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Buick Enclave Owners Give Us Your Report
Got a new Enclave? Please tell us about it.
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Since I broke the engine in according to the manual, i.e. <56 mph for 500 miles (and got 26 mpg!) I've been running it as we usually drive. At a steady 72 mph we got 22.1 mpg on a 90 degree day. I'm happy with the mileage.
The car was delivered in perfect condition and, as of the first 1100 miles, nothing has gone wrong. I'm particularly pleased with the OnStar turn-by-turn service. IMHO, it takes the place of the expensive nav system. We also opted for the $411 delete option bench seat in the 2nd row. That seat, in addition to providing another passenger position is just as comfortable as the captain's chairs. (Some people have said the middle position isn't comfortable though that isn't my experience.) It was great being able to listen to our beloved Tribe beat the Braves via the XM radio!
Finally, our (sold) 1998 Chrysler T&C awd minivan was more or less the same price we paid for our mostly loaded awd CXL Enclave. That's nine years ago!
We are, in a word, pleased with our purchase.
Jay
I'm a late-20's guy that is having a hard time accepting the fact that I just bought a BUICK! However this vehicle just has a wow-factor inside and out. My friends can laugh at me between now and the day the car arrives...I have a feeling the teasing will stop once they experience it. To me, it easily beat-out every other SUV and CUV on the market. It's got the interior of a Lexus, the exterior of an Audi, and the quiet smooth ride that is classic Buick. If this is the new face of Buick, I'll no doubt become proud to own one.
***** Well, I answered my own question. You don't get the 5.1 surround sound UNLESS you opt for the DVD player w/ 8" screen. That's a tough choice...larger screen...or surround sound? *****
If this car wasn't so awesome, I would just try something else but after checking Honda Pilot, Toyota Highlander, Toyota Sienna, Jeep Cheroke, Hyundai Santa Fe, Mazda CX-9....also the GM Acadia and Saturn Outlook......I still want the Buick Enclave, hopefully in this century!
I hope that some of the summer is still here and that my trade in doesn't lose more value while I wait for annnny day now!
2008 Buick Enclave -- A World Unto Itself?
Are the window sills on the front doors high like they are on, say, the newer Chrysler 300? In other words, does it seem you sit a little lower in relation to the window sills? Can you rest your arm on the window sill without having to raise it above your shoulder?
Also, what is the width of the storage area in the back? Can you fit a 4-foot wide piece of plywood in the opening?
Nope. The Enclave is not wide enough to accept a sheet of plywood. I am told that the Acadia can however. The Enclave is more curvacious than the Acadia.
Rear hatch opening...I know the plywood will not fit, but I even have doubts that golf clubs will fit with the third row up. There was something on the driver side sticking into the opening making it even narrower. I'll have to look at the Outlook and Acadia to see how they compare.
thanks for the info
Bill
No one said anything about the window sill height, but it doesn't matter now. For what it's worth, I'm not a big fan of the new style doors with narrow windows; much prefer the lower sill and taller windows. Look what they did to the 2008 Saturn Vue. But that's just me. I guess there must have been a lot of people telling the auto makers they like them.
I sat in the Enclave Sunday and did not get the impression of high, narrow windows, but if I have time will check it out this afternoon.
Golf clubs pretty much stay in my vehicle. Older drivers, say in the early 1990's were about 43.5". Now most are 45"-45.5" standard off the rack. Add a little for headcover and base of bag and you would pretty much need around 46" to fit. If you pull the driver out of the bag and are able to lay it at a little bit of an angle, might get away with somewhere between 44" & 45". Would be a pain, but I seem to remember whatever that was on the driver side that intruded into that space was 4-6 inches into the opening. I'll check today if I get a chance, both the Enclave and Acadia.
I like the idea of onstar, but am not sure it will fulfill my needs in this area. Experiences?
I got my Enclave CXL AWD on June 30th. I can tell you that the window sills are definately higher than past vehicles, especially compared to my 01 Town & Country minivan. There was a lot more window view in that vehicle. I am 5'11". And it is a little uncomfotable to rest my left elbow on the sill as I drive. It seems this is the new style, as it is common in a lot of new vehicles.
On a seperate note, I do have to say that I love the vehicle. It does not have a lot of "pickup" when pulling out onto the highway, but other than that, I have no major complaints. It rides great and looks sharp. I have received a lot of compliments on its looks. It drives soooo much nicer than my old minivan. All of the "toys" are very nice to have. If I had one wish, it would be for them to add bluetooth.
I have an Enclave CXL AWD with just about every option, including NAV. To checkout your question, today I chose the Points Of Interest option, and selected hotels. Nearby hotels were listed. When I selected a hotel the address and telephone number were both displayed.
Hope this info helps you. Let me know if you have any other nav questions.
I wanted a usable 3rd row. I test drove a number of CUVs with 3rd rows, and found that only younger children could fit in most of them. I found the Enclave and the Mazda CX9 to have the largest room in the 3rd row. Then taking it one step further, I specifically bought the Buick Enclave over the CX9 because of the ability to get the 2nd row captains chairs.
