2020 Buick Enclave

The Buick Enclave entered the market at a time when the trend of sturdy and powerful SUVs had just started to build up. Its evolution from being just any other 7 seater to one of the most popular products in its segment, in itself speaks a lot. Buick was so confident with the appreciation which the Enclave received from the masses, that it took them ten years to realise that it had started lacking behind its rivals.

The much needed updates to the aging Enclave was indeed a much needed one. The thorough redesign not only added sleekness and exquisitivity to the Enclave, but also add enhance its ride quality. Buick thinks that the revision, which the Enclave receives would allow it to more strongly stand against its competition which features SUV's like Chevy Traverse, GMC Acadia and its own sibling, the Envision.

 

 

The 2020 Buick Enclave is available in 4 variants, i:e. Preferred, Essence, Premium and Avenir. Prices for the 2020 Enclave stretches from $40k for the base Preferred to over $53k for the top Avenir. Power is sourced from a 310 hp 3.6 liter V6 and is delivered to the wheels through a 9-speed automatic transmission.

The base trim now gets a new nomenclature and is now known as "Preferred". It is also the only trim which comes with front wheel drive. All the higher trims can be opted with either a front wheel drive or an all wheel drive. The trimline specifications follow the familiar course here with opening up of more safety and luxury features as you move up the trim order.

Trim	Preferred	Essence	Premium	Avenir
MSRP FWD	$40,000	$42,595	$48,100	$53,500
MSRP AWD	N/A	$44,000	$50,400	$55,800
Key Features	Keyless Open and Push-Button start	Leather-Appointed First and Second rows	Bose performance enhanced premium 10 speaker system	Exclusive grille with unique styling
	Smartphone connectivity with OnStar 4G LTE with built-in Wi-Fi hotspot	Lane change alert with side blind zone alert	Heated, driver side auto dimming power outside mirrors	Power moonroof with rear fixed light
	Heated Driver and front passenger seats	In-vehicle air ionizer	Forward collision alert	Qi-enabled wireless charging
	Rear Park assist	Rear cross traffic alert	Telescopic and power tilt steering column	8” color driver information console

We recommend – To get the most out your money, we recommend the premium variant as it aptly garnished with safety and convenience features like, telescopic and power tilt steering, mirror position memory and many more advanced features which makes this car a perfect choice for its money.

“The V6 provides a nice bit of thrust off the line when you put your foot down, but it tapers off at higher rpm” – Edmunds

Engine and Transmission-

The Buick has a 3.6-liter V-6 engine producing 310hp with 266 lb-ft of torque, which is common to all the trims. The 2020 enclave has a slightly upgraded engine when compared to its previous model, producing 22hp more which makes it the powerful Buick Enclave ever produced.

 It shares the engine with the Chevy Traverse. The v-6 engine is lively and produces thrust on demand, but shivers down at higher rpm. The 9-speed automatic transmission works like a charm due to its precision and smoothness. While rolling, The Enclave feels powerful and agile and not so bulky.

Models	Buick Enclave preferred	Chevrolet Traverse (L)	GMC Acadia Denali AWD	Buick Envision Premium AWD
MSRP	$43,195	$31,125	$48,695	$41,895
Engine	3.6L V6	3.6L V6	3.6L V6	2L Turbo 4-Cyl SIDI
Transmission	9 speed automatic	9 speed automatic	6 speed automatic	9 speed automatic
Horsepower	310 hp@ 6800rpm	310 hp @ 6800rpm	310 hp@ 6600rpm	252 hp @ 5500rpm
Torque (lb-ft)	266 @ 2800 rpm	266 @ 2800 rpm	271 @ 5000 rpm	295 @ 3000 rpm

Chevrolet Traverse L offers the same performance as that of the Enclave at a lesser price. Chevrolet Traverse is also a good option for a person who is on a budget but is hungry for power. When compared to its rivals, the Enclave shares the stage with the Traverse L and the Envision as all 3 of these have 9-speed automatic transmission.

Acceleration-

The 3.6 liter V-6 helps this beast to go from 0 to 60 mph in 7.9 seconds. But when compared to its rivals, it is the slowest with its sister car, the Envision leading the pack with 6.4 seconds.

