Text by Tom Appel
2023 Buick Enclave Avenir AWD
Specs
Class: Premium Midsize Crossover
Color: Moonstone Gray Metallic
Miles driven: 359
| CG Report Card | |
|---|---|
| Room and Comfort | A |
| Power and Performance | B |
| Fit and Finish | A- |
| Fuel Economy | B |
| Value | A- |
| Report-card grades are derived from a consensus of test-driver evaluations. All grades are versus other vehicles in the same class. Value grade is for specific trim level evaluated, and may not reflect Consumer Guide's impressions of the entire model lineup. | |
| Big & Tall Comfort | |
| Big Guy | A |
| Tall Guy | A |
| Big & Tall comfort ratings are for front seats only. "Big" rating based on male tester weighing approximately 350 pounds, "Tall" rating based on 6'6"-tall male tester. | |
| Drivetrain | |
| Engine Specs | 310-horsepower 3.6-liter |
| Engine Type | V6 |
| Transmission | 9-speed automatic |
| Drive Wheels | AWD |
Observed fuel economy: 18.2 mpg
Driving mix: 60% city, 40% highway
EPA-estimated fuel economy: 17/25/20 (mpg city/highway/combined)
Fuel type: Regular gas
Snow Performance: N/A
Base price: $59,100 (not including $1395 destination charge)
Options on test vehicle: Avenir Technology Package ($1595)
Price as tested: $62,090
Pros and Cons
The great: Ultra-quiet cabin, class-leading ride quality
The good: Ample space for six passengers, upscale interior trappings
The not so good: Characterless handling
Overview
Luxury has gotten too aggressive. I’m talking cars here, and it seems that every maker of premium vehicles has gotten busy tarting their products up with go-fast parts, or, more commonly, parts that look fast.
By one estimate, more than half of all Mercedes-Benz vehicles sold in the U.S. feature some degree of AMG (the maker’s performance sub brand) tuning or décor. Similarly, BMW sells more M (think AMG) vehicles than it does non-M cars and crossovers.
Even Lexus, purveyor of refined and high-value luxury vehicles, has gotten into to the aggressively sporty model game, offering F Sport variants of most of its lineup. You can read our review of the 2023 RX 350 F Sport here.
It is for this reason that I find the redesigned Buick Enclave so refreshing. Introduced for the 2008 model year, Enclave is the largest crossover in the Buick lineup, and the only one of the brand’s models to feature three rows of seating. Enclave was freshened for the 2022 year, and was treated to a host of updates, including revised front and rear styling (including new headlamp treatments), an updated center console featuring a push-button gear selector, upgraded cabin appointments, as well as available adaptive cruise control, head-up display, and rear pedestrian detection.
Prices and Trim Levels
For 2023, The Enclave is offered in three trim levels: base Essence (starting around $47,000), midlevel Premium ($54,000), and topline Avenir ($60,000). All Enclaves come standard with front-wheel drive; AWD adds $2900 to the bottom line.
Enclave is offered only with a 310 horsepower 3.6-liter V6 mated to a 9-speed automatic. If this combination sounds familiar that’s because General Motors uses it in a number of corporate products, including the Cadillac XT5, GMC Acadia, and the Chevrolet Traverse.
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Room and Comfort
Even for the 3-row midsize crossover class, the Enclave is large. Shoppers in this segment generally put a high priority on room and comfort, so it’s worth noting that the Enclave is among the largest 3-row crossovers available. While the Hyundai Palisade, Kia Telluride, Nissan Pathfinder, and Subaru Ascent all ride on 114-inch wheelbases—and the Ford Explorer on a 116-inch stretch—the Enclave, and its Chevrolet cousin the Traverse—feature wheelbases of 121 inches. The additional space gives the Buick class-leading 2nd– and 3rd-row passenger space.
Consumer Guide recently spent a week behind the wheel of an AWD 2023 Enclave Avenir featuring the Avenir Technology Package. Our Moonstone Gray Metallic test car came to $62,090 including destination charge.
The $1595 Technology Package includes the Premium Ride Suspension, Continuously Variable Real Time Damping, and unique Avenir headlamps. But it’s the chassis upgrades that matter most. More on that in a moment…
Design
While we generally avoid subjective evaluations of a vehicle’s design, we are impressed by how well the Enclave hides its size. It appears neither bulky nor long, and the creased horizontal body elements give the Enclave a tidy and lean appearance that presents well and looks modern.
Inside, the Enclave Avenir looks cool and sophisticated. Upscale features include stitched leather dash trim, grained-wood inserts, and plenty of soft-touch surfaces. The muted color pallet in our test Enclave might be described as austere by some, but we found in classy and understated.
Connectivity
The General Motors-familiar digital touchscreen interface responds quickly to inputs and includes large, easy-to-interpret icons. Perhaps the only infotainment disappointment is the 10-speaker Bose audio system, which though fine, does not play at the same level as premium systems found in other luxury crossovers.
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As for space, Enclave offers up genuine 6-passenger comfort, featuring standard 2nd-row captains chairs and best-in-class 3rd-row comfort. Note: The 3rd-row bench provides for 3-abreast seating, but for long hauls we recommend limiting the passenger count to just 2 folks.
Ride and Handling
On the road, Enclave impresses most with its quiet cabin and extremely comfortable ride. For this reason, we recommend the Technology Package with its adaptive suspension. Indeed, the Enclave serves up the sort of serene driving experience one might expect from a Rolls Royce sedan. That refinement comes at a cost; the Enclave is not in any way sporty, and the big crossover’s handing characteristics might best be described as adequate. That said, there’s nothing wrong with how Enclave handles, just know that this big Buick is more about highway cruising than on-ramp charging.
Power and Performance
The powertrain underscores the Enclave’s mission of refinement, serving up plenty of quiet, satisfying power, with little noise and mostly unfelt shifts from the silky automatic transmission. While the Enclave is no ball of fire, but we find the Buick’s big V6 vastly preferrable in operation to the often coarse turbocharged 4-cylinder engines found under the hood of many midsize crossovers these days. That said, our observed 18.2-mpg performance over a week of testing was a little disappointing. That said, unlike most luxury crossovers, the Enclave doesn’t require expensive premium gas.
Review
Like every vehicle in the Buick lineup, the Enclave spans the divide between mainstream products and luxury offerings. In Avenir trim, our $60,000-plus test vehicle certainly plays in premium-car territory, and acquits itself there very well.
If you’re not called to dress up your family hauler with spoilers, rocker-panel extensions, colored brake calipers, and mildly tuned suspensions, you might do well to add the Enclave to your test-drive short list. In Avenir trim, Enclave is a classy, refined, spacious family hauler that looks good, and serves up plenty of cargo volume. It’s just not sporty, and that’s okay with us.
Quick note: The 2024 Enclave is arriving in showrooms soon; it is unchanged from the ’23.
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2023 Buick Enclave Avenir Pictures
(Click below for enlarged images)
Incredibly quiet.