The compact spare is underneath the vehicle, roughly under the rear storage area behind the 3rd row seat. To get to it you remove the storage tray behind the 3rd row seat and use the "tire iron" wrench from the jack area to lower the spare to the ground (on a cable). The owner's manual has a detailed explanation on the complete process to change a tire - including details on how to remove the spare tire in the event it gets "stuck" from coming down from its mounting location. Good luck.
Hope you got your white diamond, I have never seen a color sparkle like that color does. As far as the dirt, isn't any worse than a light gray or tan. I'm getting 20.9 mpg on mostly open road driving. It's like a tank. Originally ordered with the middle console and was called by my dealer telling me it wasn't available, so my car would come without. That was a blessing in disquise, as I had changed my mind after ordering, but was too late to call. Took me awhile to learn all the bells and whistles, mine is fully loaded except for the dvd but I have two 10" portables for my grandkids, which they like better than the small screens. The 10 speaker Bose system is so awesome. The 1st song I played is "hold on tight to you dreams". Felt like a teenager again. It's a fun vehicle. And I think Buick needs a commercial with better music instead of the old fuddy duddy stuff. Mine took 10 weeks, received it 12/18. You won't be sorry you got an Enclave. My husband has the Rendevous, 24 mpg, pretty thing with all the extras too. They get a bum rap.
Gosh, I am so happy for you ... You sound estatic!!!!.. No mine is still in production and I will not see it till possibly Mid Feb... with your excitement I cannot wait... Yes I ordered mine without the 2nd row console so third row with the kiddies is van like... Congrates.... keep holding on tight !!!! I plan on playing "Queen" Bohemian Rapsody.... millie
I agree, Steve. I got my Enclave on 12/18/07. I'm like a 16 year old with her first vehicle. I love driving it and find every excuse I can to drive it. I have the 2-wheel drive model with the 4 captain's chairs and package 3 navigation system.
I love the XM radio, Bose sound and the navigation system. OnStar, of course, is wonderful. I'd had it my Tahoe but it was the analog version and had been inoperable for about a year so it is good to have OnStar back again.
The car drives like a dream and hugs the road like a much bigger vehicle. My husband always comments on how it hugs the road on curves. I helped move our daughter to a new apartment earlier this month and was amazed at how much I could get into the vehicle with the 3rd row seats down and the 2nd row captain's chairs moved forward.
I have no complaints so far and get lots of compliments on the car's styling, interior and exterior design.
A funny story about the navigation system. I work in a very small town and the work address in our multiple building location is the same for everyone. When I drove up to my building the navigation system gave me the building's street address. I've worked at this location for 30 years and never, ever knew that there were individual building addresses. Neither did anyone else I talked to!
This is the first car in many, many years that I look forward to driving every day.
Just got my Enclave. I sell cars and have not be this interested in a while. Traded in an avalanche for better gas millage but I am only getting 20. my avalanche got 18.
The noise is from the pass door seal. have your dealer look at the seal. I sold an Enclave to a engineer who had the same problem. Service did not know what to do so he figured it our. Take a look at you upper door or pass seal.
Any one know about the patch on the trans computer ?
Traded my 04 Cad SRX. ordered Enclave Nov.1, 2007. Just got it today Jan 29, 2008. Worth the wait, love it and so does everyone else. Much quieter and smoother than SRX.
Got the enclave on 12-12 with all the bells and whistles,early christmas for the wife. She loved it! It handles the road well, quiet ride, onstar,dvd,and stereo great, but acceleration seemed off. After 1 week check engine light came on and was told it came on because the wife got gas with car running and light would go off after around 50 miles.Also 1st tank of gas highway and local 13(ouch) miles per gallon. Check engine light went off in a few days, but getting on a highway or changing lanes where get up and go was needed, it didn't go.Second tank-12.5 MPG,3rd and 4th tank-13.5MPG WOW!!!! Also we noticed auto engine start would work sometimes,then only when you were right in front of car, then on around 1-18 would not start car at all. Also back door would not open or close from remote or button on door and a few times couldn't even open it manually. Having a three year old daughter,finally got it in to service on 1-28. Turns out cam sensor on engine went causing bad gas mileage,poor acceleration, and remote start malfunction. Also pin in remote was out causing back door not to open. Parts are ordered,will get back and give a follow up on this beautiful looking, super quiet riding,GAS GUZZLING machine. PS.. 5th & 6th tank between 13-14 mpg. My wife also isnt a herky-jerky driver and doesnt have a lead foot like myself. All driving has been 60-40,local to thruway driving.
Last week I picked up my white tricoat cxl awd Enclave since ordering it Nov 2. It is a "SHOWSTOPPER" I live near the Hamptons and out here you see it all but I am getting soooo much attention it makes me paranoid when I walk to the car because other cars hover around it to see it!! Peole are constantly asking and complimenting it. The drive is smooth, very quite. The kids love the Dvd system and the Bose system is great. Had to travel to a dealer all the way in the Bronx. LaSorsa because no one out here in L.I wanted to deal. They were straight up with me all the way about the waiting time and kept me post. I am pleased with this vehicle and it made it easier to come down from a Navigator to this car. It was worth the wait!!!!
last week enclave was in service dept 4 days. cam sensor was replaced on monday, engine lite went back on monday night. drove it back to dealer tuesday am with light still on, they gave me a rental car to get home, then called 2 hours later, light was off. this happenned 3 days in a row, called onstar drivetrain problem, ignition problem etc etc. the wife took the car down to myrtle beach on 2-8. first 2 tanks of gas 22mpg. last tank back down to 13. service dept. in nj called me sat. 2-9 telling me they just got a bulletin the cylinder head has to get replaced. engine light came back on 2-12. im heading down to myrtle beach on sat.2-16. will drop car off to dealer down there for head replacement. will leave a follow up after repairs are made on our big rolling turd! yeah right mr. goodwrench.
