The Buick Enclave and Buick Encore were among the top luxury vehicles that consumers considered purchasing in the second quarter of 2021, according to data compiled by market research firm Kelley Blue Book.
KBB determines vehicles and brands that are widely considered by consumers through its quarterly Brand Watch report. In Q2 2021, The Buick Enclave was the fifth most considered luxury vehicle, with the Buick Encore also ranking in the top ten. KBB says shopping consideration for the Enclave increased by 11 percent from Q1 to Q2, while shopping consideration for the Encore was up even more at 18 percent.
KBB’s study also determines which factors buyers of luxury vehicles are most attracted to. Durability and Reliability were the most important, with Lexus being the most widely considered brand for shoppers that place an important on this metric. Safety was second, which is led by Volvo, followed by Driving Comfort in third. Not surprisingly, Cadillac led the way with regard to consumers that appreciate Driving Comfort. Buick was the second most popular brand among shoppers that place importance on value, with Genesis leading the way.
Buick was also the eighth most widely considered luxury brand in Q2 2021. BMW led with regard to brand consideration (partially due to its ability to navigate the chip shortage), followed by Lexus in second and Audi in third. Cadillac was ranked sixth, narrowly beating out its intra-GM rival.
KBB also determined what kind of vehicles luxury car shoppers are looking for. Unsurprisingly, the vast majority (66 percent) want an SUV or a crossover. The research firm predicts luxury SUVs and crossovers will gain even more momentum going forward, as many redesigned vehicles are set to launch in the coming months that could entice interested consumers.
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Comments
The Enclave is a great 3-seater and benefitted by the scarce supply of Yukons, and other larger SUVs. The Enclave gives you more for your money based upon the reason most people buy a SUV to start with. Most people are hauling people not cargo and it is hard to top the smooth, quiet ride you get in an Enclave. The Enclave Avenir is a nice alternative alternative to a Yukon Denali or Cadillac Escalade especially if you don’t have a large need of cargo hauling or large trailer pulling. Plus, you get to save a significant amount of money.
My wife’s encore is also a great value in a compact size. No need for bulk when only two are traveling.
The Buick Enclave is a nice riding SUV. It’s very luxurious and quiet. I am in the market for an used 2020 or 2021 Avenir not many for sale in my area but I can’t wait to find one. I have looked at the Cadillac XT6 and Lincoln Aviator (very expensive) and for the money I think the Enclave Avenir comes out on top. The only thing I do not like is the small 8 inch screen which shockingly Buick kept on the 2022 redesign.
What drew me to the Enclave Avenir is all the chrome, the grill, smooth powertrain, safety features and the beautiful Chestnut interior.
At this point I can do without all the electronics that have ruined this year’s production because of a chip controlled by our enemies apparently. Finding a used Avenue will be difficult but here’s to success in your endeavor.
Wow, this is great for Buick. Just shows that they seem to know what they are doing with the brand, even if we (me included) don’t always agree. Yes, i still feel Buick, of all brands, needs to have one or two sedans to offer. But great job Buick. Keep it going. They are up there with some very good products.
I own a 2017 Encore(purchased new). It’s an OK vehicle for what I paid. I’m not sure I would consider it a luxury car. There is no way I would pay $30,000 for an Encore which they can exceed if you get one loaded with options. Mine stickered for $25,200. It came with a $4,100 cash assistance allowance from Buick and I had $3,300 on my GM credit card bringing the cost of my Encore to less than $18,000
@ m Anderson: I had a 2018 and it was a fantastic vehicle. Kind of wish I would have kept that one. Anyhow, the Buick line is considered a “near” luxury. I think this article was just saying that Buick is actually being considered by luxury car buyers as a serious brand. That’s good. But what I don’t get about your comment is why you say you wouldn’t pay $30,000 for an Encore? Have you been in the average SUV/CUV out there? Kia, Hyundai, Toyota, Honda, Ford, Nissan and so on? You can’t touch any of those SUV/CUV’s with any options for less. And the Buick (IMO) is still much nicer inside with a better ride and more quiet. The only brand that matches more closely is the Mazda’s (I work for a Mazda/Volvo store). Is the Buick still better? Yes. But again, getting even a Mazda with any options puts you near or above the $30 grand mark any more.
