2017 Buick Enclave Review

If all you're looking for is something to help you fulfill your day-to-day family-schlepping obligations, there are a number of viable choices. But if you're searching for a crossover SUV with seating for eight and a premium interior, your options are more limited. That leads us to the 2017 Buick Enclave, an upscale yet still practical crossover that undercuts luxury-branded rivals on price.

Aside from its distinctive styling, the main differences between the Enclave and the mechanically related Chevrolet Traverse (the GMC Acadia is redesigned this year) can best be experienced from inside the Enclave's remarkably quiet cabin. It rolls down the open road as a big Buick should, with the comfort-tuned suspension soaking up pavement irregularities and the added sound insulation keeping wind and road noise nicely subdued.

The interior has a third-row seat that provides suitable accommodations for larger kids and smaller adults, something few rival three-row models can claim. Getting back there is made easier by wide-opening rear doors and the standard second-row captain's chairs that can slide up and out of the way. If it's hauling capacity you're looking for, the Enclave offers a generous 23.3 cubic feet of space behind the third row and a downright cavernous cargo hold with all the rear seats folded down.

Though the Enclave excels on the highway, it isn't exactly nimble in everyday driving. It's also one of the oldest models in this segment, and this shows up in the Buick's dated infotainment interface and less-than-stellar acceleration and fuel economy. In contrast, the updated 2017 Acura MDX is sportier to drive, has fresher tech features and gets superior fuel economy. You could also shop the Infiniti QX60 and Volvo XC90 for their more luxurious style or top-end versions of the Dodge Durango and Ford Explorer if you want more power. Overall, though, the 2017 Buick Enclave is hard to beat when it comes to affordably transporting multiple passengers in both style and comfort.

The 2017 Buick Enclave is equipped with antilock brakes, stability and traction control, front seat side airbags, side curtain airbags, rear parking sensors and a rearview camera. Also standard is a large airbag that deploys between the front seats; it's designed to protect occupants from colliding with one another in the event of a side impact. The standard OnStar system includes automatic crash notification, on-demand roadside assistance, an emergency button, stolen vehicle locator and active intervention, and remote door unlock.

The Leather and Premium models include rear cross-traffic alert and a blind-spot warning system. The Premium trim also gets forward collision alert and lane departure warning systems, both of which are available on the Leather trim level as extra-cost options.

In Edmunds brake testing, an Enclave with the standard 19-inch wheels came to a stop from 60 mph in 120 feet, which is a few feet better than average for this class. An Enclave with the optional 20-inch wheels halted in 126 feet.

In government crash tests, the Enclave earned a top five-star rating for overall crash protection, with five stars for total front-impact protection and five stars for total side-impact protection. The Enclave also did well in Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests, earning the highest possible rating of Good in the moderate-overlap front-impact test as well as the side-impact, roof strength, and head restraint (whiplash protection) tests.