2018 Buick Enclave

2018 is the launch year of the second-generation Enclave, which moved to GM's long-wheelbase C1XX platform with a new 3.6L V6 and nine-speed automatic — this is a change year, not a carry-over, and 310 hp is a real step up from the first-generation car. Strong output for the class, but delivered by a large-displacement naturally aspirated V6 rather than anything electrified.

Peak torque of the sole 3.6L V6 in its launch-year tune — adequate but modest for a roughly 4,300–4,700 lb three-row, and the peak sits high enough that the nine-speed has to drop gears to make progress under load.

Genuinely quick for a mainstream-premium three-row — the naturally aspirated V6 gives the Enclave a clear step on the turbo-four competition — with the figure taken as the mean of published 2018 runs and nudged down slightly for the lighter FWD volume trim.

No turbo to lag and no hybrid handoff to smooth, so delivery is linear and effortless, and the second generation's acoustic glass plus active noise cancellation keep the V6 remote at a cruise — reviewers of the new-for-2018 car were unusually positive about its smoothness, with the caveat that it turns audibly vocal wound out toward the 6,800 rpm power peak and that auto stop/start is the least polished part of the experience.

The nine-speed automatic was new to the Enclave for 2018 and drew praise on launch for near-imperceptible upshifts and decisive downshifts for passing, but with peak torque high in the rev range it hesitates on low-speed downshifts, and the console shifter itself is the recurring usability complaint rather than the calibration.

Properly equipped, the redesigned 2018 Enclave matches the strongest ratings in the unibody three-row class at 5,000 lbs — up from 4,500 lbs on the first-generation car — but only with the optional Trailering Package; without it the rating collapses to 1,500 lbs.

AWD is a roughly $2,000 option rather than standard equipment and is not offered on the base Enclave, but 2018 is the first year of the good hardware: AWD Premium and Avenir models carry GM's Intelligent AWD with an active twin-clutch rear differential — the model's first switchable, torque-vectoring system, which GM dropped after 2020. There is still no low range and no terrain-mode suite.

A pavement-first luxury crossover, and the 2018 redesign moved it further that way — roughly 7.7 in of ground clearance under a deliberately lowered, more aerodynamic body, no skid plates, no lockers, no terrain or off-road drive modes and no off-road trim in the range; the twin-clutch rear differential on AWD Premium and Avenir helps on a snowy driveway or a gravel road, and that is the extent of it.

One engine, one transmission, take it or leave it — the 3.6L V6 and nine-speed automatic are the entire 2018 offering, with no turbo four, no hybrid and no plug-in anywhere in the range; the only drivetrain decision a buyer makes is FWD versus AWD.

A 4,300+ lb three-row on a naturally aspirated V6 with nothing electrified in the range beyond auto stop/start — 21 MPG combined is mid-pack among large gas crossovers of 2018, and the second generation's new nine-speed and slipperier body bought only about 1 MPG over the outgoing car.

City economy is the Enclave's weakest figure — mass plus a naturally aspirated V6 with no hybrid assist and no engine-off capability beyond the standard auto stop/start.

The new-for-2018 nine-speed's tall top gears and the second generation's lower, more aerodynamic body make the highway number the Enclave's best result — respectable for a large three-row, though short of what the class's turbo-four and hybrid options manage.

Roughly 400 miles between fills for the volume FWD configuration — fine for family road-trip duty — and AWD models actually travel farther because GM fits them a notably larger tank.

One of the higher running costs in the mid-size SUV set, a direct consequence of the 21 MPG combined figure; the saving grace is that it burns regular rather than premium.

The 3.6L V6 runs on regular 87-octane unleaded across every 2018 trim including the new top-line Avenir — no premium surcharge, which meaningfully narrows the real per-mile gap to the premium-fuel European rivals the second generation was repositioned against, despite the mediocre MPG.

NHTSA awarded the redesigned 2018 Enclave a 5-star overall rating in both drivetrain configurations, with the frontal and rollover sub-scores at 4 stars.

Every IIHS crashworthiness test in force for 2018 came back Good — driver- and passenger-side small overlap, moderate overlap, original side, roof strength and head restraints — but the Enclave earned no Top Safety Pick award, because Marginal headlights disqualified it.