We were at a honda dealership and they happened to have an 08' enclave on the lot. We noticed exceptional wear on the beige leather seats and the carpet seemed extraordinarily worn and cheap looking. For such an exquisite vehicle I was surprised by this especially since we are considering the honda pilot or the gorgeous enclave. What is your experience thus far? Thanks in advance
My Enclave has gray (titanium) interiors, with a little over 5,000 miles in 5 months, but very easy care (except for an occasional ride by my dog). They have worn great, but they are new. The cashmere (or beige) is a more care-oriented color. I had this color in a 2002 Olds, and it required a lot of care...but was like new after 3 years and 35,000 miles...with 7 grandchildren crawling around in it. Like anything, if you don't take care of it, it won't stand up. It has to be cleaned now and then. I don't see how a 2008 can look bad, unless they go on hunting/fishing/football game trips every weekend and never clean the car out.
My 2008 Buick Enclave went into the dealer's shop on Feb,08,2008. They have a service bulliten that says to replace the head to correct play in the camshafts. Dealer says there is 1/4 inch movement at camshaft ends. Car is in shop waiting for a head gasket for the new head. I can't beleive that GM can't get a new head gasket to my dealer to complete this repair. The dealer was told that a new gasket would take until the middle of March before one could be shipped to him. This is not right, something is way wrong at GM. I can't belive that a parts supply problem is keeping parts from dealers. A head gasket is not a hard part to come by when your General Motors. I love the car but waiting over a month for a part like a head gasket just ain't right. I suspect that this might be more of a problem than the dealer or GM wants to admit to. I'd love to hear from anyone else having to replace the heads on the Enclave. I'll wait until Friday Feb, 22 then will probably envoke the Lemon Law. I can't beleive this fix should take this long. Meanwhile I'm now driving a Kia Sportage in place of my Buick Enclave. Maybe someone with GM will pick up the phone and order a head gasket and get it to my dealer. But until someone actualy does something, I'm stuck with my Enclave in the shop indefinetly. :sick: :sick: :lemon:
We have just completed our first 1,000 miles on the Enclave and thus far it has been a love affair. Great ride and an unbelievable 23.5 mpg on the the first 2 tanks. The only concern I have is with the drivers side airbag. If a person is in the seat at the time the engine is started, the airbag light says it is on, otherwise it is off. However, when a passenger gets into the front seat with the engine already running, the airbag remains off. The only way to get it to come on is to turn the engine off and then back on. Obviously this is a problem.... my question, is it isolated or systemic? Anyone else notice this?
I purchased a 2008 Enclave CXL on December 3rd. Engine light kept coming on. Of course when I brought it to the Dealer it wouldn't be on. I also noticed the transmission was sluggish. Long Story very short. Sensor was replaced. Kept having problems. Finally technical dept. at GM diagonsed problem as Cam shaft. I would have to have a new cylinder head. I explained I did not want a new cylinder head but wanted a new car. . Just file formal complaint with GM, get a case number, and have your dealer contact the AVM. I not only got a brand new Enclave, but a black one, to replace the Platinum, which is what I wanted to begin with. Don't let your dealer blame it on GM, your dealer needs to go to bat for you..I am a first time GM buyer and now refer to GM as Great Move.
Cam Shaft? Please explain to me what this is. I got my new Enclave feb 17 and when I give it gas (excellerate) I sorta feel smoething shifting ever so slightly under the car then it goes away> I mentioned it to my husband but he says he does not feel it. Is that a cam shaft? Please enlighten me.... I am so sorry about your situation but now I am worried... Millie :surprise:
Don't worry about a little rough shift or two. That will improve with time and more mileage ( gets better after 500 or so miles driven ). The camshaft is a shaft inside your engine that will limit and control how your valves and pistons run in the engine. It whats contributes to the horse power of the engine and gives it it's power.Your car is under a full factory bumper to bumper warranty as is mine. The problem I have is not in the work needed but in how long it's taking to get a simple part to complete the repair. I never experienced any loss of performance, I took it in because the Check Engine light came on, that's all. The dealer tore down the engine due to a code generated by the camshaft sensor that was measuring a 1/4 inch loose play at the camshaft ends. There should be little or no lo :confuse: :mad: :sick: :lemon: :lemon: sness in the camshafts. My camshafts are ok, but the head was where the loose camshafts were mounted. So they need to replace the head with a new one but can't get a gasket for it from GM. It seems that GM has no parts to fix the Enclave because of bad management and cost cutting by a company that suffers from nothing short of customer dis-satisfaction. GM is cutting operating cost by only making parts for cars under construction at the assembly plant. But dosen't make any spare parts or inventory parts for cars already sold to customers who need warranty repairs. Like I said the Dealer Can't Get Parts. The dealer is only guessing that the new gasket will get to them sometime in mid March, maybe ? The car has been in the shop since Feb, 08, 2008. I think I've waited long enough and more than a reasonable time to fix my car. GM is playing around with my car and my time at my expense now. They expect me to be happy that they eventually will fix my car even if it takes a couple of months to do it. What happens if they don't have the part until sometime in April, or May, or June, or July ???????????
