Buick, a brand navigating a unique space in General Motors’ portfolio, aims to redefine itself for a new era. While a significant success in China, Buick strives to solidify its presence in its home market. The 2025 Buick Enclave emerges as the latest model in Buick’s refreshed lineup, aiming to turn a new page for this three-row crossover SUV. After spending considerable time behind the wheel, this review dives deep into whether the Enclave is the key to Buick’s resurgence.
The 2025 Buick Enclave presents itself as a compelling option for those prioritizing a comfortable and refined ride, particularly for long journeys. Its cabin exudes a level of sophistication typically found in higher-priced luxury vehicles, a characteristic amplified by GM’s advanced Super Cruise driver-assistance technology. The powertrain delivers ample power, the interior boasts solid construction and generous space. However, the Enclave isn’t without its drawbacks. Its exterior styling might not appeal to everyone, and taller occupants might find the seats less accommodating. Certain aspects of the interior layout and technology could be improved, and the pedal tuning might require some acclimation for smooth driving. Despite these points, for those seeking a capable and comfortable three-row crossover for daily commutes and family trips, the 2025 Enclave warrants serious consideration.
Buick Enclave 2025: The Essentials
Buick’s rapid redesign across its entire model range culminates with the 2025 Enclave, completing a comprehensive refresh in under 18 months. Drawing inspiration from the Wildcat EV concept, the Enclave’s design marks a significant departure from traditional Buick aesthetics, aligning it with a more contemporary and forward-looking brand identity. As the largest and most premium SUV in Buick’s current offerings, the three-row Enclave accommodates up to seven passengers, strategically positioned within GM’s portfolio to avoid overlapping with GMC’s larger SUVs or encroaching on Cadillac’s luxury territory.
Powering the 2025 Enclave is a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, producing a robust 328 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque. This engine is paired with an eight-speed automatic transmission, available in both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive configurations. The Enclave’s chassis utilizes MacPherson struts in the front and a five-link rear suspension for a balanced ride. The top-tier Avenir trim further enhances ride quality with adaptive damping. Notably, the 2025 Enclave marks a first for Buick by offering Super Cruise, GM’s hands-free highway driving system, across the range. Buick has also prioritized cabin quietness, incorporating acoustic-laminated glass, thicker glass options, and triple-layered door seals to minimize road noise and enhance the overall passenger experience.
Buick Enclave Styling and Interior Impressions
The 2025 Enclave’s exterior design presents a mixed bag. While it photographs reasonably well, in person, its styling might not resonate with all tastes. The front fascia, with its Corvette-esque upper section, transitions into a somewhat blunt and slab-sided front end. The side profile is expansive, with standard wheels appearing somewhat undersized within the large wheel arches. The taillights bear a resemblance to those found on the Toyota RAV4, and the D-pillar design feels somewhat over-stylized. Overall, the exterior styling gives the impression of adhering to a checklist of design elements rather than a cohesive and organically flowing form.
Moving inside, the Enclave’s interior reflects a typical mid-range GM aesthetic. While there are touches of upscale materials and premium finishes, the overall execution lacks a distinctive character. Removing the Buick badge, it would be challenging to distinguish it from other vehicles in its class, were it not for the prominent, curved 30-inch touchscreen display dominating the dashboard. Buick emphasizes this as a class-leading feature, but in reality, only the central infotainment section is touch-sensitive. The portion to the left is controlled via steering wheel buttons, mirroring common industry practice. Furthermore, the screen’s orientation towards the driver may make it less convenient for the front passenger to operate.
Despite some design criticisms, the Enclave’s cabin offers a pleasant and comfortable environment. The perforated faux-leather seats feel both soft and durable, and interior storage is plentiful. Headroom is generous, even with the optional panoramic sunroof, although seat comfort might be a concern for taller individuals. Legroom is adequate in all three rows for adults, but the third row’s narrowness due to wheel well intrusion might be less comfortable for three abreast seating. The front-row headrests are angled forward in a potentially uncomfortable manner, and surprisingly, audio controls are absent from the steering wheel’s button array. The music note button only accesses radio presets, lacking song skip functionality, and the chrome rocker switch does not control volume. Volume adjustment is relegated to a physical knob on the center console.
2025 Buick Enclave: On the Road
From the driver’s seat, the Enclave’s hood appears longer than its exterior suggests. The sloping hood edges make judging the vehicle’s extremities somewhat challenging, although the 360-degree camera system and parking sensors mitigate this issue. Forward and side visibility are generally good, with acceptable three-quarter views and an adequate rear view through what feels like a rather small rear window.
