As most of you know, I live in South Florida and my daughter goes to school at Clemson University, in South Carolina. It’s just shy of 800 miles away. I do love it there, but if I had one complaint, it would be the distance. It’s either a whole day’s drive from dawn to dusk or a 2 day trek with resting in the middle.
Anywho, back in December I was appointed to the Clemson University Parents’ Council Advisory Board. The first board meeting was a few weeks ago and the good folks at General Motors were kind enough to loan me a new luxury crossover 2011 Buick Enclave for the trip. This vehicle REALLY made the drive better for me. I NEVER wanted to get out of the car. Here’s a rundown of my experience with it–
SPACE
I found the Enclave to be very spacious. In my everyday life, I drive a huge SUV, and thought that I would feel cramped in the Buick. NOT! Though it is designed to seat 7 (8 passenger seating is an option), we comfortably sat 4 with luggage for a week and travel neccessities, including a soft sided cooler for snacks. I didn’t feel cramped at all, nor did my passengers. In fact, one of the first things that I noticed when I first got in, was how roomy I felt.
RIDE and HANDLING
Absolutely LOVED driving this baby! Again, I had a bit of concern about how much lower it is than my regular SUV, but after my first whip around the block, my concerns ceased. It handled lovely and the ride was nice. One of the best things was how quiet it is–it blocks out nearly every bit of road noise. Lane changes were a breeze and the both the gas and the brake pedals were responsive to even the lightest touch. I did have to get used to the huge mirrors and checking the blind spot, but it proved to be a non-issue. And, my DAD LOVED the fact that he had just as much passenger space as in my regular car, but didn’t have to “climb up” into the car to get it.
INSIDE
The cockpit in the Enclave is nicely appointed. The audio system with integrated Onstar Navigation was both easy to reach and easy to see without taking my eyes off of the road for very long. I didn’t particularly like that the trip computer being in the dash, as I drive with the steering wheel as far down as possible and it partially obstructed my view of it. I also LOVED the moving center console–making it completely adjustable as a arm rest. I found the drink holders in the front to be a bit awkward for the driver, as they are both on the passenger side, but again, I got used to it rather quickly. Of course, the audio and cruise control buttons in the steering wheel make life much easier. And, while I didn’t use it on the trip, I did pair my phone to the car’s audio system via bluetooth before I left, just to try it. Worked like a charm! The leather and mahogany wood trim made it look rich–true luxury. The zoned temperature control system was great too. There’s really only one thing that kind of bugged me and I know that I’m probably nit picking here, but–the little handle that allows you to bring the 2nd road seat down to gain entry into the 3rd row seemed to be of poor quality plastic, compared to the rest of the vehicle. I was very careful with it, because I thought it might break off. Other than that–A DREAM!
COOL FACTOR
I’ve driven quite a few cool cars. But this one DEFINITELY got me the most questions from strangers. It is SEXY and quite a headturner. A woman stopped me in a Walmart parking lot and talked to me about this car for about 15 minutes. I hadn’t had the car, at that point, even 24 hours, but I did tell her that my initial impressions were good. Then, when I got to Clemson and parked, a few folks could see the car out of the window and I ended up talking about it a lot over lunch. Most of the questions were simply if I liked it. My kids also liked it, especially my 14 year old son, who is very much into cars.
SAFETY
Before I even get to the features in the car, I must say that GM’s Onstar system (that includes crisis assistance, automatic crash response, and even stolen vehicle assistance) makes me feel safe, before I even drive off. Knowing that they are my co-pilots helps me focus on the actual driving. Multiple airbags also give drivers, especially Moms, a greater sense of security. But, hands down, the safety feature that I used most was the wide angle camera that came on everytime I put the vehicle in reverse. It made backing up a breeze!
All in all, I loved the Enclave. Never thought I would be one for the crossovers, but it made me a believer. Hands down–my favorite of the GM fleet. Seems that Buick has come a long way–it’s not your Granny’s car anymore!
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