Wish I knew what you know. Called and spoke to the same old GM Customer Service.Just a different person this time. She said that the gaskets would have to be made and that the production run would take 2 weeks to complete before these gaskets would be shipped. It seems that my dealer is going to be waiting and fixing my car, which is fine with me. I just want to get it back, I do agree however that if GM or the dealer wanted to they would at least have put me into a same or similar car. At least they could have given me another Enclave or Acadia to drive instead of a Kia Sportage from Enterprise. It's just a piece of plastic with air and a radio, not anything like what I bought.Also I may have a emergency trip soon to Chicago and Wisconsin from Florida to attend a funeral. I might need to fly then rent a car but now we are getting into the Spring Break time here in Florida and I may have to drive it in order to get up north in time. In other words I may not be able to adjust for space and time in order to schedule a flight on a Thursday instead of a Sunday or Monday. So it's not just being without a car thats inconvenient for me, it's again not what I bought. Thats why I bought a new car, thats why I bought a Enclave, for the peace of mind that it was a good car that had a reliability factor behind it. What I have now is a Kia rental that I can't take out of state and a new Buick Enclave thats torn apart and will now have a rebuilt engine in it when I get it back. Hardly resembles what I paid over $ 43,000 for now does it ? I'll tell you all one thing that I will never do is buy American or Buick or GM ever again. And now I know and you all know why ! :mad: :sick: :lemon: :lemon: :lemon:
You bought a brand new car to avoid these problems. There are several Enclave customers who are facing the same situation. My problem was finally diagnosed 2 weeks ago by technical dept. at GM. My cam shaft sensor was also off by 1/4 inch.Call 1-866-790-5700 and file formal complaint, and make sure you get a file number, and the person you spoke with.. Keep track of every date you had a problem, who you spoke with, at the dealership both in service and showroom. If your not happy let the owner of the dealership know about it. After you file your complaint GM will call the person you spoke with to confirm. I filed a formal complaint on Feb. 7th, and my dealer had a brand new Enclave CXL fully loaded delivered to dealership Feb. 22nd. I love my Enclave. No more hesitation from Transmission, and hopefully no more engine light will come on. I am driving it for the weekend to make sure there are no problems. You don't need to file for Lemon Law,unless your dealer will not co-operate. GM is really standing by their customers. Like me, you bought the Enclave because nothing else compares to it on the market. GM GREAT MOVE
I am so sorry for all you are going through. I drove an Enterprise rental for 2 weeks. Again they were great. They gave me a brand new NITRO. I hated it. I just called Enterprise and asked them if they could put me in something else. Their response was, " I could change cars every day if that is what I wanted. Ask Enterprise to call you when a large SUV comes in. In the meantime switch out on a regular basis till you get something you will feel comfortable driving. Get your dealer to sign a waiver that you can take the car out of state. At least this is a temporary problem and you will be driving your Enclave before you know it. Don't give up on GM.!
Have had my Enclave (Platinum Metallic/ Silver by any other name thx to hubby's boring choice) 5 days. Read forums for 6 weeks - am waiting for the ABANDON CAR IMMEDIATELY light to come on based on everything I read here. HOWEVER, we do love it. Came from Honda Pilot which was a rough/tough/utilitarian car. What a beautiful, nice, super quiet lux riding car my Enclave is ! Try as I might, the only complaint I have so far is the odd placement of the grab handle in the passenger side pillar - only a orangantang ould reach that ! oh, another complaint - people keep staring at me and knocking on the window to see how I like it and compliment me on it - I'd think I was getting car jacked were it not for the caliber (jag drivers/lexus/land rover) of peopl (mostly men) asking.
Maybe the engines going to explode soon, but in the meantime, I"M LOVING THIS CAR ! 1st tank of gas not impoving on Pilot's miserable 14mpg - but I'm hopeful.
Hi...I have my Enclave since Jan - only 800 miles on it. I am wondering if anyone is experiencing a loud sounding noise when the car idles at times. A few times when I was at a light I thought there was a dump truck or motorcycle around me, and then realized it was my car. I have not had a chance to take it to the dealer,,,not sure if this is common with this car????? Thanks!
I can't say it's normal to this car...I've had my Enclave since September, with about 5,500 miles on it...but my previous car, a Terraza, did develop a similar problem. The dealer noticed that it had a defective muffler (baffles became loose) and they replaced it (no cost...under warrantee) After that it was fine. Check with the dealer!
Natalulu... your comment made me laugh because I am experiencing the same thing. I ordered mine in Nov and just picked it up Feb 13... I LOVE THIS CAR!! I traded in my 01 Lincoln Navigator... Well, I cannot believe how many people come up to me and I have become paronoid. I look around to be sure no one is near because people stop me as I approach my car. Since I park far from my destination ( for excersise) I observe other cars driving around mine just to look at it. My color is White tricoat but just any other color is fine beause it is a stunning car!!!! It is and eye catcher.. But I keep thinking to myself ok... when itwill things go wron???. Enjoy... Millie
Ok, I finally got my Enclave back and it's fixed. This is what happened. It took 25 days to wait and get a new head gasket from GM. It only 2 days for the dealer to fix the car. My front head had to be replaced and both cams were replaced. The part that took 25 days was a new head gasket from GM. This is too long to have a car torn down and setting in the dealers shop waiting on GM to make new gaskets. I don't fault my dealer, he was just as stuck as I was waiting on GM. I also learned a lot about this problem. First not all 3.6L VVT engines are affected, but a lot and I mean a lot will be affected. If you get a check engine, service engine soon, or service stability message, get it to your dealer. My car had a 1/4 inch lose play in the camshafts. Both camshafts and the front head had to be replaced. The hold up was 25 days waiting for a new head gasket from GM. This is why it took so long. I have my car back now and it's running better and smoother than it ever has. My dealer did a good job, GM took way too long to get the part needed. If you have your car in the shop torn down, hang in there. But do contact your dealers zone office, and GM's executive offices and let them know how long it's taking to get you back on the road. I'm glad this is now over and it's behind me, and now thats where I'll see you, ON THE ROAD.................
finally got enclave in service dept down at myrtle beach 3-3. jersey service dept called us un 2-15 saying they just received a bullETIn about replacing head. myrtle beach told us about same notice on 2-22. had to delay getting car into shop due to death up north. service called on 3-5, told us car was done, camshaft sensor was replaced again. also told wife something about ecm being replaced.(what is ecm?) they told us we have 5 pages of history on car since december an and camshaft sensor was not replaced. jersey service supposedly replaced sensor beginning of feb. so now besides car running like s--t, someone is lying to us. either sensor was never put in by jersey service,or myrtle beach service is to lazy to start pulling head apart and are taking a shot sensor will do the trick. the wife is picking up the car in about 1 hour, im sure engine light will be on within 24 hrs. will keep you posted. MR. GOODWRENCH!
went to pick up car3-6,mechanic drove up to service area, got in, and presto engine light was on. fix this time was reprogrammed ecm with new codes, checked camshafts,which were found to be ok.left dealer with another loaner car , they are fixing a new code that popped up whiched cause engine light to come on. the saga continues.
