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Comments
3RD ZONE -> I am one of those guys that often takes the approach that reading the manual is the last option - as I should just be able to figure it out. But I have to say that the 3rd zone climate control had me stumped. On my old minivan, I could control the temp and fan speed for the 3rd zone from the head unit. I also had the option of allowing the 2nd row passengers to set their own settings. In the Enclave, it seemed there was no way to make the 3rd zone follow the same settings as the driver/passenger zone. Then I read the manual! It seems that the label on the head unit is AUX. Turning that on set the 3rd zone to follow the driver/passenger. Just thought I would share that info, as the AUX label was not very clear to me.
EASY EXIT SEAT -> Now I have read the manual on this, but can’t find anything. To me, the Easy Exit Seat position is too far back and takes much too long to get there. It seems like it goes back 6+ inches and takes 4+ seconds. My wife's Nissan Murano goes back 2-3 inches and takes 1-2 seconds - feels just right. I am just looking for a little extra room - nothing huge. I don’t see anyway to change the position setting for the Easy Exit Seat. I tried holding down the Easy Exit Seat button for a few seconds, like the way I do to set seat positions for driver1 or driver2, but that just activates the move to the Easy Exit Seat position. Does anyone know if there is a way to set/reset the actual position of the Easy Exit Seat position?
Anyway, they had 3 Enclaves that they could sell so I ended up buying one off the showroom floor, a CXL Platinum Metallic with everything except navigation, including 19" chrome wheels & love it! Really a solid feel & loaded with enough bells & whistles that will make you refer to the manual many times, something I never used to do.
The plant, which employs about 2,800 hourly workers, makes the eight-passenger crossover vehicles which came out in April. Sales of all three took off in June, GM said, with dealer orders for the Buick seven times more than the plant could produce on two shifts.
"There are places in the country that dealers haven't even seen one yet," said Pete Nico, GM's vehicle line director for the crossovers. "The trucks are pulling in, and the customers are walking away with them. When dealers do see a shipment arrive, they don't have anything to leave on their lots."
Sales of crossovers, which have sport utility vehicle attributes but are built on more fuel efficient car underpinnings, are growing rapidly as the market shifts away from gas-guzzling truck-based vehicles.
OnStar is no replacement for bluetooth, that's for sure. There's no chance in hell I'm paying a monthly fee for Onstar, then another monthly fee for a Verizon phone, so that my wife can make occasional calls when she's driving.
So far I have used 20 of the 30 free minutes included with Onstar. I am thinking about coughing up the extra cash to attach the onstar with my verizon account, but it is going to cost me another $25/moth. Disappointing, definately. But other than the missing bluetooth, I must say that I love my new Enclave CXL AWD. It drives great, has lots of toys (well, other than bluetooth) and it looks great!
I didn't say that these SUVs were the best out there. They were (almost) good enough to bring my $$ back to a USA product - which I would prefer to do. For now, these products fall short.
Also, let's hope that the premium interior of the Enclave will be combined with a better sportier ride like the Acadia supposedly has. My MDX is such a surprisingly good handling ride for a large SUV. My Lexus RX-350 on the other hand is BORING. Buick, please don't copy the Lexus - take the competition up to the next level. Give us top notch luxury AND handling. There are people out here that would love to buy that combination !!
Oh, and while you're at it - please lose some of the Enclave chrome and give those of us under 65 us a sportier look. Thank you.
The redesigned Toyota Highlander has bluetooth AND 2nd row captains chairs! Go trade in your Enclave!
Just kidding...the Enclave is probably a better bargain than the Toyota right now (and the Enclave is roomier!)
Don't forget that you have to renew OnStar every year for the service to work, at a minimum price of $17/month if I recall. So basically you pay a little under $30/month for something that could be free. And that $30 is only true if you have Verizon as your carrier: if you don't, I assume that you have to get a full fledged plan (the cheapest is near $40/month), then add on $17/month for onstar, so basically almost $60/month. And of course, there is a one year commitment once you sign up...
Rip-off, imo...
Good bluetooth system don't need to "glue onto your dash". And they offer quality voice dialing which can easily access your phone book - without taking your eyes off the road to touch a screen
Please respond to jfallon@edmunds.com before 4pm Eastern on Friday, August 3 with your daytime contact information and a few words about your experience.
Pulled out the owners manual (all 554 pages of it) and finally got the power hatch to work again remotely.
Anyway, put on about 600 miles altogether and I must say it rides very nicely. I put in 39psi in the tires as I had the thing fully packed and the kids in the 2nd row. Handled great. Everything that has been said before here is true. Tranny hunts for gears sometimes, and the reflection off the chrome is somewhat annoying but not anything that's a showstopper. I found the reflection of the chrome in the sideview mirrors more annoying. Very comfortable driving position (although that did take some work to find), and could put adults in 3rd row for running around without much hassle.The rear sensors are a must. They're well worth the expense.XM radio was cool as the radio does fade out fairly easily.Couldn't figure out until halfway home why the station kept changing, until I realized I kept hitting the button on the steering wheel to change it(that's where my right hand is usually on the wheel). Had car seats in second row and I could fit between them and could ride an hour or two there if I had to (6ft and 36 inch waist). Road noise was there but not intrusive. Didn't feel quite as big as it actually is.
