2011 Buick Enclave

The Buick Enclave has been changing consumer perception about the Buick brand and about luxury crossovers since it was introduced. Blending style and grace with precision, Buick Enclave delivers comfort for up to eight, plenty of space for cargo and at 24 mpg highway (2WD), better fuel economy than any eight-passenger SUV.

The Buick Enclave also offers a starting price that beats luxury brands by thousands, even though it offers a host of standard equipment and the industry’s best warranty coverage. Its appeal as a premium family vehicle gives it the lowest average age of any Buick model, at 59. For 2011, Buick Enclave is available in CX and CXL models with front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.

Enclave is available in CX and CXL trim levels, with eight exterior and three interior colors, front-wheel or all-wheel drive, a new 288-horsepower and 276 lb-ft of torque V6 powertrain featuring variable valve timing (VVT) and mated to Buick's first six-speed automatic transmission.

Enclave achieves an EPA-estimated 24 mpg highway for front-wheel drive models and 22 mpg highway for all-wheel-drive models.

Riding on a 119-inch wheelbase, the production Enclave appears virtually identical to the concept car shown at the 2006 North American International Auto Show in January. Like the concept, the crossover sports signature Buick cues include a waterfall grille -- with "tri-shield" emblem -- and portholes. The portholes, which are similar in design to the new Lucerne sedan, are mounted on the trailing edges of the hood, which forms a distinct "V" shape.

Inside, the interior retains many of the design elements of the concept, with a slightly more practical implementation. GM insists the craftsmanship that made Enclave concept popular is carried over to the production model.

Cloth seats are standard on CX models; perforated and heated leather seats are standard on CXL models. The first row includes two bucket seats, while the second-row comes standard with two captain's chairs. A second-row 60/40-split bench (three passengers) seat is available.

Enclave’s second-row seats feature GM’s Smart Slide system, a popular feature that allows easy entry to the third row with the pull of one handle. With Smart Slide, the second-row seat cushion flips up while the seatback slides forward, compressing the space occupied by the seat. The seats also have fore/aft adjustment. When adjusted rearward, the second-row seat provides more legroom for taller passengers; when adjusted forward, it provides more storage space or additional legroom for third-row passengers.

The third row features a standard 60/40-split bench seat that can accommodate three adult passengers.

Safety-enhancing features include four-wheel anti-lock brakes, StabiliTrak electronic stability control system with rollover mitigation technology and GM's tire pressure monitoring system are standard. Traction control also is standard on all models.
Enclave is equipped with six standard air bags: two dual-stage frontal air bags, two seat-mounted side-impact air bags in the first row and two roof rail air bags that cover all three seating rows. Complementing the air bags is GM’s rollover sensing system, which activates the roof rail air bags if sensors determine an impending rollover.

Because rollover crashes typically last longer than non-rollover crashes, the roof rail air bags stay inflated longer to provide increased occupant protection and containment.

The latest model year also saw a couple minor changes, including 19-inch nine-spoke chrome-clad aluminum wheel replacing the seven-spoke chromed aluminum wheel, standard on CXL2 and available on CXL1. The color palette was also expanded to include: Cyber Gray Metallic, Dark Ming Blue and Gray Green Metallic exterior finishes.

Powerful V-6 with direct injection, and six-speed transmission

Buick Enclave features a fuel-efficient 3.6L direct injected V-6 VVT engine that blends power, smoothness, efficiency and technical sophistication for a SAE-certified 288 horsepower (215 kW)* and 270 lb.-ft. (366 Nm) of torque.*

Enclave achieves an EPA-estimated 24 mpg highway for front-wheel drive models and 22 mpg highway for all-wheel-drive models.

The 3.6L direct injection engine is designed to operate with regular unleaded gasoline – which saves money compared to luxury brands that require premium fuel – and produces power similar to many V-8 engines. With direct injection, fuel is sprayed directly to the combustion chamber to create a more complete burn of the fuel/air mixture.

Ninety percent of the Buick Enclave engine’s peak torque is available from approximately 2,500 rpm to more than 6,000 rpm. Also, using unique pistons with the direct injection system helps reduce cold-start emissions by 25 percent.

The 3.6L engine is mated to the Hydra-Matic 6T75 electronically controlled six-speed automatic transmission. Its wide, 6.04:1 overall ratio helps the transmission deliver both performance and fuel economy, enabling up to a 7-percent improvement in performance and up to a 4-percent improvement in fuel economy when compared to front-wheel-drive four-speed automatics. The transmission has been designed so that the Enclave can be flat-towed in FWD and AWD configurations. The Buick Enclave can tow up to 4,500 pounds (2,045 kg) when properly equipped.

2011 Buick Enclave CXL AWD Specification

CXL 2XL AWD at the price of $43,995

Engine 3.6L
Horsepower 288hp @ 6300
Torque 270 @ 3400
Transmission 6 -speed Automatic
Drivetrain All-Wheel Drive
Available 9 vibrant colors

Fuel
EPA Fuel Economy Est – City 16 MPG
EPA Fuel Economy Est – Hwy 22 MPG
Fuel Tank Capacity, Approx 22 gal

Tires
Front Tire Size P255/60R19
Rear Tire Size P255/60R19