After the check engine light had come on and off a few times, which first was thought to be quality of gas. One dealer said drive it until you can bring it in with the light on. What I learned is everytime the check engine light comes on, it leaves a message with what caused the light to come on in the first place. In my case, it is the head has to be replaced. The car has been in the Buick dealer since February 28th with no idea when a head will be found. The dealer tells me that it is on "stat" which was explained as if any dealer has a head just sitting on their parts shelf, they are to ship it to my dealer? Can't imagine a dealer having inventory parts on a 2008 Enclave at this point.
Looks like I'm calling the complaint line to get more attention to the problem. We also experienced the shifting problem, where the transmission wants to shift to the highest gear as soon as possible.
Has anyone elese got a response from the complain department of GM? Any suggestions are welcome.
picked up car 3-10. was in shop since 3-4. service dept installed new cam sensor on exhaust side. ran car and codes popped up immeadiately. they proceeded to switch intake/exhaust sensors, road tested and rechecked cam end play.also in parts section of work order valve 0.736 was listed. im keepiing my fingers and toes crossed hoping engine lite stays off. also,service manager took car home for the weekend and proceeded to put 100 miles on it roadtesting it???????????????????????
I bought my Buick Enclave 08 on August, trade in for a Honda Oddissey 07, and I had a lot of problems, first with the DVD Player, later the car had water filtration in three doors, and now the engine isn't working. what is next? I don't know!!!!
engine lite came back on 3-13. it went a whole 3 days with lite being off. i dont know why they dont just follow the bullitens and replace the cyllinder head.also does anyone know the basic background concerning the lemon law? car going back in shop next tuesday,3-25. im wondering how good it could be for the car to be driving so much with the engine lite on?
From joy to broken hearted in 1,318 miles. Check engine light came on, "cams are walking" was the diognosus. After 3 weeks in MY guarge awaiting parts GM sent them, dealer found that a special tool was needed to install cams, GM did not send tool. Dealer sent to a machine shop to install!
What have I gotten into. Beautiful car, quite (or at least before the engine work) but what do I do? :mad: :lemon:
was suppose to bring the big white rolling turd back TO SERVICE,tomorrow,3-25, but as of 9:17 pm,3-24 engine lite is off. they told us not to bring it in if litr is off. the last 6 days lite has been on and off 5-6 times. the wife called buick direct on friday 3-21 ay 4:pm and had to give them the bulliten # we got up north about re[placing cylinder head and we were told everyone was gone till next week and call back on tuesday if none calls you on monday. needless to say were calling gm tomorrow. we r totally frustrated we this whole enclave experience. all we want is the car fixed, a new replacement or our money back. after spending 45++ grand on a AMERICAN CAR its absurd after 1 month the problems we have gone through which have continued for 2.5 months after and still no solution in sight. will keep you guys updated but in the meantime ANY SUGGESTIONS?
Hi Everyone, I should probably report this in the Maintenance & Repair section, but it appears that this thread has the most amount of traffic in regards to the Check Engine Light.
I bought my Enclave 2 weeks ago. Happened to stumble across this thread of discussions as I was trying to figure out what people were doing when it came to Bluetooth options. Found a much bigger issue at play in regards to engine light as earlier in the day, my check engine light had come on. I had read the manual and followed the directions to replace fuel cap. My husband had just recently filled up my tank, so that seemed to be a viable option. 3 days later, check engine light comes back on. We took it to dealer, came up Code P0346 - which means only the sensor needs to be replaced. They think it's just the sensor, but my husband thinks it's the cam's that you all are talking about - and has asked that they check them once they are in there replacing the sensor. We take it in tomorrow to get sensor replaced. I guess we'll see if that's the end of the check engine light.
On another note, the undercarriage is showing signs of rusting. This seems to be a big discussion in the Maintenance & Repair Section thread. This is our first new car bought off a lot, so was not expecting for that to happen. I've alerted our Service Manager & he will be taking a look at it tomorrow as well. It's extremely noticeable if you're looking at the passenger's side of the car...basically underneath the 2nd row passenger side undercarriage (i'm not sure what that piece is called underneath there.)
I have to say I fell in love with this car...once I got over the fact of it being a Buick. Now, I'm a bit worried about the reliability, and am on trip #2 to the Service Dept. after getting rid of my Grand Cherokee (80,000+ miles) with no problems. I'm just heart broken. We are thinking about doing the formal complaint to GM - but wanted to get this sensor replaced before doing so. Any thoughts & helpful direction are sincerely welcomed.
Kuqley... My gosh I noticed the same thindg under my new enclave. I just got it Feb and I am noting the same. Slight what appears to be rusting under the carriage. Please le me know how you make out because I am concerned as well,. Mine is garage kept and has not seen too much harsh weather. It appears like if there is a coating over those parts missing to avoid erroding. Please keep me posted. Millie
Hi Millie - I got my car back today from the shop. Was there for "check engine light issues", however, had also asked them to look at the rusting underneath the car. Basically, GM had issued a Bulletin that told the dealership that the rusting was normal & not to do anything about it. I asked for a copy of the bulletin (#PIT4351B) & basically it states that because the parts are produced in Michigan - that they are subject to road salt on the roads. It says that during transit some of the exhaust components may corrode as a result of this salt exposure. It also states that these components have been tested to 10+ years in normal service and that they vehicle cosmetic corrosion on these parts, which are not easily visible (I DISAGREE HERE) to the customer, should be considered an acceptable condition. It continues to state that the customers should be assured that these parts, even though they may have cosmetic corrosion, will not wear out prematurely or have nay type of durability concern. My husband and I will most likely file a formal complaint to GM based on our check engine light sensor issues - and this as well. We will see what happens!
I was lucky to be one of the first Enclave owners way back in Aug '07. Nine months and 13k later, I am ready to weigh in with my experiences. I have a 2WD CXL w/ent pkg 2, 2+2+3 seating, and nearly every other option. I live in NE Ohio and have taken it to NYC in the dead of winter and Washington DC this past March. Here's the Pro's and Con's:
Pro: Visual Appeal. This is one of the nicest looking cars, inside and out, on the market today.
