Does anyone own a buick enclave?? Or a truck with 3 rows?

[HamTown]

We have a Saturn Outlook, which was the first of the Enclave/Traverse/Acadia models. Ours seats 7 (captain's chairs in the 2nd row, split bench in the 3rd row). It has been great for our family of 5.

Gas mileage isn't terrible and it can hold everything we need for a week at the beach or a long road trip. I don't even mind sitting in the 3rd row.

I think the Buick is the most expensive of all the cars built from that platform. You may want to look at one of the other options and add in a few bells and whistles to compare prices.

When we replace this one, we'll look at the Acadia and also the Ford Flex. I like all the technology built it to the new Fords.

 

[ktkerber]

Another happy owner of a GMC Acadia here. We love the 7 seat seating arrangement. If you live in the north like we do, it is awesome in the snow.

 

[HeatherC]

I know you mentioned you did not really want a van, but I wanted to mention one anyway that might interest you.

We JUST traded in our Sienna for a new Nissan Quest SV. I cannot believe how roomy this thing is and well appointed as well. They took two years to do a redesign and it now looks more like an SUV than a van.

My DH is 6 foot 5 and my 13 year old son is almost 5 foot 9 and they both fit great in the third row. Much more legroom than the Sienna or any other SUV we tried. That was important to us since we do a lot of long road trips as a family of five with three tall kids.

All of the seats fold flat...both the second and third row so you can even put things as large as a full sheet of plywood in it without taking out any seats. It also have a very deep trunk that you do not lose when the seats are folded.

Just thought it was worth mentioning since it is priced about the same as the SUV's, but has WAY more space and still gets decent gas mileage.

Good luck in your search!

 

[andychris14]

so many suvs for us to consider-thank you for all of the advice-

 

[ErinC]

I have an enclave. We love ours. I test drove the Acadia (which I really liked the look of at the time better than the enclave), but the enclave is much quieter and more comfortable to me. Mine is loaded and I love all the features on it. Mine has the captains chairs in the center and split back row. We are a family of 5. When we travel, I leave the 40 split up and fold the 60 split side down so that we have enough room for our luggage. It's a little tight, but we make it work. My only complaint would be the gas mileage. I've never gotten what the sticker said I should.But I'm not sure anyone gets the sticker MPG on their cars. Mine is '09 and I've got almost 90,000 miles on it. It's run great. I drive mostly interstate to work each day and so far we haven't had any problems with it.

 

[andychris14]

I have an enclave. We love ours. I test drove the Acadia (which I really liked the look of at the time better than the enclave), but the enclave is much quieter and more comfortable to me. Mine is loaded and I love all the features on it. Mine has the captains chairs in the center and split back row. We are a family of 5. When we travel, I leave the 40 split up and fold the 60 split side down so that we have enough room for our luggage. It's a little tight, but we make it work. My only complaint would be the gas mileage. I've never gotten what the sticker said I should.But I'm not sure anyone gets the sticker MPG on their cars. Mine is '09 and I've got almost 90,000 miles on it. It's run great. I drive mostly interstate to work each day and so far we haven't had any problems with it.

wow that is a lot of driving you do- I am glad that you still love it 90,000 miles later with no problems. this is good to know

 

[AZMermaid]

We have the Traverse (same style as Enclave) and love it. We have had it about 6 months now. I love the captains chairs in the second row. I also really like that we can still fit a double stroller in the back with all three rows up. I didn't think we'd be able to in the Highlander- but we did like that too. Everyone we know has a Pilot and like it, we just wanted to be different!

 

[CarrieR]

Re: mileage and reliability --

I bought my Pilot last year with 86k on it; it had had all of the schedule maintenance done and my mechanic declared, "It ain't even broken in yet!" I now have 120k or so on it and it runs like a dream. My parents rode in it for the first time over Christmas (I love them to death, but they tend to be skeptical of everything I tell them, lol,) my mom was astonished at how many miles it had on it -- over 100k at that point. It runs like it's new, truly.

 

[heartsy77]

I bought a used 2007 Honda Pilot in in 2009 with 24,000 miles on it. Granted I have the fancy model w/ leather, heated seats, moon roof, etc and I LOVE MY TRUCK! I wouldn't trade it for anything!
And FYI if you are looking to buy new the HONDA PILOT it is now assembled in the USA!

 

[andychris14]

And FYI if you are looking to buy new the HONDA PILOT it is now assembled in the USA!

This is very good to know- thanks

 

[PA DISNEYLOVER]

I HAVE A 2011 HONDA Pilot and I Love it. We have a 17 year old son that is over 6 foot and he doesn't have a problem with it.

We do alot of traveling so we did spend the extra money and get a cargo carrier for the roof being that there isn't alot of room in the trunk with the 3rd row up.