Model	Buick Enclave preferred	Chevrolet Traverse (L)	GMC Acadia Denali AWD	Buick Envision Premium AWD
0-60 MPH	7.9 sec	6.5 sec	6.7 sec	6.4 sec
Quarter mile	15.4 sec	14.9 sec	15.3 sec	14.9 sec
Engine	3.6L V6	3.6L V6	3.6L V6	2L Turbo 4-Cyl SIDI
Emission (Tons/year of CO2 emissions @ 15K mi/year)	8.4	8.4	8.8	8

The Acceleration is smooth which makes this car agile. When tested for the quarter mile, both Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Envision took the first place with 14.9 seconds followed by GMC Acadia with 15.3 seconds and finally the Buick Enclave with 15.4 seconds coming last.

Braking-

Model	Buick Enclave preferred	Chevrolet Traverse (L)	GMC Acadia Denali AWD	Buick Envision Premium AWD
Brake Front (in.)	N/A	N/A	N/A	12.6
Brake Rear (in.)	N/A	N/A	N/A	12.4
Curb Weight (lbs)	4359	4362	4083	4154
60-0 MPH (ft.)	134	N/A	N/A	126

The new Enclave has a firm brake pedal which is very capable and makes the rider confident. The Enclave provides accurate body control, all thanks to the brake and suspension system.

Ride and Handling-

All thanks to the Buick for a precise steering wheel and firm brakes, the rider feels confident due to the well-controlled body movements. When the car was tested for in-cabin noise levels, we found the Enclave’s cabin to be not-so-sound-proof as Buick markets. All thanks to the Buick’s active noise cancellation system and the usage of sound insulators, the driving feels quiet and focused.

It rolls like a charm without making you feel disconnected from the road. The front wheel variant, when compared to the all-wheel drive variants, feels light and quicker but the AWD variants feel more real and rolls neatly around quick corners due to its upscale rear axle. Top trims also offer adaptive suspension system which improves the driving experience and makes it smooth no matter the terrain.

Towing Capacity-

A typical towing capacity for a midsize SUV is around 5000 pounds, which both the Enclave and Chevrolet can handle. The GMC can tow around 4000 pounds and the Envision premium trails behind with just 1500 pounds of towing capacity.

Model	Buick Enclave preferred	Chevrolet Traverse (L)	GMC Acadia Denali AWD	Buick Envision Premium AWD
Towing Capacity (lbs)	5000	5000	4000	1500

When compared to its rivals, the Buick Enclave has the same mileage as the Chevy when tested on the highway, but losses its first place to its sister car the Envision and the Chevy by 2 MPG. The main reason for its great fuel economy is the new auto start-stop function. These figures for the Enclave drop by 1 unit for the AWD variants.

Model	Buick Enclave preferred	Chevrolet Traverse (L)	GMC Acadia Denali AWD	Buick Envision Premium AWD
MPG (hwy)	26	26	25	25
MPG (city)	18	20	17	20
MPG (combined)	21	N/A	20	22
Tank Capacity (gal)	19	19.4	22	17.3

“Interior materials in the 2020 Enclave are fitting (for the most part) for a premium-grade vehicle, similar to what you'll find in a top-level Chevrolet Traverse or an SUV from luxury brands like Acura and Lincoln. However, with a few lower-grade ingredients, this Buick doesn't quite compete with the opulence of an Audi” – cars.usnews.com

Seating and Comfort-

The Buick offers a comfortable set of 3 rows which can fit 7 passengers without any issues. Also the Buick has provided a pair of captain’s chairs in the middle and a bench seat in the third row in all of its trims to improve the comfort of the passengers. The amount of seating space this SUV has along with the sound insulating materials, the ride becomes less raucous and peaceful.

Model	Buick Enclave preferred	Chevrolet Traverse (L)	GMC Acadia Denali AWD	Buick Envision Premium AWD
Passenger capacity	7	8	6	5
Front row (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (In.)	41.3/62.4/41.2	41.3/62.1/41.0	40.3/59.4/41	40/57/40.9
Second row (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (In.)	39.9/61.7/38.9	40/62.2/38.4	39.6/58.7/39.7	38.5/55.8/37.5
Third row (Head/Shoulder/Leg) (In.)	37.6/57.3/33.5	38.2/57.5/33.5	37.2/54.3/31.1	-/-/-

The Buick has also provided its state of the art LATCH hardware which includes both top and lower tether anchors for a child seat. This car also has a smart slide for the second row which makes access to the third row easy.

Infotainment-

The standard variant of the Enclave comes with many standard features which a rider can imagine along with some extras included. The standard trim comes bundled with the 4.2” diagonal color Driver information center, an 8” diagonal high resolution, color touch-screen with Buick infotainment system and Buick’s intelliLink system along with smartphone integration via Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The audio system provided by the Buick is a standard 6 speaker system with active noise cancellation. Other standard features include a WI-FI hotspot, Siri Eyes free and natural voice control along with 6 USB ports distributed evenly across the car.

