The Buick Enclave, a popular SUV known for its spaciousness and comfort, underwent rigorous side impact testing as part of the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) evaluations. This report details the performance of the Enclave in these crucial safety assessments, focusing on model years 2008-2017. It’s important to note that while the tested vehicle was a 2008 GMC Acadia SLE, the ratings apply to the Buick Enclave and other related models of the same era due to their shared platform and structural similarities.
Side Impact Performance of the Buick Enclave (2008-2017)
The IIHS side impact test is designed to simulate a collision between a passenger vehicle and another vehicle or object. The test evaluates how well a vehicle protects its occupants in a severe side crash. For the Buick Enclave (and related models like the GMC Acadia and Chevrolet Traverse of the 2008-2017 generation), the results were highly positive.
The overall side impact evaluation for these vehicles was rated as “Good”, the highest rating awarded by the IIHS. This “Good” rating extends across various critical aspects of the test, indicating robust occupant protection.
Specifically, the Buick Enclave earned “Good” ratings in the following categories:
- Overall evaluation: Demonstrating comprehensive safety performance in the side impact scenario.
- Structure and safety cage: Indicating that the structural integrity of the Enclave held up well during the crash, maintaining the occupant space.
- Driver injury measures: Across all measured body regions for the driver – head/neck, torso, and pelvis/leg – the risk of injury was deemed low, earning “Good” ratings.
- Driver head protection: The Enclave’s side airbags effectively protected the driver’s head from contacting hard structures during the side impact.
- Rear passenger injury measures: Similar to the driver, rear passenger injury measures for head/neck, torso, and pelvis/leg were all rated “Good,” signifying good protection for rear occupants.
- Rear passenger head protection: The side curtain airbags also provided excellent head protection for rear passengers.
Image: Buick Enclave side impact crash test – pre-impact view of the vehicle and mobile deformable barrier.
Key Observations from the Crash Test
The crash test visuals and data provide further insight into the Buick Enclave’s performance. The images after the test clearly show the deployment of the side airbags, both the seat-mounted torso airbags and the head curtain airbags, which are crucial for occupant protection in side impacts.
Image: Post-crash view of Buick Enclave with doors removed, highlighting side airbag deployment and structural integrity of the occupant compartment.
Grease paint applied to the dummy heads illustrates how effectively the side airbags prevented head contact with the vehicle structure. This is a critical aspect of side impact protection, as head injuries are a major concern in these types of crashes.
Image: Grease paint on driver dummy head indicating effective protection by Buick Enclave side airbags.
Image: Grease paint on rear passenger dummy head demonstrating head protection from side airbags in Buick Enclave.
Technical Data and Injury Measures
Detailed technical measurements from the crash test are available, providing specific data points on occupant compartment intrusion and injury measures for both the driver and rear passenger. These measurements include metrics like chest deflection, head acceleration (HIC), and forces on various body regions. For instance, the minimal intrusion into the driver’s side occupant compartment (-17.5 cm B-pillar displacement) and low injury measures recorded on the dummies reinforce the “Good” safety rating.
While the detailed tables of measurements are extensive, the overall takeaway is that the Buick Enclave (2008-2017 models) demonstrated a high level of side impact safety performance according to IIHS testing.
Conclusion: Buick Enclave Side Impact Safety
The “Good” rating in the IIHS side impact test for the 2008-2017 Buick Enclave models signifies that this SUV provides strong protection to occupants in side collision scenarios. The robust structure, effective side airbag system, and low injury measures all contribute to this positive safety assessment, making the Buick Enclave a safe choice in terms of side impact protection for families and individuals.
