bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

i was curious about this redesign as i might want some more space for my next vehicle. the new enclave is getting good reviews. the 'old one' always seemed really frumpy, uninspired and boring, but it's been quite popular i believe.

anyway, local dealer has had 3 avenirs in so far, their new top trim. Avenir means unique grill, wheels, and features. One in white was gone before i got there. Found out after the test drive the black one i drove was also sold. And the third was sold too!

in a hat tip to mmarshall i also looked at and sat in a lacrosse which is a really beautiful design imo. the avenir trim will be available soon for the lacrosse too.

the exterior enclave avenir look caught my eye... i think it’s s sharp, less boxy, and stylish.



feature wise it's pretty loaded. Inexplicably to me, and mmarshall says maybe so as not to compete with cadillac, it doesn't offer rain sensing wipers, something i've come to appreciate in my jeep.

i was interested in the enclave and avenir trim specifically, because it has adaptive suspension, and is renowned for being quiet, so after a look out and in and at the features, it was off for a test drive the sales guy was eager for me to experience,

start the engine and i note it's certainly no quieter than my jeep at idle. that's not a bas thing, but i was expecting too much i guess. Before setting off i notice the steering wheel rim is thin and the overall design and materials is seriously cheap.

the overall interior design though is very attractive as well as very functional.



the infotainment screen is ok, but the mode icons look dated (i later noted the ones in the cousin acadia denali was much better), and it's obvious buick left room for a bigger screen leaving thick black bezels on either side.



now the drive... maybe because my jeep has a stubby electronic shifter the buick one didn't phase me, but it's obviously something one has to get used to. engine very responsive, normal shifts in the 9 speed pretty seamless although an attempt to 'speed up' from say 35 yielded a bit of a jerky downshift and then upshift. The ride quality was ok, but certainly not magic carpet ride or anything. Considering it's a fwd vehicle (sales guy said it was awd and was wrong), the turning radius is excellent, very surprising. Driving was not as quiet as i expected and no quieter than my jeep. The sales guy said he 'honestly' (yeah right) felt the prior gen enclave was quieter. I did read buick changed how it does sound proofing with this new model to save weight. Maybe it's relying more on the noise canceling feature i don't know. At a long light the car was very quiet but then i realized the engine was off due to auto stop/start capability. the engine started up before the light turned, presumably to keep the a/c running. It was noticable on restarting, and not something i feel i would like over time, but as mmarshall has pointed out, it can't be turned off.

some positives though... it's comfortable, roomy, the 3rd row seats are power foldable from the back, however, if the 2nd row is all the way back you can't raise the 3rd row! this was done so that when 2nd and 3rd rows are flat, the area is pretty seamless, although there is that 'hole' between the 2nd row captain's chairs. The infotainment has Apple CarPlay and android auto which is great. There's a wireless charging pad under the center stack controls. There's a nice storage spot under the center console.

so i guess in summary it was really nice but didn't bowl me over. i'm almost wondering what the cheaper chevy traverse is like.

Toys4RJill

I sat in one of the new ones. The interior was not that great. It had the worlds dumbest moonroof shade clip. I think Buick will have problems moving this vehicle down road, they already offer discounts like 21% off on some their cars. I would expect something similar.

Thanks for the review BTW.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

Couple of other things... the (fake?) wood inside looks bad. And avenir trim offers only 1 interior color (that brown).

Johnhav430

I'm still curious, per GM, it has 17 less cu. ft. less cargo than the original, which we all know is quite large (115 cu. ft, 4 cu.ft less than a current Suburban, which itself lost about 14 cu. ft. or so over the prev gen). Yet, it has an asterisk stating it is larger than its predecessor for cargo.

What's going on? Do we simply belive that 97 is the new 115? Is this math used only in the American market (I doubt Germans would believe 97 is more than 115).

pbm317

New measurement guidelines for cargo areas. I believe prior ratings would go all the way to the ceilings, whereas now many automakers are measuring only to the tops of the seatbacks. It's been noted on several cars, even with just model year changeovers and ratings going down on the exact same car.

Johnhav430

interesting...the details that you have provided, are meaningful...imho they should appear in a brochure. The question becomes, how can we determine that the new one, has more cargo space than the old, or does it? Not good enough to say there is no way to compare these numbers, just trust us. This kind of stuff happens all the time in marketing where it's misleading...like a car with 310 HP, 266 ft lbs, and the same motor from 2009 in another, 288 HP, 270 ft lbs. One would make a case the latter is more useful than the former, but the former looks good in a brochure with 310 being in huge letters. Can you imagine a soccer mom taking her Enclave to 6800 rpm? Might be a problem...and a whole lot of vibration...

ps. Suburban is same rating, and shrunk by about 11 cu ft with the new gen.

