EnclaveForum.net: Buick Enclave Online Community banner

Enclave Review – The Good, The Bad, The (Ugly) Customer Service

25K views 57 replies 22 participants last post by  PAPoPo 
#1 ·
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 . . . .
 
See less See more
#2 ·
I agree with most of the stuff you mentioned such as the quality of rugs and the color of skylight matching the headliner. I have not taken it to the service yet so I do not know how the room is going to look like, but I can imagine what you have mentioned.

However, I care less about the clock and nav system mismatching colors.
 
#3 ·
dfc101a said:
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 . . . .
:blahblah: It's to late now, most of us already own one or will soon. Just my opinion, but here goes... If Lexus or Acura or BMW, etc., had made this same vehicle, I am convinced you would be paying $50-60,000 or more for it. I'm happy.
 
#4 ·
OK, say you are running a business and trying to expand and beat the competition, wouldn't you want to take EXTRA care of your potential customers and offer them more so they have a better value? Or you will say, hey I am not charging you as much so I dont have to take care of my customers?

On one hand Buick is competing with Lexus and on the other hands for the people who have judged the product and decided yes it is comprable if not better, it is not giving them the same service, sure this success is not going to last very long.

Learn from Hyundai & Kia, they want to beat Toyota, Honda and anyone else in their line, they were the first to offer 5 year basic and 10 year power train warranty, they could have said, well we don't charge as much as Toyota so sorry guys you dont have any warranty.

It makes me wonder how many Buick Dealers we have on this forum, no consumer should have any issue from anyone else pointing out the problems.
 
#5 ·
coop said:
OK, say you are running a business and trying to expand and beat the competition, wouldn't you want to take EXTRA care of your potential customers and offer them more so they have a better value? Or you will say, hey I am not charging you as much so I dont have to take care of my customers?

On one hand Buick is competing with Lexus and on the other hands for the people who have judged the product and decided yes it is comprable if not better, it is not giving them the same service, sure this success is not going to last very long.

Learn from Hyundai & Kia, they want to beat Toyota, Honda and anyone else in their line, they were the first to offer 5 year basic and 10 year power train warranty, they could have said, well we don't charge as much as Toyota so sorry guys you dont have any warranty.

It makes me wonder how many Buick Dealers we have on this forum, no consumer would have any issue from anyone else pointing out the problems.
Yes, but there is also the issue of GM being completely surprised by the demand in my opinion. They can't change a few decades of horrible customer service and underfunded dealer waiting rooms overnight. I believe the Enclave will begin the process, not ignite a firestorm just yet. Give them some time to catch up to their own product's success...
 
#6 ·
I (for one) am willing to give Buick a chance to "catch up". But, I would like to know that this is a definite Buick goal! The fact that the Buick Enclave design team hit a home run may not mean anything at all with regards to the customer support/service division. If anyone has any knowledge of a stated change in strategic direction for Buick (esp with regards to service) I would love to see it posted here.

Cheers - Steve

ralleyone said:
Yes, but there is also the issue of GM being completely surprised by the demand in my opinion. They can't change a few decades of horrible customer service and underfunded dealer waiting rooms overnight. I believe the Enclave will begin the process, not ignite a firestorm just yet. Give them some time to catch up to their own product's success...
 
#7 ·
Wow, what a message. I wish you could have ended with the Good parts, as the second reading seemed to say you liked the Enclave. I think you do. Customer Care is the biggest concern I am reading into your message. Fixing our problems is one thing, but tickling us along the way sure helps when we're disgruntled about something that is broken--and shouldn't be.

I too want the transmisson fixed, more responsiveness in the performance overall, bluetooth, 8 way power passenger seats, etc. I have driven GM products my entire adult life, but also had a Lexus, Ridgeline (now) and various Accords, Celica's and Supras. My experience has been my dealer has tried very hard to bring satisfaction to my complaints, and has been successful in most of his attempts.

GM may do some things differently than Lexus, but in the end, their reliability will be very good and you'll find you won't have too many trips in for extra service. That is my sincere hope for you and that these early start up concerns will get worked out to our benefit. BTW, I may sound like a GM employee, but I assure you I am not. I will admit that most of my comparisons are to the other American car mfg and Buick just clobbers them. IMO. Lexus and Acura have had their way with GM until lately, but the times they are a changin'.

Galen
 
#8 ·
gshields said:
Wow, what a message. I wish you could have ended with the Good parts, as the second reading seemed to say you liked the Enclave. I think you do. Customer Care is the biggest concern I am reading into your message. Fixing our problems is one thing, but tickling us along the way sure helps when we're disgruntled about something that is broken--and shouldn't be.

I too want the transmisson fixed, more responsiveness in the performance overall, bluetooth, 8 way power passenger seats, etc. I have driven GM products my entire adult life, but also had a Lexus, Ridgeline (now) and various Accords, Celica's and Supras. My experience has been my dealer has tried very hard to bring satisfaction to my complaints, and has been successful in most of his attempts.

GM may do some things differently than Lexus, but in the end, their reliability will be very good and you'll find you won't have too many trips in for extra service. That is my sincere hope for you and that these early start up concerns will get worked out to our benefit. BTW, I may sound like a GM employee, but I assure you I am not. I will admit that most of my comparisons are to the other American car mfg and Buick just clobbers them. IMO. Lexus and Acura have had their way with GM until lately, but the times they are a changin'.

Galen
Galen,

Great points and glad that your local dealer is responsive. I am not overly concerned with having some problems. When you purchase the a new model in the first few months of availability, issues will exist regardless of manufacturer. However, the support to resolve those issues in a timely manner tells me a lot about an organization. The message I am getting from GM/Buick is not positive in this regard.

As for the missed and opportunities for improvement, I could create a list like that for any vehicle we have purchased. There are a few in the missed that I find more aggravating than others, but on the whole, all of the items give GM future model improvements. Some I did not even list like rain sensing wipers and LED lights as I expect those to come and I personally do not miss them much.

From a product perspective, we made the right choice, the Enclave is better than the competition for us, and we really do enjoy the Enclave. I would purchase again today knowing what else is available. But, the customer service needs a great deal of improvement and I see no evidence that GM is improving that aspect. I hope the customer service does improve and I will be actively involved in trying to help GM identify the gaps by logging case numbers with the Buick Customer Care line (even though I think they are worthless). My hope is that someone is reading the cases and identifying that improvement is needed. Without improvement, any GM product will have to be much better than anything else out there for us to stay in the GM fold.
 
#9 ·
Good review, very thorough and well thought out. THanks for sharing. However, I seem to detect a "trend" here. It appears that most people who are complaining about "local dealer" issues are in the Northeast. I wonder, are these dealers INDIVIDUALLY owned or "GM owned"? From my experiences with Pontiac and Chevrolet vehicles I have owned, our GM dealers in this area have EXCELLENT customer service. I have used multiple GM service departments depending on which area we have lived in, and with the exception of one(which was a Pontiac/Nissan dealership), they have been great! Most dealerships down here are privately owned and must compete to be successful. Also, MANY privately owned dealerships down here have GM AND import showrooms and service depts, so any complaints/praises would apply to BOTH import and domestic vehicles and not necessarily be a reflection on either manufacturer. I always feel that the customer service/dealership issues are a "stand-alone" issue and unique to each privately owned dealership. Maybe things are different where you are, and I understand your dissapointment, but I think a better dealership would change your opinion of GM.
 
#10 ·
ralleyone said:
Yes, but there is also the issue of GM being completely surprised by the demand in my opinion. They can't change a few decades of horrible customer service and underfunded dealer waiting rooms overnight. I believe the Enclave will begin the process, not ignite a firestorm just yet. Give them some time to catch up to their own product's success...
OK, I can give them some time, I hope they can improve before my lease expires. By the way its private sector organization and has no links (visible) to Federal Government so they can move a little faster.
 
#11 ·
NO problems with my "northeast" dealer :thumb:
 
#12 ·
dfc101a-very thoughtful and detailed review. 2 commments-why do you need the fog lights to automatically come on consistently? that is not their purpose. Also, I too thought that the entertainment screen was small compared to competitors until I realized how little rear seat view the driver has. This was obviously a concession to that (as well as cost). I think the two headset monitor option is a great alternative but of course who knows if/when that will ever come to market and what it will cost.

ccaats-Mr Buick is obviously a happy camper and I hate to make generalizations but you are absolutely right. As a native New Englander I was blown away by the level of service I received the three years I lived in Atlanta. They were actually fighting for my business! In Eastern MA you always feel like you need a shower after a trip to the dealer with a few exceptions.
 
#13 ·
tuberosa said:
dfc101a-very thoughtful and detailed review. 2 commments-why do you need the fog lights to automatically come on consistently? that is not their purpose. Also, I too thought that the entertainment screen was small compared to competitors until I realized how little rear seat view the driver has. This was obviously a concession to that (as well as cost). I think the two headset monitor option is a great alternative but of course who knows if/when that will ever come to market and what it will cost.

ccaats-Mr Buick is obviously a happy camper and I hate to make generalizations but you are absolutely right. As a native New Englander I was blown away by the level of service I received the three years I lived in Atlanta. They were actually fighting for my business! In Eastern MA you always feel like you need a shower after a trip to the dealer with a few exceptions.
ccaats,
The dealership service could be more of a regional issue, but a better dealership will not change my view on GM entirely. GM has failed to step up and make a commitment to ensure the issues are addressed. The dealers do not have nice facilities or acceptable loaner car programs, but they are doing the best they can within the GM framework to get a resolution. GM's techline is not repsonding to dealer case numbers and the Buick Customer Care team does nothing but call the dealer. I am much more disappointed and frustrated with GM than the dealers -- and that will not change until GM improves their customer service.

tuberosa,
Your right about the fog lights. I have grown accustomed to running them all the time even though that is not their intended purpose. The bigger issue with the headlights is not being able to glance at the gauges to see when the lights are on during twilight.

The headrest monitors are available as dealer installed today and we looked at that option. But I did not care for the headest unit not being linked in to the NAV interface and not linked into the audio system.
 
#14 ·
As a native New Englander I was blown away by the level of service I received the three years I lived in Atlanta. They were actually fighting for my business! In Eastern MA you always feel like you need a shower after a trip to the dealer with a few exceptions.
Tuberosa, yall feel free to come on back down heah anytime ya feel like it, ahwight? Yall know ya are always welcome nah, ya heah? :thumb: GIT-R-DONE!
 
#15 ·
Since a lot of folks read these boards I believe dfc101a's observations and comments deserve another point of view. First a little background. I’ve owned GM, Dodge, Honda, Toyota and Acura products over the years. All purchased new. I have heavily favored Toyota and Acura products and I haven’t owned a GM product for 20+ years. I still need to pinch myself that I own a Buick. I agree that Enclave is well designed and constructed vehicle with a lot of thoughtfulness and attention to detail. Quite frankly the components are of higher quality thanour previous Acura MDX and we really were happy with it. However, I disagree with some of your comments and complaints.

First, to say the absence of blue tooth is inexcusable is over the top. Bluetooth is intentionally missing due to GM’s onStar business and I don’t believe its’ absence is a show stopper for most buyers. Maybe disappointing as it was for me but not a must have. Your comments on the dash lighting are more of a personal opinion than a design miss. None of my past or present Acura products lighting match in color in all locations. The color changes maybe intentional as you can read from this quote of a recent 2008 Honda Accord review… “At night, drivers will notice that the controls are separated by color, with the audio system done in white, and climate control in aqua green.” … Also with part sharing between vehicles for most manufacturers it not possible to match everything. I have the captains chairs so I cannot comment on the bench seat other then to agree that the seats in the 2nd and 3rd row should recline further. I don’t understand the cup holder comments since I’ve never had a vehicle where you could remove the inserts for cleaning. As for the quality issues at delivery, I’ve never taken delivery of a new car without at least one defect noted at delivery. The build quality of my current Acura and this new Enclave have been the best so far with only one minor cosmetic blemish on each. Unfortunately you had a few more issues, which may have tainted your initial ownership experience. I’m very impressed with the build quality of the Enclave and as mentioned earlier I have a lot of data points to compare it to. Great job! LT and GM suppliers. Also, the back seat elastic string as stated in another post is to hang the headphones and DVD remote. Seems like a good idea and my kids figured that out without me telling them. The automatic headlights function the same as my Toyota’s did and I don’t see a problem. When the lights come on the dash lights dim and the headlight symbol lights up in the dash. Of course if you look at my Hondas and Acuras they didn’t offer this rather common feature. The fog light functionality works better than Acura and Toyota because GM will allow you to turn them on without the headlights being turned on. I can’t leave the switch on with these vehicles either.

I agree with the carpet pile. It should be a better quality. Your comments on the steering wheel controls are matter of preference. I had them both ways and I disagree that they feel cheap and tacky. They seem well designed to me. I don’t agree with your comments on the DVD either. Based on my observations when we looked at numerous vehicles before deciding on the Enclave the screen size is equal or bigger then the competitors and they all provide obstruction to the rear view. The headphones automatically turn off after 2 hours I believe and the battery cover needs a screw since small children will use them. Your comments on the window screens seem like you miss your minivan. I willing to bet not something most look for in SUV/crossover vehicle. We have the latest transmission update and it performs very well. No complaints here. Nor do I have any complaints with the driver information system and it looks and is very similar in function to my Acura. My automatic climate control system works just fine and ithe weather has been hot here giving it a real test.

Now to your dealer and service comments. Restating the obvious, there are good and bad dealers for every car manufacturer. I’ve chosen every dealer that I do business with very carefully as should everyone. My Buick dealer has a large modern facility and provides loaner vehicles for warranty service and has a consumer comes first attitude. Our whole buying experience was open, honest and pleasant. As you know Acura provides loaners and having a loaner car during warranty service is very important to me and that is one of the main reasons I chose this dealership over others as well as the reason I choose the Toyota dealership I dealt with for years. Remember, neither Honda or Toyota are required to provide loaner vehicles either. If this was so important then I guess you bought your vehicle from the wrong dealer.

Nothing personal just another point of view. Good luck with your Enclave.
 
#16 ·
More reference points from owners is great. I did not present my thoughts as anything more than my thoughts. Nothing personal taken. However, with the comments made, it is very clear that you have not read my posts entirely and I included the links to my originals for that very reason. As such, I feel as though I need to set the record straight as your review is not your own, but rather a counterpoint to mine.

enclave4her said:
First, to say the absence of blue tooth is inexcusable is over the top. Bluetooth is intentionally missing due to GM’s onStar business and I don’t believe its’ absence is a show stopper for most buyers. Maybe disappointing as it was for me but not a must have.
We will just agree to disagree. I am fully aware of why GM excluded bluetooth. Unlike you and others, I do not give them a pass for excluding it. What other near luxury competitor does not offer bluetooth? I purchased knowing that bluetooth is missing and will address that miss in the aftermarket. But GM should offer bluetooth IMO.

Your comments on the dash lighting are more of a personal opinion than a design miss. None of my past or present Acura products lighting match in color in all locations. The color changes maybe intentional as you can read from this quote of a recent 2008 Honda Accord review… “At night, drivers will notice that the controls are separated by color, with the audio system done in white, and climate control in aqua green.” … Also with part sharing between vehicles for most manufacturers it not possible to match everything.
The Ford Mustang has matching lighting and you can even switch colors. It can be done. The attached picture taken directly from the Buick Enclave website shows that GM intended to have consistent lighting. They just missed in their execution.

I don’t understand the cup holder comments since I’ve never had a vehicle where you could remove the inserts for cleaning.
Recently drove and took my sister-in-laws Ford Focus to a car wash. Removable inserts were very handy. Removable inserts in the second row would really help with cleaning up after kids. Nice to have - maybe with the mid-life refresh.

As for the quality issues at delivery, I’ve never taken delivery of a new car without at least one defect noted at delivery. The build quality of my current Acura and this new Enclave have been the best so far with only one minor cosmetic blemish on each. Unfortunately you had a few more issues, which may have tainted your initial ownership experience.
I want to be very clear on this one. My wife and I are not tainted, do not have a negative impression of, nor would we purchase something else today from a product perspective. The Enclave is the best out there - PLEASE RE-READ MY POSTS. All manufacturers have growing pains with new models and we experienced those on our 1999 Honda Odyssey, 2001 Acura MDX, and 2005 Honda Odyssey - all first model years purchased within the first two months they were available. Defects will happen and I have no issue with that. It is GM's response to correcting those defects that is unacceptable.

I’m very impressed with the build quality of the Enclave and as mentioned earlier I have a lot of data points to compare it to. Great job! LT and GM suppliers.
The LDT team has done a fantastic job in the assembly. I have not experienced or read anything on this forum that has stated otherwise. The suppliers and some design elements - totally disagree and our Enclave has the defects to prove it and every unit on the dealer lot had the same ones.

Also, the back seat elastic string as stated in another post is to hang the headphones and DVD remote. Seems like a good idea and my kids figured that out without me telling them.
The Acadia and Outlook were first offered with a pocket. The Enclave display at the Detroit auto show had the pocket . . . http://www.enclaveforum.net/index.php?action=gallery&g2_itemId=1155

The string looks unfinished to my wife and I. Glad you and your kids like it, we do not.

When the lights come on the dash lights dim and the headlight symbol lights up in the dash. Of course if you look at my Hondas and Acuras they didn’t offer this rather common feature. The fog light functionality works better than Acura and Toyota because GM will allow you to turn them on without the headlights being turned on. I can’t leave the switch on with these vehicles either.
You have a headlight symbol for low beams in the dash? Well, I would like to see that one. That must be a quality defect on my Enclave and others that have mentioned it on this forum. There is a symbol for high beams, but I do not have one for low beams. Automatic head lights - Honda/Acura was stubbornly late to incorporate this feature, but our 2005 Honda Odyssey has it. Both the Odyssey and our replaced 2001 MDX could have the fog lights tied to when the headlights turn on.

Your comments on the steering wheel controls are matter of preference. I had them both ways and I disagree that they feel cheap and tacky. They seem well designed to me.
Obviously personal preference. Honda/Acura has the audio controls on the left and I am comfortable with that. Right hand on the shifter, left hand driving and navigating the audio is what I prefer.

I don’t agree with your comments on the DVD either. Based on my observations when we looked at numerous vehicles before deciding on the Enclave the screen size is equal or bigger then the competitors and they all provide obstruction to the rear view. The headphones automatically turn off after 2 hours I believe and the battery cover needs a screw since small children will use them.
From the vehicles we considered in addition to the Enclave, the DVD screen was the smallest. Not sure what you were comparison shopping. Headphones in the Honda Odyssey and Acura MDX automatcally shut-off when not in use and the batteries can be changed without a screw driver like most remote controls. Does the remote control for the DVD need to have a screw to lock down the battery cover? I do not think so and it does not have one. When traveling on a long trip with the kids and the batteries die, changing the batteries will be more difficult than it needs to be.

Your comments on the window screens seem like you miss your minivan. I willing to bet not something most look for in SUV/crossover vehicle.
This illustrates how you have not read my posts. We have two vehicles, a 2008 Buick Enclave and a 2005 Honda Odyssey. I do not miss the minivan because we still have it and enjoy it. Our Odyssey Tourning is an excellent vehicle and one I freely use as a comparison as Lamba's will be cross shopped with minivans. As the Lambda's are replacing GM's minivan's and are seen as a minivan replacment, I beg to differ.


We have the latest transmission update and it performs very well. No complaints here.
I am looking forward to the update.

Now to your dealer and service comments. Restating the obvious, there are good and bad dealers for every car manufacturer. I’ve chosen every dealer that I do business with very carefully as should everyone. My Buick dealer has a large modern facility and provides loaner vehicles for warranty service and has a consumer comes first attitude. Our whole buying experience was open, honest and pleasant. As you know Acura provides loaners and having a loaner car during warranty service is very important to me and that is one of the main reasons I chose this dealership over others as well as the reason I choose the Toyota dealership I dealt with for years. Remember, neither Honda or Toyota are required to provide loaner vehicles either. If this was so important then I guess you bought your vehicle from the wrong dealer.
Another example of not reading my posts. We purchased from an out-of-state dealer that was excellent. Our local dealers are not. If your local was not as good as say the Acura one, would you have purchased something else that you did not like as well? That was the choice we had. And being new to Buick, I was not sure what to expect to be honest. With advertising comparisons to Acura and Lexus, I was expecting Acura and Lexus service. In our local area, the dealers are just behind the competition. For our warranty work, a loaner was not provided - that is just a fact. Any Acura or Lexus dealer would have provided one. I am glad to hear that good Buick dealers exist and hope that as the Buick product line expands and is successful our local dealers will improve.

And on your statement that Honda will not provide a loaner, you are wrong. I have called Honda Customer Service, explained a warranty repair was required, and got a loaner each time. Honda does not advertise this and the dealers will not merely offer, but loaners are available and most importantly supported by Honda to provide a positive customer service experience.
 

Attachments

#17 ·
The attached picture taken directly from the Buick Enclave website shows that GM intended to have consistent lighting. They just missed in their execution.
dfc, I agree with you 110% about the interior lighting! The production models have a more "green" tint to the instrument panel lighting than the marketing photos indicate. It is almost as if they felt "old style" Buick owners wouldn't like the "blue lapis" tint, so they went with a more green tint like older cars have. I am glad I am not the only one that noticed this.
 
#19 ·
dfc101a,

You do a great job of making your points and providing proof sources. If GM were to review any comments on this board, they would be missing the boat in overlooking yours.

I admit to having my disappointments in the car and realize it was made in America. And driving a Ridgeline (Honda), my steering wheel controls seem a better fit than the Enclave's. Being the reverse makes it a guessing game everytime I drive my wife's Enclave. So, we take the Ridgeline most places.

OnStar has never been acceptable to me. We cancelled it on our 2002 Denali when I installed aftermarket bluetooth, which we feel is superior to OnStar. I feel anybody who has used it will agree to that statement IMO.

Thanks for your comments and further keeping them professional and without becoming terse. Actually that goes for others in the blog.

Galen
 
  • Like
Reactions: sunline2653
#20 ·
I guess my only issue with the OPs issue is the need for a screwdriver to replace the batteries. I have a two year old who will be wearing the headphones. If you look at all children's toys that contain batteries (even those tainted with lead :eek:hno:), all the battery slots on the toys require a screwdriver. Why? So your kid doesn't accidentally open the battery pack and pretend a battery is a piece of candy. I consider that a nice safety feature...even if it wasn't intended to be so in the first place. Sure, it might take an extra minute to change the battery...but I won't ever complain. I always carry a very small screwdriver kit (cost about $5 at automotive stores) in the glove box on all my cars anyway.
 
#21 ·
Gshields-I apologize in advance if this sounds terse. You actually take your Tonka, er sorry, I mean Ridgeline over your Acadia because of the steering wheel controls? Wow, can I borrow the Enclave? The worst car I ever owned was a Honda Civic that overheated when you turned on the AC. A real feature when I lived in Atlanta. The difference is I don't consider it indicative of all Hondas or Japanese vs. American.
 
#23 ·
Reading this entire string objectively makes me laugh at those that continue to make excuses for GM's poor execution and service. Nice car - not without its issues, but what car is not. Simply pathetic that a company like GM can't get it right by simply copying the best practices of it Asian competitors when it comes to after sales service. THAT is what keeps people coming back once you already have a great product.

Quick making excuses for GM - by doing so, you enable them to continue with the self-inflicted wounds. Ultimately they will either get it or implode on themselves (already happening).
 
#24 ·
Simply pathetic that a company like GM can't get it right by simply copying the best practices of it Asian competitors when it comes to after sales service. THAT is what keeps people coming back once you already have a great product.
msinchats, this statement is once again generalizing the POOR "after sales service" practices of a few PRIVATELY OWNED dealerships as GM's fault. I have friends who are import owners who absolutely hate the after sales service issues with their dealership. The worst customer service experience I ever had was from a combination Pontiac/Nissan dealership, so poor after the sale service issues are reflective of the locally owned dealer NOT the manufacturer! Comments such as yours which are completely sympathetic to "Asian" car companies as worthy of being "copied" and GM as "pathetic" don't fly with me. I for one DON'T want GM to "copy" the imports, I want them to be BETTER. And from the looks of the lambdas and my experiences with most GM dealerships in our area, they are on the right track! That is my humble opinion, and you are welcome to yours, but I felt the need to reply.

P.S. Are you really an Enclave owner/admirer, or just a "lurker" planted by Toyondamazundai to make comments such as you just made?
 
#25 ·
ccaats
I second your comments. I couldn't have said it better myself. :thumb:
 
This is an older thread, you may not receive a response, and could be reviving an old thread. Please consider creating a new thread.
Top