Is the 2025 Buick Enclave a Good 3-Row SUV? 4 Pros, 3 Cons
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Key Points
- Cars.com editors liked the 2025 Buick Enclave’s trim level offerings and equipment, spacious interior with quality materials, 30-inch curved display and comfortable ride.
- However, the Enclave has a lackluster powertrain, and the three-row SUV has a loud cabin. We’d also like to see more physical controls.
The Buick Enclave three-row luxury SUV received a complete redesign for the 2025 model year, making it larger with a sleek new look and a more luxurious, well-appointed interior. But the Buick flagship is plagued by a coarse powertrain and noisy cabin that take away from its upscale vibe.
Related: 2025 Buick Enclave Review: Pretty, But Only Partly Premium
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Sharing a platform and parts with its Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia cousins, the Enclave is positioned as a more elegant alternative, curvaceously styled and doing without the kind of pseudo-off-road packages currently popular on many competing SUVs. It also gets an interior that’s not only more posh than those of its platform mates, but rivals other upscale competitors like the Acura MDX and Lexus TX.
Cars.com Detroit Bureau Chief Aaron Bragman traveled to Portland, Ore., to get acquainted with the new Enclave at a media event, where he found it to be a mixed bag of hits and misses. (Per our ethics policy, Cars.com pays for its own travel and lodging when attending manufacturer-sponsored events.) Tap the link above for his expert review, or read on for a quick look at four things we like about the 2025 Buick Enclave and three things we do not.
What Do We Like About the 2025 Buick Enclave?
1. Choose Your Flavor
The redesigned Enclave is offered in three trims, all of which are luxurious and nicely equipped. The base Preferred trim includes niceties like a heated steering wheel, 360-degree camera system and premium audio. Stepping up to the ST gets blacked-out trim instead of chrome for a sportier look, while the top Avenir trim pulls out all the stops with a panoramic moonroof, head-up display and rich leather upholstery.
2. Inside Story
Beyond its generous assortment of standard and optional features, the Enclave really sets itself apart from its competitors when you open the door. Roomy and comfortable, the SUV’s interior is well finished and constructed from quality materials. A pleasing and modern design features attractive two-tone upholstery combinations available on upper trims. Overall, the Enclave’s interior eclipses not only its Acadia and Traverse stablemates, but it can hold its own when compared to some of the best contenders in the category.
3. Dramatic Dash
The Enclave’s dashboard is dominated by a slick 30-inch curved display that encompasses both the configurable digital instrument panel and infotainment system touchscreen. Most vehicle functions are controlled through the touchscreen, but there are some physical controls for climate and audio features. The Google-based system has vivid graphics and a simple enough menu structure, and it includes wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.
4. Comfy Cruiser
Whether you choose the base trim with a conventional suspension or the range-topping Avenir with its computer-controlled electronic shocks, the Enclave rides exceptionally well for a large SUV. Smooth, controlled and nicely damped, it coddles occupants while delivering respectable handling for something this size.
Read More About the Buick Enclave:
- Redesigned 2025 Buick Enclave: A Little Bigger, a Little More Expensive
- Which 3-Row SUVs Offer Captain’s Chairs?
- 2025 Buick Enclave Up Close: Nicer Than You Remember
- Which SUVs Can Tow at Least 5,000 Pounds?
- Research the Buick Enclave
What Do We Dislike About the 2025 Buick Enclave?
1. Problematic Powertrain
Only one powertrain is offered with the 2025 Enclave, which uses the same turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine and eight-speed automatic transmission found in the Acadia and Traverse; it’s paired with either standard front- or available all-wheel drive. Despite having 328 horsepower and 326 pounds-feet of torque, the engine works hard to motivate this big SUV and feels like it has less than its advertised power. It’s also short on refinement, being louder and coarser than expected in a premium SUV.
2. Loud Cabin
The Enclave’s luxurious ambiance is let down by a noisy cabin. As mentioned above, the unrefined and noisy powerplant is part of the problem. Road and tire noise are also excessive, in spite of our test vehicle’s available Bose audio system employing noise cancellation technology. At highway speeds, we still found it impossible to carry on a conversation in a normal speaking voice.
3. Control Issues
The new digital dash looks great and is generally easy to use, but it eliminates most conventional controls in favor of screen-based virtual buttons. While a volume knob and some basic climate controls remain, we prefer the dash in the Acadia, with its vertically oriented touchscreen and additional physical controls.
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Cars.com’s Editorial department is your source for automotive news and reviews. In line with Cars.com’s long-standing ethics policy, editors and reviewers don’t accept gifts or free trips from automakers. The Editorial department is independent of Cars.com’s advertising, sales and sponsored content departments.
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