2023 Buick Enclave is not as boring as you imagined

2023 Buick Enclave Avenir AWD 1SP vs. 2023 Hyundai Palisade Calligraphy AWD: Surprising performances from midsize, three-row SUVs.

This week: Buick Enclave

Price: $60,040 as tested. See below for extras.

Conventional wisdom: Edmunds.com likes the “generous cargo and passenger room, quiet and smooth ride, plenty of standard features, lots of device-charging solutions,” but not that it’s “pricier than non-luxury rivals, but cabin materials aren’t much nicer, thirstier than V6-powered competitors.”

Marketer’s pitch: “An oasis of refinement.”

Reality: Refinement or boredom?

What’s new: Buick vs. Hyundai — these are not the brands that make drivers think “excitement.” And among all automakers, Buick is probably the farthest from that description.

Still, the refreshed design in 2022 makes the staid three-row SUV more attractive, a revelation that came to me out in the real world. We were walking from shop to shop in Centreville, Del., and after passing the Enclave, I realized, “Hey, that’s actually kind of pretty from the front.” Especially in the dark blue of the test model. (And the competition in the ritzy burgh can be stiff.)

Competition: Speaking of, the Enclave fights directly against the Kia Telluride in addition to the Palisade, Honda Pilot, Volkswagen Atlas, and Mazda CX-9.

Up to speed: The Enclave is not a rocket with its 3.6-liter V-6 engine. The 310 horsepower has a lot of vehicle to move. But 0-60 takes only a quick 6.5 seconds, according to Car and Driver.

Shifty: The 9-speed transmission is operated from a sort of button-not-button setup. The PRNDL is in a row of what looks like buttons, but Reverse and Drive require a pull of the tiny lever, a much safer idea, and actually kind of nice for the three-point turns of the Sturgis family driveway (plink, back; plink, forward; plink, back …).

Shifting is available via paddles.

I noticed some abrupt moments when the vehicle was coming to a stop now and again, though, as downshifting ensued.

On the road: The Enclave’s handling was better than I expected. It bops around the country roads and in the city with aplomb, mostly providing a smooth ride without wandering steering, and I enjoyed a longer test than usual around southeast Pennsylvania and Delaware. Helping this was the Avenir Technology Package, which added premium ride suspension and damping for $1,595.

Touring mode and Sport mode are both equally useful.

One surprising downside was actually in high speeds on the highways. On Route 202 in Chester County I felt like the Enclave moved around the lane a lot while I was paying about the usual level of attention — not intense but not distracted.

Driver’s Seat: Buick provides a nice ride for the people up front. The seats are comfortable and supportive, more to the Lovely Mrs. Passenger Seat’s tastes than Mr. Driver’s Seat — he’s soooo sensitive — but they cool and heat and massage. Although, frankly, the massage function seemed a little intense (see Mr. Sensitive Seat, above).

The dashboard graphics also are upgraded from the usual Buick offerings. Visibility is very good, and the digital mirror is a nice touch.

Friends and stuff: I thought the Enclave would be a roomy place for passengers, and it certainly looks that way at first glance. The middle row appeared to have plenty of space for two people in the captain’s chairs.

A closer look reveals that the Enclave is a little short on space — like, literally, it’s short. Headroom is more cramped than I expected, with my head almost touching the ceiling.

Passengers will find plenty of room when the middle row is moved all the way back. But if people need to use the third row, it’s a tight proposition bordering on painful. Even getting to and from the third row between the captain’s chairs requires a deep crouch.

Still, moving the second row up to about premium economy legroom will make the third row tolerable, although the low, thin seat won’t help. In fact, both second- and third-row seats pale in comparison to the front.

Cargo space is quite generous, 97.4 cubic feet with the third and second rows folded, 57.7 behind the second row, and 23.6 behind the third.

The Enclave can tow up to 5,000 pounds.

Play some tunes: The Enclave stereo is worthy of the Buick nameplate. It provides great sound, about an A-, or maybe a B+. It could be a little thumpy on some songs.

Operation and look are standard for General Motors products — center volume dial, a few buttons, and then everything in the touchscreen. The home button could get you lost in some nested functions easily, though, and that was disappointing, although it’s worse when using Apple CarPlay.

Keeping warm and cool: Temperature is controlled via dials and everything else by small but clearly marked buttons.

I felt like it was a little underpowered, especially the seat coolers. I had it for some only slightly warm days and could feel a little sweaty, but it takes a lot to cool these giant cabins.

Fuel economy: I averaged just under 20 mpg in a mix of highway and city driving.

Where it’s built: Lansing, Mich.

How it’s built: The Enclave gets a reliability rating of 3 out of 5 from Consumer Reports.

Next week: Hyundai Palisade.