2023 Buick Enclave Avenir

Test Drive Notes Library

Pros
Good use of space. The Enclave is Buick’s version of the Chevy Traverse, a competent 3-row SUV that impresses us with its roomy interior. If you’ve driven large SUVs that take up half a driveway on the outside, yet feel oddly claustrophobic on the inside, test drive an Enclave. Sure, it still takes up half a driveway, but there’s a spacious feel in the cabin. The boxy-ish design pays dividends inside, where even the third row passengers can tolerate their temporary station in life. The practical design extends to the doors, which open wide for easy access. Even getting to the third row is easier than in many of the Enclave’s competitors.
Handling. Sure, it’s a three-row box. But Buick has done a good job of making the handling competent. There’s precious little slosh, and relatively little body lean. Big rigs can be fatiguing to drive, because you always feel like you’re fighting gravity. Not so with the Enclave, which is very well behaved when taken into corners.
Firm comfort. That’s a phrase we often use to excuse the ride in German luxury cars, not Buicks. While the ride is well-controlled, and the Enclave well-behaved, the ride is definitely on the firm side. This is not your grandfather’s Buick. Even the seats are firm — while being wide and supportive. The Avenir version — Buick’s top trim level — has an optional ride and handling technology package that came with our test car. Without an A/B test, it’s hard to know what the tech package adds. It’s possible it improves handling more than ride.
Quiet cabin. The Avenir trim also comes with bolstered sound insulation, and… it works. To quote the famous car reviewer Elmer J. Fudd, it’s vewy vewy quiet.
Smooth engine-transmission combo. The Enclave is powered by GM’s longstanding 3.6 liter V6, making 310 hp, which is plenty. The corporate 9-speed transmission works almost imperceptibly, which is exactly what you want. Mileage, however, is mediocre. We got barely 18 mpg in mixed driving. The EPA rates the Enclave at 20 overall.

Cons
Not at all plush. Maybe we’re just old, but we associate Buick with a high level of comfort. Near luxury. And while the Enclave is not uncomfortable, it hardly feels luxurious. With a $62,000 price tag, I guess we expected softer leather seats, more soft touch surfaces, and less obvious plastic near the driver. We felt certain the Avenir trim would hit us with some poshness. Unfortunately, the Enclave doesn’t feel differentiated enough from the Chevy Traverse underneath. It’s a competent, useful vehicle. But you’re not going to feel at all pampered.
The infotainment screen feels small compared to competitors. It’s 8-inches diagonally. It’s also a little bit far away and hard to reach when you’re driving. Fortunately, Buick provides plenty of hard switches and knobs for commonly used controls. But when you do have to go into the screen menus, it’s not ideal while driving.