The volume Essence trim gets a rear camera, rear park assist, blind zone alert with lane change alert and rear cross traffic alert as standard, but no automatic emergency braking, no forward collision alert, no lane keep assist and no adaptive cruise — collision-avoidance braking is locked to Premium and Avenir, which is a serious gap even by 2018 standards.

When fitted, the system tests well — IIHS rated both optional front crash prevention setups Superior, avoiding a collision in both the 12 and 25 mph runs, with pedestrian ratings of Superior and Advanced — but it is unavailable on the volume Essence trim, and the Premium's system is low-speed only, with full-speed braking reserved for the Avenir's $2,095 Technology package.

Blind Zone Alert with Lane Change Alert plus Rear Cross Traffic Alert come with the Driver Confidence package on Essence and up, so the volume trim is covered — but it is alert-only with no braking or steering intervention, no safe-exit warning, and the base trim goes without.

Lane Keep Assist with Lane Departure Warning arrives only with Driver Confidence II on Premium and Avenir, so the volume Essence has no lane assistance of any kind; there is no lane centering anywhere in the range.

Adaptive cruise with full stop-and-go exists only inside the Avenir Technology package on the top trim; the Essence and Premium are limited to conventional cruise control, and there is no highway-assist layer on any trim.

No hands-free driving option exists on the 2018 Enclave — GM's Super Cruise was confined to the Cadillac CT6 for this model year and did not reach Buick at all.

IIHS rated both available headlight variants Marginal, with inadequate high-beam reach on the left side of the straightaway and glare from the low beams — the single failing that kept an otherwise all-Good Enclave off the Top Safety Pick list. IntelliBeam auto high beams are Driver Confidence II only.

The second-generation body traded sightlines for style — a small, sharply raked rear window, thick B-pillar and third-row headrests leave rear visibility poor, and reviewers report blind spots at every corner plus difficulty placing the nose. Door-mounted mirrors, small triangle windows and standard blind zone alert help, but full camera compensation is thin: front park assist starts at Premium and the 360-degree camera and camera rearview mirror are Avenir Technology package items.

Wide rear door openings and a large second row make seat installation easy, and both second-row captain's chairs carry lower anchors and top tethers. Two compromises hold it back: captain's chairs rule out three-across in row two, and the third row offers just one top tether anchor at the center position, so only one forward-facing seat can be properly tethered back there.

2018 is the launch year of the second-generation Enclave, and GM offered exactly one interior layout: seven seats in 2-2-3 form with second-row captain's chairs on every trim — there is no eight-seat bench option anywhere in the range.

GM published one first-row headroom number for the 2018 Enclave with no separate with/without-sunroof figure, and it carries unchanged through the rest of the generation.

Front legroom is the weakest of the Enclave's interior dimensions — the 120.9-inch wheelbase is spent on the second and third rows rather than the driver's footwell, leaving the front row only mid-pack for the class.

Second-row headroom sits near the top of the SUV band — the second-generation Enclave is dimensionally a full-size crossover sold into the mid-size class, and even its third row's 37.6 in beats many rivals' second rows.

38.9 inches in the second row is generous for the class and a headline gain of the 2018 redesign, and the SmartSlide captain's chairs slide fore and aft so a family can trade that space with the third row rather than being fixed at one setting.

33.5 in of third-row legroom and 37.6 in of headroom genuinely seat adults when the second row is slid forward, and testers of the launch-year car repeatedly got six-footers back there; the roofline curve pinches headroom, the cushion sits only about 13 inches off the floor so thigh support is thin, the SmartSlide tilt-and-slide access is passenger-side only, and power folding is an upper-trim item.

58.0 cu ft with the second row up and the third folded is the figure this item asks for; the more telling number for a seven-seater is the 23.6 cu ft that survives behind an occupied third row, which reviewers of the launch-year car called best-in-class.

Near the top of the SUV band and a genuine Enclave strength — with everything folded the 2018 car out-hauls most mid-size three-rows and matches vehicles a size class above, though Autoweb notes it is fractionally down on the outgoing 2017 model.

