Buick Enclave Sales Suck

by Frank Williams

January 14th, 2008 5:54 PM

GM claims the Buick Enclave is a success– even though they sold 26,286 units in '07. Compare that stat to the sales numbers for the big Buick's platform sibs, the GMC Acadia (72,765) and Saturn Outlook (34,748 ). While we're at it, in the same time frame, Lexus shifted some 73,246 RX models. GM attributes the Enclave's low sales to "limited availability." Yes, well, GM ended the year with a 98-day supply of Saturn Outlook. As they're built on the same assembly line, GM could easily divert that production to build better Buicks. The problem is no one seems to want them. Buick dealers averaged just five sales each in December, up one sale per dealer from November. That works out to three cars (Lucernes and LaCrosses) and two trucks (Enclaves, Raniers and leftover Rendezvous and Terrazas) per dealer. If Enclave was in as much demand as GM would like us to believe, they'd surely be pumping as many as they could out the factory door to bolster the dealers' numbers. Which leads to one of two conclusions: either the Enclave is a flop or they're intentionally starving Buick dealers out of existence. Or both.

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4 of 39 comments

Johnson on Jan 15, 2008
The numbers guy in me just can’t get over that Acadia+Outlook outsold Lexus, yet Lexus is crowned the sales king. The logical realist guy in me just can't get over the fact that the Acadia and Outlook DO NOT compete with the RX, yet people continue to make that comparison. GM's closest competition to the RX is the Enclave, and it got creamed by RX sales. The Acadia and Outlook compete with the Highlander, which by itself creamed both the Acadia and Outlook sales-wise. I also find it ironic that some of you are comparing GM's full-size CUV platform to one Lexus model in terms of sales. The RX uses the Camry platform, as does the Highlander, as does the Camry and the Avalon. When you compare *platform-to-platform*, the Camry platform simply obliterates GM's CUV platform sales-wise. Let's try and cut down on the idle speculation and wishful thinking and let's try and stick to the truth here.

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Skooter on Jan 26, 2008

"...and GM has trouble doing it with 8." Trouble? Isn't GM the #1 auto/truck mfr in the world?

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Jvandrew on Jan 28, 2008

GM purposely ct producton of this vehcile below demand to keep a buzz going: http://www.autoblog.com/2007/10/31/keeping-the-enclave-on-boil-gm-keeps-a-lid-on-production/ Of the Lambdas, the Acadia is supposed to be the mass market seller, not the Enclave. I realize of course that this post is irrelevant since everything here is spun anti-GM no matter what.

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RickMSP on Feb 18, 2008

I think some of you folks are nuts. I waited 3 months for my Enclave. The dealer told me there is a supply shortage for certain components specific to the Buick. At any rate, I'm glad I waited. What a great car. I've driven foreign and domestic, an not a Grandpa, and can tell you for sure that the Enclave is terrific, fun to drive, and I think cool looking. The GM buying experience as you call it could not have much easier.

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