For the 2013 model year, the Buick Enclave is getting a price hike. The 2013 Enclave's starting price of $39,270 is about $2000 more than the price of last year's model but still below other premium seven-passenger SUVs like the Infiniti JX35 and Acura MDX.
Every 2013 Buick Enclave comes with standard HID headlights, a rear-view camera, rear parking sensors, remote start, a seven-inch touch-screen infotainment display with IntelliLink, GM's new front-center air bag, and a power liftgate. Navigation costs from $795-$1540 depending on the trim level and, as on the GMC Acadia, all-wheel drive is a $2000 option. Replacing the Enclave's seven-passenger layout with an eight-seat arrangement is a no-cost option.
Those who consider buying the 2013 Enclave for themselves and not for a rental car company may consider the 2013 Enclave with the Leather Group. At $43,285, it includes leather, heated front seats, an eight-way power passenger seat, memory seat settings, as well as a blindspot monitoring system with Cross Traffic Alert.
Move up one step to the 2013 Enclave with the Premium Group and you'll get 19-inch chrome wheels (the standard model gets 18-inchers), headlights that turn around corners, a premium sound system, cooled front seats, power-folding side mirrors, and a power tilt/telescoping steering column. The 2013 Buick Enclave Premium, at $46,450 -- for comparison, the luxury-oriented 2013 GMC Acadia Denali costs $46,770. All Enclaves get LED daytime running lights and, as with the 2012 Enclave, a 20-inch wheel option.
Like the 2013 GMC Acadia, the 2013 Buick Enclave is powered by a 3.6-liter V-6 producing 288 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque. Buick says the six-speed automatic transmission has been retuned for the 2013 model year. EPA-rated fuel economy is 17/24 mpg city/highway for front-drive models and 16/22 mpg for the all-wheel-drive Enclave. The 2013 Infiniti JX gets 18/23-24 mpg with front- and all-wheel drive.
Years after the Buick Enclave first arrived on the market, the crossover remains an integral part of the automaker's lineup. Through the first eight months of the year, 37,351 Enclaves were sold, a few thousand less than the LaCrosse but well above the Regal and Verano. Though the 2013 Buick Enclave now has a much higher base price than before, we wonder if that will have any effect on sales since it shares the market with the Infiniti JX and, before long, a new Acura MDX.