Personally, I feel the Encore and Encore GX are both very nice vehicles at a great value.
You are correct Dan. The GSX? GX? I think that’s an enlarged better styled Encore version is very compelling. I got to drive some of them while I was at a dealer for something else. The Encores are on the small side (very small) but I think they fit that niche where women especially drive with no passengers mostly would prefer it. The Rogue and other lil CUV’s really aren’t that great and lack space as well. I think I would rather get an Envision personally over some bland slushbox in that size too. Acuras might be okay. Lexus has been AFK on design for the last few years. Lincolns feel cheaper made for some reason. Biggest gripe is the Envision is made in Korea. Kia and Hyundai have been killing it on design price and features however reliability and even honoring the factory warranty are questionable.
The Envision is made in China
Oof you’re right. I got the two mixed up the Encore and Envision.
I understand what you’re saying, but my wife uses her Encore GX to take our grand daughter back & forth to her job, picks up her girlfriends when they all go out for lunch and grocery shops. We used to have a 2017 Envision, but that vehicle gets on your nerves in a hurry (at least our did). Going from a 2015 Enclave to this meant we often over-estimated the interior size, the brakes were such that we never knew if it was ever going to stop or if we were going to get thrown against the windshield. The Hankook tires were so poor that even a hint of moisture on the road meant you were going to skid. The windshield wipers? Won’t even get into that. Long story shorter, I had every option on that vehicle that was available except for the “automatic parallel parking” (or whatever it was called). I can categorically state that it was the worst car we have ever owned. China does NOT make good vehicles. Hopefully things have changed with the Envision, but I’ll never buy another one.
John, I put some Hankooks on my Enclave (2018) since I’m up around 50k on the clock waiting for that refresh. I’ve had similar problems with the tires here in Florida. I believe we had some Michellins when we purchased the car which worked well until they were worn of course. Anyways the Hankooks aren’t even a year old and slip on certain wet asphalt/resurfaced streets. Thanks for Envision opinion. I think my mother wants one in a year or two when she trades in her car. We’ll have to see about that.
My biggest concern about the Encore and the GX is the 1.4 turbo and the now 1.3 three cylinder engine that’s being used in the GX. I still don’t understand why GM needs so many small turbo engines. They have the 1.3 in the Encore GX/Trailblazer, the 1.4 in the Encore/Trax, the 1.5 in the Malibu/Eqinox/Terrain and the 1.6 that was used in the Buick Cascada. They also have the 2.0 four cylinder. The Encore GX is a sharp looking vehicle but I wouldn’t touch it with a 3 cylinder engine
M Anderson: I agree with you on having too many 4 bangers in the line. Use the same (very good) 1.4 turbo in many of the lower priced cars. Keep making it and improving it. Then use the 2.0 turbo in the higher up models. There’s no reason why they can’t use the same ones in different models and GM brands, but tune them differently. For example, use the same 2.0 in the Buick’s and Cadillac’s, but give the higher HP and features on that 2.0 to Cadillac. Give Buick a slightly de-tuned 2.0. Then let Chevy have the 1.4 turbo in their lineup. But all this may not matter much as we transition to hybrid/all electric.
Now as for the 3 cyl. I have not driven one and thus can’t speak with experience. However, the numbers all look good and so far it seems to be doing well. I think for many (including me), it’s just hard to get over that “3 cyl” thing.
Our Encore GX has the turbo engine. I, too, was a bit concerned about how it would perform until we were driving back from vacation. A person driving a Chevy Traverse (ironic because I work at the plant that builds them) was either drunk, stoned or both and was terrorizing anyone who tried to pass them as the drove in the left lane 10 miles an hour under the speed limit. Right or wrong, I maneuvered my way up and passed this guy. He tried to accelerate to stop me from passing before the next car in the right lane would’ve blocked us. Now remember, the Traverse has a 310 horse power V6 in it, but I was easily able to pass this jerk and get ahead of him. So what did he do? He immediately passed the car in the right lane, swung over and tried to get in front of me again. I just decided that I was tired of him so I floored our GX as he pulled along side. It was like that guy was standing still as we pulled away. He gave up and about a half mile away there was enough traffic congestion to stop him from other shenanigan’s. Not my proudest moment, but I have to say, I was really impressed with the performance of that tiny engine residing under the hood!
