2008 Buick Enclave CXL

I actually have a very unscientific method for reviewing cars. I don’t look at the sticker price until day 3 and then I try and figure out how much it should cost. Some cars cost $50 grand and feel like they should be $30k. Some are the other way around. It’s amazing how accurate this method is.

This weeks review car was the new Buick Enclave SUV. I logged some serious miles behind the wheel during the review week, some 1100 miles to be exact. I waited until I was about 800 miles in to check out the sticker and was I ever shocked, in a good way, which is saying something considering this large vehicle tipped the price scale at $44,000. Though to be fair our tester came loaded and $4.5k of that was tied up in a nice but unnecessary entertainment package.

This is a big, capable SUV. A true seven-passenger hauler and that includes captains seats for the first two rows. Interior appointments are done quite well and echo Deco accents from the 1920’s, it may not sound cool, but it is. The seats are super comfortable and highly adjustable to fit just about any size person, and all of the instruments are easy to find and navigate. Beautiful faux wood accents abound and the folks at Buick dug deep and added a real mahogany trimmed steering wheel as an added touch of class. The interior design is finally sculpted with heavy use of gentle arches and sweeps that are very pleasing and mature. We also love the two-tier sunroof/skylight roof which is great for stargazing or getting a tan. Visibility is pretty good for a vehicle this size but the review camera was a nice bonus especially when parallel parking this monster.

This isn’t one of those vehicles that looks smaller than it is, it’s a monster from every angle. Tall, long and purposeful, the Enclave looks as good on the outside as it does inside. Some onlookers did comment that it looks somewhat bus at profile, but we like it. Say what you want, but Chrome trim seems to be on the upsurge in the auto industry and the designers at Buick went back for seconds when they drew up the front end. The oversized grill looks great and the Xenon high intensity headlights look amazing and even turn to follow the steering direction of the vehicle. Our CXL model tester came with huge 19-inch chromed aluminum wheels. The power liftgate on the rear is a must as the rear hatch must weigh as much as a Mini Cooper.

The big Buick comes with a 3.6 liter V6 with variable valve timing. It spins out 275 horsepower and 251 lb-ft of torque. The 6 cylinder feels more V8 than its actual displacement and not once did we crave more power. That’s saying a lot because this behemoth tips the scale at nearly 4800 pounds. Even more impressive is the fuel economy. While the Enclave gets a not so stunning 16 mpg in the city, its very respectable 22 mpg highway rating is tops in its class. The Buick is super quiet, actually bettering the interior noise level ratings for the R-Class Mercedes at a fraction of the cost. As we cruised through the back country roads of rural Wisconsin, yes we were lost, the truck was completely in it’s element. It owned the interstate, two-lane highway and a single lane gravel road with equal moxy. Thanks god for the Onstar option as the operator programmed the directions into our navigation system and got us to our destination just in time.

After 1100 miles the Enclave felt like an old friend, one that would be there when you needed it no matter what you threw at it. They say you cant buy friendship, but in this case $44,000 is a good start.

--Chad Doering