Cargo space-

The 2020 Enclave has a generous amount of boot space. The boot space behind the 3^rd row is 23.6 cu.ft. and increases by 58 cu.ft. when the second-row seats are folded down thereby giving an enormous boot space of 97.6 cu.ft. With 98.2 cu.ft. of cargo space, Chevrolet takes the crown, although not by much.

Model	Buick Enclave preferred	Chevrolet Traverse (L)	GMC Acadia Denali AWD	Buick Envision Premium AWD
Maximum interior cargo volume (cu.ft.)	97.6	98.2	79	57.3

“Gone is the traditional Buick waterfall-Bull grille design, a styling cue that had not aged well. In its place is a more contemporary opening with wings extending from either side of the rather largish Buick tri-shield logo. The roofline is sleeker, and the overall look is more like a really tall sports wagon than a boxy SUV. Think Mazda CX-9 on a grand scale” – Kelly blue book

Dimension and Weight-

After producing the first generation of the Enclave, the Buick has stepped up the game by introducing the 2020 variant. Its sculpted yet sleek design comes from the 2018 Enclave. It rolls on a 120.9-inch wheelbase and measures 204.3 inches end-to-end. The elegant design by the Buick makes the Enclave look more like a big sports SUV rather than a boxy looking SUV.

Model	Buick Enclave preferred	Chevrolet Traverse (L)	GMC Acadia Denali AWD	Buick Envision Premium AWD
Curb weight (lbs)	4359	4362	4154	4083
Length (in)	204.3	204.3	193.6	183.7
Width (in)	78.8	78.6	75.4	72.4
Height (in)	69.9	70.7	68.7	66.8
Ground clearance (in)	7.7	N/A	7.2	N/A
Wheelbase (in)	120.9	108.3	112.5	108.3
Track width (in) F/R	67.3/67	67.3/67	64.5/64.5	62/62

The Enclave has almost the same curb weight as that of the Chevy and is identical when other factors are considered except the wheelbase where the Enclave takes the lead.

The new Enclave comes with a waterfall grille for the first 3 variants, the Avenir variant gets its own uniquely styled grille. The rear side has a chrome accent which merges into the tail lights.

Exterior Features

The 2020 Buick Enclave comes bundled with a host of features -

• LED Daytime Running lamps
• Molded assist steps
• Roof-mounted side rails
• Power moonroof with rear fixed skylight
• 20” bright machined faced wheels with Satin Graphite pockets
• Automatic on/off headlamps
• Wheel locks

Some safety features of the 2020 Buick Enclave

• 7 airbag system
• Door locks and rear child security lock
• First aid kit
• LATCH system
• Passenger sensing system
• Rear park assist
• Rear vision camera

Chevrolet Traverse v/s Buick Enclave

Chevrolet Traverse is an identical twin of the Buick Enclave as both of these are under GM. There are many similarities which can be drawn between these two, from engine and transmission to the overall cargo space and seating capacity. The Chevy has an edge when it comes to the price tag as the Enclave costs $10,000 more than the Chevy. Though traverse lacks many features that come as standard in the Enclave, but if you are looking for a daily driver in a tight budget and are happy without some additional features, then the Traverse is the perfect choice for you.

GMC Acadia Denali AWD v/s Buick Enclave

GMC Acadia – Another GM SUV which is similar to the Enclave yet they both are different SUVs with a common parent company. The Acadia Denali has the same engine as that of the Enclave, producing the same amount of power. The main reason why the Enclave wins here is that the base model of the Enclave offers more features and has a similar engine as that of the Acadia Denali, and comes with a price tag less than the Acadia Denali.

Buick Envision Premium AWD v/s Buick Enclave

The Buick Envision is the sister car of the big Enclave, but if the former is selected, then you will be giving up more than just a row. The Envision premium AWD has a small 2-liter engine with a similar price tag so clearly, we get a winner, The Enclave.

The Buick offers 4 trims in the latest iteration of the Enclave with a 3.6 L V-6 engine as standard for all the trims. If you are looking for something which is both luxurious and affordable and produces an amazing amount of power, then the 2020 Buick Enclave is for you.

Affordability doesn’t always mean a cheaper price tag, sometimes you have to bend the rules and Buick has done the same thing with the Enclave. They are offering a great array of features along with a great engine and transmission combination which makes this car a complete bang for its buck. There might be other rivals out there surpassing this car, but with what it is offering, the Enclave really stands out.