The test drive route, traversing less-than-perfect road surfaces, highlighted one of the Enclave’s standout qualities: its ride comfort and noise isolation. The noise-canceling system in the Enclave contributes to an exceptionally quiet and smooth ride, rivaling that of significantly more expensive luxury SUVs, even without the Avenir trim’s adaptive damping. Comparisons to the Mercedes-Maybach in terms of cabin quietness are not unwarranted. Buick’s emphasis on achieving industry-leading cabin quietness appears to be genuinely realized, enhancing the performance of the 12-speaker Bose sound system. The audio system delivers solid sound quality, capable of rendering layered musical arrangements with clarity, even at lower volumes.
Steering in the Enclave is light and responsive, and handling and traction inspire confidence. While the engine provides strong acceleration, the throttle tuning could be refined for improved smoothness. The transmission response can feel somewhat jerky when accelerating from a standstill. Additionally, a slight dead zone at the top of the brake pedal makes achieving smooth stops a bit challenging, requiring a more deliberate braking technique.
The Enclave’s standard technology package is commendable, although not without minor shortcomings. Super Cruise proved highly effective and relaxing during highway driving, particularly on longer stretches, but its limitations become apparent in heavy traffic. The system’s situational awareness is not as nuanced as a human driver’s, and it can become overwhelmed in complex traffic scenarios. Instances of unnecessary lane changes and a false deactivation when the system misidentified an exit lane were observed. Faded road markings also presented a potential sideswipe hazard, requiring driver intervention. However, on open highways, Super Cruise performed reliably, although disabling automatic lane changes might enhance usability in more congested conditions.
Further tech-related observations included an overly sensitive forward collision warning system. Intermittent unresponsiveness with Apple CarPlay was also encountered. The absence of physical audio controls necessitates touchscreen interaction, a known source of driver distraction. While not directly related to driving, the key fob’s proximity-activated tailgate was found to be more of an inconvenience than a helpful feature in daily use.
Buick Enclave: Features, Options, and Market Competition
The 2025 Buick Enclave starts at $46,395, offering a generous list of standard equipment, including 20-inch alloy wheels and a proximity power liftgate. The interior features active noise cancellation, a 12-speaker Bose audio system, 126-color ambient lighting, tri-zone climate control, and heated, power-adjustable front seats. The infotainment system includes a 360-degree camera view, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and eight years of Google integration. A comprehensive suite of active and passive safety technologies is also standard.
Optional upgrades include quilted, perforated leather seats, power-folding second and third rows, seat memory settings, a head-up display, panoramic sunroof, and power-folding mirrors. Super Cruise is available as a $3,255 option across all trims and includes a Wi-Fi hotspot with unlimited data, although both Super Cruise and data services require subscriptions after a three-year trial period.
The top-of-the-line Avenir trim, priced at $59,395, incorporates many of these options as standard, adding adaptive damping, ventilated and massaging front seats, and heated second-row seats. It also upgrades the Bose audio system to 16 speakers and includes rain-sensing wipers, animated exterior lighting, and 22-inch wheels. All-wheel drive is a $2,000 option for any trim level.
In the competitive three-row premium SUV segment, the Buick Enclave is frequently compared against models offering similar hands-free driving technologies, such as the Ford Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, and certain trims of the Cadillac XT6. However, Cadillac often requires opting for higher trims or packages to access comparable features, making the Buick a potentially more value-oriented choice at similar price points.
Compared to the Ford Explorer, the Enclave’s BlueCruise-equipped counterpart offers hands-free driving at a potentially lower overall cost. The Explorer’s three-across second-row seating also provides enhanced comfort when all seats are occupied, and it achieves slightly better fuel economy. However, BlueCruise’s operational road network in the U.S. is significantly smaller than Super Cruise’s, which also negatively impacts the Lincoln Aviator, alongside its lower fuel efficiency. While all models share a 5,000-pound towing capacity, rivals with available 400-hp turbo V6 engines may offer superior towing performance compared to the Enclave’s four-cylinder engine. However, the Enclave compensates with a notable advantage in interior cargo space, potentially reducing the need for towing in many situations.
Final Verdict: Is the 2025 Buick Enclave a Good SUV?
The 2025 Buick Enclave, while not groundbreaking, emerges as a competent and well-rounded vehicle with a clear focus on long-distance comfort and convenience. Its quiet and spacious cabin, smooth ride quality, and class-leading Super Cruise technology position it as an excellent choice for road trips and family hauling. Buick has successfully created a capable road-trip SUV that minimizes driver fatigue and passenger discomfort on extended journeys.
However, potential buyers should consider its shortcomings. Seat comfort might be a concern for taller individuals, certain tech features could be more refined, and the exterior styling might not appeal to everyone. The third-row seating configuration also has limitations. Nevertheless, if prioritizing a comfortable and technology-rich three-row crossover for exploring the open road is paramount, the 2025 Buick Enclave is a strong contender that allows drivers to focus on the journey ahead.
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