What is it?
Last year, General Motors introduced a trio of new three-row crossover SUVs – the Chevrolet Traverse, GMC Acadia, and the Buick Enclave. All are the same under the skin, sharing chassis, powertrain, and technology, but each brings a different style and feature set to the market. The 2025 Buick Enclave gets a premium vibe compared to the other two, and it should breathe new life into the brand.

New Flagship
“With the launch of our Buick Enclave flagship SUV, our ICE portfolio is now complete with a full lineup of completely refreshed or all-new vehicles,” said Duncan Aldred, global vice president, Buick and GMC. “The premium and sculptural design of the Enclave strikes a confident stance on any street, and the thoughtful technologies throughout elevate the driving experience. Coupled with luxury finishes, Enclave sets a new standard for our brand and the segment, it truly is exceptional by design and will help the brand continue our momentum through 2024 and beyond.”

Lineup
With a lineup now made up entirely of SUVs, the Enclave resides at the top as the brand’s flagship. Buick offers the 2025 Enclave in three trim levels: Preferred, Sport Touring, and Avenir. Front-wheel drive is standard on all trims, with all-wheel drive available for an additional $2,000. Prices range from around $46,000 to the top-level Avenir AWD, which starts at around $61,000.

Test Car
For this review, Buick provided me with a 2025 Enclave Avenir AWD, painted in Moonstone Gray. The only option on this vehicle was the Super Cruise package for a total manufacturer’s suggested retail price of $65,125, including the $1,395 destination charge.

Fresh Style
The new Enclave adopts the new design language seen throughout the Buick lineup. Up front is a wide, stylish grille with a concave shape, flanked by LED headlights set into the bodywork. Slim LED daytime running lights give the Buick a distinctive look, and the sculpted hood is adorned with the Buick logo.

Rear View
With LED taillights that span the vehicle’s width, the Enclave has a clean look from the rear with a wide stance. The rear spoiler, centrally placed Buick logo, and dual exhaust add to the premium look.

Inner Space
The new Enclave has an elegant, clean interior design, highlighted by the stylish 30-inch curved display screen that seamlessly blends the gauge cluster with the infotainment system. Climate functions are quickly accessed via physical buttons, but aside from the volume knob in the center console, all hard controls have been eliminated. There’s good storage for front-seat passengers with large cupholders, a sizable bin below the center armrest, and a wide open space below the center console that can easily handle a large bag or purse.

Advanced Tech
For the 2025 model year, the Enclave gets a new Google-based infotainment system featuring Google Maps and the Google Assistant natural-voice interface. Additional apps can be downloaded from the Google Play Store, adding music streaming, navigation, and other features. Logging into the system with your Google account makes transferring destinations from your phone to the integrated navigation system easy. Still, for those who prefer, Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both standard with a wireless connection.

Elegant Cabin
The 2025 Enclave is longer, wider, and taller than the outgoing version, translating to a more spacious cabin. My Avenir test vehicle featured a premium two-tone interior treatment with Cool Gray quilted and perforated leather seats highlighted by Slate Blue piping. The Slate Blue continues on the upper dashboard, doors, and steering wheel, while bronze accents add an elegant touch. The seats are very comfortable, with good support, multiple adjustments, and heating, ventilating, and massage functions.

Second Row
Captain’s chairs are standard in the second row, boasting plenty of legroom and headroom as well as seat heating. Climate controls for rear seat passengers are easily reached, along with dual USB-C ports.

Third Row
With a second-row seat that slides up and out of the way with a single release, access to the third row is easy. I was surprised at how much space there is in the third row – two adults would find this space usable, although it would be cramped with three passengers. The second-row passengers can slide their seats forward to provide additional legroom for those relegated to the third row.

Cargo Space
Even with all three rows in use, the Enclaved offers up to 22.9 cubic feet of cargo space – plenty for a few suitcases or multiple bags of groceries. The third row is easily folded flat via buttons on the side of the cargo area, expanding the space to 57.1 cu-ft. Those same buttons can fold the second row for maximum cargo-carrying ability, creating 97.5 cu-ft of storage.

Under the Hood
Powering the 2025 Enclave is a 2.5-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder engine, putting out 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft of torque. This represents a substantial increase in power compared to the outgoing V6 engine. The new turbo engine is teamed with a smooth-shifting 8-speed automatic transmission. When properly equipped, the Enclave can tow up to 5,000 pounds.

Fuel Efficiency
Not only is the turbocharged engine more powerful than the previous version’s V6, but it’s also more fuel efficient. According to the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA), the 2025 Buick Enclave is rated at 20 mpg city / 27 mpg hwy / 23 mpg combined with front wheel drive. The AWD variant drops to 19 / 24 / 21, respectively. During my time with the Enclave AWD, the trip computer indicated just over 17 mpg, not quite at the EPA’s expected level.

On the Road
The Enclave is not a small vehicle, but the turbocharged engine delivers plenty of power to get moving relatively quickly. Power comes on smoothly and is easy to modulate thanks to the seamless shifts from its new 8-speed automatic transmission. Getting up to highway speed is no problem for the Buick, and passing slower vehicles on a two-lane road never presented any concern.

Quiet and Comfortable
Whether driving around town, exploring the countryside, or cruising down the freeway, the new Enclave delivers a quiet, comfortable ride. Handling is about what you’d expect from a large, three-row SUV, but steering provides good feedback, and the suspension does a nice job of smoothing out the rough sections of pavement.

Super Cruise
The Enclave is the first Buick to feature Super Cruise, GM’s advanced hands-free driver assist system. I drove the Enclave to the Detroit Airport – about 35 miles on I-94 in Southeast Michigan – and after setting the speed to 70 mph, I didn’t touch the wheel or pedals until I reached the airport exit. The system worked exceptionally well, keeping the Buick in the lane and maintaining speed and distance from the car ahead. When I came upon a slower vehicle, Super Cruise activated the turn signal and changed lanes on its own to go around the slower vehicle. It is important to note that I still had to pay attention to the road – a driver-facing camera ensures the driver isn’t distracted.

Rating: 8.5
The 2025 Buick Enclave is a significant upgrade over the previous version. Not only does it have elegant new exterior styling, the Enclave features a roomy, comfortable cabin replete with high-end materials. The clean design and curved display screen give the Buick a high-tech vibe, and the new Google-based infotainment system works well. With its powerful turbocharged engine and available Super Cruise, the Enclave is definitely worth consideration for those looking for a high-end three-row SUV.