Coming home had again fully packed and had the cruise set at 75 and was averaging 22.4 according to the computer. This went down about 1.5 when got back into 'traffic'. There is definitely a significant dropoff if you're varying the speed (i.e. one minute you're doing 70 and the next you're doing 50, then back to 70 again). Around town or in heavy traffic, I can see 15-17 being the norm. This is more like a tank than a jeep when it comes to inertia:). Driving style definitely plays a role, and to those that complain I can only say, you may not realize how your style is affecting your MPG (don't shoot the messenger).
All in all GM definitely has a winner on it's hands. Although to me, the interior isn't as refined as say Sienna or Odyssey, it's not bad. It's no Lexus, but it's not the old GM tin can either. For the money (I figure MSRP on the model I drove is about 37K), I believe it's a good value. There is no nirvana when it comes to CUV/SUV but this is a good combination of legit 7 adult seating, cargo space, fuel economy and overall performance. Long term reliability will be the true barometer of how well this vehicle sells overall. If it's turns out to be anything resembling historical Toyota/Honda (forget the last year or two of their 'issues') I believe GM will survive long term as long as they carryover their lessons learned with this vehicle and incorporate into their other models (I think they have already with Impala, Tahoe). As with all things, there is no universal truth. This is just my humble opinion and I'm sticking to it :shades:
Now they have to convince more Americans that, indeed the fiascos of the 80's and 90's are history and they've really changed their ways. I'm in the market for a vehicle, and while I may wind up with a Sienna anyway (for other personal needs), this vehicle is definitely in the running for someone who hasn't owned an American car since
'91.
Cheers,
metmdx
Wow! What a ringing endorsement for American cars. However the bottom line is that the American car Manufactures don't meet his personal needs so he probably is going to buy a Toyota. That pretty much says it all doesn't it. :shades:
The guy likes the new GM CUV but needs a minivan. What does that say? That GM does not offer a minivan. Not every maker has a vehicle in every segment.
I did just read an article on the new Chrysler minivan. Better than any minivan on the market per the reporter. Suggest he tries a Chrysler minivan.
Chrysler may be an option; I am going to investigate before a decison is made. I kinda question their long term viability simply because of what I've been reading after Daimler bailed out, their pension liability is obscene and I don't know that they can garner enough market share to make it up. Again just my humble opinion :shades:
Thanks for your support 62!
metmdx
Have not rode in one but it is getting good reviews.
On a more on topic note, I picked up my new Enclave a week ago and must say that even with a few small glitches, such as the occasional slight tranny hiccup, the vehicle is as smooth as silk and very well laid out for comfortable driving. Everyone who's been in it for a ride or has gotten a close up look has been duly impressed with it's design and features. If reliability is strong, GM has a real winner.
The top of the dashboard reflects in the windshield; ask the engineer if there is a coating available that will eliminate the reflection.
The second-row bench seat can’t comfortably accommodate 3 small to medium size adults. The middle person must fit between the seat belt receivers that are spaced 11-1/2 inches apart. I’m 5 foot 7 and weigh 130 pounds and that’s an uncomfortable fit for me. The person on the drivers side is jammed against the person in the middle, however the person on the passenger side is the only one that has a comfortable seat. If you think that 3 adults are uncomfortable in the second row wait until you try to fit them in the third row. We rarely have more than the two of us in the car so we’re not too bothered by this but its something to discuss with the people that wrote the outlandish seating descriptions in the glossy Enclave brochure.
Since the initial 3200 miles have been about 95% at highway speeds the MPG (actual, not computer generated from the Driver Information Center) has varied between 21 and 25.
I like the exterior design of the Enclave, it has more curves than the Outlook and the Acadia. It has no rattles or squeaks; the ride is smooth, the Xenon headlights really light up the road, the interior is quiet, the interior temperature controls are effective, the MPG are OK, and the engine is strong.
If anyone is considering buying an Enclave, Outlook, or Acadia, I would suggest test driving the car at least 15 miles on the roads of your choice, not the salespersons.
Personally I just purchased a 2008 Highlander Ltd as I had to "dump" my 2000 Montana before more serious problems developed after being "babied" for 80,000 miles. I could not even bring myself to look at the GM Lambada crossovers (especially first year models). Fool me once shame on you, fool me twice shame on me, fool me three times shame on __?
Regards Canuck 17.
To eliminate the glare from the dashboard, Armor All makes a "matte" finish. Try it, it works.
As for the seating capacity, I have always tried the rear and middle seats first. All front seats should be comfortable, but not so with the rear. I once bought a '75 Toyota station wagon without sitting in the back first. My children hated that car because there was no legroom in the back seat. I had to get rid of it after only one year. The lesson is plain...try before you buy!
My sales pro told me he could have made more selling it to another dealer than to me with the GM supplier discount. GM is having a hard time keeping up with the demand. I hope it doesn't effect the quality. Good luck with your order. A wise man once said "All good things come to those with patience."
You'll love yours when you get it, I'm sure!
Canuck 17.
If the price was $1000 under invoice, then that may be a fair price.