ONE BIG BEAUTIFUL BUICK

On the other hand, models that are out of step in terms of style compared to what’s the soup du jour are often relegated as second choices by buyers. This can be attributed to our herd instinct that’s baked into our DNA. Buick got dinged from this in the past, despite having solid products, but the 2025 Buick Enclave Avenir is aiming to change that. The Enclave now has less of an over-inflated look compared with the prior generation and it features a leaner, sharper image.

The new design of the 2025 Enclave that debuted in the prior year does share some familiar forms found in products from other OEMs, including other GM brands. As such, it has a comforting feeling about this massive people mover. It also has unique touches that owners that owners will find special. When it debuted, the design team, engineers, and bean counters also pulled off a bit of magic by creating a product that comes across as being more expensive than the sticker price indicates (more on this later).

“The exterior of the 2025 Enclave was penned to be bolder and offer a more profound presence on the road. And the influence of the 2022 Wildcat concept is clearly visible on the new face – from the wide-set, wing-shaped lamps to the shark nose and high-mounted badge – the exterior details are beautifully sculptural and technical,” states Aaron Riggs, Buick Designer.

Buick Brand Got Lost In The Shuffle

For far too long, the Buick brand got lost in the shuffle at GM, but no more. Overall, the entire lineup of Buick vehicles has not only shaped up, but these machines now share a decent amount of family resemblance with each other. And it exhibits a healthy dose of class and appeal, yet in 2025 this comes in at nearly half the price of a similar Cadillac Escalade.

An SUV means different things to different people, and that has morphed over the past few decades. The Buick Enclave does tick most of the boxes during our encounter. Utility is baked in with abundant interior room. The sizable exterior is on the upper end of all SUVs on the market. It doesn’t just tick off the boxes, but the Buick Enclave Avenir accommodates far more inside than one would imagine. This comes with three rows of seats, with buckets up front, and the rears fold down and up with a touch of a switch. 

The prior generation Buick Enclave was definitely large. The 2025 exceeds all those exterior dimensions being longer at 207.6”, wider (87.9” w/mirrors), and taller (70.98”). When the 2025 Enclave Avenir comes rolling down the avenue, it’s hard to ignore.

Reinforce The Premium Execution

Abundant room is just one reason to appreciate this Buick. Therese Pinazzo, Director - Buick and GMC Interiors, says, "For the Enclave’s interior, visual interest was created by applying textures, unique embellishments and thoughtful ambient lighting to the overall sculptural form to reinforce the premium execution. Take for example the Avenir trim level, where we added diamond-quilted perforated leather to the first- and second-row seats.” Pinazzo is correct, the details only amplify an already attractive exterior form and interior accommodations.

“Inspired by sleek lines and sculptural elements, the interior of the 2025 Buick Enclave delivers a beautiful, yet intuitive, experience for customers." states Blake Allen, Buick Designer. "The team focused on creating a sculptural space within the interior, which can be seen in the shape of the ultrawide 30" curved infotainment display and the encapsulation of technical details. And the integration of tech was thoughtfully imagined to be a simple, uncluttered and effortless experience for the customer."

The Avenir interior does provide inviting and flowing shapes along the dash that not only make the form interesting, but it makes the generous width feel even larger. Likewise, the contrasting forms and materials throughout the cabin are a blend of purposeful refinement without becoming dull. The white and blue leather combo in our model does create a roomy, airy atmosphere. 

So, when the occupants get bogged down in traffic, it’s not depressing. The choices of wood trim and brushed metal finishes properly break up the surfaces. It’s nice enough to function as an executive car, limo, an escape capsule from the daily grind, or a luxury ADU on wheels, sans kitchen and bathroom.

Balance The Benefits Of Digital Sculpting And Clay Sculpting

As is often the case, there is a blend of digital and the physical modeling. The computer crafts the concept. Clay will allow for refinement and feel that delights the senses. Blake Allen explains how the design process played out. 

"With Buick being a very sculptural brand design-wise, it was important to balance the benefits of digital sculpting and clay sculpting. Often times the team would work out sections of the design in a digital capacity before milling them on clay for further evaluation." In the end, the result is pleasing.

It's the graceful, subtle forms deserve mention. The hood has delicate line edges that fade off that are more sophisticated than the exaggerated, oversize, in-your-face approach taken by other OEMs in their products. And the 22” pearl nickel finish wheels on the Enclave Avenir have more dimensionality and style. In short, these look more expensive to produce. At least the consumer can actually see the value, unlike the technology that often operates in the background.

A 4,713 lb. curb weight is substantial, albeit reasonable for a product of this size, and requires some juice to squeeze out some forward momentum. The Buick Enclave does offer up 328 horsepower at 5,500 rpm and 326 lb.-ft of torque at 3,500 rpm. What is surprising is a small 2.5-liter turbo DOHC SIDI with Variable Valve Timing (VVT) engine can generate that much power. That’s an impressive 131 ponies per liter. And this AWD SUV does manage to squeeze out milage that’s in-line with this at 19 / 24 / 21 (city / highway / combined). The FWD version does slightly better at 20 / 27 / 23 (city / highway / combined). The fuel tanks can handle 21.7 gallons (AWD) or 19.4 (FWD), depending on the model.

