Buick may have a reputation for appealing to an older audience, but the brand has been modernizing its lineup at a rapid pace. Now, with the reveal of the all-new 2025 Buick Enclave, Buick has unveiled the capstone of its new lineup and completed its transformation. The 2024 model year saw the introduction of a fresh design language and cutting-edge features for the Buick brand, with the debut of the all-new Envista and the refresh of the Encore GX and Envision, and the 2025 Enclave is intended to take this momentum to the next level. However, the updated Enclave finds itself debuting a year later than the similarly redesigned Chevy Traverse and GMC Acadia, which share the same underpinnings and many of the same features. Faced with this stiff competition and coming late to the game, does the new Enclave really do enough to stand out as the premium option?
Growing Pains for the Wildcat
The Enclave is the latest model to adopt the new Buick design language that was inspired by the Wildcat EV Concept––a sleek low-slung coupe with futuristic lines. This styling took a bit of effort to translate to Buick’s SUV-only lineup, but the brand’s designers have been remarkably successful, particularly with the Envista and its coupe-like roofline. However, making the new Enclave look sporty was playing the game on hard mode. Not only is this a family-oriented three-row SUV that we’re talking about, but the 2025 model is even larger than the more sedately-styled 2024 model. While the designers tried their best, the new Enclave is unfortunately not as cohesive as their smaller vehicles, with the sleek Wildcat face meshing somewhat awkwardly with the traditional SUV lines behind the A-pillar.
This stands in sharp contrast to the new Traverse and Acadia, which leaned into their larger dimensions with rugged, blocky styling that evokes the full-size trucks and SUVs of the Chevy and GMC brands. Sleek three-row SUVs aren’t impossible to design––just look at the new Mazda CX-90, which competes in the same premium segment as the Enclave––but it sure seems like GM told the designers at Buick to simply put a Wildcat-inspired front fascia on the blocky body already developed for the Traverse and Acadia. However, appearance is in the eye of the beholder. The real question is how well the Enclave’s new features compete.
New Technology––For a Buick
The real highlights of the 2025 Enclave are found inside the cabin. The interior has been fully redesigned to incorporate new tech features, including a massive 30-inch floating digital display that combines the instrument cluster with the infotainment system. This massive screen is shared with the recently revealed 2024 Envision, and a similar but simpler version is found in the Envista and Encore GX. There are no other vehicles in the premium segment with a comparable feature, and it comes very close to the 33-inch displays found in recent Cadillac models like the CT5 and LYRIQ. The Traverse and Acadia do not have this feature, and instead make do with two-separate displays integrated with the dash––Chevy offers 28.7 inches of combined screen space, while GMC has a slightly smaller 26 inches.
However, the second highlight is not unique to Buick. The 2025 Enclave is the very first Buick model to receive Super Cruise hands-free driving. However, this makes Buick the very last brand in the GM family to offer this advanced technology. Cadillac was the first to offer Super Cruise with the 2018 CT6, while Chevy and GMC launched models with the technology for the 2022 model year. It’s somewhat inexplicable that GM’s supposed premium brand didn’t receive its most futuristic technology until three years after its mass-market brands and this delay takes some of the shine off the inclusion of Super Cruise for the 2025 Enclave.
Comfortable, Competent, and Forgettable
All of this is not to say that the new Enclave is not a good vehicle. It’s roomy, reasonably powerful, and has plenty of features that premium shoppers are looking for. In fact, even the base Preferred trim now comes standard with niceties like a 12-speaker Bose sound system, an Auto-sense hands-free power liftgate, and heated power-seats with four-way lumbar. It also includes Buick’s trademark QuietTuning, for a remarkably serene ride that shelters passengers from outside road noise. However, for a brand that theoretically occupies the number two spot in the GM family and that is currently working hard to reinvent itself as the fresh new premium option, it’s hard to say that the 2025 Enclave goes far enough. If you are a fan of the Buick brand, you will almost certainly be pleased by the update, but if you are cross shopping it with competitors like the Mazda CX-90 or even considering other GM models like the Terrain and Acadia, it’s difficult to say that the Enclave is hands-down better.
