2008 Buick
Enclave CXL
By Steve Schutz, MD
It’s hip, functional, and stylish, but can the
Enclave save Buick? While only time can answer
that question, it’s worth noting that the Enclave
is a very good vehicle.
Is Buick in trouble? Yes. U.S. sales of the brand
have been declining for years — in 2007 Buick sold
just over 185,000 vehicles in the United States,
compared with more than 400,000 in 2000 — and
for the first time ever, more Buicks were sold in
China than here last year. So Buick needs help.
Fortunately, between Tiger Woods and the Enclave,
Buick is moving in the right direction. I’ll leave any
discussion of the value of Tiger’s contribution to
marketing experts and stick to the Enclave, which is
easy to write about.
The Enclave is a seven passenger crossover SUV
that shares a platform with the GMC Acadia and
Saturn Outlook. While those vehicles are difficult to
tell apart, the Enclave looks different, with a sculpted
exterior design that can only be described as attractive.
Highlights include a big grille, rounded headand
tail-lights, lots of chrome, and generous spoked
wheels that complement the Enclave’s shape. I also
like the contoured but smallish side windows that
hide occupants and contents from prying eyes. This
is an SUV that definitely doesn’t look like a truck.
It doesn’t drive like a truck either. Thanks to a
platform that borrows much from — gulp! — GM’s
old minivan family, the Enclave has a great ride.
Smoothness is the order of the day on any surface,
even bumpy ones such as one notorious riverside
road near my subdivision. But don’t look for a
sporty driving experience. While the Enclave never
ruffles your feathers, neither does it ever feel frisky
on the road the way the Audi Q7 or BMW X5 do.
It is quiet, though. Buick’s benchmark for the Enclave was the Lexus RX350, and when it comes to
interior noise and ride quality, they hit their target.
According to published reports, Enclave passengers
are subjected to less road noise than occupants of the
Lexus at highway speeds. And my seat-of-the-pants
sense from behind the wheel was the same. A new
RX is due this fall, so we’ll see how Lexus responds.
The Lexus has the edge in interior quality, though.
Yes, the Enclave benefits from GM’s renewed focus on
interiors — the materials and controls are leagues
ahead of the late and unlamented Rendezvous crossover
it replaces — but the plastics on the dash and
steering wheel are less rich looking and feeling than
they are in the RX.
The seats have no such disadvantage. The front seats
are exceptionally supportive and soft, and the ones in
the rear are almost as good, even in the very back
where adults, and not just kids, can feel comfortable.
The “killer app” is the very cool tilt-forward second
row seats that magically move out of the way to allow
third row occupants to reach their seats easily. This is
a big deal. No other SUV — not even the gigantic
Suburban — provides such easy access to the third
seats, and that goes
for the expensive
Germans, too. (The
Lexus RX doesn’t offer
a third seat.)
A 60/40-split third
row seat that folds flat
is standard in every
Enclave, as are captain’s
chairs in the
second row. Thankfully,
a bench second
seat that fits three passengers
can be selected
at no charge, if you
so desire.
For now, all
Enclaves come with
an all-aluminum 3.6-
liter V6 good for 275
HP. While this engine
paired with a standard six-speed automatic transmission
provides plenty of get-up-and-go, it’s clearly
set up for maximal fuel economy. Upshifts happen
early and often, reminding drivers that the
Enclave prefers jogging to sprinting. A rumored V8
option expected later this year will add power; I
expect it will be popular with boaters and RVers.
The 2008 Buick Enclave comes in CX and CXL trim
levels. The CX comes with HID headlights, power liftgate,
heated outside mirrors, telescoping leather/wood steering wheel, power driver’s seat, triple-zone
automatic climate control, six-speaker stereo with an
iPod jack, XM satellite radio, and OnStar.
The Enclave CXL, like the one I tested, adds 19-inch alloy wheels, leather upholstery, heated front
seats, and additional power seat adjustments,
including memory settings for the driver.
Many options in the Enclave, particularly electronics
and entertainment doo-dads, are grouped together
in packages. These include features like navigation,
back-up camera, 10-speaker Bose audio system with
an in-dash CD changer, and a rear DVD entertainment
system that plays in Dolby surround sound. A
Driver Confidence Package adds remote start, rear
parking sensors, and heated windshield washer fluid.
A Luxury Package, which can only be ordered for
CXL models, adds adaptive headlights that turn
when you do, power-folding outside mirrors, a
power tilt/telescoping steering wheel, and a 110-volt
outlet. Stand-alone options on both trim levels
include the huge SkyScape Sunroof, second-row
storage console, and towing package.
In summary, the Buick Enclave is an excellent family
vehicle with enough luxury and style to make any
upscale soccer mom proud. No, it can’t save Buick on
its own, but if future Buicks are this good, the company
will definitely have bright days ahead.
