Every time I have to go somewhere that calls for the need for me to get fancy I go into a panic thinking that I have nothing to wear because I know I won’t have time to shop for something beforehand. Low and behold every time there is a stunner in my closet like a beautiful surprise that I had totally forgotten I had that is just perfect. The Buick Enclave is like that; an enthralling eye-opener on the road capturing driver’s attention making them wonder why they hadn’t taken a closer look before.

Lucky for me that I didn’t have to ask that question since I had the fortune to drive around my city turning heads as I went in the 2018 Buick Enclave Premium AWD. Whether one takes a quick glance or a long drawn out stare, simply put, the Buick Enclave is an exquisite luxury vehicle without the price tag that makes one want to run away. For years designers have struggled with making third row SUVs look less like bulky, functional, unattractive buses that scream, “Yes, I am a parent with a lot of kids or I run a daycare.” The appearance of a more upscale, striking, advantageous crossovers has been at a lost, until now. Buick designers have accomplished that masterfully on the 2018 Buick Enclave. Transforming it from stout and boxy to sophisticated and sexy, the Buick Enclave shows off its curves with well-crafted sculpted lines. Chrome details further highlight its gorgeous form.

Resting on 20” aluminum wheels supporting the Buck Enclave’s frame one would be hard pressed to notice that it is actually longer than its predecessor creating more legroom for backseat passengers. Winged LED headlamps illuminate a brighter range of dark roads for safety and driving comfort level while adding overall appeal. The power moonroof with rear-facing skylight brings the outside in for all riders. Like a bow on a present, the signature grille with encrusted tri-color Buick logo brings the complete look together.

Inside the Buick keeps the flow going with a rich look. Everything is well laid out in a natural flow. Leather appointed seating with exposed stitching and the heat seat button activated felt like I was getting a big bear hug. Front seats were also ventilated as well as a heated steering wheel. Great options for Houston’s all season at any time weather. There is seating for seven with two Captain’s chairs for the second row and bench seating for the third row. Passengers can easily move about the back of the cabin as the second row seat slide back and forth. As I talk of space, it is important to mention that when all rows are up there is 23.6 cubic feet of space for storage. That amount increases to 58 cubic feet when the third row is flattened and extends to 100 cubic feet when the second and third rows are flattened.

The Buick Enclave is not known for speed but it is not slow either. It gives a good oomph with a 3.6-liter V6 engine that produces 310 horsepower. I found gas mileage to be average with EPA ratings at 17-mpg city and 25-mpg highway. I do a good amount of driving during the week and was able to make all my stops on one tank of gas for seven days. Driving the Buick Enclave was always fun for me because I didn’t have to worry about things like safety or the difficulty of driving. Everything was smooth and easy going due to features like collision warning that alerted me with a glaring red light if the Buick thought I was going to crash or blind spot monitoring that illuminated a light in my mirror to alert me when I could switch lanes. My butt even vibrated when I would drive in reverse if the vehicle thought I would hit something. These features need to be standard on all vehicles. I would also add a full camera that gives the complete bird’s eye view to the list. It makes parking vehicles anywhere completely effortless. I thought I was a parking pro!

I cannot end this article without talking about the thing that freaked me out the most. As I was leaving one early, dark morning I just so happen to look down at the ground behind the Buick Enclave as I hit the button to unlock the doors. Yes, the lights came on brighten up my way. Love that! But what also shown was the classic tri-color Buick logo on the ground. It was like my own bat signal. I thought that is so cool. What made it cooler was when I found out it had an actual purpose. The logo showed where one should kick their foot to open up the automatic liftgate when your hands are full. See, even cooler right?

Four trim levels are available for the Buick Enclave: Enclave (not a typo), Essence, Premium, and Avenir. My test vehicle was the premium trim level so it had the above safety features plus ionized systems, leather surface, navigation and a trailer package. It was base price at $50,315 but optional packaging and vehicle upgrades increased my test vehicle’s tag to $57, 055.

I absolutely loved the Buick Enclave. It is definitely on my short list of vehicles I want to own next. It is premium for a reason and you can find more reasons why that’s so at your local Buick dealer or online at Buick.com.