2021 Buick Enclave Avenir Review
The days of the once famous Buick portholes that made the brand recognizable from great distances are gone, but the days of Buick being a premiere brand among America’s motorcars is far from over. I spent one of my first week’s post-quarantine driving one of the best Buicks on the road – the Enclave Avenir. The Enclave breaks out of the MSRP gate at $40,300 and while the Avenir will run more than that base amount, I feel it provides every benefit I could desire in a domestic three-row CUV/SUV.
We had a pretty significant amount of empty boxes which had accumulated in our garage due to being cooped up for a long time. Months of living on supplies delivered by Amazon, Fed Ex and every other delivery service which has thrived over the last year with people not being able to go to grocery stores, department stores or any other type of retail establishment. A simple push of a button after popping the lift gate and the third row seats folded down into the floor boards and there was room for a few months of collapsed boxes that had been removed from our garage revealing a clean cement floor which had not been seen for some time.
The Avenir was peppy and great in terms of being able to merge into freeway traffic as well as handling as close to a sports-car as anyone could hope for in any SUV. I loved the ease of interpreting the ways to change the stereo modes and stations and the sound quality was excellent. Shifting was smooth and effortless. The comfort level was every bit as good as one could expect in a Buick.
Buick Luxury With Style
Avenir is sub-brand of the Enclave and represents the highest expression of Buick luxury. The styling cues on the Avenir are extensive and both my wife and myself loved the smooth and elegant lines on the vehicle.
A Buick-first Evonik Acrylite exterior lighting feature illuminates the road ahead with the power of more than 100 LEDs across the vehicle and it is quite striking to walk up to the vehicle at night as lights greet you. A Rear Camera Mirror provides a clearer, broader view of what’s behind. That mirror is very important because one feature I didn’t particularly like was the mirror itself did not provide as much visibility as I would have liked.
With allergies and worries about COVID special ionization in the vehicle leaves the air cleaner and fresher The Avenir provides interior luxury amenities and roominess for up to seven passengers as discussed earlier, along with the fold down push-button functionality of the last row.
“The Enclave has been a successful formula for the Buick brand, with sales results that have defied traditional product cycles, and 90 percent of customers purchasing in the top two trim levels,” said Duncan Aldred, vice president of Global Buick and GMC said in a press release. “It’s a beacon for the modern, attainable luxury Buick stands for and is a natural place for the Avenir.”
- Avenir model comes standard with extensive active safety, connectivity and luxury features for a simple and convenient buying experience.
- It has an all-new body structure for safety, strength and mass efficiency, plus 17 radar, camera and ultrasonic sensors when fully equipped.
- It accommodates seven passengers comfortably and offers more cargo volume behind the first row than the Acura MDX, Audi Q7 and Infiniti QX60.
- Standard hands-free power-programmable liftgate with a Buick tri-shield logo illuminates the ground below the hidden sensor and power-folding third row.
- Avenir-exclusive 3-dimensional mesh grille, badging, pearl nickel 20-inch aluminum wheels and luxurious interior materials are standard.
- Buick-first Rear Camera Mirror is standard on Avenir.
- Buick-first Evonik Acrylite lighting technology provides a distinctive light signature.
- Tow capacity of up to 5,000 pounds is more than enough to tow a typical 21-foot sport boat.
- A standard 3.6L V-6 engine with stop/start technology, Buick-estimated 310 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque is paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission.
- Standard five-link rear suspension and available continuously variable real-time damping (CDC) offer a refined, isolated ride.
- Available intelligent AWD with active twin-clutch rear differential and Buick-first switchable AWD help improve control and efficiency.
This was a great vehicle to receive to get back into the auto-reviewing experience. It brought back to mind why I love cars, trucks and SUVs and enjoy driving so much!