Toys4RJill

I have never really hated faux wood all that much. I think the Land Cruiser matte finish is nicer than the real stuff in some Lexus models such as that yellow stuff they used in the SC or the red looking stuff in the ES. With that said, at the price point and the idea Buick (near luxury) is trying to serve, they should be offering real wood as standard. Who would of though we would have faux wood and/or faux leather in premium priced cars (this goes for everyone who does it and not just Buick)

mmarshall

Thanks for the input, bit. A couple of points. First, on the ride-quality, don't forget that the Enclave Avenir comes with the larger 20" wheels....all the others come with the 18" wheels and huger-profile tires, which can be expected to ride a little smoother. (The Lacrosse Avenir comes with 19" wheels, as opposed to the standard 18" on other Lacrosse models, with 20" and Hi-per-strut suspension as an option on non-Avenir models). Second, if the Enclave's 3.6L/9-speed programming is the same as that of the Lacrossse (which I suspect it is) there ARE ways to get around that cut-off at idle. One can feather-foot the brake pedal up and down, very lightly, just enough to keep the system from engaging (give yourself a little creep-room in front of you). Try to judge traffic-lights and stop signs so that you don't have to make unnecessary stops. And a shift into neutral or manual mode before it engages will prevent it. It also will not engage during initial warm-up or if the computer detects battery drain or a significant load on the engine and accessories. I agree, though, that GM should include a cut-off switch for the system, but doesn't. Nevertheless, it does save gas.....I've been quite pleased with the mileage I've been getting. Third, I agree the steering wheel is cheap looking....same one as in the Lacrosse. That's one of the car's weak points, though the leather on the thick wheel-rim does feel nice in your hand. I think a polished-wood-rimmed wheel (real wood, not fake), like the one found on the Lexus ES350, is an option on the Avenir....but, unlike the one on the ES, only a relatively small portion between 10 and 2 o'clock on the rim is wood....the ES has two portions, top and bottom. Fourth, the salesperson was correct about Buick (now) using lighter-weight soundproofing on the 2Gen version, but that alone may not be the issue on the Enclave. SUVs and wagons are generally harder to soundproof than sedans, due to the large open space behind the rear seats that tends to amplify road noise like a drum. That same soundproofing works quite well in the Lacrosse sedan.

You'll get the same drivetrain/underpinnings, probably a little smoother ride with the 18" wheels (though some versions have the 20s), a little less-plush (but still nice) interior, and, of course, a lower price (but not that much lower....the Traverse is not chump-change).

pbm317

I think the Enclave is nice, but the Traverse is also really well done, and thus hard to justify some of the premium pricing that Buick is trying to charge, especially with some of the lack of differentiation in terms of materials, available features, etc.

GM's start stop is actually one of the smoother ones on the market, even better than many luxury brands.

My parents didn't need something as large as an Enclave, so I got them the new Acadia Denali (which with its downsizing was much more in line with what they wanted size wise) with huge 2017 MY closeout discounts. They've been very happy with it so far. Easy to use technology and much improved ride/handling (did get one with the active dampers) over the 2006 GX my mom was previously driving.

mmarshall

Yeah, Car and Driver really gave the new Traverse some accolades, calling it "Chevy at its best"....something that car-enthusiast mags don't often say abut SUVs LOL.

The one on my Lacrosse varies from almost totally seamless to a slight but noticeable bump.

Congratulations. It was certainly nice of you to give them a nice gift like that after all they did for you in the past. Best of luck to both them and the Acadia.

LexBob2

The Enclave is still selling pretty well. Thru November 43k (-10%) and for the month 6.6k (+88% incentives?). I would think as long SUV/CUV sales are strong and GM keeps the division it isn't going anywhere.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

i have no issue with faux wood or leather, but i just thought the enclave avenir's type looked cheap.

true, but many things have changed, partly a trade of tech features (up) for material quality (down).

mmarshall

In some cases, particularly with the excellent NuLuxe in Lexus products, I'd have to vote with the cows LOL......I'd rather have the fake stuff than the real stuff.....less potential trouble in the long run taking care of it.

bitkahuna

iTrader: (20)

if you mean that, great, but typically that phrase means something else. https://www.urbandictionary.com/defi...our%20input%21

mmarshall

I can assure you...it did not mean the latter. And, personally, despite the dictionary-definition, I have never heard the term used in that manner.

One question on the test-drive I forgot to ask: I think the Enclave has pretty much the same gauge-panel as the Lacrosse. Did you notice if the Enclave had that same red-warning-light quirk, on the initial start-up, where the two yellow lights, just to the right of the upper-speedometer come on for a couple of seconds with the ignition, go out as programmed, but the red coolant/voltage/oil-pressure lights, which share the same real-estate as the two yellow lights, sometimes come on, sometimes don't, and where sometimes only one or two of them will briefly flash? I also noticed that on You-Tube videos taken of Lacrosse start-ups. It's the only engineering-quirk I've seen on an otherwise virtually perfect car.