Buick, a brand navigating a unique space within General Motors, stands as a curious case in the automotive world. Celebrated in China yet striving for prominence in its homeland, Buick is undergoing a significant transformation. Mirroring industry-wide reinventions, Buick’s entire lineup has been refreshed, culminating in the arrival of the 2025 Buick Enclave. This latest iteration marks the final piece in Buick’s rejuvenation puzzle, promising a radical departure from its past image.
After extensive time behind the wheel, exploring countless miles, the 2025 Buick Enclave reveals itself as an exceptional companion for long journeys. Its cabin sophistication rivals that of luxury vehicles at a much higher price point, harmonizing perfectly with GM’s pioneering Super Cruise technology. The powertrain delivers robust performance, complemented by a well-constructed and remarkably spacious interior. However, the Enclave isn’t without its drawbacks. Its aesthetic appeal may be subjective, and taller occupants might find the seating less than ideal. Furthermore, the interior layout presents some compromises, certain technological aspects leave room for improvement, and the pedal calibration can pose challenges for smooth driving. Despite these points, for those facing lengthy commutes and requiring a capable three-row crossover, the new Enclave stands as a compelling and confident choice.
2025 Buick Enclave ST
Delving into the Basics of the 2025 Buick Enclave
Buick’s swift overhaul of its entire model range, completed in under 18 months with the 2025 Enclave, signals a bold new direction. Drawing inspiration from the Wildcat EV concept, the Enclave and its siblings showcase a design language that firmly distances itself from traditional Buick aesthetics. As a seven-seater, three-row crossover, the Enclave represents the pinnacle of Buick’s offerings in terms of size and price. Positioned strategically within GM’s portfolio, it avoids encroaching on GMC’s larger SUVs or Cadillac’s luxury territory, maintaining a clear brand hierarchy.
Powering the Enclave is a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine, crafted entirely from aluminum, generating 328 horsepower and 325 lb-ft of torque. An eight-speed automatic transmission channels this power to either the front wheels or all four wheels. The chassis incorporates MacPherson struts at the front and a five-link configuration at the rear, ensuring a composed ride. The top-tier Avenir trim further enhances ride quality with adaptive damping. Notably, the entire Enclave range benefits from GM’s Super Cruise hands-free highway driving system, marking a first for Buick and underscoring its commitment to advanced technology. To minimize cabin noise, Buick has incorporated acoustic-laminated or extra-thick glass, along with triple-layered door seals throughout, creating a serene environment for occupants.
2025 Buick Enclave ST
2025 Buick Enclave ST
2025 Buick Enclave ST
Aesthetic and Interior Assessment
While the Enclave photographs with a certain allure, its real-world appearance presents a more nuanced perspective. The front fascia, reminiscent of a Corvette with its sloping upper section, transitions into a rather blocky front end. The design language can be described as blunt, with a vast side profile punctuated by unremarkable wheels that appear somewhat lost within their wheel wells. The taillights bear a resemblance to those of a Toyota RAV4, and the D-pillar seems to incorporate a mix of styling trends that don’t quite coalesce into a unified design. Overall, the exterior styling gives the impression of adhering to a checklist of visual elements rather than embodying a cohesive and organically flowing form.
Stepping inside, the interior styling firmly aligns with GM’s mid-range aesthetic. While there are touches of upscale materials and premium finishes, the overall execution lacks a distinctive character. Removing the Buick badge might make it challenging to differentiate the interior from other vehicles in its class, were it not for the prominent, curved touchscreen dominating the dashboard. Buick proudly highlights its class-leading 30-inch diagonal span, yet only the central infotainment section is a touchscreen. The area to the left is operated via steering wheel controls, a common setup in many modern cars. The screen’s orientation towards the driver, while enhancing driver focus, somewhat compromises usability for the front passenger.
2025 Buick Enclave ST
2025 Buick Enclave ST
2025 Buick Enclave ST
2025 Buick Enclave ST
Despite some design shortcomings, the interior provides a pleasant environment. The perforated faux-leather seats offer a soft and durable feel, and interior storage is ample. Headroom remains generous, even with the optional panoramic sunroof, though seat comfort may not cater to taller individuals. Legroom is adequate for adults across all three rows, but the third row’s narrowness between the wheel wells makes it less comfortable for three occupants. The front-row headrests are angled forward in a potentially uncomfortable manner, and the steering wheel, despite being laden with buttons, surprisingly lacks dedicated audio controls. The music note button merely accesses radio presets, with no song-skip function, and the chrome rocker switch does not control volume. Volume adjustment is handled by a physical knob on the center console.
The Experience Behind the Wheel
From the driver’s seat, the Enclave’s hood appears more substantial than its exterior dimensions suggest. The sloping hood edges make it challenging to discern the vehicle’s boundaries, though the 360-degree camera and parking sensors effectively compensate. Forward and side visibility are reasonable, with adequate three-quarter views and a passable rear view through what feels like a somewhat small rear window.
