# Ride Like the 1% with the 2026 Buick Enclave Sport Touring SUV *By Dave Taylor, menwhoblog.com — Updated March 2026* Written by: [Dave Taylor](https://menwhoblog.com/dave-taylor.html) Last Updated: 01 March 2026 New!Hits: 7Reading time: 07:08 The Buick brand has been around for quite a while, beginning in 1899 as Buick Auto-Vim and Power Company. It then reorganized in 1903 to focus on automobiles, rebranding as Buick Motor Company. Five years later, it became the cornerstone of the newly formed General Motors. At one point, Buick was the top-selling GM brand. Positioned between Chevrolet and Cadillac, the company even released performance and muscle cars during the 1960s-1970s, notably the Gran Sport. Gradually, it evolved to the Buick we know today, with a tight focus on crossover SUVs. One of its most important vehicles is the 3-row Enclave SUV, introduced in 2008. Today, the Enclave remains a strong seller in its category and shares a foundational architecture with the Chevy Traverse. Last year, General Motors introduced its third generation of the Enclave, including a much refreshed design, a 2.5L turbo four-cylinder engine, and an expansive 30-inch digital display. The 2026 model added some minor refinements over the 2025 model. Buick loaned me a [**2026 Buick Enclave Sport Touring**](https://www.buick.com/suvs/enclave/sport-touring?msockid=0a798bac47dd694f10e19d4146046869) for a week, in Cherry Red Tintcoat, with an Ebony interior. And it was a delightful experience! For a three-row SUV, it’s surprisingly sleek and stylish, a bit boxy in the rear portion, but with a nice streamlined nose and hood. I particularly liked the “angry eyes” headlights, which, combined with the grill, gave the vehicle a sporty and even intimidating front-on appearance. Imagine an SUV with an intimidating appearance! One of the real hallmarks of the Enclave is that it’s remarkably quiet inside. I found that even when driving 80 mph on the highway, it had sufficient noise isolation that I could have a conversation with passengers at a normal voice volume. Music sounds really good, too, because you aren’t forced to crank the volume to overcome the road noise. On the other hand, while the drive experience with its 2.5L Turbo DOHC SIDI inline-4 engine with 8-speed automatic transmission was quite pleasant, the new Enclave has a mixed reputation in the marketplace (see [here](https://www.consumerreports.org/cars/suvs/2025-buick-enclave-review-a2392197540/), [here](https://www.caranddriver.com/buick/enclave), and [here](https://motorillustrated.com/2025-buick-enclave-avenir-review-turbocharged-but-far-from-miraculous/146305/)). There is a higher-than-average number of reported transmission failures with this new 3rd gen model, along with owner complaints that “turbo lag” can detract from the driving experience. I’m not sure what they’re complaining about. I drove in various terrains and speeds without ever feeling it was sluggish or underpowered. Fuel efficiency? It’s rated at 20 mpg / 24 mpg for city and highway driving, offering an average of 21 mpg. I saw a bit better than that because so much of my driving was on the highway, maybe 23 mpg or thereabouts. Acceptable for a big three-row SUV with up to 5,000 pounds of towing capacity (with the Trailering Package, which this particular model did not include). I’ll come back to the drive experience. First, however, let’s consider the interior of the vehicle, the centerpiece of which is the elegant 30-inch display that seamlessly displays car and drive information, along with Apple CarPlay or Android Auto. Compared to vehicles with big iPad-like vertically oriented displays, it might seem small, but I found it plenty large enough without being overpowering or distracting. The 2026 Enclave features a shifter stick on the steering column, something that undoubtedly evokes sighs of disappointment from old-school drivers who still dream of a stick shift on the center console. As a fully automatic drive, however, will a modern driver need the ability to change gears on a typical drive, even while towing? I will note that it does have the usual paddle shifters, though my suspicion is that 95% of owners have no idea what they actually do. On the other side of the steering column is a surprisingly complex windshield wiper control stick: Even with this close-up, can you tell which controls what function? I found myself pushing, pulling, and spinning to see what would happen rather than confidently knowing which would get the water off the front windshield, spray wiper fluid on the back, etc. Of course, ownership teaches a lot, but shouldn’t these be easier to figure out? Between the controls was, of course, the steering wheel itself, with a beautifully symmetric design. This might be one of the neatest layouts I’ve seen in a vehicle. It’s easy to work with, even the splendid Super Cruise. [Super Cruise](https://news.gm.com/home.detail.html/Pages/topic/us/en/2025/feb/0228-supercruise.html) is General Motors’ level 2 driving tech and can be found