2025 Buick Enclave First Drive Review

Really big and packed with tech, Buick's new three-row SUV straddles the line between luxury and mainstream.

James Riswick | 

Sep 17, 2024 | 6 min read

James Riswick

Plenty of crossovers have a third row, but in my experience, those with a usable one are rare. The 2025 Buick Enclave should have no problem carrying families of ample number and height in its three rows — that's not its issue. Instead, my question regarding Buick's biggest crossover is whether it's luxurious enough to justify its elevated, near-luxury price point.

It certainly has abundant luxury features, including available Super Cruise hands-free driving technology. It also has a respectable standard horsepower figure and sharp new styling that speaks to upper-crust ambitions. However, compared with an Acura MDX, Infiniti QX60, Lincoln Aviator, or Volvo XC90, the new Enclave's cabin quality, powertrain refinement, and overall driving experience do not stack up, in my opinion.

As a consolation, the Buick is less expensive. Base prices range from the mid-$40,000s to the high $50,000s, including the destination charge to ship the Enclave from the Lansing, Michigan, assembly plant to your local dealership.

So the Enclave might make sense as a spacious luxury-brand alternative. However, while they're not quite as big or packed with as many features, non-luxury three-row crossovers such as the Hyundai Palisade, Kia Telluride, and Toyota Grand Highlander are already encroaching into luxury territory. From the driver seat of their ritziest versions, I think it'd be tough to claim the Enclave is a much more luxurious choice.

James Riswick

What's New for the 2025 Buick Enclave

Buick says the 2025 Enclave is all new, adopting styling cues similar to its smaller crossovers. The SUV is bigger on the outside than its earlier iterations, but that expansion doesn't really translate inside. Some key dimensions including third-row legroom and cargo space behind the third row have actually been reduced from the earlier model. That said, I found that overall the Enclave remains quite spacious.

Up front, every trim level receives an eye-catching 30.0-inch curved display that houses the instrumentation and touchscreen infotainment interface. The latter features Google built-in, which integrates Google Maps, Google Assistant, and Google Play apps.

Buick also increased the amount of driver-assistance technology, adding standard active blind-spot monitoring, front cross-traffic alert, automatic intersection braking, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assist. Super Cruise is available on all trim levels.

The main mechanical change is a new turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 328 horsepower and 326 pound-feet of torque. It replaces a 3.6-liter V6 good for 310 horsepower and 266 lb-ft, though I didn't find the swap resulted in the performance boost suggested by its specs.

James Riswick

Neither as Quiet nor as Premium as Promised

I drove two versions of the 2025 Buick Enclave in Portland, Oregon: a front-wheel drive Avenir trim and an all-wheel-drive Sport Touring model.

On a mix of divided highways and two-lane country roads, I thought both Enclaves did an excellent job suppressing road and wind noise. Unfortunately, that new downsized engine sounds every bit like the four-cylinder it is. Especially when accelerating around town, I found it buzzy. To my ear it just didn't sound as refined as the six-cylinder engines in the Hyundai Palisade or Mazda CX-90, let alone what you likely expect from a luxury model.

James Riswick

When it comes to driving dynamics, I also think the Hyundai and Mazda are more composed and communicative. Both of the Enclave's available suspensions feel prone to excessive rebounding over bumps, and I found the steering to be notably numb and loose on center. On the winding roads leading to the Oregon coast, it proved less than confidence inspiring.

Performance was also underwhelming. To feel the advertised horses, I had to press hard on the accelerator, and the initial torque response made it seem as though there was no turbocharger on board. However, my ST AWD test vehicle showed 23.2 mpg at the end of my drive, exceeding the official EPA estimates.

The mysteriously reluctant horses aren't the only curiosities. All-wheel-drive Enclaves require pressing an "AWD" button to engage the system. The paddle shifters don't do anything unless you first press the "L" steering wheel button, and that L button doesn't actually kick down gears to facilitate downhill engine braking unless you pull the "-" paddle first. Fortunately, the new electronic shifter is easy to use and successfully frees up space on the center console.

James Riswick

The Infotainment and Driver Assistance Tech Is Exceptional

While I found the 2025 Buick Enclave unremarkable to drive, the optional Super Cruise technology is an excellent feature. Although it operates only on highways, it's no longer restricted to divided ones.

Oregon Highway 6 is an undivided two-lane road. When I used Super Cruise on it, the system's unmissable green steering wheel light would occasionally switch to blue and turn the driving over to me, such as around sharper corners. However, I found its performance impressive overall.

The Enclave's new infotainment system was also flawless in my testing. The screen is beautiful to look at, frequently accessed controls are easy to spot and press, and I never experienced any glitches.

James Riswick

Google Assistant quickly understood and responded to various vocal requests, such as one for directions to a local coffee shop. "Stumptown Coffee is 16 minutes from your location by car in light traffic," said the assistant. How helpful and polite.

With an easily accessed wireless charging pad, big cupholders, and a large under-console area that should fit a medium-sized purse, the cabin storage felt more than adequate. Room for larger items is good too, especially behind the third row. Though it measures less than the previous-generation Enclave, the length and width impressed me, and the extra space under the floor is generous.

James Riswick

There's plenty of room for people too. I'm 6 feet 3 inches tall and fit comfortably in all three rows — and the abundant third-row headroom is of particular note. That means kids and teens should be happier back there than they would in many of the Enclave's competitors.

One interior element some buyers may find disappointing is quality. While the materials and overall design looked and felt comparable to what's found in a top-shelf Hyundai Palisade or Kia Telluride, I don't feel they reflect Buick's aspirations.

James Riswick

How Much of a Luxury Brand Is Buick?

The 2025 Buick Enclave offers a large, family-friendly cabin and a list of tech features at a price that falls between mainstream and luxury vehicles. There's unquestionable value in this positioning.

How much value depends on how much you need its extra space and how much you'll appreciate that tech. It also depends on how you see the Buick brand.

Personally, I think Buick seems like a step above the Hyundais and Toyotas of the world, but I'm not sure that step is so high that the Enclave's price premium makes sense.

Buick provided the vehicle for this 2025 Enclave review and paid for airfare, lodging, and meals during the evaluation period.

James Riswick

James Riswick has wanted to be an automotive journalist since high school. He has attended an auto show every year since he was 2 and has been testing and reviewing cars since 2007. He owns a '98 BMW Z3, a '23 Kia Niro EV, and is presently looking under couch cushions for enough change to buy an E39 BMW M5.