A 3.1 cu ft lockable under-floor bin behind the third row is an above-segment touch, joined by a deep centre console, a dashboard device bin with two USB data ports beside a 12-volt socket, five USB ports spread across the three rows and a household 120-volt outlet at the second row; there is no headline innovation on the order of a giga-console or onboard generator.

An eight-way power driver's seat and six-way passenger seat with lumbar support and heating are standard right down to the base 1SV, the cushions are big and well padded, and testers reported no stiffness after back-to-back four-hour stints; ventilated fronts and heated second-row chairs are Premium/Avenir content, the third-row cushion is thin, and owner opinion splits on long-haul support — the massaging front seats that lift the later cars do not exist for 2018.

Ride is the launch-year Enclave's signature — the new five-link rear suspension smooths damaged pavement and holds body roll down without the wallow big soft crossovers usually trade for it; the limits show on genuinely broken surfaces, where even the Avenir's real-time damping is only so effective and its 20-inch wheels make things harsher.

Buick QuietTuning with active noise cancellation and laminated acoustic glass is fitted across the 2018 range, and it is the single feature reviewers of the launch car singled out most — quiet enough that front occupants can hold a normal conversation with the third row.

Tri-zone automatic climate control, heated power front seats and fob remote start are standard on every 2018 trim including the base 1SV, with individual second-row climate controls, and Avenir adding heated and ventilated front seats, heated second-row chairs, a heated wheel and an air ionizer; app-based preconditioning needs a paid Remote Access plan and no trim offers massage.

2018 is the launch year of the second-generation Enclave, so this is fresh pricing rather than a carry-over: $39,995 before a $995 destination charge for the entry front-drive car. That entry trim (the 1SV) is a fleet-oriented configuration, so most retail buyers never see this number — the cheapest Enclave on a typical dealer lot is the Essence some $4,200 above it.

Essence front-drive is the volume configuration — Edmunds names the Essence FWD the most popular 2018 Enclave, and it is the trim that first brings perforated leather, blind-zone alert and rear cross-traffic alert, the content that separates the Enclave from the mechanically identical Chevrolet Traverse. Premium ($49,010) and Avenir ($54,410) sit above it; the AWD box adds $2,000 on Essence and $2,300 on Premium/Avenir.

Two years of scheduled servicing are free, which genuinely removes the early oil-change and inspection bills, but the Enclave carries both above-normal repair frequency and above-normal repair severity and is serviced at premium-brand Buick labour rates — and 2018 is a first-year-of-generation car with a new nine-speed automatic and electronic shifter. The figure is set above the scheduled-maintenance-only bases to carry the unscheduled repair exposure those bases exclude, on the same method used for the other model-year scorecards.

Two independent residual studies agree the Enclave sheds about 58% of its value in five years, which is poor even against the SUV band's 40% floor — Buick residuals do not hold, and a large naturally aspirated three-row with 18 mpg real-world economy is exactly the used car the market marks down. No upward nudge is applied for the elevated 2023 used market in which this particular car hit its five-year mark, because its longer-run curve is if anything steeper: an eight-year-old 2018 Essence retails around $13,050, under 30% of its sticker.

Buick's four-year/50,000-mile new-vehicle limited warranty is a full year and 14,000 miles longer than the Chevrolet Traverse this Enclave shares a platform with, and matches the premium-brand convention of the period — but it sits mid-band against the five-year terms Hyundai, Kia and Genesis were using in 2018.

Six years or 70,000 miles on engine, transmission and drive components — a year and 10,000 miles beyond Chevrolet's 5/60,000 and transferable to a second owner, but far short of the 10-year/100,000-mile powertrain coverage Hyundai, Kia and Genesis offered in 2018, which is where the top of this band sits.

A 2018 Enclave buyer pays for no scheduled service for two years or 24,000 miles, with no cap on the number of visits as long as they are on the maintenance schedule — the most generous form the GM programme ever took, and one GM cut to a single year and one visit starting with the 2019 model year. Roadside assistance and courtesy transportation run the full six years/70,000 miles alongside the powertrain warranty rather than expiring with the bumper-to-bumper term, and the car ships with OnStar and Buick Connected Services trials plus three months of SiriusXM.

$45,190 volume-trim price minus its estimated resale value after 5 years (42% retained, or about $18,980) leaves about $26,210 in depreciation. Add the projected $4,900 in 5-year maintenance and repairs, and owning this vehicle for 5 years costs about $31,110 in total.