It’s not the performance of these small turbo’s that concerns me, it’s the long term reliability of them. Are you going to be able to get 200,000 trouble free miles out of them?
That’s the rub when they move to small displacement engines for these newer vehicles. They are NOT lightweight cars like back in the 1980s or even the 1990s. All those sensors and electronics or safety systems cost weight. You can’t escape the reality that these powertrains have to work much harder and will wear much more. If you look at a hybrid like the Prius the ICE component doesn’t wear as heavily so it can generally hit 150k-200k but with the caveat that the electronics or hybrid portion usually requires servicing. That gets very expensive very fast unless you have third party options in your area or the means.
I’m personally confused why we’re following CAFE or mandated specs at all since we’ve had high MPG cars for over half a century. The people that want them will buy them. Why force everyone to hybrids or electric? They should let the market be free mostly and the consumers decide with their wallets. I want comfy seats and some power here and there so I’ll gladly take a hit on MPG. That’s the compromise.
Eric C: Not to make this political (please, not political), but they must offer and kind of force the buying public into electric or much higher MPG vehicles due to climate change. Am I a tree hugger? No. But there’s no denying that the earth is changing for the worse. Is hybrid or all electric the perfect solution? NO. But it’s the best solution at this point to help curtail the climate problems as long as they generate power through wind and solar.
Americans just love Chicom Junk.
We’ve bought two Enclaves and an Acadia before they ruined it and made it a baby SUV/Xover. GMC was 2012 had good styling at the time. Buick was 2015 and 2018. I kind of miss the 2015 and the interior ambient lighting. The newer style 2018+ looks fine but the screen and center stack/dash is very lacking. I like how the screen doesn’t stick up like a sore thumb. The gauge cluster is okay however would prefer a larger screen where I can toss a fullscreen android auto nav up. My father has a 2020 and while they made the gauge cluster screen larger it’s still not big enough. I want that nav on there. The avenir also lacked a HUD. My parents had park avenue ultras and other buicks from the 90’s and early 00’s and they all had HUDs. What is the deal here? 2022 we get a HUD supposedly but we’ll see. Spec for spec the cargo and three seating of the Traverse and Enclave are top tier. The new Grand Cherokee L comes close to the dimensions but falls short in that regard. One are where it doesn’t though is how amazingly nice the interior can be depending on the package. It also has night vision. I wouldn’t be surprised if the Yukon Tahoe and Escalade still have less cargo space or seating room than the Enclave or Traverse. The new ones might actually be on par now. Gm needs to loosen the grip on Buick and let them actually build what they can as Cadillac is an unreliable brand and typically not worth a second look. The sedans are the only thing exciting the SUV’s all look bland or bad IMO.
I just wanted to add that I have 2016 LaCrosse as well before they made it worse. Sport Touring all the extra bells. I have a HUD and the seats are more comfy. It has a Flex Fuel sensor as well so can generally haul major butt when necessary on e85 like the LFY Camaros. I could get well-cushioned seats in this vehicle much more so than my 60k Enclave. Hud too. Makes zero sense. Six speed transmission feels better than the 9 speeds they switched to for everything. Granted I hate all the 8 9 or 10 speeds I’ve driven from everyone.
Had totally forgotten about that “blue glow wrap around” interior lighting of our 2015 Enclave! Definitely something that I wish was on my Avenir! Too bad GM is now more about “de-contenting”…
Yes! It’s odd how Buick or GM removed this feature and didn’t expand upon it. If you look at the other luxury brands even the Korean makes they’re adding color-changing LEDs and such as well. I also am not impressed with how GM lowered the warranty across the board for CPO and factory. I was considering a CPO Escalade ESV so I could get a 4-year factory 2 year CPO. They lowered all it seems by one year so Buick instead of four years now has a three-year warranty and one-year CPO like Chevy. Cadillac is the only one left with a four-year but now one-year CPO.