 

[SaraJayne]

Another vote for the Traverse.

We have the captains chairs in the middle and the 3rd row is split 60/40, so you can put one or the other side down, or lay the whole row flat.

We bought it brand new and have had it for over 2 and a half years. It has over 50,000 miles and I still love hopping into it to take it for a spin.

 

[minnie1012]

My neighbor has the Enclave and she has been having alot of issues with it. I think its just a year and has been in the shop multiple times. She will be stopped and go to step on the gas and the car just dies. This last time they told her it was the transmission but they told her it was fixed the other times too. She actually leased it and doesn't want to take it back so she is still fighting with them. So I would google and see if anyone else has had the same problem.

We have a Dodge Durango and like it.

 

[Meals1007]

I have a Traverse also and I love it! We have a family of 5; 1 in a booster and 2 in carseats. Both rows have 60/40 split seating so I am able to leave one row folded down (to strap kids in) and it doesn't matter where the carseats are. The gas mileage is ok, slightly better then my jeep but nothing amazing. My mother has a Suburban and I have driven that as well, it'd nice but it is big. One of the things I like about the Traverse is that it doesn't feel like a huge SUV like the Suburban does. The only downside that I have discovered is that the trunks space is minimal when all the seats are up. I can still fit my double stroller but that is it.

 

[nilseks]

Hmmm...I can weigh in on the Enclave, Pilot and Traverse. I have ridden in all 3 quite a bit.

My parents have the Enclave and they love it, even thought they've had probably more than their fair share of mechanical problems with it. The dealer has really stood behind the vehicle and done right by them though--despite the mech issues, my dad is thrilled with the dealer. So I don't know if he just happens to have a good dealer, or if Buick really stands by their cars. The Enclave is very comfortable with 'cushy' seats. It's the most comfortable of the 3.

My best friend has a Pilot. Personally if it were me, I would go with the Honda for reliability. I've had 2 of them and they were both fantastic--but I don't have a Honda now b/c I can't afford one. The Pilot is definitely not as comfy as the Enclave, the seats are more firm and feel 'tighter'. But that's just a personal preference thing.

My brother just bought the Traverse a few months ago. I've ridden around in it a bit, and no offense to anyone who has a Traverse but it just seems very 'cheapy' to me. Even though my brother's has some bells and whistles, it seems that the finishes are cheaper than the other 2 models above, and it doesn't run as nicely as either of the above. JMHO.

 

[EMom]

I own an '08 Highlander Hybrid. I also really liked the Buick Enclave, but for me, the deciding factor was that the rear glass does not open independently on the Enclave, whereas on the Highlander, it does. I occasionally find a beautiful tree or bush at the nursery that I have to have, so having that independent rear glass is a must!

We also find it very handy when loading long items, like 2x4's, boxes, mattresses, etc. We tend to be do-it-yourselfers, but if you aren't that rear glass may not be a priority.

I will say that I really like my Highlander, even 3 years later. I believe the 2012 Highlanders now have the split third row - my '08 does not. If I recall correctly, the Buick did have that feature. I wish I had the split third row, so if that is important and you find yourself leaning towards the independent glass on the Highlander, you may need to look at a 2012.

Forgive me if I am wrong on the model dates for the vehicle features, it has been awhile since we looked at cars!

We just got a 2012 Highlander. My neighbor has a 10 y.o. one and won't get a new car because she loves hers so much, even at 10 years old. We keep cars a long time, so I hope I am as satisfied.

We did seriously consider the Pilot, but I am short and if you're short, you'll whack your knees/shins in a Pilot once you scoot the seat up. So that ruled it out. The salesman said he heard that same complaint a lot from short women. I had a friend with a barely used Enclave and they liked it, but hardly had time to drive it before they moved overseas and had to sell the car. So I can't tell you much about it.

No joke, I looked at vehicles for almost a year before settling on the Highlander. I have always driven small cars, so moving to a crossover was going to be a big adjustment for me. I had to feel comfortable driving and parking it. Then there's the issue of whether it's comfy for a short person. I had to have good visibility. Comfortable seats. Dependability.

There are only 3 of us in our family, so we didn't NEED a 3rd row, but I figured once DD hits jr. high, I will often have several girls in my car at once. And when family comes to visit, we either have to take 2 cars or rent a bigger one if more than 5 of us want to go anywhere. So the 3rd row allowed us the option of carrying more people, fitting in a lot more luggage, more groceries, etc. I like that I just push a button on the remote to raise or lower the back door. I can open the back window only if I want and leave the back door closed. Yes, the 3rd row has split seats now. DD sits in the 2nd row and took out the middle section, so that row consists of 2 seats with armrests now. That row is very versatile. The car will carry 7 pretty easily and if one person is a baby in a carseat, I could fit 8 in it.

