Buick Enclave: The Inside
Of the Acadia, Enclave and Outlook, the Buick has the greatest luxury aspirations, so it's no surprise that it has the nicest interior, with surprisingly convincing simulated wood and aluminum trim on the dashboard, door panels and center console. There are upscale soft-touch surfaces, and switches and buttons for things like the vents and navigation system depress and move with a nice action. There's a decorative analog clock on the dashboard and the cabin is quiet.
For the most part, the interior holds its own against, for example, a Lexus RX 350 in terms of material quality, and it beats it in the style department. There are a few minor drawbacks, though, including a few rough edges on the steering-wheel spokes and front door pockets. Additionally, the buttons for the automatic air conditioning system are small and positioned too low on the dashboard to easily adjust while driving, and the latch for the optional moonroof's manual sunshade is a flimsy plastic catch.
The standard configuration for the second row is two captain's chairs, but a bench seat with room for three is available. While the captain's chairs can slide forward and backward and also recline, their primary trick — and one that separates them from many competitors — is that they can collapse vertically against the front seats to make it easier to climb into and out of the third row. GM calls this nifty bit of engineering SmartSlide. These seats have comfortable cushioning, but the seat bottom is close to the floor, which makes for a less comfortable, knees-up seating position for tall passengers.
The three-place third-row bench seat is tight for adults, and the limited legroom is contingent upon second-row passengers not sliding their seats all the way back. There should be decent room for kids here, but they might not like the backrest, which isn't reclined that much.
