2025 Buick Enclave ST Quick Drive Review: A New Road Trip Standard

As someone who has spent countless hours on the road, I must admit that the 2025 Buick Enclave has truly captured my attention. The blend of comfort, technology, and convenience is simply unparalleled. However, let’s talk about the elephant in the room – the engine noise. It’s a bit like having a chatty neighbor who insists on sharing their life story at 3 am. Annoying, but something you can learn to live with.

But oh boy, once you get past that, the Enclave is a delight! The interior is as plush as a well-worn leather armchair, and the technology is more advanced than my smartphone. The highlight, of course, is Super Cruise. It’s like having your own personal chauffeur, minus the awkward small talk.

In all seriousness, long road trips have never been this enjoyable. I mean, who wouldn’t want to let a robot do the driving while they catch up on sleep or scroll through social media? The future is here, my friends, and it’s cruising down the highway in a 2025 Buick Enclave! Oh, and did you hear the joke about the engine noise? It’s quieter than a librarian’s laugh at a rock concert!

Recently, I got to take a spin in the brand-new 2025 Buick Enclave Sport Touring (ST) model, boasting all-wheel drive and General Motors’ Super Cruise autonomous driving system. This ride gave me some insights: Firstly, I hope GM continues using V6 engines instead of swapping them for turbocharged four-cylinder units; secondly, Super Cruise is a real game-changer for those lengthy road trips. With fresh design, a novel engine, and advanced technology coming in 2025, the Enclave still stands out as an attractive option amidst the competitive SUV market.

Everything New On The 2025 Buick Enclave

2025’s third-generation Buick Enclave undergoes a comprehensive revamp from top to bottom, improving both its aesthetics and functionality. The updated Enclave comes in three trims: Preferred, Sport Touring, and Avenir. Externally, all models sport a fresh grille, front, and rear facias. The grille is more prominent, framed by new winged headlights and checkmark-style LED lights. The liftgate features wraparound LED taillamps. On the inside, the Enclave receives a redesigned steering wheel, column-mounted gear selector, high-quality materials, a floating center console, and new color schemes. The interior is modernized with a youthful flair yet maintains an upscale ambiance.

In this latest model, a 2.5-liter turbocharged inline-four engine has been swapped for the previous generation’s 3.6-liter V6 engine. This new turbo-four engine generates an impressive 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft of torque, offering a slight power boost compared to its predecessor. This upgraded power source comes equipped with a standard eight-speed automatic transmission and offers both front-wheel drive and all-wheel drive options as choices.

2025’s Enclave model will be the first Buick vehicle to incorporate General Motors’ advanced hands-free driving system, Super Cruise, across all its variants. Super Cruise is expanding its network coverage to approximately 750,000 miles of roads in the U.S. and Canada by 2025. The Super Cruise package, included in every trim level, features driver attention assistance and enhanced automatic parking assistance. Additionally, the Avenir trim with Super Cruise will also include a rear camera mirror.

Driving the 2025 Buick Enclave ST

At the media gathering, I had the opportunity to pilot a 2025 Enclave, surrounded by journalists and content creators eagerly waiting to test-drive various cutting-edge vehicles. My goal was to get into the new Enclave so I could try out Super Cruise. During our lunch break, I opted to grab a bite quickly and return to the parking lot to secure the Enclave. As soon as I sat down and got comfortable, I heard a fellow creator express his displeasure about my claim on the Enclave, but I managed to keep it.

The Moonstone Gray Metallic exterior, paired with 20-inch high-gloss black alloy wheels, gleamed under the sun and were beautifully contrasted by the Ebony perforated leatherette seats adorned with Sky Cool Gray accents and Ebony interior details. The overall interior materials appeared attractive and generally had a premium feel, although there were certain spots that had a harder touch or were made of plastic. During my ride, the seats provided ample comfort and support for my back and legs.

Starting up the Enclave, a soothing purr emanates from the 2.5 turbo engine. As I stepped on the accelerator, I found myself applying more pressure than anticipated to propel the approximately 4,500-pound SUV forward. Despite its size, I always felt confident it could maneuver effectively in overtaking scenarios. The eight-speed automatic transmission delivered seamless shifts, consistently responding smoothly and promptly under different throttle conditions.

Even though all Enclaves are fitted with active noise cancellation, acoustic laminated glass, and Buick’s QuietTuning technology, the turbocharged four-cylinder engine can become a bit noisy in the mid-RPM range. This noise disrupts the refined, peaceful driving experience that a strong, naturally aspirated V6 provides. Unfortunately, this disturbance doesn’t align with the Enclave’s premium ambitions and may take some time for drivers to get accustomed to it.

Besides the bothersome sound levels, the ride itself was quite pleasant, offering numerous comforts and practical aspects. These include a wireless charging dock, compatibility with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and seat heating. Yet, it would be delightful to have ventilated seats at this price range as well.

Super Cruise Is Delightful

I shifted towards the nearby interstate network to try out the Super Cruise feature for a while. As soon as I joined a suitable highway with distinct lane lines, the system notified me that it was operational. Using adaptive cruise control, I adjusted the speed and kept an eye on the driver information center for the Super Cruise steering wheel icon to appear. When it did, I clicked the Super Cruise button on the steering wheel, the top light bar turned green, and I relaxed my hands.

On an ordinary workday afternoon, the road I was driving along was unusually congested. This presented a challenging scenario for testing Super Cruise’s capabilities in heavy traffic with various vehicles. Fortunately, the system didn’t suddenly disengage during my drive, and it smoothly executed both manual and automatic lane changes without any hiccups.

An in-car camera observes your head and eye movements to make sure you’re ready to retake control whenever necessary. The system works best when you maintain the correct position. Using it requires the same serious attention as traditional driving, but it feels exhilarating, like being on a rollercoaster at an amusement park. We’re now in an age where cars can drive themselves, and it’s mind-boggling. Yet, I eagerly embrace this technology with open arms.

For quite some time now, I’ve been making extended car journeys since my college days to catch up with relatives and friends, a practice that has grown even more frequent as people have relocated and my adult life has become more established. Technologies like Super Cruise and similar systems are particularly helpful in mitigating driver exhaustion during these long treks, making them considerably less challenging.

How Much Does the 2025 Buick Enclave Cost?

As a thrilled admirer, let me share some insights about the 2025 Enclave. The starting price for the Preferred model is set at a reasonable $46,395, while the ST trim kicks off at $48,795. I had the privilege of testing the ST model with AWD and Super Cruise, which bumped up the cost by approximately $5,255. The luxury-packed Avenir trim, if fully loaded with packages and options, can climb as high as $70,000.

Any Quirks Of The 2025 Enclave Are Worth Overlooking For Its Utility and Super Cruise Capability

In the high-end and luxury vehicle market, the Enclave traditionally occupies a specific zone, but with the arrival of the 2025 model, Buick has noticeably blurred that boundary more than before. After spending time in the 2025 Enclave ST, I must say that while the engine noise is a minor drawback, almost everything else about this SUV shines, making it an impressive and alluring upscale transportation option. The Enclave not only offers a smooth driving experience, but using Super Cruise in real-world conditions has further cemented my appreciation for advanced driver assistance systems. Despite my passion for being at the wheel, I’m perfectly content to let technology handle the job occasionally.

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