The Buick Enclave is available in 4 trim levels for the 2019 model year version in which the base ‘Preferred’ trim level is a new addition brought in to cater to a wider range of customers. The ‘Preferred’ trim is only available as an FWD car and has a wide range of standard features that can attract a lot of customers along with its price tag of $41,195. Trim levels like the ‘Premium AWD’ as well as the ‘Avenir’ are the ones that cost more than $50k and offer a lot more of the premium features from Buick.

Which trim should you buy?

As far as the trim levels of the 2019 Buick Enclave go, the ‘Essence AWD’ seems to be the one to go for as it comes in an attractive price range of $45,195. It offers a balance of practicality and premium feel as it comes with an AWD drivetrain and some of the best-in-class interior and safety features, all in just a package that costs less than $50,000.

The 2019 Buick Enclave gets a really punchy powertrain unit that it shares with its rival General Motors counterparts. The powertrain unit is a 3.6L naturally aspirated V6 unit that boasts of producing 310 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque. The power output is pretty linear and hence offers a smooth ride quality with no lack of power at any point. The engine is pretty refined in its working and certainly has some grunt on offer when you need it.

The engine is mated to a 9-speed automatic transmission which does the work of going through the gears according to the requirement pretty seamlessly and offers a linear transmission of power without any confusion. Except for the base ‘Preferred’ trim, the rest of the trim levels are available with an AWD drivetrain option which certainly adds to the practicality and utilitarian needs. The performance figures of the Buick Enclave are also pretty decent as it does a pull from 0-60 MPH in 6.7 seconds and can cover a quarter-mile in 15.2 seconds. 

The Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, and the GMC Acadia share the same powertrain unit, with the Acadia having a different engine tune and transmission unit. All cars in the class perform similarly with their top speed being at 130 mph and the 0-60 MPH timings being around the 6.7-second mark. The Ford Explorer is the most expensive of the lot, owing to the turbocharged four-cylinder unit offering impressive performance on par with the rival V6s. 

How well does the 2019 Buick Enclave handle?

The Buick Enclave handles like a charm, unlike its rivals. The Enclave’s suspension system has the right-tuning done to it that helps the Enclave perform well on and off the road. The ride neither feels too soft nor too swift. There is a good amount of feel and feedback from the steering wheel that makes the driving experience even better.

The FWD version feels more agile on the road to steer, but there is a slight feeling of understeer in tight corners. The AWD, on the other hand, has a stiffer steering response but grips to the road throughout the journey helping you carve out corners and go through rough terrains without a dab of confusion or lack of confidence.

Braking Performance

The 2019 Buick Enclave has a really good weight distribution, and as a result, the braking performance is pretty decent for an SUV of its size. There is enough bite and feedback from the brakes to make you feel confident on the road, and with the help of modern safety aids, the braking performance also inclines towards safe and positive feedback. The front rotors have a diameter of 12.6 inches, while the rear ones are 12.4 inches. With a curb weight of over 4,300 lbs, the Enclave manages to decelerate from 60 mph to a standstill in 127 feet. 

Although the GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave have a lot in common, including the brakes, the Acadia’s lower curb weight helps reduce its 60-0 deceleration figure by about 2 feet compared to the Enclave. The identical setup of the Chevy Traverse offers similar performance, and despite employing larger brakes in the Explorer, it too has a similar braking distance in the 60-0 mph panic braking test. 

The 2019 Buick Enclave does offer a decent fuel economy for a car of its caliber, but it certainly could have had a larger fuel tank to get more range out of it. The Enclave delivers a combined fuel economy of 21 miles per gallon, which is the same as that of the rest of its General Motors counterparts. Its fuel tank capacity is 19 gallons, which helps it deliver a combined range of 399 miles, which certainly could have been better if it had a larger fuel tank.

The Buick Enclave has a similar MPG figure and range to that of the GMC Acadia as they have almost the same fuel economy and tank capacity. The Enclave certainly could have had a larger fuel tank capacity to increase the combined fuel range to upwards of the 400-mile mark. That being said, even the Ford Explorer offers a similar driving range even with the marginally better fuel economy figures. 

The Buick Enclave’s interior is a calm and beautiful place to be in. The overall interior layout makes it look roomy and airy, and it certainly has some premium touches here and there to remind you that it’s Buick’s flagship SUV. The Enclave’s dashboard layout is a combination of practicality and opulence and has a really great aesthetic appeal with its dual-tone color scheme. The floating infotainment screen feature along with the minimalistic approach towards buttons have made Enclave’s interior one of the most attractive ones in the class.

The Enclave can seat 7 people comfortably and has comfortable pilot seats in the second row. The front bucket seats have 8-way power adjustability and come with heating options from the Essence trim level. The seats are wide and comfy and offer a good amount of lumbar support with their side bolsters. Opting for the higher trim levels will give you leather upholstery on the seats which adds to the aesthetic appeal and comfort of the interior.

The cargo capacity is one of Enclave’s USPs as it offers the best in class cargo capacity with a standard volume of 23.6 cubic feet. Folding down the third row opens up 57.8 cu-ft of space, which should be enough to carry a weekend's worth of luggage for a small family. Fold all the seats behind the first row, and the Enclave offers a huge cargo capacity of 97.6 cubic feet, which is enough to carry plenty of cargo if need be.

