CarBrandLogos archive · Buick · 2007

BuickEnclave

Three failed models replaced by one that finally sold, and Buick's rescue in the US.

Photo: Kevauto · CC BY-SA 4.0

The story

A defining chapter in Buick history.

Explore the ideas, engineering and context that shaped the Buick Enclave, then continue into its specifications and place in the marque's lineage.

Origins

By the mid-2000s Buick's American lineup was a museum of bad ideas: the Rendezvous, the Rainier and the Terraza minivan had all failed to find an audience, and the division was on General Motors' list of brands that might not survive bankruptcy. The Enclave, launched in April 2007 for the 2008 model year, replaced all three at once.

2013 Buick Enclave -- 2012 NYIAS 1 · IFCAR · Public domain

2018 Buick Enclave Avenir AWD , front left

Design and engineering

It was built on GM's Lambda platform, shared with the Chevrolet Traverse and GMC Acadia — a large front-drive crossover with a V6, optional all-wheel drive, three rows of seats and no pretence of off-road ability. What set it apart was the presentation. The Enclave introduced a waterfall grille and a quiet, well-finished cabin with laminated glass and serious attention to noise suppression, and reviewers who had written Buick off found themselves recommending it.

2018 Buick Enclave Avenir AWD , front left · Mr.choppers · CC BY-SA 3.0

In production

It sold immediately and consistently, and it repositioned the brand around large, calm, comfortable crossovers rather than saloons. That is essentially what Buick has been in North America ever since, which makes the Enclave the most consequential product the division has launched this century, if not the most exciting.

2019 Buick Enclave 3.6L, rear 8.25.19 · Kevauto · CC BY-SA 4.0

At a glance