The drive route, traversing less-than-perfect road surfaces, highlighted one of the Enclave’s strongest attributes: ride quality. The noise-canceling Enclave delivers a ride that is remarkably quiet and smooth, rivaling luxury SUVs in a much higher price bracket, even without the Avenir trim’s adaptive damping. Comparisons to a Mercedes-Maybach are not unwarranted. Buick’s emphasis on achieving industry-leading cabin quietness is evident, enhancing the performance of the 12-speaker Bose sound system, which provides sufficient clarity for layered instrumentals even at lower volumes.
2025 Buick Enclave ST
2025 Buick Enclave ST
2025 Buick Enclave ST
2025 Buick Enclave ST
The steering is light and responsive, and handling and traction inspire confidence. While the engine delivers ample acceleration, the throttle tuning could be refined for smoother transitions, as the transmission response can occasionally feel jerky from a standstill. Additionally, a slight dead zone at the top of the brake pedal can make achieving smooth stops challenging.
The Enclave’s standard technology suite is commendable, though not without minor issues. Super Cruise proved to be a standout feature, making highway journeys exceptionally relaxing, except in heavy traffic. The system’s limitations become apparent in dense traffic, where its situational awareness is not as nuanced as a human driver’s, leading to occasional hesitations or less-than-ideal lane changes. An instance of erroneous deactivation occurred when the system misidentified the lane as an exit lane. Worn road markings also presented a potential sideswipe hazard, requiring driver intervention. However, on open highways, Super Cruise performed reliably and effectively. Disabling automatic lane changes might enhance usability in busier traffic conditions.
Other tech-related observations include an overly sensitive forward collision warning system and intermittent unresponsiveness with Apple CarPlay. The absence of physical audio controls necessitates touchscreen operation, a known source of driver distraction. While not directly related to driving, the key fob-activated tailgate proved to be more of an annoyance than a convenience in certain situations.
2025 Buick Enclave ST
2025 Buick Enclave ST
2025 Buick Enclave ST
2025 Buick Enclave ST
Features, Options, and Competitive Landscape
With a starting price of $46,395, the 2025 Buick Enclave offers a comprehensive list of standard features, including 20-inch alloy wheels and a proximity power liftgate. The interior boasts active noise canceling, a 12-speaker Bose sound system, 126-color ambient lighting, tri-zone climate control, and heated, powered front seats. Infotainment features include 360-degree camera views, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and eight years of Google integration. A suite of active and passive safety technologies is also standard.
Optional upgrades include quilted, perforated leather seats, power-folding second and third rows, seat memory settings, a head-up display, panoramic sunroof, and power-folding mirrors. Super Cruise is available as a $3,255 option across all trims, bundled with a Wi-Fi hotspot and unlimited data for three years, after which a subscription is required.
The top-of-the-line Avenir trim, priced at $59,395, includes many of these options as standard, along with adaptive damping, ventilated massaging front seats, and heated second-row seats. It further enhances the audio system with 16 Bose speakers and adds rain-sensing wipers, animated exterior lighting, and 22-inch wheels. All-wheel drive is a $2,000 option for any trim level.
2025 Buick Enclave compared to 2024-model competitors (not all 2025 info may be available).
The premium three-row SUV segment is crowded, but the Enclave directly competes with models offering comparable hands-free driving technology, such as the Ford Explorer, Lincoln Aviator, and certain trims of the Cadillac XT6. However, Cadillac often requires opting for numerous features, making the Buick a more value-oriented choice at similar price points.
Compared to the Ford Explorer, the Enclave’s Super Cruise comes at a higher price than the Explorer’s standard BlueCruise. The Explorer’s three-wide second row offers greater comfort when all seats are occupied and slightly better fuel efficiency. However, BlueCruise’s operational road network is significantly smaller than Super Cruise’s. While all models have a 5,000-pound towing capacity, rivals with available V6 engines may offer superior towing performance compared to the Enclave’s four-cylinder. The Enclave compensates with a notable advantage in interior cargo space.
2025 Buick Enclave ST
2025 Buick Enclave ST
2025 Buick Enclave ST
Early Conclusion
The 2025 Buick Enclave, while not groundbreaking, is a competent vehicle with a clear focus. Its strengths lie in its quiet and spacious cabin, smooth ride, and class-leading Super Cruise technology, making it a superb choice for road trips. Buick has created a capable long-distance cruiser designed to transport passengers in comfort to far-off destinations.
However, potential buyers should consider seat comfort, as it may not suit all body types. Some aspects of the technology are not ideally implemented, the styling may not appeal to everyone, and the third-row configuration has limitations. Nevertheless, for those prioritizing relaxed and effortless long-distance travel, the 2025 Buick Enclave is a worthy contender, allowing drivers to focus on the journey ahead.
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