Eric C and John Boy:
Working at a Mazda and Volvo store, we are seeing them remove features as well. Many of the brands will bring out a high content model/s to get them selling and generate buzz. Then as the cars age, they often remove features with no explanation. I’ve seen this with several different brands over my 19 years in the business. Funny thing is that my boss, co-worker and I were just talking about this yesterday with the Volvo’s. My bosses comment was that Volvo wants to be luxury, yet they keep removing luxury features and cheapening the cars. My point is that it’s not just Buick/GM.
We own a 2019 Buick Enclave Essence… It’s a great car rides nice, it’s quite, the V6 has plenty of power. Good job Buick I don’t care where you build them… Keep this up and I will buy them.
We proudly build them in Lansing, Michigan. It’s the ONLY place that they are built.
Hey John Boy. Interesting thing. I’m from IL myself and my cousin worked at a plant in Stockton, IL where they built the tip and slide seats for the Enclave/Traverse, etc. Just something I thought was a fun fact since you build them.
I worked at DSM or Diamondstar in Normal, IL when I got out of high school (the 1990s). They were the Mitsubishi Chrysler joint venture for the eclipse and more. It’s now the Rivian truck plant. There were several third parties in and around the area that handled production or steps in the line for certain things like the seats etc. It’s interesting to see.
I have been impressed with the Buick Envision Advair. Drove nice comfortable ride very impressive.
I can’t wait to find one! The ride is smooth and very impressive and the seats are so comfy.
Who considers Buicks luxury vehicles? I sure don’t, and I’m a long time luxury buyer. BMW, Benz, Audi, Porsche, maybe Cadillac, Genesis and Lexus are luxury vehicles. Buick, Acura, Volvo, Infiniti are classed as Premium. They certainly aren’t in the same league as the real luxury cars, and shouldn’t be treated as if they are. Anybody who’s driven a luxury car and a premium car back to back could easily tell them apart so grouping them together is a farce. What’s next, grouping a Cruze with a Continental GT because both are compacts?
I don’t disagree there as GM keeps certain things in place so they don’t necessarily compete with each other. I would say the VW Group is in a similar position nowadays as Audi has really seemed to have gotten worse on interiors/styling (last decade). Volkswagen for example has made attempts to have some luxury models. It seems like management is off-kilter there. Lexus used to be great but again they’ve been AFK for a while. I find the older offerings sometimes better than the current ones, especially on styling and materials. Genesis I consider premium although they have amped things up. Porsche BMW and Mercedes have watered their brand down to varying degrees. I still see luxury on the upper end with them though. Have you not seen how cheaply made many of them are nowadays?
Yeah, BMW and Mercedes have come way too far downmarket. Once they went to front drive platforms and $30k price tags, it definitely hurt.
Their “normal” stuff though is still good. I picked up a 21 M550 last October and it’s interior is superior to any other car I’ve ever owned, including a 7 series. The current MB interiors are tech overload. Basically just screens everywhere. I hated it. Same deal with Porsche, except the other way. There’s gotta be 100 buttons on the dash and console of a Panamera or Cayenne. Way confusing.
I actually haven’t looked at any of the newer Audis. I had a 13 A6, and it felt so fragile to me. I was always worried I was going to break something, so I’ve steered clear since.
I seriously considered one in 2010. The A8 was more my speed but had to do some house things plus my wife aired similar concerns. She hasn’t been happy with VW group since 2001 so has a bias. I was and still am partial to the pre-facelift BMWs. I just can’t help myself when I see a BMW in blue with the right wheels. The bonus prize with BMW is generally the 4 bangers still felt like a six if you had to cheap out due to life.
The biggest problem with the 4 cylinders is that they had timing chain issues. Same thing as the early turbo 8s. They run too hot, the guides are plastic and they crumble, screwing up everything.
I’d love to grab a 328 to go with the M550, but I’m scared of blowing the motor if the chain or guides fail. 😓