2018 is the launch year of the second-generation Enclave — a new C1XX long-wheelbase platform and a new nine-speed automatic arriving together — and the owner data reflects it. Consumer Reports gives the 2018 Enclave 3 out of 5 for predicted reliability and calls it less reliable than the average 2018 vehicle, with its subscriber survey naming transmission trouble across five separate sub-areas. RepairPal ranks the nameplate near the bottom of its class. The brand around it is strong (6.1.2), which is why this lands just below average rather than in the failing band.

Buick's dependability standing is genuinely top-tier and the most directly relevant study is the one that surveyed this exact model year: J.D. Power's 2021 VDS polled original owners of 2018 vehicles after three years and placed Buick fifth of all brands at 100 PP100, behind only Lexus, Porsche, Kia and Toyota. That is not a one-off — Buick finished second in 2022 and fourth in 2023. The score is held below the top of the band only because the Enclave itself is the brand's weak point rather than a representative of it.

The formal recall record for the 2018 Enclave is clean — RepairPal, KBB and Cars.com all report zero NHTSA campaigns against this model year, and the GM actions that do touch the nameplate fall either side of it (2008–2017 for the airbag inflator, 2019–2020 for the start/stop accumulator that could leak transmission oil). The service-bulletin and complaint record is the opposite story: 72 owner complaints logged at CarComplaints with transmission at the top, a factory fill of the wrong transmission fluid, and repeated GM calibration bulletins. Clean recalls plus a poor TSB pattern averages to the middle of the band.

Half of this powertrain is proven and half is the Enclave's defining weakness. The 310-hp 3.6-liter direct-injected V6 is a long-running GM family with a solid high-mileage record; the 9T65 nine-speed automatic bolted to it for 2018 is not. It was engineered for lighter vehicles, and in a three-row crossover the reported failure modes are torque-converter shudder, 1-2/2-3 slip and flare, gears five through nine locking out and fluid leaks. GM later ran a pilot program to repair or replace the unit and had worked through the worst of the calibration issues only by 2021 — meaning 2018 and 2019 buyers own the pre-fix hardware.

The Enclave's upper cabin is genuinely pleasant — soft-touch surfaces at eye and elbow level, clear instruments, logical controls — but reviewers consistently catch it out below the beltline and in the third row, where the plastics revert to mainstream Chevrolet grade. That matters more here than it would in a Traverse, because Buick repositioned this generation as a premium rival to the XC90, QX60 and MDX and asks $45,000 for the volume Essence and over $60,000 for a loaded Avenir. Faux wood and metal-finish plastic trim draw the same criticism.

Assembly quality is broadly solid and the Enclave's quietness is one of the things reviewers praise most, backed by a brand that scores well on initial quality. The complaints that recur are small trim-level items rather than structural ones: a flimsy sunroof shade prone to rattling and clunky in operation, the console cup holder cover, and Consumer Reports finding the cabin noisier than the price suggests it should be. That is the 'generally solid with scattered complaints' picture, not a rattly car.

Buick sells through roughly 2,000 US dealerships, almost all of them dual Buick-GMC stores backed by GM's national parts and service infrastructure, so coverage is dense in a way no import premium brand matches. Service satisfaction is a real strength rather than merely adequate: Buick ranked highest of all mass-market brands in J.D. Power's 2024 Customer Service Index and has stayed in the top three since. A 2018 Enclave owner also carries six years of roadside assistance and courtesy transportation and two years of free scheduled maintenance into that network.

Availability is a non-issue: the second-generation Enclave shares its C1XX platform, 3.6-liter V6 and 9T65 transmission with the Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia, so components are high-volume GM parts with deep dealer stock and a large aftermarket. Cost is what holds this to the middle of the band — the car is serviced at premium-brand Buick labour rates, RepairPal puts annual repair and maintenance about a quarter above the midsize-SUV average, and the failure this generation is known for is a transmission, which is the expensive end of any repair bill.

Buick fitted one 8-inch frameless touchscreen across the entire launch-year Enclave range, and the packages that add navigation run on that same display; small even by 2018 standards.

