EnclaveForum.net: Buick Enclave Online Community banner

Pre-Purchase Questions

18K views 33 replies 20 participants last post by  MikkeyQ4 
#1 ·
Hello all. I am interested in purchasing a new 2013 Enclave in the near future, and I had a few questions before I made my purchase.

- If I had the time frame of 3 months for purchase. Is there a consensus of when would be the best time to purchase? I know the current incentive ($1000) expires 2/28/13. Do incentives almost always go up as the model year continues? Or is it really a shot in the Dark?

- IntelliLink/Onstar/XM -- Where does one service end and another begin? What functionality do you lose without the subscription services?

- I am trying to decide if the navigation is worth it... What functionality do you lose when the car is in motion? The passenger not being able to set a destination en-route seems like a pain.

- Any trouble reported with the moon roof yet on the 2013? I am not sure it worth the extra expense and possible parts breaking for the option. Any opinions?

Thanks for all the help!

I
 
See less See more
#2 ·
Hello Superfish. We bought a 2013 Enclave on December 29. Terrific vehicle; we love it so far. Regarding your questions:

TIMING
Most purported experts will say that the end of the year is the best time to buy. While we have done that on our last two new vehicles (12/29 for the Enclave and 12/31/03 for a Sienna), I'm not sure it matters. If you are willing to search for a motivated seller, any time is probably a good time. I do believe, though, that end of month and end of quarter are good times. Practically every sales organization on the planet is driven by monthly and/or quarterly results.

INTELLILINK/ONSTAR/XM
Good question, and we are still in discovery mode. Onstar seems redundant to me given smartphone ubiquity, but a lot of people still seem to like it.

NAV
Our kids are high school and college age, so we did not want a DVD system. I thought Nav would come in handy for my wife, so we got it on the E. I'm not completely convinced that was the right choice; Google Maps on an android is hard to beat. I do like having the larger and fixed screen of the built-in Nav, though. We have not done a lot with it yet, so I don't have an answer for your usability question.

MOONROOF
My wife has always had a moonroof on her vehicles, and we got one on the Enclave. What we found, frankly, was that finding an Enclave without the moonroof was tough. I located 44 vehicles from Indiana to Maryland to North Carolina that otherwise roughly fit our specifications. Only 8 of them did not have a moonroof. If you are looking for an upper trim line, I think you will find that most dealer inventory includes the moonroof.

Good luck in your quest. The journey is as much fun as the destination!
 
#3 ·
My thoughts on the navigation is that we would probably do it again so we could still have the touch screen radio b/c I like the looks of it. With our iPhones we no longer use the navigation at all. We do use the DVD quite often though.
 
#4 ·
I will weigh in on two of your questions:
Moon roof -
I have a bald head and prone to skin cancers. Where we live the sun is bright most of the year. The open feeling is cool on forested country roads, but do you like the wind?
We have it on our 08, but purposley did not get it on our 11. We are currently shopping for a new car and turned down good deals on cars that had one.

Nav - I have conplained on this forum about the OLD nav, but understand the new one is much better.
Regardless, I would not be without a built in Nav.
1. the screen is big enough to see easily.
2. I am a country boy and do not like city driving. Even the places I go on a regular basis, I like to have the map and directions in front of me.
3. The search of POIs is very handy when you want to look for what restaurants are available close by.
4. I agree that it is a pain to not be able to input by passenger when you are driving. My last car, 05 Pilot had that capability and was much handier.
The other concerns I have no knowledge or opinion.
 
#5 ·
I agree that buying at the end of any given month is best for negotiating, although frankly, any day is a good day to sell a car, so just go shopping when the mood strikes!

Intellilink, I believe, is Buick's name for the entire voice and/or touch activated communication system. It controls everything from music to phone to nav, etc etc. OnStar is GM's roadside assistance, crash alert, etc program. You'll get 6 months free with your new car, then can decide whether to continue the sbscription after that. XM is the satellite radio, also with a free trial period. We find all of these to be useful. On Star provides peace of mind and we can't live without satellite radio, but again you can decide on each after the trial periods. The Intellilink system is just awesome and very user friendly. I'm not a techie person, so I appreciate its ease of operation and its functionality.

