– 2nd row depth is excellent and any rf’ing seat I’ve put in there still allowed my over 6′ husband to be able to comfortably drive.
– a lot will fit in the storage behind the 3rd row, and that little compartment that lifts up is very nice – we store an emergency kit and our winter snow scraper in there, along with a few other little things. It’s nice to be able to keep the back of a vehicle uncluttered and yet still have what you want in it.
~ We really do like our outlook, and overall, after having owned and driven one for over 4 yrs, I’d say a lot of your first impressions of the vehicle hold very true for the length of time you own the vehicle.