The IntelliLink-derived Buick Infotainment System was fast and logically organized at launch, keeping physical volume and tuning knobs plus hard climate controls beneath the screen and adding a bank of quick-access preset buttons; it is two software generations before the connected system that arrives in 2020, and the small 8-inch panel and era-typical graphics show it.

Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are standard on all four 2018 trims including the base 1SV — better than several rivals of the year, which still charged for phone projection — but both are wired-only and no trim or package offers wireless projection.

Built-in navigation is standard only on the Avenir and is extra-cost package content on Essence and Premium, so the volume Essence typically leaves the lot without it; the embedded voice recognition is command-list based rather than natural language, and most owners default to CarPlay or Google Maps.

The Bose 10-speaker system with amplifier and subwoofer is standard on Premium and Avenir and optional on Essence, and it is a genuinely good system for the class; the base six-speaker setup on the 1SV and entry Essence is unremarkable.

Every 2018 Enclave below the Avenir uses analog gauges flanking a colour Driver Information Center; the Avenir alone gets the 8-inch reconfigurable cluster display, and even that is a large centre screen set between physical dials rather than a full-digital gauge pack.

The 2018 Enclave predates GM's Vehicle Intelligence Platform electrical architecture, so there are no whole-vehicle over-the-air updates; OnStar delivers connected services and app content, but map data and module software are a dealer or USB job — even the connected navigation that would refresh maps over the network is a 2020 addition to this generation.

The myBuick app covers the core set — remote start/stop, lock/unlock, fuel level, vehicle location and service scheduling — and fob remote start is standard on every trim including the base 1SV, but the app-based remote functions sit behind a paid Remote Access plan once the trial lapses and there is no phone-as-key.

Five USB ports reaching all three rows plus a household 120-volt outlet at the second row is solid provision for 2018 and the OnStar Wi-Fi hotspot is standard fleet-wide, but every port is USB-A rather than USB-C and wireless charging is Avenir-only — so the volume Essence has neither a pad nor a fast port.

Keyless entry, push-button ignition and fob remote start are standard on every 2018 trim including the base 1SV, which is generous for the year; the gaps are that the power liftgate is Avenir-standard and an option below it rather than fitted fleet-wide as it becomes for 2019, and that there is no phone-as-key at any price.

A rear vision camera and rear park assist are standard fleet-wide, and the launch-year Avenir introduced both Surround Vision and GM's rear camera mirror to the Buick brand, but both are Avenir content and front park assist requires Premium — so the volume Essence has a rear camera and rear sensors and nothing more, and no 2018 trim offers automated parking.

No head-up display was offered on the 2018 Enclave at any trim or in any package — it appears in neither the Avenir standard-equipment list nor the available options roster, and the feature never reached this generation of the car.

The SmartSlide second-row seat tips and slides for third-row access with one hand even with a child seat still latched in place — a genuine class differentiator introduced on this launch-year car — backed by 58.0 cu ft behind the second row for strollers and tri-zone climate reaching the kids; the tilt-and-slide function is passenger-side only, and unlike the 2019 car the power liftgate is not yet standard fleet-wide.

Crash results are strong — NHTSA 5 stars overall — and Rear Seat Reminder and Teen Driver are standard, but 2018 is the harshest year of the generation for driver assistance gating: the base 1SV cannot be given advanced safety equipment at any price, the Essence gets only blind-spot and rear cross-traffic warning, automatic emergency braking waits for the Premium, and full-speed AEB with adaptive cruise is a $2,095 Avenir-only package on a car already past $54,000.

Tri-zone climate with second-row controls and five USB ports reach all three rows, an optional dual-screen rear-seat entertainment system was still on the 2018 order sheet, the cabin is quiet enough to talk front-to-third-row, and a best-in-class 23.6 cu ft survives behind an occupied third row — enough luggage for seven, which is the hard part of a seven-seat road trip; heated second-row chairs are Premium-and-up content.

A 310-hp V6 with an unobtrusive nine-speed, light steering effort, a compliant ride and an exceptionally quiet cabin make it a low-fatigue commuter; the irritants are the monostable electronic gear selector that testers repeatedly stumbled over, an occasional low-speed transmission shudder on the launch-year calibration, and the plain fact of threading 204 inches through daily traffic.

