[comiccolec]

In all of my frustration with the order & delivery process of buying a Buick Enclave I have been looking at alternatives.
I put together a list of vehicles that could compete with the Enclave. I have listed any and all SUV/CUV type vehicles and even included a few Minivan types.
I understand that some on this list cost more than an Enclave or significantly less. Not all of the Enclaves features are available on all of these vehicles. At the same time some offer more features or different features than are on the Enclave.

Overall I wanted to provide a list for 2 reasons. 1st reason is to help others consider their alternatives. 2nd reason is to show GM that their vehicle is not the only one we are conisidering. Some people want CX models with few add-on, some want CXL's fully loaded. As varied the requirements and needs for an Enclave are the options and possibilites presented by their competition. The list below represents a wide field of vehicles to meet various peoples requirements.

Kind of an eye opener when you consider how many options there are, and I am sure that I am missing more than a few from the list.

Acura MDX
Acura RDX
Audi Q7
Buick Enclave
BMW X3 3.0si SAV
BMW X5 3.0si SAV
BMW X5 4.8i SAV
Cadillac SRX
Chevy Equinox
Chrysler Pacifica
Chrysler Town & Country
Ford Edge
Ford Escape
Ford Escape Hybrid
GMC Acadia
Honda CR-V
Honda Element
Honda Pilot
Hummer H2
Hummer H3
Hyundai Tuscon
Hyundai Santa Fe
Hyundai Veracruz
Hyundai Entourage
Infiniti FX35
Infiniti FX35 AWD
Infiniti FX45 AWD
Jeep Liberty
Jeep Patriot
KIA Sorento
KIA Sportage
KIA Rondo
Land Rover LR2
Lexus RX350 AWD
Lexus RX400h AWD
Lincoln MKX
Madza CX-7
Madza CX-9
Mazda Tribute
Mercedes-Benz GL Class
Mercedes Benz R350 2WD
Mercedes Benz R320 CDI
Mercedes Benz R350
Mercedes Benz ML350 SUV
Mercedes Benz ML320 CDI SUV
Mercury Mariner
Mercury Mariner Hybrid
Mitsubishi Endeavor
Nissan Murano
Nissan Armada
Nissan Quest
Nissan Pathfinder
Pontiac Torrent
Porsche Cayenne
Saturn Outlook
Saturn VUE
Subaru B9 Tribeca
Suzuki XL7
Toyota Highlander
Toyota Highlander Hybrid
Toyota RAV4
Volkswagen Toureg
Volvo XC90

By the way take this list with you when you shop and to use as leverage for whatever vehicle you want to buy. Use it to prove to the dealership that you have alternatives.
Use it make them "EARN YOUR BUSINESS".

Happy Hunting.

 

[NOLA Saints]

I really like the Nissan Murano. It is my second choice. If I don't get my Enclave in the next 2-3 weeks, I'm going Nissan.

 

[mrbuick]

Great list of alternatives.......however I was not even considering buying ANYTHING until I saw the Enclave. I expected to keep my minivan for at least another 3 years.
Most listed are not even direct competitors as far as size and passenger capacity is concerned(meaning a third row for real live people).
Most of your list is foreign, which I will NOT buy, for reasons that I will not go into here.
There may may be others who feel "Enclave or nothing"

 

[comiccolec]

MRBUICK I understand that many may not conclude that these are "direct" competitors and that is fine. I also understand that most are not American companies, and I personally want to go American. However not everyone wants the Enclave for the same reasons that you or I do. Others may find the list usefull if they are unwilling / unable to wait for the Enclave.

The list was just to show the competition in the SUV/CUV/Minivan arena. Regardless of whatever one's needs are in a vehicle for something larger than a sedan and smaller than a Semi.

WAKE UP GM.... there are choices out there ....

 

[osli]

Notably absent from your list are the GM Tahoe/Yukon/Suburban/Yukon XL vehicles. One of those will fill just about every single requirement the Enclave does except fuel economy. They're even GM, so the list of features available is almost identical (well, you can get rain sense wipers and second row heated seats on those that you can't on the Enclave, and a couple of features like dual sunroof or articulated headlights are missing, but pretty darned close).

 

[mrbuick]

There are some Enclaves available from stock. Problem 1 is most dealers want MSRP, or close to it. Problem 2 is that the choice is extremely limited, and you must "take what they have".
I feel for those who are stuck waiting, and mostly for the lack of information.
In the end, those who really want it will wait.

