Crossovers, fair or not, are often accused of flooding our roads with bean-shaped boredom. Fully aware of its entry-luxury rep, Buick has penned an Enclave with styling that seeks to be both head-turning and subtly classy.
All four of Buick’s current SUVs are styled similarly. No more staid looks that got the brand tagged as one for folks over a certain age, though the company’s design themes still trend towards conservative and understated. We’ll see what happens if the company brings back sedans, as has been rumored.
On The Road With The 2026 Buick Enclave Avenir
It’s been a while since I’ve wheeled an Enclave, and my primary memory of the previous-generation Enclaves is that they always felt heavy and ponderous, but were otherwise well-done, at least in terms of being a family-hauler with entry-luxury ambitions.
The current Enclave, I am pleased to report, feels much lighter on its feet.
It’s still heavy, at just over 4,700 pounds, but it no longer feels so deliberate in its movements. It’s smooth without being cumbersome.
Underhood is a 2.5-liter turbocharged four-cylinder making 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft of torque. It pairs with an eight-speed automatic transmission and my test unit had all-wheel drive.
As noted, the Enclave Avenir feels a tad more nimble than it used to, but this is still a large SUV, so the handling reflects that. As noted, the ride is smooth - it’s a comfort machine for commuting.
Acceleration is adequate for around-town driving but this is no burner.
Add Buick to the ever-growing list of brands that are turning two-thirds of the dash - the gauge screen and center-stack screen - into big dual screens or integrated screens (this one is the latter), sometimes with a bit of a wrap-around look. It looks good in this case, though Buick also dove a bit too deeply into touchscreen and haptic-touch controls.
While the lack of buttons is dismaying, there are some toggle switches and a nice, large wireless cell-phone charger at the front of the center console.
Buick’s active noise cancellation helps keep outside noises outside, though you can get some engine noise when you kick the spurs.
Interior room is acceptable. There’s space up front, though at times the roofline feels a tick low.
Fuel economy is not great, but it’s not dismal, either, at 20 mpg city/24 mpg highway/21 mpg combined.
Checking Out The Feature Mix On The 2026 Buick Enclave Avenir
My test unit arrived with a base price of $59,600.
Standard features included a “premium ride” suspension, 22-inch wheels, a trailering package, spare wheel and tire, active noise cancellation, head-up display, 30-inch LCD screen with Google integration, wireless Apple CarPlay, wireless Android Auto, satellite radio, Bose audio with subwoofer, Wi-Fi hotspot, OnStar, wireless charging, keycard, keyless entry and starting, tri-zone automatic climate control, leather seats, heated and cooled front seats, massaging front seats, one-touch folding second-row seats, heated second-row outboard seats, power-folding third-row seats, 110-volt power outlet, heated steering wheel, ambient lighting, panoramic power sunroof, power liftgate, roof rails, and rain-sensing wipers.
Advanced driver-aid systems included adaptive cruise control, forward collision alert, traffic-sign recognition, intellibeam high beams, enhanced automatic emergency braking, intersection automatic emergency braking, rear cross-traffic braking, blind-zone steering assist, reverse automatic braking, 360-degree monitor, rearview mirror camera, and safety alert seat.
Options included the SuperCruise semi-autonomous driving system (which I didn’t have much chance to test), enhanced automatic parking assist, driver-attention assist, all-wheel drive, and an illumination package. It all totaled out to $65,440 with fees. The SuperCruise package was a tick over 3 grand, and all-wheel drive will run you $2K.
In all, the Enclave remains what it mostly has been over the years - a solid entry-luxury crossover. It’s more attractive these days, and a bit more engaging on road. That’s a good step forward for Buick - and the Enclave.
Images: Tim Healey
About The Author
Tim Healey is an experienced automotive writer and editor from Chicago. He has covered automotive news at Consumer Guide Automotive, Web2Carz, AutoGuide, and was the managing editor at The Truth About Cars. Tim is a member of the Midwest Automotive Media Association. You can find him on Facebook, X/Twitter, and on LinkedIn.
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