on higher end Cadillacs, GMCs, and Chevrolet vehicles, along with the [Enclave Sport Touring](https://www.buick.com/suvs/enclave/sport-touring?msockid=0a798bac47dd694f10e19d4146046869). It combines stored LiDAR highway maps, an adaptive cruise control, lane-centering tech and a driver monitoring camera to give you a true hands-free driving experience. And it’s fantastic, though it is an expensive add-on: The Super Cruise Package costs $3,670. I drove from my home in Boulder, Colorado, down to Colorado Springs with the Enclave, about 100 miles each way. While much of that journey is through the ever-denser traffic in Denver, there’s a stretch between south Denver and northern Colorado Springs known as “The Gap” that’s fast, smooth, easy driving with a posted speed limit of 75mph. People routinely drive 90mph or faster, and some people even [go quite a bit faster](https://www.kktv.com/2025/09/05/motorcycle-rider-arrested-after-driving-142-mph-colorado-highway/). It was the perfect spot to let the Enclave take over the driving… There was sufficient traffic that at this point on the road, traffic was only going along at 67 mph. It’s hard to read, but below it (in green), my desired speed is set to 81 mph. Hands free, feet free, it was quite pleasant. To change lanes, I simply used the turn indicator to indicate which side I wanted to go. Super Cruise checked to ensure it was clear, moved me smoothly into the new lane, then straightened out. Easy and very low stress. It’s the future of driving, though it might take a decade to be in the majority of vehicles on the road. Since it’s a digital display screen, the sweeping main gauge display has a number of different modes. I really liked the panoramic effect of having the map on the display: Notice the “2WD” on the lower right: the Enclave has a crossover-style AWD system, making it a front-wheel drive vehicle with the ability to also send power to the rear wheels in snow, rain, and (light) off-road driving. We’ve been having unseasonably beautiful weather this February, so I never experienced anything other than perfect driving conditions. The AWD system is another expensive option, $2,000 on top of the base Enclave price. Because the gear shift stick is off the steering column, the center console felt a bit barren, with its big Qi wireless charging pad, change holder, and cup holders. The only control was an infotainment knob that offered easy access to volume and power, but no assistance with on-screen navigation. One quirk that I found surprising was that more than once, when I walked past the rear tailgate, it randomly decided to open up. Safety beeps and all, but it left me puzzled because I hadn’t kicked under the bumper, touched a button on the remote, or done anything else to trigger this event. This was the hands-free power liftgate being overzealous, but I surmise that it’s something that can be adjusted in the vehicle settings area of the infotainment system. With one seat up and one seat down, you can see the third row and the surprising amount of cargo space behind the third row in the rear of the Enclave. It’s a great size, much more room than you might expect from the exterior profile. Ultimately, I quite enjoyed the Buick Enclave with its Sport Touring options. It’s quite comfortable, has a nimble engine and a smooth drive experience. The interior cabin is super quiet, allowing the driver and passengers to enjoy both the high tech feel of Super Cruise and the Bose premium 12-speaker sound system with active noise control. If you don’t need the extra space of the third row, you might consider a Buick Envision, though you won’t be able to get Super Cruise on the smaller vehicle. **[2026 Buick Enclave Sport Touring AWD](https://www.buick.com/suvs/enclave/sport-touring?msockid=0a798bac47dd694f10e19d4146046869), with 2.5L Turbo DOHC SIDI engine and 8-speed automatic transmission. BASE PRICE: $49,700.00. Options Included: Super Cruise Package, Power Package, All-Wheel Drive System, Panoramic Sunroof, Tintcoat paint. AS DRIVEN: $61,625.00.** *Disclosure: General Motors loaned me the Buick for a week of driving in return for this candid write-up. This article originally appeared on PlanetDave.com with the title [Ride Like the 1% with the 2026 Buick Enclave Sport Touring SUV](https://planetdave.com/2026/02/ride-like-the-1-with-the-2026-buick-enclave-sport-touring-suv/) and is reproduced with permission of the author.* **Hey Dave Taylor wants you to share this!**   --- --- {"html":""} ---   Written by: [Dave Taylor](https://menwhoblog.com/dave-taylor.html) #MenWhoBlog MemberBlog MasterThought Leader Dave Taylor has been blogging and writing about cars for many years. He's a dad who survived raising three children and currently resides in Boulder, Colorado, where he's surrounded by natural beauty and tons of electronic gear. You can find him at AskDaveTaylor.com or PlanetDave.com. ### Cruises and Resorts Thinking about a cruise or all-inclusive resort vacation? 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