The level we got comes with a moonroof, which DD loves and which means nothing to me. They ran a sale on the DVD system and she has DVD players in the headrests now, so she is happy. She has her own A/C controls, so both of us are happy. It came with 2 free months of satellite radio, which we have found we like and we plan to continue the service. It's easy for me to drive, pretty easy to park and I am pleased with it.

I think that the top rated crossovers are all good choices and it just boils down to features, cost, what is comfortable for your body, which seat configuration works best for your family, etc. There is no ONE best choice.

Good luck.

 

[d1sneyf4n]

We just got a 2012 Highlander. My neighbor has a 10 y.o. one and won't get a new car because she loves hers so much, even at 10 years old. We keep cars a long time, so I hope I am as satisfied.

We did seriously consider the Pilot, but I am short and if you're short, you'll whack your knees/shins in a Pilot once you scoot the seat up. So that ruled it out. The salesman said he heard that same complaint a lot from short women. I had a friend with a barely used Enclave and they liked it, but hardly had time to drive it before they moved overseas and had to sell the car. So I can't tell you much about it.

No joke, I looked at vehicles for almost a year before settling on the Highlander. I have always driven small cars, so moving to a crossover was going to be a big adjustment for me. I had to feel comfortable driving and parking it. Then there's the issue of whether it's comfy for a short person. I had to have good visibility. Comfortable seats. Dependability.

There are only 3 of us in our family, so we didn't NEED a 3rd row, but I figured once DD hits jr. high, I will often have several girls in my car at once. And when family comes to visit, we either have to take 2 cars or rent a bigger one if more than 5 of us want to go anywhere. So the 3rd row allowed us the option of carrying more people, fitting in a lot more luggage, more groceries, etc. I like that I just push a button on the remote to raise or lower the back door. I can open the back window only if I want and leave the back door closed. Yes, the 3rd row has split seats now. DD sits in the 2nd row and took out the middle section, so that row consists of 2 seats with armrests now. That row is very versatile. The car will carry 7 pretty easily and if one person is a baby in a carseat, I could fit 8 in it.

The level we got comes with a moonroof, which DD loves and which means nothing to me. They ran a sale on the DVD system and she has DVD players in the headrests now, so she is happy. She has her own A/C controls, so both of us are happy. It came with 2 free months of satellite radio, which we have found we like and we plan to continue the service. It's easy for me to drive, pretty easy to park and I am pleased with it.

I think that the top rated crossovers are all good choices and it just boils down to features, cost, what is comfortable for your body, which seat configuration works best for your family, etc. There is no ONE best choice.

Good luck.

I am not doubting that you hit your knees and shins in the Pilot but I have always considered myself on the shorter side (just under 5'4" ) and I have a Pilot and I do not hit my knees or shins. Again, not saying you do not, I just never heard that as a complaint. My Pilot driver seat has where you can move the seat up and down vertically. I wonder if maybe that was the issue there.

 

[MichiganKris]

I have a Chevy Traverse and my parents have the Enclave. The Enclave rides much nicer and is a lot quiter than the Traverse, but I don't notice a difference in the comfort of the seats. The Traverse is about a year old and the Enclave is almost 2 years old. Neither of us has had any warranty work done. The Traverse gets a little better gas mileage, although usually on the highway it is about 22.5 mpg instead of the 24 it is rated for. It could be that I just drive to fast Good luck with your decision!

 

[EMom]

I am not doubting that you hit your knees and shins in the Pilot but I have always considered myself on the shorter side (just under 5'4" ) and I have a Pilot and I do not hit my knees or shins. Again, not saying you do not, I just never heard that as a complaint. My Pilot driver seat has where you can move the seat up and down vertically. I wonder if maybe that was the issue there.

Nope, that wasn't it. I moved that seat every which way it would move, but no matter what, my knees/shins whacked. I am closer to 5'1" and that 3 inches must make all the difference in the world. If I scooted the seat back far enough to stop whackage, I had to drive tippy-toed and that would have meant years of leg cramps. The salesman's wife owned a Pilot and she was my height. He said she drives tip-toed or else she whacks her knees/shins. Maybe she got a HUGE discount since he sells them, because you could not give me a car that I had to drive that way.

DH was fine in it, but then he's a lot taller. I actually adjusted the seat by lowering the front of the seat and it still whacked. That's why I say everyone has to find a car that fits THEM. A 6'5" man's dream car might not be my perfect fit and vice versa.

I dismissed one car because of a scratchy part on the steering wheel. The plastic was very rough and I happen to rest my hand in that spot a lot. Sooner or later, I would have scratched myself up. DH rarely puts his hand there so it didn't bug him. For me, the constant scratching/poking on my hand was a dealbreaker.

 

[andychris14]

thank you again for all of your opinions. I have my work cut out-thanks