and I think that this is a crossover.
and I don't think Buick makes them (station wagons) anymore.
Posted on 11/08/2007 2:07:40 PM PST by E. Pluribus Unum
So there I am driving to the Northwestern/Iowa football game last Saturday when my friend Bruce says, "Hey, what do you think of the Buick Enclave? I think it's pretty sharp." Well Bruce, you are not alone.
The latest stats from J.D. Power's Power Information Network shows the Buick Enclave was the fastest selling vehicle in the U.S. last month. Yes, #1. The Enclave sold so fast, it was in showrooms fewer days than the Toyota Fit which rounded out the top "hot selling cars" in October.
Why is this a big deal? Buick is hurting, and if the Enclave is generating buzz with little marketing it is significant. It shows a good looking model can be sell even if the badge on the front is gasping for air. It also shows GM's designers have hit the right chord with it's latest crossovers (the GMC Acadia was the only other American model in the top ten of fast selling models).
If you've read this blog for any amouint of time you know my thoughts on Buick. It's the forgotten brand at GM with an undefined niche, little marketing support, and until now, few models I found attractive. Heck sales are down 23% this year and it represents less than 5% of GM's total sales. All reasons why I've wondered why GM doesn't go ahead and give Buick the Oldsmobile treatment and kill it.
That may still happen. But for now, the Enclave is giving Buick executives and fans a reason to smile. As I told my friend Bruce, "The Enclave is very nice, give it a look"
Guess I stopped paying attention to the Big 3 too long ago...............
That’s not fair!!!! I don’t like Nissans so I got a Santa Fe (only because I couldn’t quite swing the $35,000.00 for a Pilot) and at only 6’1” can’t fit behind the wheel.......
About $15,000
I was looking at Edmunds' reviews on the car and some of the new owners were making a complaint or two about the 6 speed transmission. Honda's Odyssy also had transmission issues. As you own one, what do you think?
I first saw the Enclave in a preview online. I like cars but I am no enthusiast and I know squat about engines and all the technical terms (beyond the basics) and my first impression was that the Enclave was going to be, OFF THE HOOK (as the kids say.)
My mistake, but still that Roadmaster looks cool, it’ll never sell though except to the baby boomers.
Answer: None
They use petroglyph Honu (sea turtles) stickers in Hawaii.
Not nearly as annoying.........
Station wagon is a slightly stretched car, Traditional SUV is a pick-up with the bed made into the rest of an enclosed vehicle (remember cars are now unibody without a frame but trucks still have frames) so a crossover is basically an SUV (usually a little smaller but nowhere near as small as a car) without the frame, or a much taller station wagon...
and I think that this is a crossover.
and I don't think Buick makes them (station wagons) anymore.
check out the recent issue of car & driver magazine (november, 2007).
they do a comparison of 5 leading mini-vans. the toyota sienna comes in 2nd behind the honda odyssey.
the article give the toyota high marks for the engine, passing power, tansmission, quiet interior, and 2nd row seats.
the toyota lacks in exterior design and they say it is tough to fold the 2nd and 3rd row seats. it is a good article. check it out at a magazine stand. the article begins on page 58.
Issues with an electronic, six speed auto have happened with a number of manufacturers, Honda, VW, GM (and Ford, the transmission in question was co-developed by GM and Ford) and others. The Toyota Sienna has been around for a while, can’t say anything bad about it functionally.
The mileage figures can be deceiving for all of these larger vehicles. If you do a lot of city driving, you’re going to be disappointed with all of them, they’re heavy. The Acadia weighs nearly 5,000 pounds. I have no problem getting the new, revised EPA rating on the highway (down to 24 mpg, from 26), and almost always exceed it on longer trips. Around town, you have to really try, to get the EPA number (revised down to 16 mpg, from 18).
Stylistically, there is no comparison between a Sienna minivan and the GMC Acadia; the Acadia wins running away, imho. It’s a very attractive vehicle inside and out. I’ve been a Toyota man for two decades, and the decision to buy not just domestic but GM was not taken lightly. If you’re really more in the market for a minivan, and need the sliding doors and the lower floor, I’d honestly go for the Honda Odyssey, because it’s the resale leader as far as minivans go.
I’m 5-10/11 and fit quite comfortably in my Santa Fe (2006.) I like the front styling on the 2007 a lot more but it’s not like my girl is ugly or anything. And I drove from Seattle to Iowa without any problem.
Well, other than when I forgot I pulled in front of one of those concrete parking stops and drove OVER IT when I left the spot. LOL No damage, though and everything runs quite smoothly.
Nice car and I got the 2006 with only 10K miles on it for 16.9K. At the time I bought it for less than trade-in and it is the high-end trim.
Enclave?
“In political geography, an enclave is a country or part of a country mostly surrounded by the territory of another country or wholly lying within the boundaries of another country,[1] and an exclave is a part of a country which is geographically separated from the main part by surrounding alien territory.[2] Many entities are both enclaves and exclaves, but not all are simultaneously both.”
http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Enclave
The Buick definitely costs less than the Cayenne...
My neighbor just got a Taurus X, SUV. Nice looking ride.
With all the folks getting ready to retire, Buick has a growing market ahead. :^)
I like the new Buicks, wouldn’t mind having one in the driveway. My wife’s Century is very comfortable.
That's easy.
Station wagons were eeevil gas guzzlers that were mandated away by CAFE regulations, then returned Phoenix-like from the ashes in the form of the even more eeeevil truck-based SUV (people want to engage in all sorts of eeevil abominations like carrying lots of passengers and towing trailers, you see).
Since truck-based SUVs are so eeeevil, auto manufacturers now make less eeevil crossover SUVs based on newer car platforms, so they are more palatable to the public (not so eeevil).
Hybrid crossovers are availble too, so automotive sainthood is available to those who want it.
I wish Buick all the luck in the world. I would hate to see another American automobile manufacturer go down the tubes (even though in some cases it’s deserved.)
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