Con: The seats are poorly executed. The bottom cushion tilt travel acts like a dump truck to spill you onto the front floor, but does not go nearly far enough in the opposite direction. Seats are way too soft. Bonus Con: Passenger seat bottom tilts toward the front. Wife complains she is always bracing herself with her feet to keep from sliding forward. No passenger power tilting seat in a $45k car? Are there no passengers working at GM?
Pro: Everything works. The memory seats, memory mirror setting, bi-xenon articulating headlamps, wireless DVD, auto-dimming outside mirror, etc. All the interior goodies I wanted function as advertised. Interior lighting is superior. The dashboard at night rivals any Cessna I've ever been in, and if you drop something on the floor the interior lights illuminate like a prison with the siren going off.
Con: Poor steering wheel articulation forces me to choose which part of the dash I won't be able to see while driving. Wheel down, I can't read my speed if it is under 45-50 mph because the wheel obscures the speedometer. Move the wheel up to see the speedo and I can't see the Driver Information Center or signal light indicators. Con Reducer: When you can see the dash, it is stunningly beautiful. Even more so at night.
Pro: Gas Mileage.I boosted my city mileage by accelerating like a snail. Now I'm getting 17-18 city mpg. At first, I was only getting 20-21mpg on the highway, cruising @ 69-74 mph. Over the last month I eased back and would set the cruise at 4mph over the limit, and mileage has jumped to 24-25 mpg. Our terrain is rolling-to-moderate hills, so I could possibly attain that magical 26 mpg-rating on a nice flat road.
Con: Now, at $3.49 a gallon, I'm only driving 4 mph over the posted speed limit on the highway, and at 95 mph this baby really shines. Around town, I'm easy to find (and catch).
Pro: Ventilation is outstanding. Auxiliary vents really help to heat/cool the kiddies in the back, and they worked very well to keep the rear side windows fog-free all winter long.
Con: All these great aerodynamics make for serious wind thumping when the wrong combination of windows are open. You have to find the right combination of windows and sky roof to stop it.
Pro: Strong Engine. I won't win any drag races, but I have all the torque I need to pass on the highway, merge into traffic, and accelerate with confidence.
Con: Brakes are only fair. Driving dynamics are not "inspiring".
So there you have it. I have a couple of minor squeaks that I'll have the dealer address at my next oil change, and yesterday the button on the rear hatch that lowers the rear hatch decided to give up the ghost. My overall rating would be an 8.0. The car is amazingly quiet at any speed. It idles so smoothly, on more than one occasion at the car wash I've had to rev the engine to see the tach move to make sure it was still on. I have a small 5x8 trailer I use to haul light loads, and I really appreciate the hitch cover integrated into the bumper (until you try to put it back on in January with the temperature hovering near zero and you can't locate the darn hole to..well, you get the idea).
The kids (7 and 10) love the rear entertainment. My wife and I like it because we can listen to XM Comedy without worrying about the kids hearing naughty language because they are watching and laughing to Shrek in their wireless headphones. The ingress/egress to the third row is a snap. We have a boxer who loves to go back and forth between the 2nd row captain's chairs to check out the driver, make sure everything is ok, then saunter back to the rear. Over and over.
Storage, cup holders, even the gear-shift knob just fall nicely into your hands. I am very pleased with the fit and finish. Gap tolerances inside and out are excellent, though maybe a quarter-step below a Lexus. But hey, this is a Buick, right? For a GM product to be that close is amazing and welcome.
My only trips to the dealer were for scheduled maintenance and an emergency run when I poured the washer fluid into the coolant reservoir. I did spring for nitrogen gas in the tires, and they really hold their pressure evenly.
Finally, I can proudly say my car turns heads, drives nicely, works properly and can haul a ton of stuff home from Costco while still getting respectable gas mileage.
I was so happy to read your review. I have heard these horror stories in the "Enclave owners give us your report" segment and your cons all in all are minor and informative. My biggest regret is not getting mine with running boards. I am petite and even though I traded in my Navigator I still miss the step up because my legs are short.Yes this is a lower platform but that still does not change my short legs . I just got mine Feb and I live in the North Fork, NY... It is a stunning vehicle. I get a lot of second looks from the upscale hamptonites.. thanks.... Millie
I picked up my enclave 2 weeks ago and am having an issue the dealer claims is a "new one". Just wondering if anyone else has had this issue. Got entertainment package 2 for the kids to listen to their CD's in the back on their headsets. They love it! Only problem is that when they are listening to that and I am listening to my radio in the front, their music is feeding back into my stereo system. It's at a lower volume, but it is still there, and it's starting to drive me crazy! They tried putting in a new radio, but that didn't help. I still have my car while they are working on the problem. Said they found an Acadia on the lot that is doing the same thing. Anyone else dealing with this issue? Wondering how long it will be until they find a solution.
Nice review...I've owned my Enclave since early October (after a three month wait on my order) and I have to say I'm totally happy with my decision to buy one. Mine has AWD and the entertainment package #4. I have three kids, 15 and under and while we haven't even used the DVD player yet, it is the perfect vehicle for hauling around the family. So easy to get in and out and super quiet. We live in Minnesota and the winter driving was no problem. BEST feature (I know it's nothing specific to Enclave), the remote start, since I keep it outside...totally necessary this last winter!
Yes the mileage is not what I'd like (15.8 mpg in city driving so far), but I'm glad they didn't put in a bigger engine or this would have been a deal breaker on mileage. While it doesn't take off like a rocket (owned an Audi A4 manual with 2.8 liter for 10 years prior) it has PLENTY of power when needed.
I'm glad mine is running fine, especially after reading the problems people are writing about here!
My Enclave has ent pkg#2 ... My son controls the back and no problems as of yet. Could be an isolated problem here and there. The kids love it they, my 6 yr old watches a movie while my 12yr old listens to his music and I in turn listen to mine. I do notice however that when he turns on his headphone it does slightly reduce my volume a bit but no feed back... good luck with the repairs... Millie
Thanks for the response! My kids love it too, and so do I. They are 2 and 4 and have never been so quiet in the back! I really hope they find a fix soon. Mickey Mouse singing back-up to talk radio is pretty annoying.
