Road Test: 2019 Buick Enclave Avenir

Premium, Seven-Passenger Family Midsize SUV

Would your family like to travel in a quiet, three-row premium midsize SUV? How about having a comfortable ride with ample space in the third row? Plus, generous cargo space for all their gear? If so, the 2019 Buick Enclave Avenir might be right for you.

Drivetrain and Efficiency

The 2019 Enclave Avenir is powered by a 3.6-liter V6 engine, putting-out 310 horsepower and 266 pounds-feet of torque, with a smooth-shifting nine-speed automatic transmission driving the front wheels. All-wheel drive is an option. The Enclave fuel economy is rated at 18 city/26 highway/21 combined (for FWD, AWD is one mpg less in each category), which is unimpressive. In our real-world experience over 414 miles of 80-percent highway/20-percent city driving, throughout Southern California, Clean Fleet Report averaged 23 mpg. But in a 120-mile, all-freeway run, using dynamic cruise control and not exceeding 65 mph, we achieved a better 30.1 mpg. The bottom line is that it takes easy-on-the pedal driving to reach that magic 30 mpg number.

Fuel economy reported by Clean Fleet Report is non-scientific, and represents the reviewer’s driving experience, in our reviewer’s city. Your numbers may differ.

Driving Experience: On the Road

The front-wheel drive Enclave handled well, with a firm, confident ride. Its 4,469-pounds glided over the grooved concrete freeways in SoCal with comfort and ease. The road feel on the highway was good, as was in-town maneuvering, including parking, making for a well-balanced SUV. While not sporty, cornering was level even during quick direction changes, and never felt top heavy. The Continental CrossContact Eco Plus all-season tires, riding on 20-inch aluminum wheels, were quiet and sure-footed. Wind noise was not noticeable, and the engine was quiet.

There was plenty of power on the open road, especially when highway merging or passing that recalcitrant 18-wheeler. The 3.6-liter would cruise all day at 70+ mph. And if you have a trailer, the Enclave can tow up to 5,000 pounds if you opt for the Trailering Equipment Package for an additional $650.

Designed To Impress

Clean Fleet Report was driving the 2019 Enclave Avenir, with Avenir being Buick’s luxury sub-brand, offering a higher trim level and premium materials. Redesigned in 2018, the 2019 Enclave carries-over a modern, smooth and attractive design. There are no unnecessary scoops and cladding, and chrome is kept to a minimum around the small and tasteful grille and a few pieces on the doors and rear. The swept back LED head lights blend smoothly into the fenders. The roof, with chrome rack rails, rises from the windshield to begin a gentle slope to the rear hatch, which is topped with a color keyed shark fin antenna, and a built-in spoiler and rear wiper. The power, hands-free hatch is bordered by LED taillights, and the distinctive exhaust tips are chromed. All in all, very nice.

Inviting Interior

Clean Fleet Report tested the 2019 Buick Enclave Avenir, which was equipped at the highest level for an accommodating driving experience. All controls are within easy reach for the driver, with a large, padded center console on which the front occupants can rest their arms. The leather, ventilated front seats were power adjustable, with heating and cooling. The outbound seats in the second row were heated, and the third row power-folded 60/40. Buick claims more third row space than all competitors, with the third row access easy with sliding and folding second row seats. The dual moonroof, where the rear was fixed and the front was power tilt and slide, was an interesting feature. The rear camera mirror has a feature that allows switching between a conventional mirror and a camera. Try the camera mode when backing up and parking, as it provides a wider view.

Centered in the dash was an 8.0-inch color touchscreen housing the surround vision camera and the Buick Infotainment system, which included Android Auto and Apple CarPlay. The eight-speaker Bose sound system uses their Clean Sheet design, playing AM/FM/CD/MP3/AUX and Sirius/XM. The Bluetooth worked very well for voice recognition, with much of the entertainment being controlled by switches on the heated, leather-covered steering wheel.

The Enclave Avenir is well-equipped with convenience features including wireless phone charging, 4G LTE Wi-Fi Hot Spot, multiple USB ports, remote keyless entry with remote start, power door locks, cruise control, a tri-zone automatic climate control, tire pressure monitor and keyless push button start/stop. The power tilt and telescoping steering column was convenient. OnStar is also included, where a simple push of a button connects you with a friendly General Motors representative to handle emergencies, directions and general assistance to make your driving experience safer and more enjoyable.

Safety, Pricing and Warranties

The Enclave comes with an extensive list of standard and optional safety features. Since some of the features are available on higher trim levels and through packages, we advise getting your car with as many advanced driver technology and safety features as possible.

Features available on the Enclave include multiple airbags, a theft deterrent system, remote vehicle start, forward emergency braking and collision warning, front pedestrian braking, stability control, rear cross traffic alert, rear park assist, vehicle stability management, traction control, lane change and side blind zone alert.

The 2019 Buick Enclave is available in four trim levels: Preferred, Essence, Premium and Avenir, with base prices of $40,000 to $53,500. Clean Fleet Report’s Enclave, with one option, had an MSRP of $54,150, excluding the $1,195 destination charge.

The 2019 Enclave comes with these warranties:

Observations: 2019 Buick Enclave Avenir

We started out asking if interior space for people and their stuff is important to you. What you will be impressed with, when at your Buick dealer, is a large interior only exceeded by a minivan. For the premium midsize SUV category, the 2019 Buick Enclave seats seven most comfortably in spacious surroundings.

The design is clean and contemporary, even graceful, and will certainly be a stand-out in your neighborhood. Maybe the Buick television ads of people confusing a Buick Enclave with a higher-price luxury SUV are not so far-fetched.

The engine and transmission are smooth and seamless, but Clean Fleet Report hopes Buick dedicates itself to increasing the fuel economy in the next generation Enclave. Maybe a hybrid?

The four trim levels, with a $13,500 spread in base prices, offer significant steps up in features. So, it will be important for you to not only look at what the Enclave models have to offer, but compare them to premium/luxury mid-size SUVs, such as the Acura MDX, Infiniti QX60, Lexus RX 450/GX 460 and Volvo XC90. The Buick Enclave Avenir stands strong against the competition. Go see for yourself.

Whatever you buy, Happy Driving!

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Disclosure:

Clean Fleet Report is loaned free test vehicles from automakers to evaluate, typically for a week at a time. Our road tests are based on this one-week drive of a new vehicle. Because of this we don’t address issues such as long-term reliability or total cost of ownership. In addition, we are often invited to manufacturer events highlighting new vehicles or technology. As part of these events we may be offered free transportation, lodging or meals. We do our best to present our unvarnished evaluations of vehicles and news irrespective of these inducements.

Our focus is on vehicles that offer the best fuel economy in their class, which leads us to emphasize electric cars, plug-in hybrids, hybrids and diesels. We also feature those efficient gas-powered vehicles that are among the top mpg vehicles in their class. In addition, we aim to offer reviews and news on advanced technology and the alternative fuel vehicle market. We welcome any feedback from vehicle owners and are dedicated to providing a forum for alternative viewpoints. Please let us know your views at publisher@cleanfleetreport.com.