On the color wheel, think intense red/orange for GMC slate with a hint of blue for Saturn and cashmere and cocoa for Buick. The Saturn is somewhere in the middle, like its intended buyer demographic. What we were most interested in are the differences between the Enclave (defined as a distinct unit within foreign territory, and terribly apropos for a brand with only two sedans to its name until the Enclave increased the lineup by 33.3 percent) and the Lambdas that went before it, particularly the $29,990 Acadia, as it is sandwiched between the $27,990 Outlook and the Enclave, which starts at $32,790 for the front-wheel-drive CX.Įssentially, the Enclave has wood trim where the Acadia has chrome a handcrafted versus machined look a classical analog clock between the center-console air vents instead of the three vertical, industrial-look vents in the GMC-getting a visual? The trucklike GMC has bolder demarcations below the grille, and the proportions of the front are higher, suggesting an off-road athleticism, whereas the face of the Buick is lower to the ground and more carlike. But with a loaded AWD CXL going for as much as $45,000, the Enclave could keep the brand from extinction-and territorially safe and distinct-which is all any self-respecting enclave can hope for. Obviously, the sale of 20,000 or so Enclaves a year (optimists note the Rendezvous sold 60,000 at its peak) will not make Buick the cash cow of the corporation. The Saturn Outlook is expected to take 20-to-30 percent, leaving the Enclave in the luxury niche spot. Parents will appreciate the kid distractions: a DVD player and outlets and plugs for video games and iPods.īreaking down sales for the triplets, GM says the GMC Acadia will be the volume SUV, accounting for at least half, if not 60 percent, of sales. The nod to luxury includes optional articulating headlights. Safety features (this is first and foremost a family vehicle) are what you'd expect, with a preponderance of airbags, and what you might not expect: extensive use of high-strength steel for protection. More impressive, with only the third row laid flat, we watched the space swallow four carry-on suitcases and four golf bags. There are 115 cubic feet behind the front row with the rest of the seats folded down, a cavity that can accommodate the ubiquitous four-by-eight-foot sheet of plywood. The 19 cubic feet behind the third row pass muster when loaded with a little red wagon and groceries, with more items able to be stowed in a shallow bin hollowed into the floorpan. The short-statured were just fine-thanks for asking. Some couldn't find a sweet-spot sightline with the telescoping steering wheel. A six-foot-four colleague pronounces the third row "usable," but another tall tester notes the front seatbelt harness does not adjust above abnormal shoulder level. We know buyers of this crossover are judging it on what it can haul: namely, seven or eight passengers (the second row is available with a bench or captain's chairs) and a surprising amount of their stuff.
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