After comparing and contrasting various crossover models,, I could not be happier with my choice of Buick Enclave. If this vehicle does not bring back those who have long abandoned domestics, I'm not sure what will. The quality, fit and finish is outstanding. The ride is as comfortable and quiet as the Cadillac DTS we have. Even though we only get 23-24 mpg on the highway, I feel safe and secure- with the size and safety features galore. Here is one satisfied customer who sincerely hopes GM can continue putting out vehicles like the Enclave, Cadillac CTS, and Malibu- if GM would only rev up production to have more of these vehicles in stock on dealer lots ( especially the CTS and Enclave)..
Per my previous comment about the sloppy seat bottoms on my CXL, I found an automotive upholstery shop that put real (read: firm) foam in my two front seats. He also built up the front of the passenger side seat so it wouldn't feel like a sliding board dumping you on to the front floor.
cost: $150.00
He showed me the crappy OEM foam, explained how nearly everyone used it, then showed me his industrial-strength foam.
After driving imported cars/vans for over 25 years (Honda's and VW's), I have to say I was very cautious to even think about buying a GM. My experience with GM products wasn't good (which is what sent me to imports over 25 years ago) and in rental fleets where I'd basically laugh at the crap the General tried foisting off on the North American public and wondering why they were still in business.
I attended the autoshow last year and saw the new Chevy Malibu and came away VERY impressed. It was close to the fit and finish of my VW Passat GLX (which has to be one of the best interiors in the business) and finally GM had things right like direct lines of site to the gauges versus having to bend your head to see important gauges like the SPEEDO in previous versions I'd rented. This caused me to wander over to the SUV section to see if they had anything... and I fell in love with the Enclave. I was about ready to purchase a Mercede's R320 (my number 2 was a LEXUS RX400) when I saw it. I loved the looks of the thing (I got the chocolate CXL fully loaded with AWD) and thought the interior was the best of all of them.
We call it the magic school bus as it's WAY bigger than it looks - you find out when you try to park it - do NOT buy it without the rear backup camera! We have put over 15000 miles on it in fairly rough service (we live out in the country on some pretty bumpy roads and tow a 4000 boat a fair bit) and have had NO issues on it at all. This is the first car we've had that I haven't taken 5-10 things into the dealer at the first maintenance check. My last Honda (Odyessy), I'd replaced the tranny by now (the first of 3 times). On the Passat - the most reliable of the cars I'd ever owned, I'd had it in for lots of minor trim issues - just factory QA. The Buick was perfect.
Now, there are two things that I don't like... The lack of Rain Sensor wipers - apparently the gal who is the product owner hates them and decided that customers wouldn't get a choice. Someone needs to tell her who she really works for! The other is that the tranny shifts around a bit much. I think it's because the 3.6 is a bit light for this heavy vehicle and they have put a 6 speed in it so it's going to shift down on steep hills or when passing. I can certainly live with it but it does bug my wife a bit.
It isn't great on gas (especially if you drive it at 80mph) but if you keep the speed down, it's better than both my old Passat and the Odyssey. I heartily recommend this vehice and if they put a good torquey VW/Mercedes blue tech style Diesel in it, it would be just about perfect. It's SO quiet it is a joy to drive. Well done General - now if you can fix the rest of the crap in your line up you might actually have a chance of hauling yourself back from the brink.
To follow up my April post, we just returned from a 2350 mile jaunt from Ohio to Florida. The Big Red Wagon :shades: performed flawlessly, turning heads as we zipped past just about everyone (need a rabbit out front for protection). Let me reiterate the $150 I spent to bolster the seat cushions paid off in spades this trip: double-digit hours behind the wheel with no neck, back or shoulder pain whatsoever. I was very surprised when it dawned on me I did not have to change the seating position at all during the trip. WOW!
I purchased and installed a set of roof rails so I could attach my Thule Mountaineer. We prefer to load up the roof rack and have ample space in the vehicle for snacks and general comfort.
Pounding the pavement at sustained 80-85mph, the mileage for the entire trip was 20.8mpg. For a fully-loaded 5,000lb vehicle with the a/c on the whole time and a roof rack, I feel this is exemplary mileage. My '01 Sequoia with the same Thule on top barely managed 17mpg when we blasted our way to the Outer Banks.
The Enclave's highway manners are excellent. Acceleration is there when you need it: 80mph cruising puts you smack dab in the middle of the torque curve. Emergency braking revealed no uneven wear in the rotors or pads yet...braking is still as smooth as the day I drove it off the lot. I had the tires rotated at 12k, so I will do it again at the next oil change.
The articulating headlamps, a source of entertainment up until now, really perform well on highway curves. And the West Virginia mountains have plenty of tight curves at speed.
While I have had no cause to tire of my car, this trip reinforced what a great machine GM has put together. Our family will plan additional road trips and bypass the airports entirely.
And with all due respect to Jackie Gleason, we have dubbed ourselves: "The Enclavers."
I would say check the "Lemon Law". After a number of attempts during a specified time frame to fix the problem, if it's not done they would be required to replace your Enclave or refund the $$$$. I had to go through that process with Chrysler in 1996 with a T&C, with trans problems. Chrysler replaced the van, no atty was even needed! Good Luck!
Comments
To get to it you remove the storage tray behind the 3rd row seat and use the "tire iron" wrench from the jack area to lower the spare to the ground (on a cable).
The owner's manual has a detailed explanation on the complete process to change a tire - including details on how to remove the spare tire in the event it gets "stuck" from coming down from its mounting location.
Good luck.
I love the XM radio, Bose sound and the navigation system. OnStar, of course, is wonderful. I'd had it my Tahoe but it was the analog version and had been inoperable for about a year so it is good to have OnStar back again.
The car drives like a dream and hugs the road like a much bigger vehicle. My husband always comments on how it hugs the road on curves. I helped move our daughter to a new apartment earlier this month and was amazed at how much I could get into the vehicle with the 3rd row seats down and the 2nd row captain's chairs moved forward.
