by "LJ909" (lj909)
Published 10/04/2017 at 18:39
by "LJ909" (lj909)
Published 10/04/2017 at 18:39
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STARS: 2
The big news here is the Avenir luxury trim. The Enclave was completely redesigned for 18' after the first gen being on the market for damn near 10 years. I’ve always liked the Enclave more than its platform mates, the Acadia and Traverse. Here’s how the pricing and trims stack up.
For 18', Buick changed the trim names to sound less..old person/Buick-ey. Before there were 3 trims or “Groups”: Convenience Group, Leather Group, and Premium Group. Now there are 4: 1Sv, Essence, Premium and the new Avenir.
The base trim, 1SV, starts at $41,365 with FWD. You cant get AWD with this trim. Like at all. All trims are powered by GM’s 3.6 310 horse V6. To remind you that you are getting the bargain barrel base trim, there are only 3 color choices for the exterior: Black, silver and white. White of course, no charge. Black and silver are both $395 options. Interior color choices are limited to 1: grey/black cloth seats. I choose Black. Wheel options are limited as well to 1 18 in design that comes standard. The only other exterior option is an engine block heater for you people that live in the cold states. That’s $100.
There are no interior options either. Standard is Buick’s touch screen infotainment system with 8 in screen that includes Apple CarPlay and Android Auto and the usual suite of Bluetooth, Sat radio aux jack blah blah stuff. There are quite a few accessories. Things like trailering hitches, first aid/safety kits and wireless headphones are some of them. I found the headphones though to be a strange option considering that a rear seat entertainment system isn’t even available as an option on this trim. With none of that crap added, you’re sitting at $41,365. That’s a lot considering how basic it is at this point.
The next step up is the Essence trim, which is $4,220 more than the 1SV trim. One of the main things it adds standard is Land Change Alert with BLIS and Rear Cross Traffic Alert. You can add AWD to this trim. It adds 2 grand to the price. The color options are better on this trim as well. Including the standard no charge White, there are 9 exterior colors and 3 interior leather colors. 7 of the colors are $395, 2 aren’t: Red Quartz Tricoat for $495 and White Frost Tricoat (which I assume to be a pearl like off white) for $995. I added the Black again for $395 along with brandy colored leather for no charge.
There are 4 option packages which I found no need for: an interior protection pack that included front and rear floor mats and a rear cargo mat for $250; a floor liner pack that doesn’t maker sense because its the interior protection pack just without the rear cargo mat and its $10 more at $260; a cargo pack that includes cargo area tray, shade and a net for $315 and a trailering pack which raises the trailering limit to 5,000 lbs with the addition of a heavy duty cooling system for $650. Like the 1SV, there are no wheel options on this trim. The only exterior options are a wheel lock kit, engine block heater and the power dual moon roof with fixed rear skylight for $1400. I added that.
The interior options consisted mainly of the previously mentioned mats as individual options, universal tablet holders, Buick’s Nav system for $595, which I added, and something they call Surround Vision. Like competitors, it provides drivers with a birdseye view of the vehicle. Adding it required the addition of a rear camera mirror. Total for both was $825. All totaled with the Essence trim with FWD is $47,310. Weirdly with AWD comes the availability of a 20in wheel option for $1400. With AWD and the 20 in wheel you’re at $50,480. Weirdly, theres already a $500 cash allowance.
I skipped the Premium trim and went to the big new trim, the Avenir. It starts at $56,690 (with awd, $54,390 without).
Supposedly going to trickle down to other models, the Avenir trim adds:
Unique exterior/interior styling
Buick Infotainment System with Navigation
Wireless charging
Power dual moonroof with rear fixed skylight
8" diagonal reconfigurable driver information center
Surround Vision with full display inside rearview mirror
20" cast aluminum wheels with Pearl Nickel finish
Exterior color choices are limited to 5 and are Avenir specific. White Frost Tricoat is $600. None of the other colors are extra however. Interior color choices are just the one shown above called Chestnut. Options wise there are 5. All of them are the same are the other trims except one: the Avenir Technology Package. For $2,095 it adds:
Avenir Premium Suspension Package
Chassis with real-time damping suspension
Premium Ride Suspension
Adaptive Cruise Control
Forward Automatic Braking
Active aero shutters
There really aren’t any other options with this being the top trim. All in, you’re sitting right under $60 grand. $58,035 to be exact, 9 grand more than the top trim fully loaded previous gen. That’s a lot. But there you have it, its pricey but handsome. What do you guys think of the price?
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
10/04/2017 at 19:15, STARS: 3
I think that top end price is too close to Cadillac territory. It does look fantastic though. At the bottom end, I think it hurts the brand to be so basic. No colors and no interior options makes the thing look rental spec, and that’s not what Buick wants to project.
"AestheticsInMotion" (aestheticsinmotion)
10/04/2017 at 19:25, STARS: 0
“liked it more than the enclave and traverse”
Talk about a backhanded compliment
"LJ909" (lj909)
10/04/2017 at 19:29, STARS: 1
From what I saw, on all trims it competes price wise with the XT5, at least to start. But yea its very basic in the base trim for being over 40 grand to start. I feel those will be fleet specials but still, for someone that’s not wanting a Traverse or Acadia, to come to Buick expecting more and getting 3 color choices, no wheel options and cloth seats for 42 grand that’s not a good deal.
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
10/04/2017 at 20:16, STARS: 1
Yes, and if GM is going to let the Enclave go toe to toe with the XT5, then I want my Avista!
Also, charging extra for black is stupid.
"boxrocket" (boxrocket)
10/04/2017 at 20:18, STARS: 2
While it still looks like a fat whale (the “floating” roof enhances the tail effect), at least it doesn’t look like a cartoon dog now. It also looks like Buick/GM is finally over their stupid “the vehicle must have a crease down the front and back” effect at least on the bumper covers where it made the least sense.
What does it mean when Buick has the best-looking lineup in the bloated world of GM?
"LJ909" (lj909)
10/04/2017 at 20:22, STARS: 1
Auto companies think they can get away with charging extra for colors because they are metallic.
"LJ909" (lj909)
10/04/2017 at 20:23, STARS: 0
Yea its grown into its looks. I always thought the previous gen had awkwardly designed head and tail lights. But I think it means that Buick might make more sense than Cadillac.
"Chariotoflove" (chariotoflove)
10/04/2017 at 20:29, STARS: 1
Yes. Still BS.
"Racin'Jason001" (racinjason001)
10/04/2017 at 20:55, STARS: 1
Considering the updates, that’s decent.
"merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc" (merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc)
10/04/2017 at 21:55, STARS: 0
Well the xt5 is a smaller vehicle correct? So it makes sense pricing it that way.
"merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc" (merged-5876237249235911857-hrw8uc)
10/04/2017 at 21:57, STARS: 1
What is up with the D-pillar? That looks silly IMO.