Published: February 03, 2008 05:31 pm            

Enclave shows Buick's new face

Poor Buick.

More than any of the other General Motors brands, it doesn't seem to have its own identity. Chevrolet is affordable; Cadillac is luxurious; Pontiac is sporty; GMC is hard working; Saturn is friendly; and Hummer is, well, Hummer.

But Buick seems to be the neglected stepchild. A Buick is nicer than a Chevy and not as nice as a Cadillac, but beyond that, does it inspire any emotional response other than "I want to be like Tiger Woods?"

I didn't think so.

Still, Buick exists and has come up with a clearer answer about what it means to be Buick: affordable luxury.

That answer is embodied in the Enclave, a big, roomy SUV that's built like a car and outfitted almost like a Cadillac. It's the latest vehicle to join the Buick lineup, and it shows a refreshing emphasis on style that the copycat Buicks have lacked for years.

For example, the Enclave is built on the same platform as the GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook. If the Enclave were built in the old days, you could have parked the Buick, GMC and Saturn side by side and seen that they were pretty much identical except for the badges.

Not so today. The Enclave actually looks dramatically different - and I think better - than its GMC and Saturn siblings. Buick's designers took the time to create something different inside and out rather than just slapping on some new stickers and calling it done.

Outside, the Enclave has a feline appearance that's daring on such a big vehicle. It's bold. It doesn't reek of bland, design-by-committee styling that I think has ruined some otherwise great Buicks in the past.

The interior isn't quite as distinctive, but it definitely has a unique style. The gauges are lit with light blue highlights, and the soft, neutral colors give it a more inviting feel than the Acadia and Outlook.

When you see the Enclave in pictures, you'll notice it has the same swoopy lines of the small car-based SUVs that are becoming more popular each year. But when you see it in person, you realize the Enclave is on a different scale.

It's a full-size SUV with a roomy third-row seat, not one of those medieval torture devices squeezed into the hind end of many of today's mid-size SUVs. It's tall, wide and looks a little bigger than most minivans.

It doesn't drive like a big vehicle until you step on the gas and realize it's a 2.5-ton beast. The steering and braking don't require much effort, and the suspension sops up imperfections nicely. On the downside, the 275-horsepower V6 seems to strain under acceleration as it gets you from zero to 60 mph in 8.4 seconds, which is quite a bit slower than the Mazda CX-9 and Acura MDX.

Yes, that's right. I just compared a Buick to an Acura. That's no longer an unfair fight because Buick is now trying to lift itself into a premium market position, with pricing and equipment designed to attract luxury buyers rather than bargain hunters.

In some ways, the Buick compares well to not only the MDX, but also the Lexus RX 350, BMW X5 and Mercedes-Benz M Class. Some of its cabin materials seem to be cut-rate quality, but in terms of overall refinement and luxury equipment, the Enclave can compete directly with those pricey brands.

That's not to say the Enclave is cheap. It starts at $33,000 and quickly climbs with each check mark on the options list. Nonetheless, that's thousands cheaper than any of the luxury SUVs it competes with.

It's definitely a good start for remaking Buick.



Derek Price writes for The Cullman (Ala.) Times.

        

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