The Buick Enclave is a roomy and comfortable three-row SUV. The more expensive trim levels are also pretty nice on the inside. It's worth a look if cargo space and an upscale design are priorities for you.
2024 Buick Enclave
Pros
- Generous cargo and passenger room
- Quiet and smooth ride
- Plenty of standard features
- Lots of device charging solutions
Cons
- Pricier than non-luxury rivals, but interior quality doesn't look or feel premium
- Lacks many of the modern technologies found in competitors
What's new
- Buick makes no changes to the 2024 Enclave
- Part of the second Enclave generation introduced for 2018
Overview
If you're looking for a large, stylish and upscale three-row crossover SUV, the 2024 Buick Enclave is one solution to your wants and needs. An older design, the second-generation Enclave is among the most spacious models in its segment, making it adept at carrying people and cargo. It has a tried-and-true V6 engine delivering strong power and, during our testing, competitive fuel efficiency. And, while it's not a high-tech SUV, it provides the infotainment and driver assist features you likely want the most. Unfortunately, the Enclave's premium pricing makes it an unfavorable value in lower trim levels and pits it against luxury brands when fully equipped.
Edmunds spotlight: Large and in charge
If the Buick Enclave has an ace up its sleeve, it takes the form of its roomy interior. The passenger room is particularly generous for the front- and second-row occupants, and we've found the Enclave's seats to be comfortable and supportive. The third-row seat is roomier than what you'll find in some rivals and not quite as satisfying as what competitors offer. In addition, the Enclave offers a smooth and quiet ride and a generous amount of cargo space. Put it all together, and a Buick Enclave makes for a great family road-tripper. Learn more in our detailed Expert Rating of the 2024 Enclave.
Competitors to consider
Rumor has it a redesigned 2025 Buick Enclave is coming soon. We expect it to have a turbocharged four-cylinder engine and the latest tech from the General Motors goodie bag, plus upgrades to better help it justify its higher price. If you can't wait, consider similarly sized alternatives such as the redesigned Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia twins, which give a preview of the coming all-new 2025 Enclave. Edmunds also recommends the Kia Telluride, an excellent choice in a midsize three-row SUV.
Edmunds Expert Rating
The Buick Enclave is a roomy and comfortable three-row SUV. The more expensive trim levels are also pretty nice on the inside. It's worth a look if cargo space and an upscale design are priorities for you.
Performance
7.5/10
How does the Enclave drive? The Buick Enclave's driving dynamics are typical of what you'll find in the three-row crossover SUV segment. The 3.6-liter V6 has plenty of power, even though the 7.5-second 0-60 mph time of our all-wheel-drive Avenir test vehicle was just average for the class. (A front-wheel-drive version hit 60 mph in a more respectable 7.0 seconds.) The brakes are smooth and easy to control, but it took a long 136 feet to stop from 60 mph. The steering is light at low speeds and offers good high-speed stability, but it becomes ponderous in switchbacks.
There are some bright notes here. Our test vehicle's adaptive dampers worked to keep the Enclave level in tight corners. The transmission was also faultless — shifts are smooth and the transmission always seemed to be in the right gear.
Comfort
8.5/10
How comfortable is the Enclave? Most three-row SUVs offer good comfort in the first two rows, and the Enclave is no exception. Though the leather itself is a little stiff, the seats have good cushioning. There's even a rudimentary massaging function on all but the base trim. All passengers are treated to nice seat and armrest padding throughout the cabin. Air vents for every row are a plus, and seat heating and ventilation functions work quite well.
The Enclave offers stellar ride quality with or without the optional adaptive suspension, and the cabin is very well insulated from outside noise.
Interior
7.5/10
How’s the interior? The Enclave's simple cabin layout may be a bit boring, but it's also easy to use. An abundance of room and the ability to slide the second-row captain's chairs make for a very comfortable interior. Getting in and out of the first- or second-row seats is a cinch thanks to the Enclave's relatively low ride height. Entering the third row isn't terrible, but only the passenger-side second-row chair has an easy-release mechanism. The system is bizarrely absent on the driver's side seat. Third-row room is pretty good, but the Kia Telluride and Volkswagen Atlas are more adult-friendly.
Front visibility is good, but the high window sill hampers the view out of the rear quarter window. The optional bird's-eye view camera system helps you avoid fixed objects when parking or backing out of spaces.
Technology
8.0/10
How’s the tech? The Enclave comes standard with six USB ports, a wireless charging pad, a Wi-Fi hotspot, and wireless versions of Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, making even a base Enclave better equipped for smartphone connectivity than most other three-row SUVs. The optional Bose audio system is pretty crisp and has decent bass, while the navigation system is easy to learn even if the graphics are a little dated.
Every Enclave comes with an impressive suite of driver assist features, including blind-spot monitoring and the nifty safety alert seat, which vibrates the driver's seat when safety aids are triggered. Adaptive cruise control is more widely available through the trim lineup and works pretty well. The only blemish on the tech front is the voice controls. Almost every request had to be input multiple times in our test vehicle before the system understood.
Storage
8.5/10
How’s the storage? If cargo space is what you need, then the Enclave is your class champion. By the numbers, it has a huge cargo area (23.6 cubic feet) behind the rear seats and a whopping 97.4 cubic feet with all the rows folded. Our test vehicle featured electronically folding third-row seats, which is a nice convenience.
The cabin features a decent amount of small-item storage throughout, with the most usable space probably the two-tier center armrest bin. The bonus storage compartment underneath the shifter is made possible by Buick's fully electronic shifter. There's plenty of room for car seats. And the car seat anchors on either of the captain's chairs are fairly accessible but not as easy to find as they are on some other Buick vehicles.
Fuel Economy
7.0/10
How’s the fuel economy? The EPA estimates that an all-wheel-drive Enclave, which is what we tested, will get 20 mpg in combined city/highway driving. That's slightly lower than many rival SUVs get. However, it managed 22.4 mpg on our real-world test route, indicating that matching the EPA's estimate in real-world driving shouldn't be difficult.
Value
7.0/10
Is the Enclave a good value? The Enclave's starting price is smack dab in the middle between the base price of luxury and non-luxury three-row SUVs. However, it only costs a little more than the mechanically similar Chevrolet Traverse, and the Buick's cleaner design and slightly more upscale materials are worth the upgrade. A fully loaded Avenir is indeed a nice vehicle, but you can get an almost identically equipped Acura MDX for not much more. Overall, the Enclave is neither outrageously priced nor heavy on value.
Wildcard
7.5/10
The Enclave is a bit of a dark horse. It is surprisingly well rounded, with high levels of comfort and a healthy set of standard features. But it doesn't strike us as a vehicle people are aspiring to own, especially not at the asking price — unless you're in the market for a Chevrolet Traverse but want something that looks a bit sharper.
Which Enclave does Edmunds recommend?
For the best value in a Buick Enclave, we recommend the Essence trim. It offers access to an array of options, giving you more choice in how the SUV looks and what features it has. From paint colors and wheel designs to infotainment and safety features, you can build an Enclave Essence to meet most of your requirements.
Buick Enclave models
The 2024 Buick Enclave is a midsize three-row crossover SUV with seating for up to seven people. It is one of the largest vehicles in its segment, and it comes in Essence, Premium and Avenir trim levels. Every 2024 Enclave has a 3.6-liter V6 engine (310 horsepower, 266 lb-ft), a nine-speed automatic transmission and standard front-wheel drive. An all-wheel-drive system is optional on all trims.