Already detailed how we decided on an Enclave (http://www.enclaveforum.net/index.php?topic=475.0), and after two months of ownership, we have noted likes/dislikes and hits/misses. The review is broken down into The Good, The Bad, The (Ugly)Customer Service . . . . .
The Good
The good points of the Enclave are many and we obviously voted with our pocket book to purchase an Enclave after being very loyal Honda/Acura owners over the past 15 years. GM and Buick still have to deliver on the promise of the Enclave through reliability and customer service, but the product is top notch as noted in the thread explaining how we arrived at purchasing an Enclave in the first place. On to the good’s --
Stagers Chevrolet Buick. We purchased out of our local area because #1 we could not find a loaded CXL AWD with the second row bench and #2 the dealers in our local area did not deserve the business. Stagers is a small, family run dealer in Pennsylvania and their professionalism and helpful nature were greatly appreciated. If you live in the Altoona, Johnstown, or surrounding area, I encourage you to give Stagers a call. They will try to help where possible.
The Enclave. The most impressive part of the Enclave is how GM engineering has been able to make such a big box so quiet. Being quieter than much smaller competitors is no small feat and the quiet interior creates a luxury environment. That extra size is what truly sets the Enclave and the GM triplets apart when all other aspects are near equal. A real 3rd row seat, lots of space for home depot runs, open and inviting with the second row sunroof, eye catching exterior styling -- just a few of the numerous job well done aspects that have been discussed at length here. I will add a few that are not covered as much. The navigation system and touch screen interface for radio/DVD functions is under appreciated. This is a very well designed interface. The page function where you can have 30 pre-sets for XM if you wanted is one that we really enjoy. A favorite page for rock (XM and FM), a page for talk radio (XM and AM), a page for kids preferences, a page for news and sports -- a seamless interface that works even better with the steering wheel mounted controls. The navigation system takes all of the great functionality from previous best-in-class Acura systems and provides so much more. The graphical view of the route choices is practical and has a cool factor. On the exterior styling, the varying width of the crome trim around the windows and tail lights helps accentuate the flow of the curves and something not found on many vehicles. Just shows the details that were captured and retained from the original show car. And finally, the cup holders are functional and good looking to boot. In short – lots of thoughtful touches.
The Bad
It’s easy to find fault with nearly anything, and the Enclave is no different. There are two categories, missed and opportunities for improvement, and many are listed in the nit picky thread. The missed should have been in/fixed from day one. The opportunities for improvement are items I expect to see in future Enclaves.
Missed
Bluetooth – Still very frustrated by this, no excuse GM.
Inconsistent dashboard lighting – the analog clock lighting looks like an afterthought. The background color matches nothing else on the dash. The lapis blue does not match well with the royal blue colors on the Nav and volume button backlighting. For so such attention to detail elsewhere, this is a very visible miss.
2nd Row Bench Armrest. Every other direct competitor has a bench seat and a real, usable 2nd row armrest. The Enclave’s is too low for adults and more shallow than it needs to be.
2nd Row Dry Cleaning Hooks. Plenty of vehicles have side curtain air bags and managed dry cleaning hooks. The Enclave should have them.
2nd Row Headrests. Adjustable headrests are standard for many vehicles and a given for anything in a luxury category. Toddler car seats can be a challenge to position, passenger comfort and safety can be impacted, and there are no headrests at all for the middle seating positions in the second or third row.
Cup Holders. Yes, this was in the good for use and look. It is here because the inserts are not removable for washing and could have been.
Quality Issues. GM had 5 months to learn on the Acadia and Outlook. The Enclave should not have had four defects on our vehicle at delivery, but did (http://www.enclaveforum.net/index.php?topic=557.msg6848#msg6848). I do not believe the line at LDT had anything to do with the defects we have. They are clearly design for manufacturability problems or supplier quality. Regardless, the defects are troublesome and I keep waiting for more to follow.
