2025 Buick Enclave Review and Test Drive

A roomy cabin, smooth ride, and notable tech make this SUV an excellent choice for families.

Jeff Youngs | 

Apr 17, 2025 | 6 min read

Jeff Youngs

The 2025 Buick Enclave comes in Preferred, Sport Touring (ST), and Avenir trim levels, equipped with front-wheel drive (FWD) or all-wheel drive (AWD). Base prices range from the mid-$40,000s to around $60,000, including the destination charge to ship the SUV to your dealership from the Lansing, Michigan, factory that builds it.

For this Enclave review, I test-drove the Avenir trim in Nashville, Tennessee. The test vehicle's only option was the Super Cruise package, which brought the manufacturer's suggested retail price to $63,125, including the $1,395 destination charge. Buick provided the vehicle for this Enclave review.

Jeff Youngs

Is the 2025 Buick Enclave a Good SUV?

Several of the Enclave's primary competitors — such as the Acura MDX, Lincoln Aviator, and Mazda CX-90 — feature bold designs and dynamic performance. The Enclave, by contrast, focuses on comfort, convenience, and understated style, similar to an Infiniti QX60. But among these rivals, the Buick has one of the largest and — in my opinion — most comfortable interiors at a comparative bargain of a price.

Jeff Youngs

Loads of Passenger and Cargo Space in the 2025 Buick Enclave

Modern Buick styling draws inspiration from the recent Buick Wildcat EV concept vehicle. The design elements include thin headlights, a forward-leaning grille, and sharp lines for a more athletic appearance. On the 2025 Enclave, the result looks terrific, especially with the Avenir trim.

Inside, the Enclave offers an attractive, spacious cabin that punches above its weight in comfort and materials quality. As is typical of a crossover, getting in and out is a cinch due to the just-right ride height. Selectable multicolor ambient lighting provides a calming effect throughout the cabin.

The Avenir test vehicle had Cool Gray perforated leather seats with Slate Blue interior accents that made for an unusual and attractive combination.

Jeff Youngs

The Enclave provides generous head, leg, hip, and shoulder room in all three rows. That said, the driver's spot is the place to be. My test vehicle had an eight-way power heated and ventilated seat with built-in lumbar and massage functions, which made finding and maintaining a comfortable driving position easy.

The front-seat passenger has it almost as good, with heat, ventilation, lumbar support, and massage, though the seat only has six-way power adjustment. To the delight of my 11-year-old son and his buddy, the outboard second-row passengers also get heated seats. To my delight, most adults will likely fit into the Enclave's third row.

While many three-row vehicles have cramped cargo areas, the Enclave offers an ample 22.9 cubic-feet of cargo space behind the third row. That's more than the Acura MDX at 16.3 cu-ft, the Infiniti QX60 at 14.5 cu-ft, the Lincoln Aviator at 19.2 cu-ft, and the Mazda CX-90 at 14.9 cu-ft. Fold the Enclave's second and third rows of seats, and you get a whopping 97.5 cu-ft of space, easily besting its competitors.

Jeff Youngs

Buick's 2025 Enclave Gets a New 30.0-inch Screen

Buick equips the 2025 Enclave with a new 30.0-inch panoramic dashboard display incorporating a digital instrumentation screen and a Google built-in infotainment system with access to Google Assistant, Google Maps, and the Google Play Store. Alternatively, you can use the standard wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto.

The Enclave's Google Assistant tech is capable, and accurately responded to all my basic commands. In response to specific music requests, the tech offered the option to play the song on a variety of apps, including Spotify. I did have to sign in to an account before it would play, though. The standard audio equipment is a 12-speaker Bose system; a 16-speaker system is available on the Avenir.

Many of the advanced driver-assistance systems you expect in a premium SUV are standard, and new features for 2025 include active blind-spot monitoring, intersection turn assistance, and traffic sign recognition. Teen Driver technology helps parents set guidelines and boundaries for young drivers, and a Safety Alert Seat provides haptic feedback to alert drivers to potentially hazardous conditions. During my evaluation, the only warnings I received were Safety Alert Seat vibrations cautioning me not to change lanes.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration gave the 2025 Buick Enclave a five-star overall safety rating, the organization's highest possible score.

Jeff Youngs

The 2025 Enclave Has a Quiet Cabin and Smooth Ride

For 2025, the Enclave has a new turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine producing 328 horsepower and 326 pound-feet of torque. This marks a significant power bump from the previous V6, which generated 310 horsepower and 266 lb-ft. An eight-speed automatic transmission is standard, replacing last year's nine-speed unit.

Overall, the 2025 Enclave offers a serene cabin, thanks partly to its QuietTuning technology. It doesn't feel as though all-out performance or off-road ability are Buick's goals with the Enclave. Instead, a quiet, composed ride and silky smoothness rule the day. Still, with those 328 horsepower, the Enclave can move when prompted.

Despite the Enclave's relatively small engine, fuel economy falls short of spectacular — perhaps because that four-cylinder has to power more than 4,500 pounds of SUV. According to the EPA, the FWD 2025 Enclave gets 23 mpg in combined city and highway driving, while the AWD version gets 21 mpg. My test vehicle averaged 21.8 mpg during my evaluation, per the trip computer.

Jeff Youngs

The most interesting part of my drive was experiencing Super Cruise, available for the first time on a Buick. The hands-free tech is available on any version of the Enclave but works only on compatible roads in Canada and the United States. Super Cruise can keep you in your lane and even change lanes automatically, provided the driver remains attentive.

While its performance is remarkable, Super Cruise does have its limits. You can drive for long stretches of highway without touching the steering wheel, turn signal, or pedals. In my experience, you simply set your speed, stay alert with your eyes on the road, and you're good to go. A thin green light bar at the top of the steering wheel tells you the system is active. If the light turns red, the system disengages, and you must take control of the vehicle. I also found lane changes to be virtually seamless.

Jeff Youngs

There were some drawbacks, though. During my test drive, the system would suddenly disengage due to "No road information," even though I tested it on a well-traveled section of Interstate 40 in Tennessee. Despite this and a few other minor issues, Super Cruise provided more good than bad experiences.

Jeff Youngs

Overall, the redesigned 2025 Enclave encapsulates the best that Buick has to offer: a fresh exterior design, a stylish and high-quality interior, space for seven adults, and hands-free technology.

Jeff Youngs

Jeff has had a lifelong love affair with cars and driving. From his early days collecting Matchbox and Hot Wheels cars to the present day as an automotive journalist, he loves all things automotive. He also has more than 30 years of experience in the auto industry, including 19 years with J.D. Power in marketing and editorial management roles, five years with General Motors as a media-relations pro, and six years as a freelance automotive journalist. A muscle car, sport sedan, and convertible enthusiast, Jeff owns Blue Line Auto Media. His client list includes Capital One Auto Navigator, J.D. Power, CarGurus, Kelley Blue Book, Autotrader, iSeeCars, and Autolist. He lives in Nashville, Tennessee, with his wife and kids.