21 MPG combined front-drive and 20 MPG with AWD from a naturally aspirated 3.6L V6 is mediocre even by 2018 three-row standards, with EPA annual fuel costs around $2,950–$3,100; the mitigations are regular-grade fuel and ordinary consumables rather than anything structural.

The 2018 redesign specifically attacked this — the turning circle came down about 1.4 ft to roughly 39.0 ft despite a longer wheelbase — and a rear camera plus rear park assist are standard on every trim, but 204.3 in long by 78.8 in wide is a full-size footprint in a mid-size class and the tools that make it easy in a garage, front park assist and Surround Vision, are Premium and Avenir content respectively.

5,000 lbs with the optional Trailering Package is respectable for a unibody crossover and a step up from the first-generation car's 4,500 lbs, but an unequipped Enclave is rated for just 1,500 lbs, the package cannot be paired with the FWD-only base 1SV in any meaningful work configuration, and there is no bed, no serious payload rating and no work-oriented drivetrain.

The 3.6L LGX V6 is long-serving GM hardware shared with the Traverse and Acadia, but 2018 pairs it with a nine-speed automatic and a C1XX body both brand new to the model that year, and the Enclave is a leather-and-wood family crossover with no fleet or commercial reputation, cloth only on the base trim, and a 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty that reflects no work-duty intent — the launch-year build quality reports do not help.

Provisions amount to cargo tie-downs, a 3.1 cu ft lockable under-floor bin, an optional trailer hitch and a household 120-volt outlet at the second row; the cabin is carpeted and leather-lined with no washable surfaces, there is no onboard work power of any consequence and no upfitter ecosystem.

Quiet, well-damped and roomy with roughly 400–430 miles between fills, and testers who did back-to-back four-hour stints reported no aches, so the Enclave is a natural mile-eater; what holds it back is driver assistance — adaptive cruise exists only inside the $2,095 Avenir package, so every other 2018 trim including the volume Essence has plain fixed-speed cruise and no lane centering.

The launch-year car introduced Intelligent AWD with a twin-clutch rear differential on Premium and Avenir, and with 5,000 lbs of tow rating, roof rails, flat-folding rear rows and a 120-volt outlet it handles gravel roads, trailheads and bike or kayak duty; 7.7 in of ground clearance, road-biased tires, no skid plates, no off-road drive mode and no AWD at all on the base 1SV keep it firmly light-duty — reviewers pointed at the mechanically related Traverse as the more versatile choice.

97.6 cu ft with both rear rows folded is near the top of the segment and the 23.6 cu ft behind an occupied third row was called best-in-class at launch, backed by button-operated folding third-row seats, a 3.1 cu ft lockable under-floor bin, roof rails and an available hitch — bulky gear is a strength rather than a squeeze, with only a slight step back from the 2017 car's total.

The second generation's five-link rear suspension gives the Enclave more body control than its soft-riding character suggests — testers of the launch car found it took twisting roads calmly with minimal roll and none of the top-heavy feel the size implies — but it is tuned for serenity rather than pace, and the Avenir's Continuously Variable Real-Time Damping is the only chassis upgrade offered.

The electric variable-assist rack is accurate and direct enough that a 204-inch crossover never feels unwieldy, and reviewers credit it with making the car manageable, but assist is deliberately tuned light and it transmits very little of the road — one tester called it 'almost too effortless' unless Sport mode is engaged.

MotorWeek stopped a 2018 Avenir from 60 mph in 103 feet, a genuinely short distance for a three-row crossover of this weight, and no 2018 reviewer raises a fade or pedal-feel complaint; the score is held short of the top band because it rests on a single instrumented run of the top trim on 20-inch tires rather than a corroborated set.

The naturally aspirated 3.6L V6 pulls cleanly with no turbo lag and the nine-speed — new to the Enclave for 2018 — shifts unobtrusively in normal driving with well-timed passing downshifts, but the launch-year calibration draws a rare low-speed shudder, peak torque at 2,800 rpm means it drops several gears for a quick pass, and the monostable electronic selector itself is the control everyone stumbles over.

