2008 Buick Enclave: Rear Seat Review

Come on Brent, give me the proper shout out since I was the reader that suggested this test!! I do agree with the low position of the second row chairs though & didn't realize the headrest could not be raised. Chrysler's Stow n Go seats are guilty of being toy sized as well since they need to fit in the tiny compartments in the floor.

second row seats are low but this seems to be a common issue on minivans and some crossovers these days.
 
I want to hear how this compares to 3rd row in Veracruz as well. Also, lets not forget you can actually store cargo with passengers in the 3rd row on the enclave. Not true on many 3 row crossovers like MDX, Highlander, Pilot, etc. You have to chose between 7 people and luggage which is stupid.

wait I counted 6... Rondo, Outlander, Q7, enclave, CX9,and veracruz... OH the retiring tahoe makes 7! All that and not one convertible!! EOS! EOS! EOS!
 
Unfortunatly for the enclave, the Acadia looks better and the Outlook is cheaper. Now GM goes and make the Traverse which looks like the Enclave but its horribly ugly from the rear... But I guess its better for GM to have 4CUVS that which are all great than 4VANs that all were crappy...
 
Personally, I'd get the acadia!! But I won't be ready for/nor need one until the possibly the 3rd generation when cars fly and drive on water.... Ok GM product cycles aren't that long! lol
 
-Cj

It's 5. The Q7 has left, although I suppose y'all didn't know that.
 
And we're in Southern California, why would we want a convertible?

Has it been a year for the Q7 yet?
 
Man, time moves fast...

It's interesting how some of these SUVs are more mini-van-like while others are a 4x4 with a seat tacked on just for posterity's sake.

This car is magnificent.
Everyone should own one.

That seat fabric belongs in the Cobalt, not a 30K+ SUV.
 
The CX-9 just looks so much more upscale inside, plastic's and all; and not with that disgustingly fake looking wood-trim that the Enclave has, of course the GT trim has faux-wood, but even that looks better.

I too didn't know the 2nd row headrests couldn't be raised. I was at an auto show yesterday and tried raising it, but it wouldn't budge...thought I was just really weak lol.
 
On another note, I don't know how you can say the interior of the CX-9 is better cx7lover...My friend and I were excited to see this amazing CX-9 that everyone was talking about, but sit in the pass. seat and I dont know how you can look forward and be happy. THE DASH IS HARD AND HAS NO GRAIN!! It looks like its out of a 90's Hyundai and is plain ugly.
Also, there's absolutely no room behind the 3rd row seat and kind of claustrophobic for a 6ft person.

"That seat fabric belongs in the Cobalt, not a 30K+ SUV. "
 
I was just thinking it's one of the things I like best about it. I'm tired of being stuck with leather if you want anything more then a base version of just about any car or truck these days.

Sorry guys, the headrests in the 2nd row ARE adjustable. I had more tickets to the show this evening and confirmed the CXL's headrests can in fact be raised from the standard position. Unless the CX has a different design, you guys need to try again.

I gave the Veracruz a thorough examination and found its cockpit very inviting. In fact, more so than the CX-9. Both pale in comparison to the Enclave CXL though as it actually feels like a luxury vehicle instead of an upscale basic SUV. When seated, slam the doors closed and feel the difference- no comparison. The Asian brands feel light and fragile while the Buick feels like an old 500SEL. I know everyone doesn't need all the space but I see no reason for a loaded minivan if you can afford the Buick. The Enclave is also MUCH better than the Acadia on the inside. The dash is soft while the Acadia's is hard- same for the door panels where the Buick has elegant stiching in place of the GMC's plastic. The doors don't even feel the same. GM did a good job with brand differentiation.

Your previous post regarding the Aura's RSA system, the gripe was that there is no display. If I am not mistaken, the Enclave appears to have the same RSA that is in my 08 Suburban. With my Suburban's system the black area lights up with LED's and does display the Radio info.
 
If that is the case, what is your issue with the Enclave's RSA?

Like grained plastic defines quailty, the dash in the Mazda 3 is heavily grained and it start's below 20K.
Grained plastic is what it is, grained plastic, not "expensive luxury" plastic, the plastic in Audi's have no such "Graining". They're just like the CX-9's.
 
The overuse of cheap 80's wood trim is enough to make someone dizzy.
 
I'm not saying the seat's should be leather, I'm saying that fabric print looks cheap, the CX-9 sport has way better seat fabrics and doesn't have a cheap print pattern on it.
 
The Enclave has some trim issues as well, misaligned trim pieces are very obvious, not to mention it's a porker and the transmission is awful, ESP that manual shift "button".

CX7lover- the Mazda3 has rock hard plastic throughout the entire interior while the CX-7's interior is even worse (PS- I'm on my second 3). I'd like you to find one soft touch area besides the seats and armrest. If you think those interiors are even remotely comparable to the Enclave's then this entire conversation is moot.

i agree chavis10. what is with the dash in the cx-9? the center console has a nice downward flow, but then the right right of it is this slab of hard plastic. it looks like a wall...and its definitely not soft plastic like an audi.

