Flagship Premium Family Three-Row SUV
The 2025 Enclave is the flagship of Buick’s all-SUV line-up. A good-looking, premium vehicle that offers optional all-wheel drive and can carry up to eight passengers.
The Buick lineup, in ascending price order, is Envista, Encore GX, Envision and Enclave. The 2025 Enclave comes in three trims—Preferred, Avenir and what we drove, Sport Touring. Front-wheel drive (FWD) is standard and all-wheel drive (AWD) optional.
Historically a sedan-heavy 125-year old brand that once included the likes of Century, Electra, LaCrosse, Lucerne, Park Avenue and several versions of Regal, Buick today is SUV-only sanctuary. But it could surprise everyone if the Wildcat EV Concept becomes a reality or the stunning Buick Electra Orbit comes to life.
Enclave 411
The third-generation Enclave, which first appeared in 2007, is assembled in Lansing, Michigan (GM history side note: former hometown of GM’s Oldsmobile division). All three trims are powered by a 2.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine putting out 328 horsepower and 326 pound-feet of torque mated to a smooth shifting 8-speed automatic transmission.
The EPA rates the fuel economy at 19 mpg city/24 highway/21 combined. Our real-world experience over 249 miles returned a respectable combined average of 23.5 mpg. That was helped by a 90-mile run with the adaptive cruise control set at 65 mph that tuned in an impressive 30.2 mpg. Fuel economy numbers reported by Clean Fleet Report are non-scientific and represent the reviewer’s driving experience using the dash gauge computer. Your numbers may differ.
Driving Experience: On the Road
The 4,713-pound Enclave Sport Touring AWD turned 0-60 times at 6.8 seconds. Paddle shifters were not needed to pull the Enclave up hills or to accelerate into the flow of freeway traffic. The Enclave does what it was designed to do, become a comfortable people mover for in-town errands and family road trips.
The power is delivered evenly through the gears but it becomes apparent quickly when the 2.5-liter turbo is being asked to get it on. There is a harshness that transmits into the cabin that takes away from the otherwise near-serene driving experience.
The Enclave was shod with 255/55 Continental CrossContact LX 20 Eco Plus all-season tires mounted on 20-inch machine-faced wheels with gloss black inserts. These tires are designed to improve fuel economy, with shorter wet stopping distance and extended tread life compared to some alternative rubber. We found they provided a smooth, stable and quiet ride that gripped well on moderate corners.
The highway ride was quite good with the AWD helping when we encountered higher speed corners or stopping. Overall, the handling and ride was well-balanced with negligible wind noise.
Premium Design
The Enclave styling rivals European brands as Buick designers took a chance on a new direction, first shown on the Wildcat EV Concept. The most recognizable connection between the two is the pronounced front end with sleek, wing-like LED headlights coming to dramatic points aimed at the iconic Buick tri-shield emblem. Clean Fleet Report’s Enclave Sport Touring was painted in Moonstone Gray Metallic ($495 option) that is joined by additional exterior color choices of Cherry Red Tintcoat, Ebony Twilight Metallic, Ocean Blue Metallic, Smokey Amethyst Metallic, Summit White and White Frost Tricot.
This midsize SUV has an eye-pleasing stance with a slightly raked windshield made of sound-suppressing acoustic glass. The near-flat roof had rails and extends to a small spoiler over the power lift gate. Narrow LED tail lights, continuing the wings theme, stretch across the complete lift gate. To take the Enclave up a couple luxury notches, Buick should tuck the rear window wiper under the roof spoiler.
Buick has a history of reserved styling and not relying on fads or trends. This was evident on the Enclave, where chrome was reserved for the twin exhaust tips.
Inviting Interior
The Enclave Sport Touring looked and felt premium even though it isn’t the highest trim Enclave available, which is the Avenir. Clean Fleet Report’s ebony interior had white piping and top stitching on the perforated leatherette-covered seats. A nice touch were the letters ‘ST’ embroidered on the front and second-row seat headrests.
The tilt and telescoping, leather-wrapped heated steering wheel has a flat bottom and controls for the adaptive cruise control, telephone, voice commands and the sound system. A nice feature, and one we prefer, are the channel and volume buttons being located on the backside of the steering wheel. This frees-up space on the front side, and also has a natural feeling.
The heated, power front seats, 8-way for the driver with memory and 6-way power adjustments for the passenger, were comfortable even on our longest drives. Our tester had second-row Captain’s Chairs with one-touch folding and sliding that made room to climb into the third row. The third-row seat has adequate head and leg room for two adults and power-splits 60:40. There is 22.9 cubic feet of cargo space with the seat upright, growing to 97.5 cubic feet when both the second and third row are lowered.
Technology and Entertainment
The dash houses a 30-inch horizontal color screen combining areas for driver information, digital gauges and the infotainment portion. The 12-speaker Bose audio system includes wireless Android Auto and Apple CarPlay, AM/FM HD and SiriusXM with a trial subscription.
The USB ports allowed for connected devices. The Bluetooth worked very well for voice recognition, with most of the entertainment controlled by switches on the steering wheel.
The Enclave is well-equipped with convenience features, including Buick Quiet Tuning and active noise canceling, wireless phone charging, remote keyless entry and start, power windows with express down, tri-zone automatic climate system, tire pressure monitor, rain-sensing windshield wipers, keyless push button on and off and OnStar. The panoramic sunroof with a power shade was a $1,500 option.
A note regarding OnStar: 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. This is one area where GM is an industry leader. After the initial service plan expires it is well worth renewing.
Safety
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.
Safety features available on the Enclave include front, side, knee and head airbags, rear seat reminder, high-definition rear view camera, forward automatic emergency braking and collision warning, stability control, rear cross traffic alert, rear park assist, vehicle stability management, traction control, lane change, side blind zone alert and a theft deterrent system.
Pricing
The 2025 Enclave comes in three trim levels. These prices, including the $1,395 destination fee, are for front-wheel drive. Add $2,000 for all-wheel drive.
Preferred $46,495
Sport Touring $48,995
Avenir $59,595
Warranties
- Bumper-To-Bumper – Three years/36,000 mile
- Powertrain – Six years/60,000 mile
- Roadside Assistance – Five years/60,000 mile
- Maintenance – One year/Unlimited miles
Observations: 2025 Buick Enclave Sport Touring AWD
There are many large premium vehicles that can carry up to eight people, including three-row SUVs and the five minivans on the market. There are many factors when considering size, features, price and fuel efficiency.
This makes it tough to say which is best for your family. To pick one area of differentiation, design, is where the Enclave could be the best-looking of this class of SUVs. Do you remember the Buick advertising campaign from a few years back where wide-eyed 30-somethings were saying, “That’s a Buick?!” I got a few of those comments, and not just from the younger crowd.
The Enclave should be popular with families that may need an all-wheel drive option in an eight seat SUV. The only way to know if it is right for you is to visit your local Buick dealer.
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Story and photos by John Faulkner.
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 other efficient powertrains. 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 or by commenting on any of our stories. We answer every comment!