We have the nav and the sunroof options. No problems with either. You can't program the nav while in motion but we don't find that to be an issue. With our OnStar, we have the Directions feature....we push the OnStar button, give them our destination and THEY program it onto our nav system for us. Presto !

The vehicle is simply awesome. You'll love it. Happy shopping!!
 
#6 ·
Here's my two cents: If you are leasing the vehicle, get the sunroof, but if you are buying it and plan on keeping it for more than 5 years, do not get the sunroof....they will all eventually leak, and/or the drain tubes will get plugged and at the very least will need maintenance to avoid leaks. It's just not worth the risk of possible leaks, regardless of anyone saying they fixed the design flaw with the drain tubes on earlier models. If you are worried about cost, on a buy, just order the vehicle with only the options you want. At this point, there will be next to no money off on the 2013's because they are so new, and all the incentives are on 2012's still on the lots. OR, just wait till end of the year when the 2014's start coming out, then the 2013's will possibly have incentives, but don't expect them to be anything close to what's on the 2012's now.
 
#8 ·
kidsenclave said:
Here's my two cents: If you are leasing the vehicle, get the sunroof, but if you are buying it and plan on keeping it for more than 5 years, do not get the sunroof....they will all eventually leak, and/or the drain tubes will get plugged and at the very least will need maintenance to avoid leaks. It's just not worth the risk of possible leaks, regardless of anyone saying they fixed the design flaw with the drain tubes on earlier models. If you are worried about cost, on a buy, just order the vehicle with only the options you want. At this point, there will be next to no money off on the 2013's because they are so new, and all the incentives are on 2012's still on the lots. OR, just wait till end of the year when the 2014's start coming out, then the 2013's will possibly have incentives, but don't expect them to be anything close to what's on the 2012's now.
I disagree about the "no money off" on 2013s. There are incentives now, but you have to ask. Buick has $1,000 of Conquest Cash on the 2013 Enclave. All you have to do to qualify is own a 1999 or newer vehicle of another brand; you don't even have to trade it in. Members of USAA or holders of a GM credit card also get incentives.

Incentives aside, buy at the right time and force dealers to compete and you will get a significant discount on the 2013. I don't know if its appropriate on the forum to talking pricing, but I can tell you I was quite pleased with my deal as compared to "alleged" invoice price, before applying incentives.

It is true that 2012s on the lot will be lower cost than the 2013s. They start with a lower sticker, for one, and likely have even more incentives.
 
#10 ·
I was just out this morning shopping and was offered supplier price on a premium group order. That's about $700 more than invoice; I tried to get another $1k off but they wouldn't even counter. They did say if I found the same deal a few hundred cheaper at another dealer they would match it.

An order should achieve the best price but with the 2013 's just showing up and a good selection of 2012's still out there getting a good deal might be tough.

we're off to another dealership next weekend to see if we cant do better.
 
#11 ·
Gave20 said:
I was just out this morning shopping and was offered supplier price on a premium group order. That's about $700 more than invoice; I tried to get another $1k off but they wouldn't even counter. They did say if I found the same deal a few hundred cheaper at another dealer they would match it.

An order should achieve the best price but with the 2013 's just showing up and a good selection of 2012's still out there getting a good deal might be tough.

we're off to another dealership next weekend to see if we cant do better.
Grave20, open an account with USAA. You do not have to be military to open a checking or savings account, I did. It got me an extra $750.00 off. The dealer holdback is $1500 and when I purchased mine I got the dealer to take most of that off the price. I purchased my '13 two months ago (mid November) and those discounts ontop of the supplier price was the best I could do at the time. When I purchased mine the dealer I worked with was the only one that even had any '13 Enclaves in stock. As the year progresses the discounts will be better.
 
#12 ·
The dealership we're going to next week actually lists the invoice so I'm hoping for a better deal.

