Used 2018 Buick Enclave SUV Consumer Reviews
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Road Warrior, Great in Snow
Bob Quick, 09/15/2018
updated 03/17/2020
2018 Buick Enclave Avenir 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 9A)
36 of 36 people found this review helpful
We bought the 2018 Buick Enclave Avenir in February 2018, by September we had 17,000 miles. So have had some time to get to know the car. It is very quiet, capable and comfortable. It is outstanding on the road, handles well in all ice, snow, rain, black ice conditions, as well as on dry road. Evens out the bumps, very comfortable on road trips, ride and noise cancelling are exceptional. It is the least fatiguing car I have ever had, I arrive after 5 to 10 hours of driving relaxed. Averaging almost 27 MPG, have had several tanks that were over 30 MPG. The FWD works great and is more than adequate for most snow conditions. The AWD also works well and is good for snows up to 10-12 inches, over that it gets high centered. It is sure-footed and handling is very measured on icy and wet curves. I should add that my wife likes it much better than her BMW X5. Ride is vastly superior, oh and it burns regular! In short, a very happy owner. Oh be sure to buy the deep rubber all weather mats, they are great. March 2020 update, we now have 2 years diving experince with the car and have logged 51,000 miles. It is without any doubt the best car we have ever owned. Other than routined maintence it has been trouble free, with one exception. In May 2019, after pulling away from a parking lot, the car started to buck and surge llike a bronco. My wife and I were terrified, turned the car off and had it towed to the dealer. They said ithere was programming fix which GM hoped would fix the problem and it largly did. About 5 months later, there was some hesittaion in upshifting on hills at low speeds, once again. They reprogrammed the transmission control module with the lastest software update and there have been no issues since then. Overall, the vehicle is excellent, nimble and controlled when pushing it in tight curves, great highway cruiser. Great predictable handling in the ice and snow conditions of northern Wisconsin. One sugestion for GM, wtith the 20 inch tires, sometimes the snow will build up in the wheelwells. If they could add a heating element to the friont wheelwells, this would eliminate the bounching problem and the need to chop out the accumulated ice and snow. A heating element for the front windshield wipers would be useful as well. These are constructive comments, I love the vehicle and would buy another!
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It’s been 5 years
toyota420yrs, 08/01/2018
updated 02/10/2023
2018 Buick Enclave Avenir 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 9A)
35 of 35 people found this review helpful
Still happy and enjoying the car but still cautiously optimistic that everything holds together for the next five years.
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In the shop!
Disgusted, 10/29/2018
2018 Buick Enclave Premium 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 9A)
74 of 77 people found this review helpful
Bought the 2018 Enclave last month. 2 days after purchase, vehicle would not engage out of low. Called and dealership immediately sent a tow truck to pick up the vehicle. Did not find out the cause, even though 8 error messages were recorded. Was told the vehicle was reprogrammed and had no problems when they drove it. 232 miles worth. Went 2 weeks without an issue. 3 days ago I could not back the vehicle out of the garage. After repeating putting the vehicle in reverse, then park 5 times, I decided to put the vehicle in D with my foot on the brake then transition to R. This procedure worked. I backed out of the garage and drove straight to the dealership. That was Thursday morning. This is Sunday. No solution yet. Both issues have to do with the transmission. I will NEVER buy a GM vehicle again. Update-Received a call from the dealership today. (Monday). GM engineers gave them instructions on what to look for. Dealership could not fix the problem. Engine light still displayed. Sent those results back to GM. Have to wait on GM for next step. Talk of putting me in a new vehicle because if they can’t fix the problem, the “Lemon Law” will take effect. Will update with final result.
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Buick Enclave Avenir beats the imports
Kevin, 11/04/2017
updated 11/07/2022
2018 Buick Enclave Avenir 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 9A)
90 of 94 people found this review helpful
The 2018 Buick Enclave Avenir just arrived in AZ the last week of October. I had been looking for a car for a year to replace my 2012 Lexus RX 350. I was about ready to give up on finding a car with a good ride, that is quiet, has room for adults on long drives, and is still able to fit in a parking space. Oh yeah, and it had to have a decent engine. These are the attributes of the Lexus brand, but I find the new Lexus just mean-looking. I test drove all SUVs: Honda, Toyota, Porsche Cayenne, Audi Q5 Q7 SQ5, Chevy Traverse, Jaguar, Acura, GMC. I like to think I pretty much covered the universe and I liked the Buick best. It is extremely quiet and yet has the guts to handle a high speed pass 70 to 90 smoothly. The long wheel base and great suspension give it a very smooth ride. This was not the most fun car I drove, but it was the most practical. We don't need the 3rd row often, but I like the immense storage with easy parking. BTW, the most fun car was not the Porsche, but the Audi SQ5. I would highly recommend it for a sporty 2 row. Buick has upped its game and matched the prestige badges with a 4 year, 50,000 mile warranty. The Avenir trim is worth the money over the premium. Looks better and seems quieter. If any of my checklist matches yours, go drive the Buick. Update after 1 year of ownership: The weird shift pattern for the electronic shifter is just plain dumb. There was no reason to change. Way too easy to shift into Park while moving. Transmission can get lost on rare occasions while shifting. LOVE the car overall. I would buy it again. Update after four years: Software update has helped the transmission, but of course not the shift pattern. Some work done under warranty, water pump failed early, but overall not many trips to the shop. Personally, I am ready for something new, but this seems like I will get another 4 years and 50,000 miles out of it without much problem. The car, even in this crazy used car market, has depreciated 50% in 4 years. That is disappointing. Interior space, drivability, quiet, smooth are all still true. Would I buy again? Probably. However with the steep depreciation, I think a 2 or 3 year old car is a much better value.