Backseat pocket/string. Gives the Enclave an unfinished look. The elastic string has limited functional use and makes me wonder what GM was thinking (OR NOT).
Opportunities for Improvement
Head Lights. When are they on? Why can the fog lights not be set and left on from day-to-day?
Carpet – low pile. Higher quality carpet would be nice.
Steering wheel controls. The steering wheel buttons are on the wrong side and should be swapped (audio on the left), and the buttons have an incredibly cheap and tacky feel to them.
Entertainment System. The screen is smaller than in some competitors, the screen blocks the rear view mirror, the headphones are bulky and have an on-off button for kids to forget, the headphone battery replacement requires a screwdriver, and the remote infared range is poor and tough to use at times.
Passenger Door Sun Screens. With kids, the screens are nice to have and we miss them already compared to our Honda Odyssey.
Sunroof Screen. Color matched to interior would be nice.
2nd and 3rd Row Seat Back Adjustment. Perhaps this should be in the missed category above. The seat back adjustment is limited (2nd row) or non-existent (3rd row). Reclining the seats for kids so that they can sleep a bit better on long trips is not really possible.
Transmission Programming. Looking forward to getting the flash updated with the latest program.
A/C. The A/C runs very differently depending on whether the Enclave is moving or just idling. I know that is to expected, but it is very noticeable and I am starting to think it is a quality issue given the comments I read on Acadia and Outlook forums.
Dash Information Center. It is OK, but the one in our Odyssey is 10 times better, can reset trip A automatically after refueling, can display more information, starts the trip timer automatically, etc. The Enclave version seems to be years behind the Honda/Acura.
The (Ugly) Customer Service
When it comes to the dealers in our local area and Buick Customer Care, we have been dismayed by the customer service. Perhaps this is because Buick has been grouped with GMC and Pontiac, or Buick has been a smaller division, or our expectations are not realistic -- But, our expectations have been created by Acura and Lexus. Unless GM/Buick can get their act together, the second either Acura or Lexus can match the excellent packaging of the Enclave, we will leave GM. Our local Buick dealerships are miles behind Acura and Lexus in their facilities, loaner car programs, and customer approach. GM is missing an opportunity to leverage a great product and build customer loyalty from customers who have not been traditional GM buyers.
Buick customer care. As a customer support organization, the Buick Customer Care team is pathetic. I mentioned we had four quality issues and the local dealership has verified all four on multiple in stock units. The dealer logged a techline support ticket for each. Do you think Buick Customer Care can help facilitate a resolution? No they cannot. Buick Customer Care has a single support outlet -- Call the dealer. NOTHING ELSE. Of the four issues, one has been resolved. The other three have no resolution and no time line for when one will be made available. The issues are not major, but they should be resolved and I will not accept anything less. The dealer has followed GM protocol, GM techline has not responded, Buick Customer Care calls the dealer for an update. See a missing link, like GM taking ownership to get a resolution????? My experience with Honda/Acura on similar issues with first model year vehicles is much different, the issues would have been resolved within days or at a minimum escalated to the tech team with a definitive follow up date.
Dealerships. Obviously your local experience may be much different and I hope they are, but the dealerships facilities are dated, the waiting areas for service are like a bad health clinic, and the investment is just not there. I guess I can understand since Pontiac and Buick have been on a steady decline, but it definitely does not match the target competition.
Courtesy Transportation. When buying the Enclave, I read all about courtesy transportation and I expected it to be a loaner car program just as our local Acura and Lexus dealerships run them. Wrong. Talking to the dealer and confirmed by Buick, GM will only reimburse for loaner cars or rentals if the vehicle stays overnight. What about my convenience being impacted by quality defects? Get a ride in the GMC van to somewhere or sit in the clinic waiting room. There are a few Buick dealerships that have loaner car programs within 15 miles of me, but only if you purchased the car from them. No such requirement from Acura and Lexus. This is GM not properly supporting the dealer network and the dealer network not matching the service level of the competition.
