Avg. Price Paid:$17,250 - $22,133
Original MSRP: $32,790 - $37,040
MPG: 16 City / 24 Hwy
Search Used Listings:

2008 Buick Enclave Review

Review Last Updated: 2/18/09

These scores and this review are from when the car was new.

Scorecard

Overall: 2008 Buick Enclave U.S. News Best Cars 8.6
Critics' Rating: 8.6
Performance: 7.9
Interior: 8.3
Safety: 9.8
Reliability:
How we calculate scores
Research analyzed for this review

Pros & Cons

  • Responsive, ultra-smooth ride
  • Cabin is whisper-quiet and accommodating
  • Exterior styling is sleek and classy
  • Seats are comfortable and supportive
  • No optional V8 engine
  • Somewhat inconsistent quality to the interior materials
  • Substantial curb weight hinders acceleration

Research Other Years

The Enclave has a smooth, quiet ride and a stylish exterior, but there is a noticeable absence of an optional V8 engine. Still, it ranks near the top of its large class, even when compared only to other affordable crossover SUVs.

Auto reviewers find the all-new 2008 Buick Enclave to be a sleek-looking, smooth-riding SUV with a quiet, accommodating cabin. Road and Track says it "prizes sculptural body shapes over truck-inspired toughness" -- a design to which "it adds a silky-smooth drive train and, to top it off, class-leading cabin quiet." The Enclave shares GM's Lambda platform with the Saturn Outlook and the GMC Acadia, but holds a price premium over both. However, its luxurious interior and sleek styling could have potential owners comparing it to more vaunted competition.

The 2008 Buick Enclave is available in two trims: the base CX and the premium CXL. Both trims are available in front-wheel drive (FWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD) versions.

  • "The 2008 Buick Enclave is an all-new luxury sport utility that seats seven or eight, offers big cargo space, and gets good fuel economy and performance from a modern V6 engine." -- New Car Test Drive
  • "Comparable Enclaves will run several thousand dollars less than the competition from Lexus." -- AutoWeek
  • "Driving this car, I was surprised every time I remembered the price tag. I just expect all this to cost more, especially looking around me at its lovely, modern interior design and sensible ergonomics. There's just enough wood to suggest luxury, just enough polished metal to suggest modernism, and not too much of either one. This is one posh vehicle. I kept thinking, 'This is a Buick? Really?'" -- Mother Proof

Next Steps: Buick Enclave