I have no complaints so far and get lots of compliments on the car's styling, interior and exterior design.
A funny story about the navigation system. I work in a very small town and the work address in our multiple building location is the same for everyone. When I drove up to my building the navigation system gave me the building's street address. I've worked at this location for 30 years and never, ever knew that there were individual building addresses. Neither did anyone else I talked to!
This is the first car in many, many years that I look forward to driving every day.
The noise is from the pass door seal. have your dealer look at the seal. I sold an Enclave to a engineer who had the same problem. Service did not know what to do so he figured it our. Take a look at you upper door or pass seal.
Any one know about the patch on the trans computer ?
It is a "SHOWSTOPPER" I live near the Hamptons and out here you see it all but I am getting soooo much attention it makes me paranoid when I walk to the car because other cars hover around it to see it!! Peole are constantly asking and complimenting it. The drive is smooth, very quite. The kids love the Dvd system and the Bose system is great. Had to travel to a dealer all the way in the Bronx. LaSorsa because no one out here in L.I wanted to deal. They were straight up with me all the way about the waiting time and kept me post. I am pleased with this vehicle and it made it easier to come down from a Navigator to this car. It was worth the wait!!!!
oh, another complaint - people keep staring at me and knocking on the window to see how I like it and compliment me on it - I'd think I was getting car jacked were it not for the caliber (jag drivers/lexus/land rover) of peopl (mostly men) asking.
Maybe the engines going to explode soon, but in the meantime, I"M LOVING THIS CAR ! 1st tank of gas not impoving on Pilot's miserable 14mpg - but I'm hopeful.
I traded in my 01 Lincoln Navigator... Well, I cannot believe how many people come up to me and I have become paronoid. I look around to be sure no one is near because people stop me as I approach my car. Since I park far from my destination ( for excersise) I observe other cars driving around mine just to look at it. My color is White tricoat but just any other color is fine beause it is a stunning car!!!! It is and eye catcher.. But I keep thinking to myself ok... when itwill things go wron???. Enjoy... Millie
In my case, it is the head has to be replaced. The car has been in the Buick dealer since February 28th with no idea when a head will be found. The dealer tells me that it is on "stat" which was explained as if any dealer has a head just sitting on their parts shelf, they are to ship it to my dealer? Can't imagine a dealer having inventory parts on a 2008 Enclave at this point.
Looks like I'm calling the complaint line to get more attention to the problem. We also experienced the shifting problem, where the transmission wants to shift to the highest gear as soon as possible.
Has anyone elese got a response from the complain department of GM? Any suggestions are welcome.
Thanks
rosebud-58@hotmail.com
What have I gotten into. Beautiful car, quite (or at least before the engine work) but what do I do?
I bought my Enclave 2 weeks ago. Happened to stumble across this thread of discussions as I was trying to figure out what people were doing when it came to Bluetooth options. Found a much bigger issue at play in regards to engine light as earlier in the day, my check engine light had come on. I had read the manual and followed the directions to replace fuel cap. My husband had just recently filled up my tank, so that seemed to be a viable option. 3 days later, check engine light comes back on. We took it to dealer, came up Code P0346 - which means only the sensor needs to be replaced. They think it's just the sensor, but my husband thinks it's the cam's that you all are talking about - and has asked that they check them once they are in there replacing the sensor. We take it in tomorrow to get sensor replaced. I guess we'll see if that's the end of the check engine light.
On another note, the undercarriage is showing signs of rusting. This seems to be a big discussion in the Maintenance & Repair Section thread. This is our first new car bought off a lot, so was not expecting for that to happen. I've alerted our Service Manager & he will be taking a look at it tomorrow as well. It's extremely noticeable if you're looking at the passenger's side of the car...basically underneath the 2nd row passenger side undercarriage (i'm not sure what that piece is called underneath there.)
I have to say I fell in love with this car...once I got over the fact of it being a Buick. Now, I'm a bit worried about the reliability, and am on trip #2 to the Service Dept. after getting rid of my Grand Cherokee (80,000+ miles) with no problems. I'm just heart broken. We are thinking about doing the formal complaint to GM - but wanted to get this sensor replaced before doing so. Any thoughts & helpful direction are sincerely welcomed.
Pro: Visual Appeal. This is one of the nicest looking cars, inside and out, on the market today.
Con: The seats are poorly executed. The bottom cushion tilt travel acts like a dump truck to spill you onto the front floor, but does not go nearly far enough in the opposite direction. Seats are way too soft.
Bonus Con: Passenger seat bottom tilts toward the front. Wife complains she is always bracing herself with her feet to keep from sliding forward. No passenger power tilting seat in a $45k car? Are there no passengers working at GM?
Pro: Everything works. The memory seats, memory mirror setting, bi-xenon articulating headlamps, wireless DVD, auto-dimming outside mirror, etc. All the interior goodies I wanted function as advertised. Interior lighting is superior. The dashboard at night rivals any Cessna I've ever been in, and if you drop something on the floor the interior lights illuminate like a prison with the siren going off.
Con: Poor steering wheel articulation forces me to choose which part of the dash I won't be able to see while driving. Wheel down, I can't read my speed if it is under 45-50 mph because the wheel obscures the speedometer. Move the wheel up to see the speedo and I can't see the Driver Information Center or signal light indicators.
Con Reducer: When you can see the dash, it is stunningly beautiful. Even more so at night.
Pro: Gas Mileage.I boosted my city mileage by accelerating like a snail. Now I'm getting 17-18 city mpg. At first, I was only getting 20-21mpg on the highway, cruising @ 69-74 mph. Over the last month I eased back and would set the cruise at 4mph over the limit, and mileage has jumped to 24-25 mpg. Our terrain is rolling-to-moderate hills, so I could possibly attain that magical 26 mpg-rating on a nice flat road.
Con: Now, at $3.49 a gallon, I'm only driving 4 mph over the posted speed limit on the highway, and at 95 mph this baby really shines. Around town, I'm easy to find (and catch).