While the Traverse manages to offer similar space as Buick Enclave, the GMC Acadia’s smaller dimensions translate to very limited trunk space. In terms of cabin space, all four SUVs offer similar legroom and headroom in all three rows of seats. The Ford Explorer too offers a decent level of luggage space, which is almost on par with the Buick and Chevrolet. Some of the standout interior features are as follows:

• Pilot seats in the second row
• Auto-dimming rearview mirror
• Tri-zone automatic climate control
• Moonroof
• Heated seats and steering wheel in higher trims

What’s there to keep you entertained?

As far as the infotainment system goes, Buick offers the best in class infotainment features in the Enclave as it is their flagship SUV. Some of these might seem pretty common in the class, while some are exclusive to the Enclave. The floating infotainment display on the dashboard is an 8-inch multi-information touchscreen display unit that has controls for almost every other infotainment feature onboard. 

It gets a 6 speaker audio system with active noise cancellation and features like SiriusXM satellite radio. The connectivity features that the Enclave hosts include Bluetooth phone and audio connectivity, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay as well as a 4G WiFi internet access hotspot. The Enclave gets a QuietTuning Buick Process, which is an exclusive feature to the enclave. This feature helps to block and absorb noise and vibration utilizing ultra-dissipative acoustic materials and Active Noise Cancellation to create a quiet interior cabin. Some of the highlights of the infotainment system are as follows:

• 8.0-inch touchscreen infotainment display
• SiriusXM AM/FM/HD/Satellite with seek-scan
• Audio system with 6 speakers
• AM/FM radio
• Bluetooth audio and phone connectivity
• Android Auto and Apple CarPlay
• Steering wheel-mounted audio and cruise controls
• 4G WiFi internet access hotspot
• QuietTuning Buick Process

Its signature chrome-studded grille with sharp and slim headlights make it unmistakable on the road, and the broad wheel arches and flowing sidelines give it a much better aesthetic appeal compared to its rivals who have boxy features. The Enclave’s exterior looks modern, up to date, and has a good amount of appeal over a wide range of customers.

The Enclave is the largest car in the class in terms of length, but its height and width proportions make it look smaller in length compared to the Chevy Traverse, which has the same length. The Enclave has one of the highest ground clearance in the class, making it off-road friendly compared to the rest of the rivals. The SUV has a curb weight of 4,359 lbs, which is very similar to Chevy and Ford's figure in the competition.

The Chevy Traverse and the Buick Enclave are pretty much identical in terms of dimensions, while the GMC Acadia is quite compact as compared to others. The Ford Explorer is larger than the Acadia and also offers a ground clearance on par with the Buick. The Traverse has the highest ride height, while the Acadia rides the lowest to the ground. Some of the standout exterior features are as follows:

• LED Daytime Running lamps
• Molded assist steps
• Roof-mounted side rails
• 20" bright machined face wheels with Satin Graphite pockets
• Wheel locks

Apart from being one of the most spacious and practical SUVs in the class, the Buick Enclave is also the safest option in the class without a doubt. It has received an overall safety rating of 5-stars from the NHTSA and has similar ratings from the IIHS as well. Its structural integrity combined with the best in class safety features helped it achieve the feat of being one of the safest options in its class.

Apart from the basic safety features like ABS, traction control, and electronic stability control (ESC), the Enclave boasts some of the latest safety aids in its class such as a blind-spot warning system, rear vision camera, rear parking assist, lane-keeping assist, and lane departure warning. The most prominent features available through the Enclave lineup have been mentioned below. 

• Blind-spot warning system
• Lane-keeping assist
• Lane departure warning system
• Adaptive cruise control
• Tire pressure monitoring system
• Rear park assist

2019 Buick Enclave vs 2019 Chevrolet Traverse

The Chevrolet Traverse and the Buick Enclave are brand badged products from General Motors and share the same platform, powertrain, and other components. The Traverse and Enclave are very similar in specs, and as a result, potential customers might get confused while choosing amongst them. The Traverse’s base trim level is a much cheaper one compared to the Enclave, but the Enclave looks and feels better in the interior and exterior aspects. When it comes to choosing between these two, it really depends upon the budget and the kind of aesthetic appeal that one expects from these cars.

2019 Buick Enclave vs. 2019 GMC Acadia

Again, being the products of brand badging, the GMC Acadia and the Buick Enclave have a lot in common. But the fact that the Enclave’s base trim level offers a lot more than what you would get in the Acadia’s trim level that costs the same tells us that the Enclave is the one to go for. They both share the same powertrain and many other components, but the Enclave seems to have an edge over the Acadia in terms of pricing and visual appeal.

2019 Buick Enclave vs. 2019 Ford Explorer

The Ford Explorer is one of the toughest competitors for the Enclave outside of the General Motors fraternity, and the Explorer has certainly proven with its sales figures that it appeals more to the audience than the Enclave. A part of this might be the fact that Ford has a larger network of customers and certainly appeals to the general public more than GM products. But what the Enclave strives to be is a value-for-money SUV that has a lot of pros compared to the Explorer than cons. The Buick Enclave must certainly be on your list if you are in the market looking for a 7 seater SUV with decent on-road and off-road capabilities.

The Enclave has so much in common with its General Motor counterparts, yet it feels so different. The flowing lines and the modern design approach help it attract a lot of potential customers who are looking for exterior and interior design appeal on a pocket-friendly budget. The 2019 Buick Enclave is truly one of the best performing cars with an excellent amount of interior and cargo space along with top-of-the-line safety features and aids. The high-value features and competitive pricing make it a great option for money-minded buyers in the segment.