I was wondering about usaa looking at the rebate info it looks like you're supposed to have usaa insurance which is only available to active military but I guess it's up to the dealer to really check to details. It doesn't cost anything to join so I may take a chance.
 
#13 ·
Moonroofs: My last 6 cars have had them (all GM) and I keep them a long time and have never had any problems with any of them. No problem yet on my '13.

Nav: There are two ways to get a destination into the nav system while moving. Voice commands that work really well, or have your passenger put it via a smartphone Onstar app. You just pick a destination on the phone and tell it to download to the vehicle. One thing I am not sure of is if you need to subscribe to the full Onstar navigation & directions subscription for the Onstar phone map app to be able to send them to the vehicle. I guess I'll know in 5 months when my free subscription expires (thought I do plan on keeping the Safe & Sound subscription). The cost of the nav will be somewhat recovered on resale as it is pretty much considered almost "standard" for premium vehicles these days.

Price: If you go to your dealer with the USAA price in hand (even perhaps, if not a member), the dealer will likely match it as if they process through USAA, it costs them $500 (worked for me, but I am a USAA member).
 
#15 ·
Gave20 said:
The dealership we're going to next week actually lists the invoice so I'm hoping for a better deal.

I was wondering about usaa looking at the rebate info it looks like you're supposed to have usaa insurance which is only available to active military but I guess it's up to the dealer to really check to details. It doesn't cost anything to join so I may take a chance.
Mine didn't ;)
 
#16 ·
Beware of the Credit Union "discount". This is an incentive program primarily for the dealers. They are the ones who get the $500. Whether they have really passed this on to the customer depends on the overall pricing deal the dealer gave. They may not have really reduced their price to the point where they are giving the customer the $500 out of their pockets....the $500 discount on your bill of sale may really just be part of the reduction in profit you could have gotten by driving a harder bargain.
 
#17 ·
jrmarshall01 said:
Beware of the Credit Union "discount". This is an incentive program primarily for the dealers. They are the ones who get the $500. Whether they have really passed this on to the customer depends on the overall pricing deal the dealer gave. They may not have really reduced their price to the point where they are giving the customer the $500 out of their pockets....the $500 discount on your bill of sale may really just be part of the reduction in profit you could have gotten by driving a harder bargain.
I'm not sure what the program you are talking about is, but if you go the the linked website and register, you can do a build. This will give you all the figures, including the credit union preferred pricing, and any available incentives, such as consumer cash. I works exactly like supplier pricing. I used this to purchase my '08 'Clave. I printed out the pricing on the website, and that's the deal I got. It worked out to roughly 2% under invoice (no consumer cash, or other deals available at that time). This invoice price can be cross referenced on a number of websites. I suppose on any given day it's possible that you might be able to haggle a better price, but I've been working with the same dealer for over 20 years, and they assured me that would be my best deal. But I would say that everyone should try any angle they can when spending this kind of cash. And another caveat would be "buyer beware", you never know when someone might try to get the best of you. Due diligence is your best ally!
 
#18 ·
Jacko, I am talking about the same program you are. If you sign on the dotted line that you are a credit union member, the dealer gives you a $500 discount. But the question is discount from what? Regardless of what price you get from the dealer, the dealer gets $500 from GM to pad their profit. Whether the dealer has really passed this on to you is a matter of the final price they quoted relative to the true cost of the vehicle to the dealer.
 
#19 ·
I bought mine in December and got a good deal. It's a good vehicle.

I wouldn't bother with Nav. As mentioned in earlier comments, there are lot of good products out there (I use a Garmin and am satisfied).

As well, I have not renewed my OnStar Service. I was underwhelmed by the Turn-by-Turn service. On several occasions they couldn't find the location or the system itself was unavailable. I gave OnStar a second chance when I renewed it for a road trip to the USA (just in case it was stolen). But I ended up not renewing it.

I don't know why anyone would bother paying for XM Radio in this day and age. I download all of my music from the internet.

Fortunately I don't have a moon roof.

Good luck.
 
#20 ·
small batch said:
Mine didn't ;)
There's been a lengthy discussion over on the camaro forum that you need the full membership (military member) to get the discount. I actually think though most dealers only look for the member number (open to all usaa members) and run with it.

