Buick Enclave 2022 Review

The Buick Enclave is Buick's big three-row SUV that boasts comfortable seating for seven, a relaxed ride and plenty of standard features. But this latest generation, which came out for the 2018 model year, has also had a few downsides such as a lack of standard driver aids and ho-hum interior quality. Pleasingly, the updated 2022 Buick Enclave is a more well-rounded product.

On the outside the Enclave gets revised front and rear styling for a slightly sleeker look. Inside, the Enclave looks pretty much the same, though there's a new button-style transmission gear selector instead of the previous lever-style selector. The infotainment system now supports wireless connectivity for Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, which means you can now integrate your smartphone without having to use a USB cord.

More significant is that Buick has made many of the Enclave's previously optional advanced driver aids standard on every trim level. These include features such as forward collision warning with automatic emergency braking, lane keeping assist (helps steer the Enclave back into its lane if it begins to drift over the lane marker) and blind-spot monitoring. Overall, we like the Enclave's improvements, but it still might be worth your time to check out similarly upscale rivals such as the Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride. Check out our Expert Rating of the Enclave below to see how it scores in every category from comfort and performance to value and technology.

Which Enclave does MatoCar recommend?

The 2022 Buick Enclave is offered in three trims: Essence, Premium and Avenir. All models come with a 3.6-liter V6 engine (310 horsepower, 266 lb-ft) that's paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. Front-wheel drive is standard, and all-wheel drive is optional on all trims. The Enclave can accommodate seven passengers, with the second row featuring two captain's chairs and a three-seat 60/40-split folding bench in the third row.

Essence Comes well appointed with feature highlights that include:

• Proximity keyless entry and push-button start
• Hands-free liftgate
• Leather upholstery
• Heated front seats
• Power-adjustable front seats
• Three-zone automatic climate control
• 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system
• Apple CarPlay and Android Auto smartphone integration (with wireless connectivity)
• Wireless smartphone charging
• Wi-Fi hotspot

Every Enclave also comes with advanced driver aids such as:

• Front and rear parking sensors (alert you to obstacles that may not be visible when parking)
• Blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert (warns you if a vehicle is in your blind spot during a lane change or while in reverse)
• Forward collision mitigation (warns you of an impending collision and applies the brakes in certain scenarios)
• Lane keeping assist (steers the Enclave back into its lane if it begins to drift over the lane marker)
• Safety alert seat (vibrates the driver's seat when a safety warning is triggered)

Premium Adds a healthy number of features that include:

• Driver's seat memory settings
• Power-adjustable steering column
• Head-up display (displays important information in your sight line on the windshield)
• Ventilated front seats
• Heated outboard second-row seats
• Power-folding third-row seats
• Household-style power outlet
• 10-speaker Bose audio system
• Digital rearview mirror (allows you to see out the back even with a fully loaded cargo area)
• Surround-view camera system (gives you a top-down view of the Enclave and its surroundings for tight parking situations)

Avenir Tops the range with:

• Sunroof
• Navigation system
• Adaptive cruise control (maintains a driver-set distance between the Enclave and the car in front)

The Avenir trim is also eligible for the Avenir Technology package that includes unique headlights and an adaptive suspension (enhances both ride comfort and handling). Some features are available on supporting trims as options.