IMHO, the 2nd row captains chairs makes it soooo much easier to get to the 3rd row, by simply walking between the two seats - no need for flipping, folding, resetting seats, etc. Plus, for those that do end up siiting in the 3rd row, the extra space between the 2nd row seats makes it "feel" even roomier and more open, as opposed to being totally trapped behind the full width bench seat.
My wife and I have 2 chldren - ages 6 and 11. Most of the time, it is just the 4 of us, but once a week or so, we are carrying frinds, family, etc. And once a week I drive me plus 4 or 5 employees to a staff lunch meeting. Prior to the Enclave, I drove a Chrysler T&C minivan, with second row captains chairs. To me, the Enclave seating arrangement feels pretty similar to the roomy minivan seating. Lot's of room for each passenger, and very easy for passengers to get in and out of the 3rd row, and roomy for them to sit there.
If you MUST carry 8 people, the I suppose you have to get the bench seat. But otherwise, I would definately recommend getting the 2nd row captains chairs. Just my opinion.
On our CXL awd we opted for the 2nd row bench. Besides being a $411 invoice saving we found the seats to be just as comfortable as the captain's chairs. Other than style, I don't see a reason to pay more for less seating. Our 21-year old son also enjoys being able to lay across the bench for a mid-morning or mid-afternoon or whatever nap! LOL!
Oh, the entry into the third row works the same way: both seats tilt and fold just like the captain's chairs. Also, the seats recline just a little bit, the same way. Oh, and that center console will also cost more.
I say, what does one gain with the chairs? :confuse:
Jay
With the captian's chairs, the 3rd row seat feels so much more open and is accessible through that space (if you don't get the center console) rather than having to flip and fold the 2nd row bench forward. It makes the whole back seating area feel so much more open, spacious and comfortable.
Also...for those with child seats...make sure you realize that with the bench, you would have to remove the child seat(s) each time you need to access the 3rd row - can't flip/fold with a child seat attached. That was a big deal for us...going with the captain's chairs was a no brainer after that realization.
I also don't think the center console is worth it - it's just space for storage and cup holders. The Enclave is already loaded with cup holders, and unless you live in your car, who needs that much storage in a vehicle? If it served some other purpose (3rd row controls, etc.) I would consider it, but it's just a big clunky box taking up potential bonus leg room for people in the 3rd row.
I love the way that the Enclave looks! I have a Jaguar sedan and while it's beautiful, it is a difficult activity to get all 3 dogs into the car. Thanks for your reply!
Are you 100% sure about this? If so we would have to call our dealer ASAP to see if we can change the order. Order status has moved to 3000 since last week, don't know if we still have the chance to switch.
We originally thought the 40 side of the bench seat can be folded with car seat in the middle. The sales person knew we were having a child soon and didn't mention the car seat problem with bench.
Sorry to alarm you! It might still be worth checking out at the dealer - it might depend on how large the base is on your car seat (if you want to place it in the middle, it might just barely clear the seat separation - or it might just barely not).
One word -- PHENOMENIAL!!
I have a 6 week old baby and we will expect another one in a couple of years. So eventually I will have two child seats installed in the Enclave. I've heard before (from the policewoman who inspected our car seat) that it's the safest to have car seats in the middle. Even side airbags can pose danger to a young child in an accident. Is this true? We want the convenience and comfort of captain seats but safety comes first.
Either my in-laws or my parents will be staying with us for the next several years. With four adults (two elderly who don't drive) and two children, what would be the better seating configuration? Any suggestions?
I really don't know enough about safey concerns with having the car seats in the captains chairs (maybe some other do and can post their thoughts). I assume it's not too much of an issue since lots of vans (the ultimate baby-haulers) come this way. I don't doubt that it's "best" to have it in the middle, but I assume it's still okay for them to be on the sides or vehicles wouldn't come with the built-in car seat latches designed for the side seats.
Personally, I still think the captains chairs are the way to go. Even with a car seat on each captains chair, the 3rd row bench is plenty big for two adults. Plus without the console, the adults can get to the 3rd row without having to flip/slide the seats forward. And on top of it all, I just hated the "trapped" feeling I got when we sat in the 3rd row at the dealer in a Enclave that had the 2nd row bench. I think the bench really destroys the open/expansive design of the Enclave.
Any Enclave owners have two child seats? What is your experience?
The Outlook had the bench and we *could not* fit both their car seats in the 60 portion of the 60/40 split. Our car seats are 20" wide and the position for the latches didn't help.
I would go with captain chairs if I had to put any short kid back there. You are going to lose one of the 2nd row seats (the 40 portion, probably) anyway, the windows in 3rd row are too high for them to see anything (more so in the Enclave), and the tall bench pretty much blocks any kind of forward view.
I liked the fact that there was a car seat anchor in 3rd row, no latch though.