It costs nothing to join and if I don't get the $750 so be it but I'm going to try. If the dealer has to eat the $750 then that's his problem.
 
#21 ·
No issues with the sunroof leaking on our '12 so far. We weren't looking for a vehicle with one however, we couldn't find a vehicle without the sunroof with the options we wanted (yes, we could have ordered it without). The screens stay closed on them all the time as we don't use those windows.

We went with aftermarket Nav since the Nav is very inferior on the '12s and earlier. It is integrated with the vehicle, cheaper, and much better functionality and flexxibility. Not sure if I would go with OEM Nav on '13s with the new Nav..depends on what GM is asking for their new nav.

Orion - OnStar app does not work unless you renew. We didn't renew and missed the app features at first but not anymore.
 
#22 ·
Bwn88 said:
Orion - OnStar app does not work unless you renew. We didn't renew and missed the app features at first but not anymore.
The question is more whether downloading an app-generated destination works if you just renew Safe & Sound and not the Directions portion of Onstar. I know parts of the app still work with S&S only.
 
#23 ·
superfish said:
Hello all. I am interested in purchasing a new 2013 Enclave in the near future, and I had a few questions before I made my purchase.

- If I had the time frame of 3 months for purchase. Is there a consensus of when would be the best time to purchase? I know the current incentive ($1000) expires 2/28/13. Do incentives almost always go up as the model year continues? Or is it really a shot in the Dark?

- IntelliLink/Onstar/XM -- Where does one service end and another begin? What functionality do you lose without the subscription services?

- I am trying to decide if the navigation is worth it... What functionality do you lose when the car is in motion? The passenger not being able to set a destination en-route seems like a pain.

- Any trouble reported with the moon roof yet on the 2013? I am not sure it worth the extra expense and possible parts breaking for the option. Any opinions?

Thanks for all the help!

I

superfish,
I would like to thank you for your interest in the Buick Enclave! It is a great vehicle!! In regards to your question about IntelliLink/Onstar/XM; IntelliLink does not have any membership fees associated with it. The OnStar and XM will end after the initial trail period if you choose not to renew it.

OnStar includes: OnStar, 6 months of Directions and Connections plan, includes, Automatic Crash Response, Emergency Services, Crisis Assist, First Assist, Injury Severity Predictor, Stolen Vehicle Assistance, Stolen Vehicle Slowdown, Remote Ignition Block, Remote Door Unlock, Roadside Assistance, Remote Horn and Lights, Turn-by-Turn Navigation with OnStar eNav, Destination Download (requires navigation radio), OnStar Vehicle Diagnostics, Hands Free Calling and available OnStar RemoteLink mobile app.

XM includes: SiriusXM Satellite Radio; Enjoy a 3-month trial to the XM Premier package, with over 140 channels including commercial-free music, all your favorite sports, exclusive talk and entertainment. And now add premium channels to your trial at no cost. Welcome to the world of satellite radio.

I hope this helps! I am always here and happy to help in any way that I can; so please feel free to contact me anytime with any questions, comments or concerns that you may have.
Thank you,
Stacy Buick Customer Service
 
#24 ·
Gave20 said:
The dealership we're going to next week actually lists the invoice so I'm hoping for a better deal.

I was wondering about usaa looking at the rebate info it looks like you're supposed to have usaa insurance which is only available to active military but I guess it's up to the dealer to really check to details. It doesn't cost anything to join so I may take a chance.

Gave20,
I would like to thank you for your interest in the Enclave!! I am always here and happy to help in any way that I can; so if you have any questions or would like any assistance throughout your purchasing process please feel free to contact me anytime.
Thank you,
Stacy Buick Customer Service
 
#26 ·
I just bought a 2013 Enclave. I have USAA and have never used if for anything. I only opened the account because I'm a veteran and they have a good reputation. I called USAA and within a half hour they had a letter posted in my documents on my USAA member website that gave an authorization for the $750 discount. I had no problem getting it.
 
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