 

[wildcat]

Thank you for posting this! We were looking to replace our Jeep Grand Cherokee in December and have been exploring all of our options since this spring. When we saw the Acadia/Outlook, we loved them. Then when we saw the Enclave, we fell in love!! Unfortunately, our Jeep has bit the dust and the repair bill will be more than the car is worth so we need to buy really soon (we can drive it for about another month before it's gone completely), but my husband is riding his motorcycle in the interim. So, after reading all of this forum, we are so scared to order (even though we don't want/need the luxery package or white diamond) and we've found 2 Enclaves that we would like to buy but the dealers won't budge off of MSRP and tell us we're lucky they haven't marked them up like other dealers...and we have supplier pricing they won't honor. So, we're starting to explore other options, even though we really want the Enclave. Guess GM is screwing up big time right now...lots of people would want to buy but can't bc they aren't available and the few that are, people aren't willing to buy at MSRP. Again, thanks for the list!

 

[jackiemd]

I agree, thanks for posting this list. Having left "my Enclave" at the dealer after the price went up and they refused to budge on the $400 off MRSP, I am looking at my options. I was very upset at the dealer who suggested I look at the Acadia, but now that I have "cooled off" I may do just that (but i will use a different dealer). Although the body style is nowhere near as nice as the Enclave and there are options that I won't be able to get, it may be close enough. Maybe in 3 or 4 years the Enclave will become a "normal car" and I will be able to get one then. I am not quite giving up, going to check with another dealer first, but am definately discouraged.

I've been on this board since May and it is sad to see how the tone of it has changed. In May and June we were all so excited about this car, and now except for the few lucky ones who have the car, there is a definate shift in tone to frustration and disappointment with Buick over the inability of them to deliver.

 

[firebird]

I've said this before but I'll repeat. There are Enclaves sitting on dealer lots. There are 2 dealers within 5 miles of where I live & a couple more across the river in Iowa that I haven't been to lately as I have an Enclave. The dealer where I bought mine has 7 sitting on the lot, another dealer that I drove thru yesterday had 6. They are PGA vehicles for the most part but not all. I'm in the Quad City area of western Illinois.

 

[comiccolec]

The PGA vehicles are AWD with basically no options. This is not what I am looking for and the reason that they are probably still sitting there. Also the discounting (GMS,GMSupplier,etc) may not apply to these vehicles.

I am looking for a specific build to meet my requirements. I really don't want to "settle" when I am paying $40K.

 

[4kids]

We were planning to look for a new 7 passanger vehicle sometime after August.
First, we planned on going with some sort of minivan --probably a Honda or Toyota..would have to be top of the line with all the perks..

Then, at the Boston Auto Show last winter we saw the Saturn Outlook..got all the info and planned on looking more into that. It was perfect. Not a minivan but can fit our growing family. Then,saw the Acadia..but, not too long after seeing that we were in total LOVE of a blue-gold Enclave in the Test Track ride at Disney World.

We would love our Enclave today..but, we can wait...this gives us more time to save more money for a deposit.

 

[jackiemd]

I've said this before but I'll repeat. There are Enclaves sitting on dealer lots. There are 2 dealers within 5 miles of where I live & a couple more across the river in Iowa that I haven't been to lately as I have an Enclave. The dealer where I bought mine has 7 sitting on the lot, another dealer that I drove thru yesterday had 6. They are PGA vehicles for the most part but not all. I'm in the Quad City area of western Illinois.

It seems like there is better availability and also better prices coming from the midwest... I'll admit that other than the dealer I got my current car from I really haven't looked around. Hopefully next week I will have some time to do that.

 

[osli]

I'd fly to anywhere within a thousand miles, maybe more, and pay near or at MSRP to get the Enclave we ordered. Problem is I haven't been able to locate one anywhere equipped like we wanted. Bound to be one somewhere, on some truck or lot, if we could find it before others did. One problem is that there aren't that many carbon flash Enclaves yet as they just started producing that color.

Carbon Flash CXL, AWD, Cashmere, all options except trailering and engine heater (I'd pay for engine heater but don't need it at all, but don't want towing package for asthetic reasons).

If anyone knows of one on a lot or on a dealer's inventory list awaiting delivery, PM me.

 

[desgnconcpts]

osli,

There's some here, but they have the towing package -- Didn't see a one that had cashmere.
GREENFIELD PONTIAC - BUICK - GMC (Titanium interior)
3615 S 108TH ST
GREENFIELD, WI 53228

And another one here:
DON JACOBS AUTOMOTIVE GROUP INC. (ebony)
W 226 S 1700 HWY 164
WAUKESHA, WI 53186

Look up that zip using Buick's vehicle locator.
It's doubtful you will find any that have the cashmere -- and even more doubtful you'll find one without towing. It's pretty near impossible to add towing later and most dealers are ordering them, if they have a lot of options already, with towing package.

