2008 Buick Enclave Review

As kids, Cracker Jack was a favorite treat. It was delicious and you got a prize, which was sometimes a really cool toy. As adults, we always look for a vehicle that is in its own way delicious and comes with a prize. Such is the case with the new Buick Enclave. Attractive on the outside and the prize isn’t on the inside, it is the inside. GM has struggled for several years, on different fronts. The Enclave demonstrates the General’s improvement on the product front. Not just a “good as GM cars go” vehicle, the new crossover is crackerjack.

By Bob Beamesderfer Photo credit: Oliver Bentley

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Buick provided us with a pre-production Enclave CXL with front-wheel drive. Among the big crossover’s standard features are variable-assist power steering, stability and traction control, side impact and head curtain airbags, tire-pressure monitoring, power liftgate, tri-zone climate control, fog lamps, and auto-dimming mirror. They added a few options, including 20-inch chrome wheels; an Entertainment Package with six disc CD/MP3 changer, rear seat audio, Bose speakers; a Driver Confidence Package with remote start, ultrasonic rear parking assist and heated windshield washer fluid. Starting price for the CXL is $34,990, including $735 destination charge; with options our test vehicle came to $37,780.

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While a little more power would be nice, the 3.6 liter V-6 delivers its 275 horsepower and 251 lb.-ft. of torque early and smoothly. The six-speed transmission works well in Drive and the only hunting trips took place in very demanding situation: a couple of uphill, slow hairpin turns. Manual shift mode isn’t set up the same as other “sport” shift automatics. The console lever is placed in L, a thumb-actuated rocker switch changes gears. All shifting is up to the driver; this transmission neither upshifts nor downshifts by itself in manual mode.

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Nobody expects a crossover to be a canyon-carver, but the Enclave handles well for a large, front-wheel drive vehicle. Steering response is good and precise, although the feel is a bit numb. There is less understeer than we’d expect from vehicle of this size. While the ride is floaty at times, for the most part you feel connected to the road but not battered by it. The brakes do a good job of bringing the crossover to a stop; the antilock system works well and there’s no drama.

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The Enclave has very good visibility all the way around, although the rear window is a bit small. Back-up assist is helpful and has three color coded lights located in the headliner that indicate how close the vehicle is to an object. Side mirrors are good-sized. One drawback is that it’s difficult to gauge where the front of the vehicle is to other vehicles or objects when you’re parking.

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The Enclave is a comfortable vehicle to drive, performs well and gets decent mileage for its size. Although cumbersome in small parking lots, that’s a minor tradeoff. With a spacious interior and quiet ride, the Enclave is a good people mover. Fuel economy ranged from 13.7 to 15.9 mpg in mixed city, freeway and mountain road driving.

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Buick is a brand that is known for comfort, and the Enclave is no exception. An eight-way adjustable seat covered with perforated leather and a tilt-and-telescope steering wheel ensure the driver can get everything where he or she wants. While the passenger seat isn’t as adjustable, it’s still got the dual lumbar support. Plenty of head and leg room make the Buick an accommodating ride for taller drivers and passengers. The center armrest is nicely padded and slides back and forth, locking in five different positions. The nicely sized steering wheel is covered in leather with wood accents.

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With the third-row seats stowed, there’s a lot of head and leg room. The captain’s chairs are almost as nice as the front seats, comfortable and supportive. Even with the third-row seats raised, there’s still room for adult passengers in the second row. You might not make seven adult passengers completely comfortable in the Enclave, but leg room is still generous. For those needing to seat an eighth passenger, there’s an optional bench seat for the second row.

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Third row seats are less plush than the second row, but still comfortable. The bench seats three, but there are only headrests in the outboard positions. The passenger sitting in the middle does get morel leg room. The seats are easy to raise and lower from the back of the vehicle. The only thing that requires opening one of the back doors is releasing the center passenger shoulder belt. That makes this setup one of the easier to deal with. Accessing the back seats was easy, thanks to the folding and sliding second-row seats.

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If you like a quiet interior and ride – and who doesn’t? – then the Enclave won’t disappoint. With very little wind noise and subdued road noise, the inside is placid even at freeway speeds. There’s a bit of engine and transmission noise while cruising, but nothing objectionable; under acceleration, the V-6 has a nice growl and isn’t the least bit thrashy. Overall, one of the quietest vehicles we’ve tested in some time.

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With a power hatch and a low sill, loading the Enclave is a breeze. The hatch opens remotely from the front seat or using the key fob. Cargo space is 66.0 cubic feet with third row stowed and drops to 18.9 cubic feet with the third row in use. Fold all the seats down and you get 155.1 cubic feet. There are four tie-down hooks in the two on each side, arranged vertically instead of the usual in-floor setup. There were also hooks for a cargo net, although our test vehicle didn’t have one. There is also one 12-volt outlet.