2008 Buick Enclave

Buick has been a car company without an image for many years. While they once sat near the top of the General Motors brand pantheon, too many years of badge-engineered copycat cars slowly stripped the company of any of the prestige or dignity that it may have once had. With the death of the Roadmaster in the 1990’s, Buick also saw the loss of the last of its remaining links to a more glorious past. There was much talk of allowing Buick to ride off into the sunset, much as Chrysler did with the underperforming Plymouth division in the early 2000’s, but GM decided to keep them around and see if they could find a niche for the brand.

The 2008 Buick Enclave is Buick’s foray into the world of the ‘luxury crossover SUV’. Essentially, this area of the market focuses on people who need the space of a minivan, but don’t want to social stigma associated with one. These buyers are also hoping to avoid paying the price for the terrible fuel mileage associate with most SUV’s. The Enclave straddles the line between both segments, much like the Infiniti EX, but for much, much less money.

Buick has never had its own crossover SUV quite like this before, aside from the unsuccessful Rendez-vous of a few years back. The Enclave adopts the traditional portholes on the front fenders that were long a Buick trademark. 3 on each side total the number of cylinders found underneath the hood of the vehicle. The Enclave is powered by a brand new 275 horsepower V6 engine. This 3.6 liter engine uses variable valve timing and dual-overhead camshafts instead of the standard pushrod V6’s that General Motors has been flogging for decades. The crossover can be had in front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive, and it uses a 6-speed automatic transmission to get power to the ground.

275 horsepower is nothing to sneeze at, but most people aren’t buying this type of vehicle for performance. Rather, they are more interested in how well the crossover can haul their family and all of the associated gear that comes with them. The Enclave does not disappoint in this department. The third row seating is expansive, and unusually, three adults can sit in that position comfortably, even on long road trips. The seats in the middle of the vehicle are captain’s chairs with an optional center console, and everything, including the console, folds flat into the floor, revealing a vast amount of cargo space – 116.2 cubic feet. Perforated leather is an option for all seat coverings.

Perhaps most surprisingly, the ‘utility’ in the 2008 Buick Enclave sport-utility crossover is more than just perfunctory. The vehicle can tow up to 4500 pounds, which makes it perfect for helping a friend move or towing a boat to the lake. Buick has done their best to make driving the Enclave a relaxing experience, and the long wheel base and almost hermetically-sealed passenger compartment provide for smooth and silent motoring. Windshield and door glass is acoustically laminated, and doors are triple sealed to compliment the extensive noise-dampening materials installed throughout the cabin. Kids can be kept entertained with a DVD multimedia system and headphones, so even the sounds generated from inside the vehicle can be kept to a minimum.

The 2008 Buick Enclave is an impressive effort from what was once a floundering car company. Management was extremely pleased that thousands of these vehicles were pre-ordered, something that had not occurred for a long time in Buick showrooms. Hopefully, the Enclave has enough power to pull Buick back from the mists of obscurity and give them new life.






Images were reprinted with permissions from original author Rod Brito! Content was written by Benjamin Hunting for www.sport-cars.org only and you MAY NOT copy, distribute or use this page's content for any commercial or non-commerical purpose without written permission of this site owner and photos authors!
June 8, 2008, 9:20 am