Buick Firms Up And Handles With Precision

Highway travel is a pleasure. In spite of the size, the Enclave does maneuver through city life with aplomb. In part, the navigation aids and Super Cruise control make this not as challenging as it otherwise could be. With the adjustable drive modes, The Buick firms up and handles with precision and a responsive feel. 

The Buick Enclave Avenir front suspension is MacPherson strut set-up with direct-acting stabilizer bar, and Continuous Damping Control on Avenir, while lesser models come with passive plus dampers. The rear end is tamed with a five-link independent suspension with coil springs and a stabilizer bar. Again, all models come with passive plus dampers, but the Avenir comes with Continuous Damping Control.

The button to adjust the suspension and drive is on the lower portion of the instrument panel to the left of the steering wheel. While it’s withing easy reach, it is sandwiched between other nearly identical plastic buttons and thereby requires eyes on the matter so that the parking brake or other buttons aren’t engaged.

On that topic, this Buick has an abundance of digital touch-sensitive buttons and controls. These too require the driver shift attention from the road, as with the Apple CarPlay. This is getting to be the norm in the industry. In time, consumers become quicker at activation of each and every function, and thereby less of a challenge. Other features, like the heads-up display (HUD), only have to be adjusted on occasion.

The Emphasis Should Be On The Shapes

However, this particular Avenir did exhibit a color mismatch between the body and the bumpers, most likely a supplier or material issue. While the emphasis should be on the shapes, this looks distracting like the remnants of a questionable repair job from a quick and dirty paint and body shop. The contrast is more than slight, to the point it looks intentional.

Circling back to the price, the base model at the start of 2025 was enough to make waves. The entry level Buick Enclave Preferred starts at $46,395 (FWD) $48,395 (AWD), and roughly $2,400 more will get the Sport Touring model at $48,795 (FWD) $50,795 (AWD). The premium Enclave Avenir commands $59,395 (FWD) and $61,395 (AWD). Anyone paying attention to the news is aware that there’s currently a lot of uncertainty on costs due to the ever-changing tariffs on imported vehicles and parts.

While the Enclave is assembled in the USA, many of the parts come from abroad. The Monroney reads, 36% of the parts come from America/Canada (we don’t know how much from each), and another 24%, including the engine, comes from Mexico. One doesn’t have to be a CPA to understand that 40% of the parts are unaccounted for. What we do know with a certainty is, the Enclave is assembled in Lansing, Michigan.

What’s Really An American Car 

GM, like other OEMs, is obligated to pay the tariffs when appropriate on the parts imported from the designated countries that the current administration deems are in need of fiscal realignment. This gets to be complicated, especially if the same parts are produced in multiple countries. Of course, the real question is, will GM absorb the tariffs or pass it along to buyers. This can’t be good no matter how you slice or dice it. Either the stockholders or the buyers will be taking it on the chin. This also creates a legal question of what’s really an American car and what isn’t.

As of this update, the current administration in the USA is looking to impose a 35% tariff on goods coming from Canada and 30% on those from Mexico starting on August 1, 2025. However, if those countries retaliate in one way or another, President Donald Trump has indicated increasing these tariffs. The loser in all of this will most likely be the American consumers.

We have no choice but to let the politicians make the call, and that can very well determine if any particular car is on the short list of buyers.

The Enclave Avenir Does Score Points 

The top of the Enclave Avenir stands above the rest with these standard features - 16-speaker Bose Performance Series audio, a generous panoramic sunroof, Rainsense wipers, walk up animation, a standard “Power Package,” which includes Head-Up Display (HUD), ventilated front seats with massaging feature, a one-touch folding second row seats and power-folding third row seats (available for Preferred and ST), and heated second row outboard seats, a Continuous Damping Control (CDC) with enhanced dampers for a refined ride.

This technology truly increases driving safety, comfort and dynamics by adjusting the damping forces optimally for each wheel, and impressive 22-inch Avenir Pearl Nickle finish wheels.

Price aside, it’s hard to not appreciate the Buick Enclave Avenir for what it is. In fact, the previous review on LA Car of the Avenir by J-F Wright does share many of the same insights. This is a classy, modern, versatile people mover. The Enclave Avenir does score points in looks, functionality, and drivability departments. Perhaps the only real question potential buyers will be asking themselves is, will this mega-machine fit in our garage?

* The Buick brand seems to enjoy an even higher status in China than it does in the US. Ever since the last emperor owned two Buicks, the brand has been held in high regard (see LA Car’s 2011 Battle Hymn of the Detroit Tiger).