First Drive Review
It's not easy being the third child, no matter how much attention you get. And it's not easy entering life knowing you will be the sales runt of the litter. But that is the lot of the 2008 Buick Enclave, and we would argue, after some seat time, that none of that really matters because General Motors may have saved the best of its trio of full-size crossovers for last.
The Enclave is already on sale-Buick has sold at least 500 as it works to fill the 12,000 orders taken prior to launch-hitting the lots six months after its brethren, the Saturn Outlook and GMC Acadia.
The crossovers hail from GM's all-new Lambda architecture and fill vacancies left by discontinued models such as the Buick Rainier and Rendezvous, as well as the automaker's full lineup of minivans.
The Outlook and the Acadia launched last December as 2007 models, sharing GM's 3.6-liter V-6, a six-speed automatic transmission, and some sheetmetal, such as the doors, the roof, and the lower part of the liftgate. The Saturn was designed to appease families-the real minivan replacement-whereas the GMC's liberal use of brushed metals and upright stance and grille are geared to truck buyers who gravitate to the "professional grade" brand.
Back when the trio was envisioned about five years ago, the Buick was supposed to be a part of the simultaneous launch-in fact, it was the Enclave that was shown first as a concept at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in Detroit. But the Buick had trouble finding its design voice, a fact the team readily admits. Early efforts were not distinct enough, or Buick enough, and product czar Bob Lutz was not satisfied.
Jack Folden, exterior design director, said frustrated designers had a eureka moment one night, and a crossover with flowing lines, big wheels, a wide stance, and a tapered upper body was born. The Enclave presents a more soothing design with a continuous line from the trishield badge, warm colors, and 100-percent-unique sheetmetal, including, of course, signature (but nonfunctional) portholes.