 

[coopermine]

I love my Enclave but if "real" 7 Passenger with good mileage (which I have yet to see on the Enclave) were not my requirements I would have probably gotten the Audi Q7 or 2008 Highlander. Both are very comparable to the Enclave. If you are fine with 5 Passenger vehicle or need 7 passenger space at ocassion and only for short trips I would suggest getting something else. At least the transmission will be much better ;D

 

[osli]

desgnconcepts,

Thanks for the help! Unfortunately, black and cashmere is a deal-breaker... the wife and I aren't going to budge there. A dealer nearby actually had a black w/titanium CXL AWD delivered as stock that was otherwise loaded identical to our order, but my wife insists on the interior color of her choice if we're going to pay 40K+ and keep this vehicle 5+ years. I agree. What we might budge on is the trailering... I don't like the look of the rear bumper with the hitch cover, but at least it has a cover. Not fond of that idea. A moot point though as I can't get past the black + cashmere + AWD criteria. Found a couple of FWDs, but they don't have the options.

We require a true 7 passenger seating, which really limits the field. It's Enclave, or Outlook/Acadia, or Yukon XL/Suburban. Or Mercedes GL if we acknowledge that only children will be able to sit in the rear. Or minivan, which I'd prefer not to do. My wife doesn't like the interior of Outlook or Acadia, and to be honest with the same plant producing them and the 09's just hitting the streets, and people placing orders like mad who were waiting for the year model switch, I'd rather not switch orders just to wait on that one instead. And I'm not too happy with GM right now, which rules out the Yukon XL/Suburban, which were our leading candidates when we got serious about purchasing a new vehicle.

To be honest, had I known the ordering was boing to be such a screwup, and had our dealer had at least some sense of integrity in telling us he didn't have allocation for at least two months when we placed the order, we probably would have just waited and bought off a lot or ordered one later this fall or nearer Christmas. But as the case was, we placed the order and advertised her car, and of course sold it when the opportunity arose.

So now my wife is carless, already a week or two passed the "promise, no kidding" delivery date our dealer initially gave us, and every day and week increases the pressure to make a move and get something to keep the peace in the house. If that means a Mercedes GL at 20K more, well, that may be what it means.

 

[muljo]

I'd fly to anywhere within a thousand miles, maybe moreIf anyone knows of one on a lot or on a dealer's inventory list awaiting delivery, PM me.

It would be really far away, maybe 1400 miles but do a gmbuypower search for the zip code below.

SPRINGFIELD BUICK PONTIAC GMC
431 RIVER ST, NORTH SPRINGFIELD, VT 05150

or

GALLAGHER BUICK-PONTIAC-GMC, INC.
325 COLUMBUS BLVD, NEW BRITAIN, CT 06051

It looks to be inline with what you are looking for.

 

[Vikchic]

This is why America is great, because we have choices. That said, I do believe we Americans need to make it a priority to buy American whenever possible. The Enclave is very well built, right here in the USA. I do not think we should buy crap with our hard earned dollars either. Many consumers looked elsewhere when quality was an issue and it made purchasing foreign a popular option. I do think GM has stepped up to the plate recently with their quality and designs. I for one was frustrated with the length of time to receive these orders. However, this vehicle is worth it. I also believe we should do as much as possible to keep our jobs here. Please consider all issues when comparing that shopping list!

 

[osli]

Well well well, as fate would have it I called the largest dealer in the Kansas City area (we're here temporarily, ordered originally from down south in our hometown) to see if they had an allotment slot available they would use for a new order for us. Seems like they did, and seemed likely their order would be picked up before our original order based on the latest conversation I had with our original dealer.

Got to talking with the owner about the situation, described what we had ordered. He happened to have the exact vehicle on the lot but with Titanium interior instead of Cashmere. I told him my wife insisted on Cashmere, but I would talk to her. We went over all our options... sticking with the current order, putting in a new order with a larger dealer, waiting to see if a dealer happened to get our color/option combination in stock somewhere, changing interior or exterior color to find one in stock, or looking at a new vehicle altogether.

She said why not hop in the car and take a look at the Titanium interior (we've never seen one in person). Compared it to a Cashmere they had on a white Opal. Turns out she likes the color of the cashmere leather better, but not the high contrast between cashmere, dark cocoa dash/accents, chrome accents, and light wood... she liked the overall combination of the Titanium better, just wished they had a different accent color available for cashmere, like a lighter brown or darker tan color. Go figure. So she liked the car on the lot, here 20 miles from our current location.

So we bought it... for $2000 less than our original order no less. Only thing that bothers me is that the dealer is across the line in MO, a two tag state, and it has the frame holder riveted on front already. :angryfire: :angryfire: I can remove the dealer decal in the back, but those rivet holes will take a bit more work. hno:

So sorry for our small hometown dealer. This mess really isn't their fault, though a little more honesty might have helped them out and keep a customer.

Hopefully I'll have pics to add to the gallery soon.

 

[buick59]

Congrats Osli and your wife. Sometimes persistence pays off. Hope you enjoy and give us your impressions.