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Buick has raised the bar
H Williams, 11/30/2017
2018 Buick Enclave Avenir 4dr SUV (3.6L 6cyl 9A)
40 of 42 people found this review helpful
Purchased the 2018 Buick Enclave Avenir FWD after test driving the BMW X5 and Audi A7. Both the BMW and Audi are excellent vehicles but do not match the smooth quiet ride of the Avenir trim level of the Enclave. The interior gives the passengers an exceedingly quiet ride while moving effortlessly down the road. The sound system is just outstanding and the technology control panel is easy to learn and use. Passenger safety is enhanced with features that keep you at a safe distance from vehicles in front and blind spot awareness. Have not found a better value in this price range.
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The Best One Yet!
Jay, 12/04/2017
updated 12/12/2018
2018 Buick Enclave Avenir 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 9A)
27 of 29 people found this review helpful
We've owned 2008 and 2012 Enclaves so we are familiar with the car. Coming from a series of minivans we loved the look of the 2008 Enclave, and the 2018 is a great improvement on the original. The Avenir is quieter, more luxurious, thriftier and more comfortable than the earlier versions. I particularly like the switchable AWD which lets us run in FWD most of the time. The technology is amazing: we especially like the 'birds-eye-view' and the camera rear view mirror, though both took a bit of getting used to 'em. A feature not available on any non-GM suv is the OnStar app which lets us remotely start the engine. Arriving at the airport and being able to warm the car while waiting for our luggage is a real plus. We looked at most of the 3-row suv's available and, for price, features, cosmetics, and overall quality, nothing bests the Avenir, IMHO! Update: Now that we have some miles on the car I can add some additional comments. The car has remained trouble-free and enjoyable to drive, especially long distances. We've got the 2018-9 Enclave-specific roof racks for our car top carrier...you cannot get a generic rack, btw. My wife really like the automatic high beams but is less interested in the trick rear view mirror or the adaptive cruise control. The automatic emergency braking works well and, as aging baby boomers we both like all the safety features. I'll buy an (electric?) 2021 Enclave!
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The Best One Yet!
Jay, 12/04/2017
2018 Buick Enclave Avenir 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 9A)
10 of 10 people found this review helpful
We've owned 2008 and 2012 Enclaves so we are familiar with the car. Coming from a series of minivans we loved the look of the 2008 Enclave, and the 2018 is a great improvement on the original. The Avenir is quieter, more luxurious, thriftier and more comfortable than the earlier versions. I particularly like the switchable AWD which lets us run in FWD most of the time. The technology is amazing: we especially like the 'birds-eye-view' and the camera rear view mirror, though both took a bit of getting used to 'em. A feature not available on any non-GM suv is the OnStar app which lets us remotely start the engine. Arriving at the airport and being able to warm the car while waiting for our luggage is a real plus. We looked at most of the 3-row suv's available and, for price, features, cosmetics, and overall quality, nothing bests the Avenir, IMHO!
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A must test drive.....
John Wright, 04/27/2018
2018 Buick Enclave Essence 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 9A)
15 of 16 people found this review helpful
Each person has their own personality and style and so do vehicles. You must match your personality to the vehicle to truly love your car. So why do I rate the 2018 Buick Enclave Essence a must test drive? As a disabled Veteran who (let's face it) hurts everywhere all the time, I find the Buick Enclave to be the most comfortable and luxurious of the SUV's. The seats envelop you and hug you like the warm embrace of a mother to her child. No exaggeration. When I open the door either front or back (except third row) I can slide into my seat without having to contort my body just to get in. In the third row once you fold the middle seat up you can get right in and the back seats are just as comfortable and roomy. It drives like a luxury vehicle should with little to almost no road noise. My advice is to ask the dealer to take it with you when looking at other vehicles to compare. When you test drive one get back into the Buick and drive it again. You will see what I am talking about. One draw back.....seatbelts in middle seat tend to not let you lean forward to adjust middle climate controls when moving. Oh...Get middle captain seats.
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Engine Issues after having for a year
Kelly S, 02/28/2019
2018 Buick Enclave Avenir 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 9A)
7 of 7 people found this review helpful
This car has started acting very strangely lately. Every day at random times when I start the car it doesn’t seem to want to turn over right away, and start. This has left me thinking it’s not going to. Took it to dealership and they said it was the high pressure filter, so they replaced it, that was 2 days ago. Today same issue but took even longer, I really thought I had a problem today. Now dealer is taking it again to check. Another issue is that the air conditioner has a loud hiss from time to time. Loud enough to hear over music.
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A couple minor things Buick missed
Bob Janik, 06/30/2018
2018 Buick Enclave Avenir 4dr SUV AWD (3.6L 6cyl 9A)
18 of 21 people found this review helpful
We leased a the Buick Avenir about a month ago and there are a few things that Buick missed. 1. Rain sensing wipers. On a 60K car, you’d think this would be available but it’s not even offered. I have them on my 2017 Dodge Durango Citadel and it’s a great convenience. 2. Pre sets for driver power seats. Most cars have a button 1 and button 2 and the Enclave does. Issue is, you can’t just press the button like most cars, but you have to hold the button down until the seats gets to your programmed position. My wife is 5’-4” and I’m 6’-2” so it takes 15-20 seconds of me standing and holding the button until my seats go back to their pre set position 3. Driver seat is too narrow. I read a couple reviews that complained about it and I have to agree. If you’re over 200 pounds, it will be tight.
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