The 2020 Buick Enclave Does Really Well in a Competitive Class

The 2020 Buick Enclave comes in four trims: Those trims are the Preferred, Essence, Premium and Avenir packages. They all use the 3.6-liter V6 engine and a 9-speed automatic transmission. But next year Buick will add a little bit more styling to the current 2020 Enclave with a Sport Touring package. So, expect a Sport Touring Buick Enclave arriving in 2020. I think this will be the 2021 model.

The current 2020's minor updates came after the complete Buick Enclave redesign in 2019.

The 2020 Buick Enclave is the largest SUV offered by Buick. It has seven seats and shares the same platform with some other GM cars like the GMC Acadia and Chevy Traverse. U.S. News & World Report currently ranks it in the middle of its midsize SUV rankings. However, I don't think this is a bad car. Rather, this SUV is in a particularly competitive car class.

Is Buick Enclave Reliable?
Regarding the 2020 Buick Enclave’s reliability we can say the following. We only tested it for a week, and it performed very well in all regards. But J.D. Power’s reliability rating of the 2019 Buick Enclave is three out of five, which is a predictable reliability level and considered average. Thus, we can at least say that the 2020 Buick Enclave is averagely reliable car. I also checked the Buick Enclave group on Facebook and read many positive comments about this SUV’s reliability.

The 2020 Enclave has a good visibility for a 3-row crossover. I loved the driving position and the leg room with all three of my kids and wife in the car. There is plenty of space for those parents using a car seat.

2020 Buick Enclave Exterior
The headlamps are LED and are daytime running. The wheels are 18” aluminum. The 2020’s engine can be started remotely through the vehicle’s Remote Vehicle Starter System. The outside mirrors give the driver a good view when backing the car.

2020 Buick Enclave Interior
The interior of the 2020 Buick Enclave is very quiet at speed. The ride is relatively very comfortable. Keep in mind that the 9-speed transmission doesn't like quick transitions from brake to gas. In stop and go traffic the Enclave requires some learning. As you stop the vehicle the engine stops automatically just like the electric cars and then it starts as you press the accelerator pedal. The Enclave is very good at cruising down the highway.

The seating is leather appointed. I particularly liked that both the driver and passenger seats have power lumbar. It gives a nice sense of massage, which will particularly be helpful when driving long distances. There are all possible levels of climate control and an active noise cancellation option. The steering wheel is wrapped with leather. My vehicle’s interior had Brandy leather interior with Ebony accents. It looks very nice.

The Infotainment System
The Infotainment System of the 2020 Enclave’s infotainment system has a large 8” display. It’s touchscreen with a lot of nice features and apps as well as HD colors. Voice recognition, and Bluetooth audio streaming give other comforts to the driver, helping him/her to focus on the safety of driving. The Essence package doesn’t have a Navigation system in the infotainment, but that’s handled through OnStar. You call OnStar, give them the address and they download for you the directions of your destination right in the infotainment system.

The new Enclave comes with a lot of new tech features. Besides OnStar and other traditional features the car is equipped with a WI-FI feature, which always provided 4G LTE internet access. The setting up is very easy using the infotainment system’s touchscreen. The Blind Spot Indicator is another nice feature that I enjoyed while driving this SUV.

2020 Buick Enclave Pricing
The 2020 Enclave prices start at $40,000. The standard vehicle price for the 2020 Enclave Essence AWS 1SL, which I was test-driving was $44,000. Total options are $3,985 and with the destination charge the total vehicle price can reach $49,180. The 2020 Avenir trim, which is Enclave's premium package, may reach up to $55,800.

I spoke with a friend who owns a GM dealership who said this is GM's best SUV. He drives it and his wife drives it as well. I think the car gets a little expensive as you add options and the fuel economy can improve for that price range (currently 17 mpg city and 25 highway).

"The Buick Enclave is a world class Luxury Crossover SUV. This generation of Enclave has more space behind the third row seat, larger and more plush seating in each row and incredible new technology. The new technology includes a larger touch screen radio, Apple or Android Car play for seamless integration of your personal entertainment and access to Google maps or Waze on the touch screen radio. The all new Enclave also has enhanced safety features to protect you and the valuable cargo that you carry. Safety features include side blind zone alert, forward collision alert with automatic braking and pedestrian low speed braking. The Enclave also has an available surround vision camera and and a rear view mirror that doubles as a rear view camera with the flip of a switch," said Brad Mccorkle, the general manager of the Liberty Buick GMC of Charlotte-Matthews in NC in a written statement.

But the 2020 Buick Enclave has an attractive look, the 3rd row is very spacious and this SUV has a beautiful contemporary interior. Good infotainment system and OnStar features add to the value of this car.

Watch the video review of the 2020 Buick Enclave Essence and click to Subscribe to Torque News Youtube channel for daily automotive news analysis.

By the way, the 2020 Buick Enclave has two trims with standard massaging back seats and here's why you might like that.

About The Author

Armen Hareyan is the founder and the Editor in Chief of Torque News. He founded TorqueNews.com in 2010, which since then has been publishing expert news and analysis about the automotive industry. He can be reached at Torque News Twitter, Facebok, Linkedin and Youtube.