Day-by-Day Review: 2009 Buick Enclave CX

By James Bergeron

Photo Gallery:
2009 Buick Enclave

Click Image to Enlarge

It has been awhile since I have driven a large SUV; I guess it was just about time as gas prices are starting to rise in anticipation of the summer driving season, but be that as it may, people need space to take those trips across the country and an eight-seater could very well be the ticket.

My tester this week is the base model Enclave CX, a Buick without leather. No sunroof and no heated seats either; and this is an SUV without AWD, it being a front-wheel drive model. A luxury SUV missing all the luxury… I’m not really sure what to think of that. I suppose this gets you into a Buick for less, but I fully expected a Buick to be gussied up inside — I guess that proves how much I know.

Click Image to Enlarge

Even though it is a base model, it does still have a good number of standard features. Some may even consider it fully-loaded, starting with the standard 3.6-litre V6 direct injection engine with 288 horsepower and 270 lb-ft of torque mated to a six-speed automatic transmission.

Some of the standard features include: fog lights, power liftgate, 18-inch aluminum wheels, air conditioning with automatic tri-zone climate controls for second and third row passengers, power mirrors and windows, ABS, traction control and stability control. Added as an option to my tester is the $800 driver confidence package which adds a backup camera integrated into the rearview mirror as well as reverse sensors.

When I drove the Enclave’s sibling, the GMC Acadia, back in 2007 I averaged around 15L/100km against its rated fuel consumption of 12.7L/100km city and 8.4L/100km highway. I hope the Enclave can do better than that so as to not break the bank!

2009 Buick Enclave CX
MSRP as tested (including destination): $43,785

For more information on Buick and the Enclave visit GM Canada

Day 2:

Click Image to Enlarge

I may have been a little hasty in calling this a luxury vehicle with no luxury. Although it is missing leather, it does have a good number of standard features you would expect on a luxury vehicle like: automatic HID headlights, a power lift gate, bluetooth and satellite radio. The key differentiators here are the styling and layout of the interior, both of which are certainly what one would expect from a modern Buick.

The interior is filled with wood accents, and although I’m not a huge fan of the beige interior with light wood (it seems too “old” for my tastes), obviously it works since I have seen a few of these Enclaves on the road over the past few days. And, oddly enough, all have been CX-trim models with the same exterior colour!

Click Image to Enlarge

The interior is well designed and stylish, yet simple and ergonomic. The General now makes top notch interiors that garner very little criticism from me.

If you need eight seats, the Enclave delivers with two benches behind the front row captains chairs, a layout that is a no charge option. You can also get a seven-seat version of the Enclave with second-row captains chairs, which makes climbing to the third row a little easier as well as providing the second row with more comfortable seating.

With the seats folded cargo capacity is enormous, offering 3,265 litres of volume with the second and third rows folded down. I like to use the Honda Fit as a comparison as it is a very spacious small car: the Enclave’s interior volume is more than double that of the Fit. Heck, the Fit might actually, you know, fit inside the Enclave.

Day 3:

Click Image to Enlarge

It is fairly obvious from looking at the Buick Enclave that it is a large vehicle. It is even more obvious when you are inside, staring at the review mirror, and the proportionally small rear window sits in the middle of the mirror, looking rather distant. The backup camera located in said mirror certainly helps you get your bearings as you reverse in parking lots!

And parking lots are tricky in the Enclave; there is something I have not yet pinpointed fully that makes it difficult to park. The smaller mirrors I believe are part of the problem; the vehicle’s sheer size is another part and visibility of the corners of the vehicle seems lacking.

Click Image to Enlarge

Out on the road, though, the Enclave surprises in a few ways. The extra coating on the glass provides an ultra quiet interior that is more than evident when you roll down the windows and realize the world is not such a quiet place. The engine and transmission are silky-smooth with imperceptible shifts and nearly zero engine noise.

When I drove the GMC Acadia back in 2007, I felt it to be somewhat sluggish, but the Enclave — with its small bump in power, lower weight and reduced drivetrain drag (front-wheel drive versus all-wheel drive) — seems plenty peppy and moves along with little effort.

Also surprising are the Enclave’s handling abilities. It certainly is no race car and wouldn’t stay flat through the pylons, but the suspension does a good job of keeping the tires on the ground and body roll in check. The large wheels and tires absorb bumps fairly well; the suspension is not to my liking, though, as it tends to float over bumps yet still manages to transmit harshness to the driver, creating an odd feeling that it is rough yet marshmallowy at the same time.

Day 4:

Click Image to Enlarge

Well, the Enclave didn’t fair too badly over the course of the week. In the regular city / highway driving mix that I do I averaged 13.4L/100km, which is worse than the city rating of 12.7L/100km. It’s still better than when I drove the Acadia back in 2007; I’m sure the lower weight of the Enclave CX — due to its lack of AWD — was a factor here.

Interestingly enough, this is identical fuel mileage that I achieved in the similarly-sized Ford Flex, and slightly better than the 14.5L/100km I achieved in the Honda Pilot and Kia Borrego.

*Rating out of 5: