Buick holds a special place in my heart. The first car I remember is our first family car, my dad’s 1988 Buick Regal. This isn’t that. It’s sooo far from that. Today, Buick has an all-SUV lineup, and this is the all-new-for-2022 Buick Enclave, a mid-size seven-seater.
It’s had a few design and safety updates, including $1,800 in upgrades, and even a minor price drop for the base trim. This tested model is the Essence base trim, with a starting price of $51,998 ($1,200 less than the 2021 model year). However, with this $495 Ebony Twilight Metallic paint, the $1,495 Sport Touring package that’s only available for the base Essence trim — and described by Buick as an “appearance package” — plus a few other upgrades, this tester’s price gets bumped up to $58,513. With an average fuel consumption of 13.6 L/100 km in the city and 9.6 on the highway, it’s a pricey family hauler.
The refreshed look includes new front and rear fascias and includes a new grille, while the Avenir trim gets its own unique rear fascia and taillamp design. Though it’s got some modern style updates, I think Driving’s Derek McNaughton said it best in his 2019 review: “Buick’s Enclave Avenir is a smooth and comfortable minivan alternative, even if it’s a touch expensive.” Those words have never been truer, especially at a time when minivan sales are plummeting, and large SUVs are popular (think Toyota Highlander, Hyundai Palisade, and Kia Telluride).
2022 Buick Enclave Essence Photo by Clayton Seams
2022 Buick Enclave Essence Photo by Clayton Seams
2022 Buick Enclave Essence Photo by Clayton Seams
2022 Buick Enclave Essence Photo by Clayton Seams
2022 Buick Enclave Essence Photo by Clayton Seams
2022 Buick Enclave Essence Photo by Clayton Seams
2022 Buick Enclave Essence Photo by Clayton Seams
2022 Buick Enclave Essence Photo by Clayton Seams
The 2022 all-wheel-drive (standard AWD for all trims) Enclave is powered by a 3.6L V6 that produces 310 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque. It’s a really smooth and quiet drive for everyone in the car, but the leather-wrapped, heated steering wheel is a bit tight and the car feels heavy, especially when entering a curved highway on-ramp. The backup camera is clear, and the turning radius is similar to comparable three-rows, but no matter how many times I’ve tried, I can’t seem to properly estimate backing into a parking spot in one try.
However, the car was quick to let me know with a small derrière vibration whenever I got remotely close to anything or anyone. Other standard safety features now include automatic emergency braking, forward collision alert, auto high beams, lane keep assist with departure warning, and front and rear park assist (see final thoughts below for more info on the park assist). This tested model is upgraded with the digital rearview camera, but it’s standard in the Premium and Avenir trims that also come with a head-up display and HD surround vision.
2022 Buick Enclave Essence Photo by Clayton Seams
2022 Buick Enclave Essence Photo by Clayton Seams
2022 Buick Enclave Essence Photo by Clayton Seams
2022 Buick Enclave Essence Photo by Clayton Seams
2022 Buick Enclave Essence Photo by Clayton Seams
2022 Buick Enclave Essence Photo by Clayton Seams
Buick confirmed its target audience to be Canadian families with younger children or teenagers. I don’t have any teenagers yet, but it’s a great choice for families with young children. The LATCH systems in the Enclave make it simple to secure car seats within the second and third rows. I appreciate the sufficient space between the second-row captain’s chairs (not available with a bench seat) that make it easy to get to the third row, but you can also flip the seat down and climb into the back through the side. There’s definitely enough space to easily fit younger children in the third row, or even some smaller teenagers, though they’d surely be more comfortable in those captain’s chairs.
The third row falls flat to open up a bigger cargo space, which is needed, as in most three-row SUVs. With all seats up, there’s a maximum of 668L of space, 1,634L behind the second row and 2,758L if you’re lucky enough to be travelling with nobody in the back.
The doors are heavy, but easily swing wide open. If you’ve got little kids, be aware of anything surrounding the car before telling them to hop out on their own.
2022 Buick Enclave Essence Photo by Clayton Seams
The infotainment is simple to use and I appreciate the separate controls for the climate, which you can also access on the touch screen. Strange, however, is the inconsistency of interface controls: if you press settings, navigation, or audio, then you’ll need to click the home icon at the bottom of the screen to take you back; if you press users or wi-fi hotspot, then you’re given a back button on the touch screen. Deeper still, drivers who enter the Apple CarPlay layer (the Enclave comes equipped with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto), then you’ll need to press the physical home button to get back, which is always an option, no matter where you are on the screen.
There’s a wireless charger, but I learned the hard way that the phone (my phone didn’t charge) should be placed vertically and to the right of the slot, not horizontally, which seemed more intuitive based on the design.
2022 Buick Enclave Essence Photo by Clayton Seams
Final thoughts
Note to buyers: If you’re perusing the website, you’ll notice a couple warnings. For example, “SOME FEATURES SHOWN MAY HAVE LIMITED, LATE OR NO AVAILABILITY.”
In addition, when using the build and price option on the website, I tried adding the heated rear outboard seats, but was met with a note saying “Certain vehicles built on or after 11-15-2021 will not be equipped with heated rear outboard seats,” and it shows a credit of $50. A similar message with a $50 credit is shown if you want front and rear park assist: “Certain vehicles built on or after 12-20-2021 will not be equipped with Front and Rear Park Assist,” expected in Q4 2022.
I already had the upgraded Essence, so I decided to build the top Avenir trim that starts at $62,998 With the $1,895 Technology Package and the previous deductions, as well as the same paint colour that no longer has a fee, my total was $64,893, which isn’t that far off the base trim’s total of $58,513 — and the Avenir comes with massage seats, just saying.
Whichever trim you choose, the 2022 Enclave is a safe vehicle that is often overlooked when compared to the other three-row SUVs in this segment. Its upgrades and updates should appeal to Canadian families, but even the $1,200 decrease in price for the base trim won’t offset the amount of money families will be spending on fuel.
Keyword: First Drive: 2022 Buick Enclave