There you have it, our impressions after 2 months . . . .
The Good
The good points of the Enclave are many and we obviously voted with our pocket book to purchase an Enclave after being very loyal Honda/Acura owners over the past 15 years. GM and Buick still have to deliver on the promise of the Enclave through reliability and customer service, but the product is top notch as noted in the thread explaining how we arrived at purchasing an Enclave in the first place. On to the good’s --
Stagers Chevrolet Buick. We purchased out of our local area because #1 we could not find a loaded CXL AWD with the second row bench and #2 the dealers in our local area did not deserve the business. Stagers is a small, family run dealer in Pennsylvania and their professionalism and helpful nature were greatly appreciated. If you live in the Altoona, Johnstown, or surrounding area, I encourage you to give Stagers a call. They will try to help where possible.
The Enclave. The most impressive part of the Enclave is how GM engineering has been able to make such a big box so quiet. Being quieter than much smaller competitors is no small feat and the quiet interior creates a luxury environment. That extra size is what truly sets the Enclave and the GM triplets apart when all other aspects are near equal. A real 3rd row seat, lots of space for home depot runs, open and inviting with the second row sunroof, eye catching exterior styling -- just a few of the numerous job well done aspects that have been discussed at length here. I will add a few that are not covered as much. The navigation system and touch screen interface for radio/DVD functions is under appreciated. This is a very well designed interface. The page function where you can have 30 pre-sets for XM if you wanted is one that we really enjoy. A favorite page for rock (XM and FM), a page for talk radio (XM and AM), a page for kids preferences, a page for news and sports -- a seamless interface that works even better with the steering wheel mounted controls. The navigation system takes all of the great functionality from previous best-in-class Acura systems and provides so much more. The graphical view of the route choices is practical and has a cool factor. On the exterior styling, the varying width of the crome trim around the windows and tail lights helps accentuate the flow of the curves and something not found on many vehicles. Just shows the details that were captured and retained from the original show car. And finally, the cup holders are functional and good looking to boot. In short – lots of thoughtful touches.
The Bad
It’s easy to find fault with nearly anything, and the Enclave is no different. There are two categories, missed and opportunities for improvement, and many are listed in the nit picky thread. The missed should have been in/fixed from day one. The opportunities for improvement are items I expect to see in future Enclaves.
Missed
Bluetooth – Still very frustrated by this, no excuse GM.
Inconsistent dashboard lighting – the analog clock lighting looks like an afterthought. The background color matches nothing else on the dash. The lapis blue does not match well with the royal blue colors on the Nav and volume button backlighting. For so such attention to detail elsewhere, this is a very visible miss.
2nd Row Bench Armrest. Every other direct competitor has a bench seat and a real, usable 2nd row armrest. The Enclave’s is too low for adults and more shallow than it needs to be.
2nd Row Dry Cleaning Hooks. Plenty of vehicles have side curtain air bags and managed dry cleaning hooks. The Enclave should have them.
2nd Row Headrests. Adjustable headrests are standard for many vehicles and a given for anything in a luxury category. Toddler car seats can be a challenge to position, passenger comfort and safety can be impacted, and there are no headrests at all for the middle seating positions in the second or third row.
Cup Holders. Yes, this was in the good for use and look. It is here because the inserts are not removable for washing and could have been.
Quality Issues. GM had 5 months to learn on the Acadia and Outlook. The Enclave should not have had four defects on our vehicle at delivery, but did (http://www.enclaveforum.net/index.php?topic=557.msg6848#msg6848). I do not believe the line at LDT had anything to do with the defects we have. They are clearly design for manufacturability problems or supplier quality. Regardless, the defects are troublesome and I keep waiting for more to follow.
Backseat pocket/string. Gives the Enclave an unfinished look. The elastic string has limited functional use and makes me wonder what GM was thinking (OR NOT).
