The 2024 Buick Enclave review: A roomy and comfortable family cruiser

Buick views itself as a premium brand, falling somewhere between mainstream and luxury, and the Enclave follows this path. It’s a step up from the Chevy Traverse, with which it shares some DNA; yet, it isn’t on a par with luxury models like the Cadillac XT6. Our readers in their comments agree: The Enclave’s strong suits are passenger comfort, impressive cargo capacity, and a usable third row. Reflected in its above-average price (for its class) are an abundance of upmarket standard features. Moreover, its V6 delivers strong, smooth acceleration. The Enclave is starting to show its age, but it remains a roomy, comfortable over-the-highway family cruiser.

2024 Buick Enclave pricing

The 2024 Buick Enclave starts at $43,900. This is for the entry-level Essence trim. Capping the 3-trim Enclave lineup is the $57,500 Avenir. Adding all-wheel drive to any of the trim levels increases the bottom line by $2,000. The Buick is priced higher than its mainstream-branded competition but much lower than luxury models. For example, the 2024 Subaru
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Ascent at $34,195 and the 2024 Mazda
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CX-90 at $39,595 are only a couple of segment peers on the list of more affordable 3-row midsize SUVs. The Enclave is Buick’s largest SUV.

Enclave Essence	$43,900
Enclave Premium	$51,200
Enclave Avenir	$57,500

These are manufacturer’s suggested retail prices and don’t include the $1,395 factory-to-dealer delivery fee (destination charge).

Read: The handsome new 2024 Mazda CX-90 plug-in hybrid SUV breaks new ground for the car maker

Before buying a Buick Enclave, check the Kelley Blue Book Fair Purchase Price to know what you should really pay.

What’s new?

With an all-new Enclave rumored to be coming in 2025 — its Chevy Traverse cousin has been completely redesigned for 2024 — Buick made no changes to the 2024 model.

Power, ride, and handling

Buick employs a 310-horsepower V6 to motivate the Enclave. A 9-speed automatic transmission hustles engine output to the front wheels. All-wheel drive is available throughout the Enclave lineup. This horsepower number tops even the best in the midsize SUV segment with only Enclave’s kissing cousin, the Chevy Traverse coming close at 305 horsepower. The Enclave has been clocked in the run from zero-to-60 mph in roughly 6.5 seconds, effectively similar to most 3-row midsize SUVs.

A pleasant SUV for the driver and passengers, the Enclave is engineered for open-road cruising. The standard V6 engine smoothly and evenly delivers ample power. Acceleration is satisfying and the suspension is compliant. We find that the steering is precise and responsive. In other words, the Enclave is a delight to drive. Moreover, your passengers will feel like they’re in a higher-end luxury SUV.

In part, the Enclave’s pleasant ride comes from its QuietTuning system. This includes active noise cancellation, a laminated acoustic glass windshield, and lots of sound-deadening throughout the body, rendering the cabin whisper-quiet. When it comes to delivering hushed cabins, Buick definitely walks the talk.

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Fuel economy

Posting a government-estimated 21 mpg in combined driving (18 city, 26 highway), Enclave fuel efficiency falls on the lower side of typical for the segment. Opting for AWD scrubs 1 mpg from the FWD’s number. You can explore more fuel economy information on the EPA’s website.

Welcoming cabin

Where the Enclave’s cabin is concerned, it’s tough not to repeat ourselves but we believe this SUV’s interior is a terrific place for a family to spend a day road-tripping. Wonderfully comfortable, loads of space, and user-friendly tech conspire to deliver an ideal family excursion experience.

Some of the interior materials aren’t in full support of the Enclave’s premium positioning, but owners rarely mention it. And the bigger story is the wealth of standard interior content, even in the Essence grade, like leather seating, heated front seats, tri-zone automatic climate control, and wireless Apple
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CarPlay and Android Auto. Despite Enclave’s price point, it’s a value.

Almost to a person, our commenting readers mention the Enclave’s above-average passenger and cargo room. With overall cargo room about equal to the big new Toyota
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Grand Highlander, only the Chevy Traverse has more, and it’s less than a 1.0 cu ft advantage. All other midsize SUVs lag behind. In terms of cargo capacity behind the third row, the Enclave leads the pack. Comparing third-row legroom, the Enclave’s 33.5 inches once again shines. Only the Volkswagen Atlas has more, and it’s less than half an inch.

See: The all-new 2024 Toyota Grand Highlander: This 3-row midsize SUV offers expanded cabin space and a broad choice of trims

Upscale cabin

We like the Enclave’s exterior lines. It has solid curb appeal. Furthermore, it’s elegant with an impressive front lighting signature. For comparison, its exterior measurements are similar to the Chevy Traverse and VW Atlas.

Our favorite features and tech

Spacious interior
The Enclave has a 3-row interior with plenty of space for passengers and cargo alike. Unlike many of its more expensive competitors, the third row is roomy and easy to access.

Wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
These standard smartphone connectivity features make it easy to bring your music, maps, and more to the screen in the Enclave without taking your phone out of your purse or pocket.

Hands-free power rear liftgate
Activating the Enclave’s rear liftgate is as simple as using a kicking motion below the rear bumper to open or close it.

Tri-zone automatic climate control
A set-it-and-forget-it system, it separates the vehicle into three zones: front right, front left, and rear. Once the temperature is set for each zone, the system automatically maintains that temperature.

Leather seating
Reinforcing the Enclave’s claim of being a premium SUV, leather seating is standard across the lineup.

Heated elements
Standard throughout the Enclave’s lineup are heated front seats, a heated steering wheel, and heated outboard mirrors. The Premium grade adds heated second-row seats.

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Engine and transmission

Although we’d like to see Buick adopt a turbo 4-cylinder engine option for the Enclave, the V6 and 9-speed transmission combine for above-average performance and acceptable fuel economy. On the other hand, the turbo 4-cylinder that’s standard in the Ford
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Explorer generates 300 horsepower and delivers 3 mpg more in combined fuel economy. Furthermore, it’s only a couple of eye blinks slower than the Enclave. Stepping up to Explorer’s turbo V6 bumps the horsepower output to 400. We’re just saying.

That one small gripe aside, we could be quite happy with the Enclave’s power delivery.

3-year/36,000-mile warranty

Buick’s bumper-to-bumper limited warranty is for three years or 36,000 miles, whichever comes first, and the powertrain is covered for five years or 60,000 miles. This level of coverage is typical among mainstream brands. Buick also makes your first scheduled maintenance visit complimentary.

Safety rating

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) gave the Enclave its highest overall score of 5 Stars. Meanwhile, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) awarded it its highest score of Good in five of its six crash tests.

Be sure to read: These are 2023’s safest new cars

Buick offers a comprehensive bundle of advanced safety tech in every Enclave. Standard are automatic emergency forward braking with pedestrian detection, lane-keeping assist, lane-departure warning, blind-spot monitoring with lane-changing alert, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear-park assist. High-beam assist is standard, as well.

KBB’s car review  methodology.

This story originally ran on KBB.com.