Buick Enclave – Full Review

So, if you have been following my blog for a bit of time, you will know that I am now supporting a like for all things made by GM. As in General Motors. As in the car manufacturer in Detroit, Michigan.

While I am NOT in love with their football team (meh) I am now thinking that they can do no wrong when it comes to manufacturing vehicles. While every vehicle is not necessarily for every family, each one serves a specific purpose, and I am sure if you look hard enough, you will find one to fit your needs. And before we go on, NO I was not financially compensated for this post and all thoughts are fantastically mine.

So, last Friday, I was delivered the Buick Enclave. If you have been following my tweets, you know that we have used this baby quite a bit. I’ve been everywhere from Crystal Lake, to DeKalb, to Champaign. It’s toted the entire Houseful plus one, and no one said ONCE – “Mommy, so and so is TOUCHING ME!” If you have never heard those words, then you my friend should get on your knees and thank the good Lord. Once they have been uttered, you probably have a good ten more years of hearing them. You’ve been warned. Let’s start with some specs on this vehicle.

All around air bag system

Tri-zone automatic climate control – I mean, have you ever had someone in the back seat tell you how hot/cold they were, yet you were the opposite? This is what makes that great.

Sirius XM Satellite Radio – Perfect for listening to much better stuff than the crap on standard radio. Yes, it’s crap, just agree with me, it’s my blog.

Bluetooth for select phones

On Star –  If you’ve never been lost, then fine. However, when you make a wrong turn and have four children totally taking in your every move and trying to see if you lose it, this little mechanism will be your best friend. “Oh, kids, mommy just wanted to see if the OnStar person REALLY knew where we were!”

Quiet Tuning – So, I didn’t realize how quiet this car was until I got back into my own car. It is SO relaxing to sit and have the radio off if I wanted it, while the cellist and the ladybug listened to the movie play with their headphones on. So awesome.

Rear Power Liftgate – Once again, this was fantastic. I could open the trunk put groceries or merchandise back there quickly, and then put the children in the car while the trunk door was going down. Priceless.

So, everything else that we had was available on the Convenience group or higher. That includes remote starter, rear camera view, park assistance, DVD player, fold-in side mirrors, leather interior, heated and cooled leather seats and wait for it….a power outlet. That the cellist found, go figure.

Once again, I totally loved the ease of putting the twizzlers into the car. I could literally fold and pull the second row seating forward with one hand and just put them in the car. Whether you have one child in a car seat or five, you know how much this makes things so easy.

We did fill up the tank once after depleting the first full tank. We visited Crystal Lake, DeKalb, Champaign and just randomly drove around the city of Chicago (way more than what I normally would) so we did pay more in gas than we usually do. However, I do feel that if I didn’t feel like I should have been driving it everyday, I would be okay with the gas usage.

I am going to go out on a limb and say that the interior of the car felt a little smaller than the Traverse. Not suffocating, but it was noticeable. I’m also super short, and I felt like there was a lot of car in the front to look over. Okay, maybe that’s not a real problem, but it took some finagling with the seat and the steering column to find  a position where I actually felt comfortable in seeing everything around me.

If you want to see the car in action, you can check out my video that I posted last week, and any of the other videos that I posted regarding the four cars that I have driven in the past four months. 

Such a beautiful car. And once again, I was sad to see it go. I’m thinking that for the next review that I do, I’ll have Mr. Nicholes drive while I sit in the back…or give the cellist the camera and see it from his point of view.

Until next time!

~ Make It A Fantastic Day