2011 Buick Enclave

Although its design is now four years old, the 2011 Buick Enclave still looks classy and contemporary, with curvaceous fenders and glamorous detailing. The Enclave is almost the anti–Ford Flex; look down its bodysides and it's curvy and concave. The Enclave simply looks great—even better if you get it in black, which blocks out the body-color C-pillar that otherwise disrupts the flowing side glass. Another styling detail you either love or hate is the chromed ports alongside the hood; it's a cue from Buick's heritage, but it can be seen as either classy or tacky.

The Enclave's interior is loved, too; it's subdued, luxurious, and high-quality throughout—and in many ways, a revelation for Buick—although it's beginning to feel a bit more like the Buick of old than the fresh new Buick we've seen of late. The Enclave's interior design is attractive, but there are a few more dull surfaces and hard plastics than you might expect from a vehicle in this class, and there's none of the more cockpit-like appeal that's been brought to the brand's newer products. A Deco-style arch in the middle of the dash features a somewhat cheap-looking chromed analog clock, mounted on a dull plastic background—an ever-present, half-hearted effort at luxury—while most of the rest of the Enclave interior feels luxurious, if a bit conservative.

If GM is attempting to establish a more pedigreed, European-style driving feel for Buick's vehicles, the 2011 Buick Enclave still hasn't gotten the memo. That said, the Enclave performs reasonably well; it's just not pulse-raising or noteworthy in any performance respects.

Under the hood, the 3.6-liter direct-injection V-6 engine makes 288 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque, burning regular gasoline; it's mated to the Hydra-Matic 6T75 electronically controlled six-speed automatic transmission that features automatic grade braking, shift stabilization, and precise shift control. Although the Enclave won't wow with 0-60 numbers, real-world acceleration is good—impressively, 90 percent of the engine's peak torque is available from 2,500 rpm to more than 6,000 rpm. However, on the highway the transmission can sometimes be caught hunting for the right gear and, in the process, jostling its occupants. That might be because the transmission has wide ratios and is designed to compromise between performance and fuel economy.

The front seats in the Enclave are nothing special; they're large and wide, but overly soft. But when it comes to pleasing passengers—especially those who have to sit behind the front seats—that's where the 2011 Enclave shines.

Throughout, the 2011 Buick Enclave has impressive interior space. A standard third row and overall space for up to 7 or 8 people (depending on the configuration) make the Enclave a reasonable minivan substitute. The third row's a real third row, too, and not just designed for small children with nonexistent legs. Storage is also plentiful, with over 23 cubic feet of space behind the third row when the cargo management system is removed, and if you fold down the second and third rows, you'll free up over 115 cubic feet of cargo space.

The 2010 Buick Enclave has all the makings of a very safe vehicle, with standard front-seat side airbags, full-length side-curtain airbags, and electronic stability control. OnStar's Vehicle Diagnostics even monitor the stability control system.

While there's a lack of full up-to-date crash-test results for the Enclave, it's earned some impressive results that would indicate excellent overall protection. Although the Enclave hasn't yet been tested in the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) roof strength test, it's earned top 'good' scores from the IIHS in frontal and side protection. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) scored the 2010 Buick Enclave at five stars for front and side impact protection, while giving the big crossover four stars for rollover resistance. The federal agency has recalibrated its tests this year, and the 2011 Enclave hasn't yet been rated.

At first glance, the Enclave probably won't look like a very strong value; that's because while the base Enclave starts in the mid-thirties, the more luxurious and desirable Enclave CXL2 can approach $50k. In line with more prestigious models like the Lincoln MKT, Acura MDX, Lexus RX 350, and even the Volvo XC90, that's not cheap.

But the 2011 Buick Enclave is equipped just as well as those other models, if not better, so it's worth considering that if you just want a well-equipped family wagon—and you might be just fine with the standard equipment. Even the base model of the Enclave comes with a few features, such as a power liftgate, that are usually optional or limited to top trims.

GM boasts that the transmission's wide span of gear ratios, enabling a short first gear and very tall fifth and sixth gears, provide both impressive performance and fuel economy, but we haven't seen the latter.

EPA fuel economy ratings are 17 mpg city, 24 highway, but they seem a little optimistic based on the real-world observations of our editors along with other review sources. and over nearly 100 miles of driving, a good mix of conditions including about a third of that around town and a third on the highway, our editors saw just 17 mpg altogether, according to the trip computer.