QuietTuning with active noise cancellation and laminated acoustic glass keeps the V6 so far in the background that testers reported not hearing shifts or engine noise at all in normal driving; it only becomes audible wound out toward its 6,800-rpm power peak, where the note is smooth rather than coarse.

The 2018 redesign deliberately cut the turning circle even as the wheelbase grew, and 39.0 ft is respectable for a 204.3-inch vehicle, but it is still mid-pack against the compact-and-mid-size SUV band this item normalizes over and it is the number that makes the Enclave feel large in a parking structure.

An eight-way power driver's seat with lumbar support and a tilt/telescoping column are standard from the base 1SV, the seating position is commanding, and the dashboard keeps physical volume and tuning knobs plus hard climate controls beneath the 8-inch screen with quick-access preset buttons alongside; a 6'4" tester fit comfortably in every row. The electronic shifter and its raised console surround are the one control that consistently trips people up.

The Enclave is deliberately engineered for calm — quiet, soft-edged and unflustered — and offers no steering feedback, exhaust character or throttle sharpness an enthusiast would seek out; the 2018 range is 1SV / Essence / Premium / Avenir with no performance trim, and even the Avenir's suspension option is a comfort device rather than a sport one.

The volume Essence is well stocked for $45,190 — perforated leather, tri-zone automatic climate, heated power front seats, LED headlights, keyless entry and ignition, remote start, blind-zone alert, rear cross-traffic alert, rear parking sensors, second-row captain's chairs and a 60/40 third row — but forward-collision warning and automatic emergency braking were confined to the top trims, which reviewers called out as a real omission on a car priced this way. That single gap keeps a generous-looking spec sheet in the middle band rather than above it.

The Enclave undercuts the Acura MDX and Volvo XC90 it was repositioned against while offering more third-row room and a notably quiet cabin, so the space-and-hush-per-dollar case is genuine. Against that, it is mechanically a Chevrolet Traverse asking several thousand dollars more, reviewers found the cabin execution short of the price, and 18 mpg observed economy is a running cost the sticker does not show — fair value, not a bargain.

Five configurations spanning roughly $41,000 to $56,700 delivered — 1SV, Preferred, Essence, Premium and the new range-topping Avenir — with front-drive standard and two distinct all-wheel-drive systems (a simpler $2,000 unit on Essence, the twin-clutch active rear differential at $2,300 on Premium and Avenir). Well spaced across the range, but there is exactly one powertrain and no long/short body choice, so the breadth is in equipment rather than in configuration.

49,648 US sales in 2018 makes the Enclave Buick's flagship volume model and a strong seller among premium three-row crossovers, comfortably ahead of the XC90 and roughly level with the MDX. But an all-new generation lifted the number only 2.2% over the outgoing car's final year, and it is an order of magnitude behind mainstream three-rows like the Explorer and Highlander — steady mid-pack acceptance rather than a market event.

Buick in 2018 was a quality-and-quietness brand rather than an aspirational one: strong dependability standing and a loyal older buyer base, but no image halo of the kind that carries a price premium, and the second-generation Enclave's move upmarket asked shoppers to accept the badge alongside Volvo, Acura and Infiniti. Neutral perception that neither lifts nor drags the model, and the weak residuals in cat5 are the clearest evidence the market does not pay extra for it.

Meaningful money was on the hood all year without the fire-sale pricing that signals a model in trouble — around 5% off, or $2,500 in stacked cash, plus subvented finance rates. For a buyer this is close to the best case the item describes: real negotiating room on a freshly redesigned car. The flip side lands in the resale item, not here.

2018 is year one of the second generation — an entirely new car on GM's long-wheelbase C1XX architecture with a new 3.6L V6, a new nine-speed automatic, the first switchable all-wheel-drive system in the nameplate's history and the debut of the Avenir sub-brand. A buyer in this model year faced no redesign risk whatsoever; the generation ran through 2024.

Broadly positive but never the class pick: US News scored it 8.0/10 and made it a finalist rather than a winner for Best 3-Row SUV for Families, KBB placed it third among luxury mid-size SUVs, and the Avenir cabin was nominated for Wards 10 Best Interiors without taking the award. Consumer Reports was the dissenting voice, headlining its review 'room for improvement' over interior execution, the shifter and fuel economy. Well-reviewed, rarely the winner — the middle of the band.