Buick Teases Next Enclave

Matthew Guy
by Matthew Guy

The tri-shield brand continues to push forth into that good night, bragging about sales increases in this country whilst showing off a shadowy image of what is said to be the next three-row Enclave.

Little is known about the upcoming 2025 Enclave, other than it will retain its perch atop the Buick lineup in an effort to tempt buyers shopping for a snazzy three-row crossover. There’s no indication this thing will be an EV, particularly since spy shots which surfaced last year showed a rig with dual tailpipe cannons jutting out from its rear valence. We do expect a decent leap in cabin digital real estate, likely to emulate the huge curved screens found in some recent efforts from Cadillac.


We’ve all seen the memes comparing the little Envista to a Urus, one probably initiated by the same blind mice which suggested the Ferrari Purosangue looked like a Mazda. Both share only a brief resemblance to the other, such as wheels and the ability to move under their own power. Still, the Buick stylists have hit on something with their new language and it’ll be interesting to see how it translates to a large three-row crossover like the Enclave.


Buick also took the chance to boast it is this country’s “fastest-growing mainstream brand”, which is like a child asserting they should win a Most Improved award for dragging their marks up from a failing 25 to a passable 76. Sure, the leap is large – but context is required, especially coming off several years in which all brands suffered at the hands of pandemic, microchip, and interest rate problems plus whatever else was the crisis du jour. 


Looking at raw numbers, the Enclave sold 39,411 units in 2023, a sum indeed up 29.1 percent from the previous year and about a quarter of Buick’s volume. Other comparable vehicles include the Toyota Highlander (169,543 sales in 2023) and Honda Pilot (110,298 sales). 


Should any PR types wish to carp that we ought to be comparing the Enclave with roughly equal three-row upmarket variants, the Lexus TX sold 8,201 units in the couple of months it has been on sale whilst the Acura MDX shifted 57,599 units through the whole of 2023.


In case you’re keeping score at home, the Enclave is one of numerous ‘En’ crossover-type vehicles prowling Buick showrooms – sharing space with the Envision, Envista, and Encore GX. The latter is sounds confoundingly like a trim level but is not. Hey, at least they’re actual names and not the alphanumeric soup foisted on the Cadillac brand by Dunderhead de Nysschen during his reign of terror. Fortunately, that house is brooming the asinine CTXT12345 numerology for monikers that sound like something – even if they all end in ‘iq’.


Additional details on the Buick Enclave, including available features and pricing, will be announced later this year.


[Image: Buick]


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Matthew Guy
Matthew Guy

Matthew buys, sells, fixes, & races cars. As a human index of auto & auction knowledge, he is fond of making money and offering loud opinions.

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  • Teddyc73 Teddyc73 on Jan 23, 2024

    "actual names and not the alphanumeric soup foisted on the Cadillac brand by Dunderhead de Nysschen" I always found it interesting and amusing how people criticized Cadillac and Lincoln for alphanumeric names but it was perfectly OK for every other high end premium brand. Why is that?


    Hey Matt, can you just report on the subject at hand instead of injecting your clear hatred for the Buick brand?

  • Lorenzo Lorenzo on Jan 23, 2024

    I've owned three Buicks: a 1963 LeSabre with a Buick 401 cid V8, a 1980 Regal with the Buick 231 cid V6, and a 1978 Electra with a Oldsmobile 403 cid V8. The Regal got stolen, but the V8s lasted 24 years each.


    Buick needs to bring back 17 foot long, 6-1/2 foot wide sedans with naturally aspirated 400 cid V8 engines. Six-foot-five, 260-pound westerners need them in the west where the roads are straight, the distances are long, and the womenfolk won't put up with long drives in 4-door pickups or S-U-Vs.

  • Billyboy The Big Three, or what used to be the Big Three, have been building sedans in the FWD unibody mold since the 80’s to compete with the Japanese - and failing. The Taurus was the only decent attempt, and even that fizzled out after a few years. Back to GM, There’s no reason to choose a Malibu over a Camry or Accord for normal buyers. The story was the same when it was the Citation, Celebrity, Lumina, and Impala, as it was the same with Ford and Chrysler. GM knows this, as does Ford, and doesn’t care - and rightfully so. Better to cede this time-worn commodity segment to others and focus to where the market has shifted.
  • CanadaCraig You are not wrong. Or a dummy for that matter. I also think it's foolish of GM to kill off the Malibu. That said... I think there needs to be full-sized plain jane sedans for sale. And there are none. And haven't been for a long time. A basic BIG car. With room for six. Bench seat and all. Nothing fancy. And a low price to go along with it. I would buy one.
  • OCcarguy Back in the 1980s the Mitsubishi Cordia was one of my favorite cars. I would love to see them make cars we could get excited about again.
  • Chris I dislike SUVs. I think they are clunky looking and not much in the handling department. I'll take an Audi A4 or BMw three series or even a VW Jetta over any SUV. It I need more interior room for a shot time, I'll rent something bigger.
  • Amwhalbi I have a sedan and an SUV, and for pure driving and riding enjoyment, I'll pick my sedan every time. But yes, SUV's are generally more practical for all around usage, particularly if you have only one vehicle. So I think the perfect answer is the sedan hatchback (a la the last Buick Regal) which can still yield the drive and ride or a sedan, yet provide a greater modicum of practical, accessible cargo capacity. Most of the sedans made could (with minor styling changes) easily become 4 door hatchbacks. Oh, yeah, I forgot - Americans don't like hatchbacks, even if they do in Europe...
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