Opportunities for Improvement
Head Lights. When are they on? Why can the fog lights not be set and left on from day-to-day?
Carpet – low pile. Higher quality carpet would be nice.
Steering wheel controls. The steering wheel buttons are on the wrong side and should be swapped (audio on the left), and the buttons have an incredibly cheap and tacky feel to them.
Entertainment System. The screen is smaller than in some competitors, the screen blocks the rear view mirror, the headphones are bulky and have an on-off button for kids to forget, the headphone battery replacement requires a screwdriver, and the remote infared range is poor and tough to use at times.
Passenger Door Sun Screens. With kids, the screens are nice to have and we miss them already compared to our Honda Odyssey.
Sunroof Screen. Color matched to interior would be nice.
2nd and 3rd Row Seat Back Adjustment. Perhaps this should be in the missed category above. The seat back adjustment is limited (2nd row) or non-existent (3rd row). Reclining the seats for kids so that they can sleep a bit better on long trips is not really possible.
Transmission Programming. Looking forward to getting the flash updated with the latest program.
A/C. The A/C runs very differently depending on whether the Enclave is moving or just idling. I know that is to expected, but it is very noticeable and I am starting to think it is a quality issue given the comments I read on Acadia and Outlook forums.
Dash Information Center. It is OK, but the one in our Odyssey is 10 times better, can reset trip A automatically after refueling, can display more information, starts the trip timer automatically, etc. The Enclave version seems to be years behind the Honda/Acura.
The (Ugly) Customer Service
When it comes to the dealers in our local area and Buick Customer Care, we have been dismayed by the customer service. Perhaps this is because Buick has been grouped with GMC and Pontiac, or Buick has been a smaller division, or our expectations are not realistic -- But, our expectations have been created by Acura and Lexus. Unless GM/Buick can get their act together, the second either Acura or Lexus can match the excellent packaging of the Enclave, we will leave GM. Our local Buick dealerships are miles behind Acura and Lexus in their facilities, loaner car programs, and customer approach. GM is missing an opportunity to leverage a great product and build customer loyalty from customers who have not been traditional GM buyers.
Buick customer care. As a customer support organization, the Buick Customer Care team is pathetic. I mentioned we had four quality issues and the local dealership has verified all four on multiple in stock units. The dealer logged a techline support ticket for each. Do you think Buick Customer Care can help facilitate a resolution? No they cannot. Buick Customer Care has a single support outlet -- Call the dealer. NOTHING ELSE. Of the four issues, one has been resolved. The other three have no resolution and no time line for when one will be made available. The issues are not major, but they should be resolved and I will not accept anything less. The dealer has followed GM protocol, GM techline has not responded, Buick Customer Care calls the dealer for an update. See a missing link, like GM taking ownership to get a resolution????? My experience with Honda/Acura on similar issues with first model year vehicles is much different, the issues would have been resolved within days or at a minimum escalated to the tech team with a definitive follow up date.
Dealerships. Obviously your local experience may be much different and I hope they are, but the dealerships facilities are dated, the waiting areas for service are like a bad health clinic, and the investment is just not there. I guess I can understand since Pontiac and Buick have been on a steady decline, but it definitely does not match the target competition.
Courtesy Transportation. When buying the Enclave, I read all about courtesy transportation and I expected it to be a loaner car program just as our local Acura and Lexus dealerships run them. Wrong. Talking to the dealer and confirmed by Buick, GM will only reimburse for loaner cars or rentals if the vehicle stays overnight. What about my convenience being impacted by quality defects? Get a ride in the GMC van to somewhere or sit in the clinic waiting room. There are a few Buick dealerships that have loaner car programs within 15 miles of me, but only if you purchased the car from them. No such requirement from Acura and Lexus. This is GM not properly supporting the dealer network and the dealer network not matching the service level of the competition.
There you have it, our impressions after 2 months . . . .