"The CX-9 just looks so much more upscale inside, plastic's and all; and not with that disgustingly fake looking wood-trim that the Enclave has, of course the GT trim has faux-wood, but even that looks better."
 
you cant be serious. Based on your handle I would assum you are biased but the facts speak for themselves. The Enclave's interior is a cut above the CX-9 and Highlander. I checked all 3 at the autoshow recently. Also, your assertion that there are build quality issues is a joke. No one has mentioned such issues in test drives and I saw none when inspecting the vehicle in person. The CX-9 is full of hard plastics BTW. The Enclave is a "porker" because its huge and has tons of sound deadening. In spite of its size its lighter than the midsize Toureg. It is definitely one of the best crossovers on the market and I would not pay a premium for a ghastly and small MDX or the Q7 which has a slightly better interior but worse exterior and higher price. The recent interiors by GM are moving them away from JApanese brands like Toyota and MAzda and closer to the Euro brands. The Highlander looks great in pics but in reality the wood is offensively fake and the plastics are rock hard. It cant even hold a candle to the Acadia interior, much less the Enclave.

I thought the rear radio controls oon all GM SUvs had a display? Did you check that jriz?
 
I was in some import vehicle at the autoshow with rear headphone jacks and volume control and it had no display just like the system in the Aura. I might have been the 2008 Sequoia.

LOL, Chavis10, First off, the interior in the CX-7 is better than the interior in the 3, the 3 uses easily scratched plastic's and thin plastics, and they become rattle boxes over time.
 
Also, look in the blog picture, the dash has misaligned trim right there! It's blatantly visible.
 
Oh and the Q7's interior is superior, are you seriously comparing the Q7 with something like a Buick? With all of that "wood" and that ugly part's bin switchgear. Even the door locks are cheapness, they came from another old GM product I just can't remember which one.
 
And one soft touch area? The pebble door trim is soft, and it's a better evolution of the stuff in the 3, it doesn't have that cheap plastic shine either. Not to mention the armrest on the door is padded.

Even though the wood is obviously fake (I won't contest that), it does give the interior a warm feeling. Buick is all about luxury. If you want satin metal treatments, go with the GMC. Take the wood out and it'll be a black hole just like BMWs.

"LOL, Chavis10, First off, the interior in the CX-7 is better than the interior in the 3, the 3 uses easily scratched plastic's and thin plastics, and they become rattle boxes over time. "
 
The interior of the CX-7 is no better than the 3 in spite of the higher price. The CX-7 interior is not in the same league as the lambda crossovers.
 
I didnt see any misaligned trim in the pics above. What are you talking about?
 
Nothing in the Enclave felt cheap. It does share some parts with other GM vehicles but the problem is those parts arent cheap. The stalks, HVAC buttons and stereo buttons feel just fine in the Enclave and other vehicles. EVERY AUTOMAKER shares buttons and switches across many different products. Audi puts virtually the SAME interior in every product they make nowadays. Why are you criticizing GM for doing what others do?

cx7lover- are you seriously comparing a Buick to something like a Mazda? You're dreaming. The CX-7 has a playskool interior from a early '90s era Grand Am. How can you try to defend such a product? The upper dash materials have no graining whatsoever (check the area atop the center stack) along with other touches of cheapness. Where's the telescopic wheel? What's up with the cheapo one stage heated seats (like my econo car). I put 32k on my first 3 and didn't hear any rattling. Just accept the reality as I have. You'd never hear me trying to say my car's interior is anything but brick hard and of average quality.
  
"With all of that "wood" and that ugly part's bin switchgear. Even the door locks are cheapness, they came from another old GM product I just can't remember which one."
  
Have you looked at the competition? Obviously you haven't but I'd suggest you take a gander at the new Highlander and see what interior cheapness is all about. The surfaces are just as brittle as the CX-9s and the Toyota parts pin has been raided to oblivion. I want you feel the interior door latches- pull them and let 'em slam shut to feel that intrinsic Toyota "quality." They practically have no weight to them and the doors feel as robust as 6th grader's paper mache project. Knock on that faux matte finish wood grain and hear the echo it produces. If you knew anything, you'd know that the Lambdas feature a lot of parts specific to themselves. Before you start riding shotgun on archaic domestic bashing bandwagons, do a little research to save some embarrassment.

Why not save yourself from some embarrassment, first off I wasn't even comparing the CX-7's interior to the Buicks.
 
Secondly, the CX-9's interior is better, period.
 
The The CX-7's upper dash is nothing but pebble grain, are you stupid or what?

"Secondly, the CX-9's interior is better, period. "
 
Better than a CX-7. sure. Enclave, not even close.
 
"The The CX-7's upper dash is nothing but pebble grain, are you stupid or what?"
 
Pebble grain? Is that what they call it now? It's the same crap installed in my car for $1000s more.

the cx-7 does indeed have a lot of pebble grain rock hard plastics inside. Just like a Chrysler product.

After much due diligence I went to purchase an '08 Highlander last week. Never had seen one. What a the interior was such a turn-off on a $43'000. vehicle I went across the street and bought an Enclave. What a car! Of course the tranny isn't up to high performance std but I love this Buick. My first since the 1976 Electra