Pro: Ventilation is outstanding. Auxiliary vents really help to heat/cool the kiddies in the back, and they worked very well to keep the rear side windows fog-free all winter long.
Con: All these great aerodynamics make for serious wind thumping when the wrong combination of windows are open. You have to find the right combination of windows and sky roof to stop it.
Pro: Strong Engine. I won't win any drag races, but I have all the torque I need to pass on the highway, merge into traffic, and accelerate with confidence.
Con: Brakes are only fair. Driving dynamics are not "inspiring".
So there you have it. I have a couple of minor squeaks that I'll have the dealer address at my next oil change, and yesterday the button on the rear hatch that lowers the rear hatch decided to give up the ghost. My overall rating would be an 8.0. The car is amazingly quiet at any speed. It idles so smoothly, on more than one occasion at the car wash I've had to rev the engine to see the tach move to make sure it was still on. I have a small 5x8 trailer I use to haul light loads, and I really appreciate the hitch cover integrated into the bumper (until you try to put it back on in January with the temperature hovering near zero and you can't locate the darn hole to..well, you get the idea).
The kids (7 and 10) love the rear entertainment. My wife and I like it because we can listen to XM Comedy without worrying about the kids hearing naughty language because they are watching and laughing to Shrek in their wireless headphones.
The ingress/egress to the third row is a snap. We have a boxer who loves to go back and forth between the 2nd row captain's chairs to check out the driver, make sure everything is ok, then saunter back to the rear. Over and over.
Storage, cup holders, even the gear-shift knob just fall nicely into your hands. I am very pleased with the fit and finish. Gap tolerances inside and out are excellent, though maybe a quarter-step below a Lexus. But hey, this is a Buick, right? For a GM product to be that close is amazing and welcome.
My only trips to the dealer were for scheduled maintenance and an emergency run when I poured the washer fluid into the coolant reservoir. I did spring for nitrogen gas in the tires, and they really hold their pressure evenly.
Finally, I can proudly say my car turns heads, drives nicely, works properly and can haul a ton of stuff home from Costco while still getting respectable gas mileage.
High gas prices may save you from some speeding tickets. :P
I bet an upholstery shop could add or replace some foam in those seat bottoms for not too much money.
The thumping helicopter noise is all too common on most new cars nowadays.
thanks.... Millie
Yes the mileage is not what I'd like (15.8 mpg in city driving so far), but I'm glad they didn't put in a bigger engine or this would have been a deal breaker on mileage. While it doesn't take off like a rocket (owned an Audi A4 manual with 2.8 liter for 10 years prior) it has PLENTY of power when needed.
I'm glad mine is running fine, especially after reading the problems people are writing about here!
cost: $150.00
He showed me the crappy OEM foam, explained how nearly everyone used it, then showed me his industrial-strength foam.
Best $150 I've spent on the car so far!
I attended the autoshow last year and saw the new Chevy Malibu and came away VERY impressed. It was close to the fit and finish of my VW Passat GLX (which has to be one of the best interiors in the business) and finally GM had things right like direct lines of site to the gauges versus having to bend your head to see important gauges like the SPEEDO in previous versions I'd rented. This caused me to wander over to the SUV section to see if they had anything... and I fell in love with the Enclave. I was about ready to purchase a Mercede's R320 (my number 2 was a LEXUS RX400) when I saw it. I loved the looks of the thing (I got the chocolate CXL fully loaded with AWD) and thought the interior was the best of all of them.
We call it the magic school bus as it's WAY bigger than it looks - you find out when you try to park it - do NOT buy it without the rear backup camera! We have put over 15000 miles on it in fairly rough service (we live out in the country on some pretty bumpy roads and tow a 4000 boat a fair bit) and have had NO issues on it at all. This is the first car we've had that I haven't taken 5-10 things into the dealer at the first maintenance check. My last Honda (Odyessy), I'd replaced the tranny by now (the first of 3 times). On the Passat - the most reliable of the cars I'd ever owned, I'd had it in for lots of minor trim issues - just factory QA. The Buick was perfect.
Now, there are two things that I don't like... The lack of Rain Sensor wipers - apparently the gal who is the product owner hates them and decided that customers wouldn't get a choice. Someone needs to tell her who she really works for! The other is that the tranny shifts around a bit much. I think it's because the 3.6 is a bit light for this heavy vehicle and they have put a 6 speed in it so it's going to shift down on steep hills or when passing. I can certainly live with it but it does bug my wife a bit.
It isn't great on gas (especially if you drive it at 80mph) but if you keep the speed down, it's better than both my old Passat and the Odyssey. I heartily recommend this vehice and if they put a good torquey VW/Mercedes blue tech style Diesel in it, it would be just about perfect. It's SO quiet it is a joy to drive. Well done General - now if you can fix the rest of the crap in your line up you might actually have a chance of hauling yourself back from the brink.
I purchased and installed a set of roof rails so I could attach my Thule Mountaineer. We prefer to load up the roof rack and have ample space in the vehicle for snacks and general comfort.
Pounding the pavement at sustained 80-85mph, the mileage for the entire trip was 20.8mpg. For a fully-loaded 5,000lb vehicle with the a/c on the whole time and a roof rack, I feel this is exemplary mileage. My '01 Sequoia with the same Thule on top barely managed 17mpg when we blasted our way to the Outer Banks.
The Enclave's highway manners are excellent. Acceleration is there when you need it: 80mph cruising puts you smack dab in the middle of the torque curve. Emergency braking revealed no uneven wear in the rotors or pads yet...braking is still as smooth as the day I drove it off the lot. I had the tires rotated at 12k, so I will do it again at the next oil change.
The articulating headlamps, a source of entertainment up until now, really perform well on highway curves. And the West Virginia mountains have plenty of tight curves at speed.
While I have had no cause to tire of my car, this trip reinforced what a great machine GM has put together. Our family will plan additional road trips and bypass the airports entirely.
And with all due respect to Jackie Gleason, we have dubbed ourselves: "The Enclavers."
Good Luck!