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Buick Enclave
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The Buick Enclave is a full-size luxury crossover SUV launched in May 2007 as a 2008 model by the Buick division of General Motors. The Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, Chevrolet Traverse, and Saturn Outlook all share the new GM Lambda platform. The Enclave was previewed at the 2006 North American International Auto Show, officially as a concept car, making it the first Lambda vehicle to be displayed. The Enclave is partially based on the Buick Centieme shown at the 2003 Detroit Auto Show.
The Enclave replaced both of Buick's SUVs, the minivan-based Rendezvous, the truck-based Rainier, as well as the Terraza minivan.
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Encyclopedia
The Buick Enclave is a full-size luxury crossover SUV launched in May 2007 as a 2008 model by the Buick division of General Motors. The Buick Enclave, GMC Acadia, Chevrolet Traverse, and Saturn Outlook all share the new GM Lambda platform. The Enclave was previewed at the 2006 North American International Auto Show, officially as a concept car, making it the first Lambda vehicle to be displayed. The Enclave is partially based on the Buick Centieme shown at the 2003 Detroit Auto Show.
The Enclave replaced both of Buick's SUVs, the minivan-based Rendezvous, the truck-based Rainier, as well as the Terraza minivan. It has seating for seven passengers, with an optional second row bench seat instead of the standard two captain chairs which increases the seating to eight. The Enclave comes standard with front-wheel drive with an option of all-wheel drive.
The Enclave shares powertrains with its Lambda siblings. For its first year of production, the Enclave was powered by a 3.6 L High Feature V6 engine mated to a six-speed automatic transmission. For the 2009 model, a 3.6L V6 SIDI (direct injected) VVT with and . of torque standard (also standard on other 2009 Lambdas). The latter direct-injection engine is praised for offering a broader torque curve, and bringing fuel economy to / for FWD models and / for AWD models, according to the new United States Environmental Protection Agency estimates. The Lambda vehicles are built at GM's new Delta Township Assembly plant near Lansing, Michigan, and production of the Enclave commenced on April 11, 2007, with the first vehicles reaching certain dealers by the end of the month. The Enclave debuted with a starting price of $32,790.
The Enclave is the largest unibody vehicle, at about an longer than its Lambda siblings. It is often praised for its subsequently vast cargo space while maintaining the relatively dynamic nature of unibody construction over the conventional body-on-frame. It is also praised for being one of the quietest vehicles available for sale in the United States, as well as for the quality of the interior. It is often referred to as the "best vehicle GM makes." Many also praise its decidedly good looks.
In its first year of production, the Enclave was often criticized for its 6-speed transmission, which was "hesitant to downshift." For 2009, though, the powertrain is regarded as more competent with more abundant torque. For its entire production, it has been regarded as too heavy, weighing nearly with all-wheel-drive.
Initial sales of the Enclave have been very strong, with demand far exceeding production capacity, forcing GM to add a third shift to the Delta Township plant. After the ratification of the new UAW labor contract, GM announced that this third shift would be phased out in order to limit the supply of the Acadia and Enclave.
Consumer Reports gave the Enclave a below-average durability rating in their 2008-2009 survey.
Sales in the United States
| Model Year | Sales |
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| 2007 | 29,286 | | 2008 | 44,706 |
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