Whenever you hear “Buick,” a core memory probably pops into your head of your grandparents’ Park Avenue. But in recent years, the classic American brand has taken great strides to make their image more modern and youthful. Buick has scored another point against father time with their reworked flagship SUV, the 2025 Enclave, led with the mindset of exceptional design, and refined performance. So we traveled to Portland , Oregon to experience this overhauled three-row utility for ourselves.

Walking up to the ‘25 Enclave, you’re immediately removed from any thoughts of Buick’s past. Not to diss their old designs, but here, they’ve tapped into a balance between mainstream and luxury. The lines of Buick’s crossover utility are ultra clean, the bumpers are fresh, and the LED lighting elements are very 2020’s. The engineers who put the Enclave under the knife reconstructed it to fit in with the brand’s current, more chiseled design language that we’ve seen on the recent Encore GX, Envista and Envision.

Under the redesigned hood, which features the latest rendition of Buick’s tri-shield logo, is a new powertrain which is more in sync with today’s market. Gone is the 3.6-liter V6, replaced by a turbocharged 2.5-liter four-cylinder. At 328 horsepower and 326 lb-ft of torque, an increase of 18 ponies and 60 lb-ft, it feels more eager to get off the line and onto some road activities. It’s paired to an eight-speed automatic, one less gear than the outgoing nine-speed; and depending on the climate you’ll be commuting in, all-wheel drive is up for grabs over the standard front-driven configuration.

But in all fairness, Buick buyers haven’t been as excited for a turbocharged power plant since the GNX. No, today’s Buick buyer is more interested in a souped up interior. And to that point, the Enclave’s cabin meets those expectations.

Stepping into the interior, I was greeted with a beautifully designed two tone interior that was aesthetically pleasing and very comfortable. Once inside, this three-row, 6 or 7 passenger layout starts to show its volume; the second-row captain’s chairs are cozy, and the third row is adult friendly. The Avenir is the top of the Enclave hierarchy, offering the most luxury with leather-appointed seats, a heated second row and a 16-speaker Bose sound system.

The dashboard’s width is broken up by a 30-inch wide touchscreen, standard in all three Enclave trims, the entry-level Preferred and the “Sport Touring” ST joining the Avenir. Not only is the center portion of this display touch sensitive, but even the side closer to the driver, something you don’t see very often. And this isn’t just a super wide screen it is also very functional for the driver and the passenger. Because the user interface allows the driver and the passenger to interact at the sametime by moving critical information in front of the driver while allowing the other half to still be used by the passenger for media and climate controls.

Another way Buick has worked to make the user experience even better is Google integration. Now you do still get wireless Carplay and Android Auto, but now with the added benefit of Google Assistant you have the ability to respond to text, ask for directions, and even control a select few vehicle features. And on the topic of hands-free, the Enclave is officially the first Buick to feature GM’s Super Cruise technology. As seen in other applications, Super Cruise works on preprogrammed roads, and takes some of the strain out of driving, especially on the highway. It’s joined by a suite of driver safety and convenience features– think front pedestrian braking, rear cross traffic braking, lane keep assist with lane departure warning. Another feature, Buckle to Drive, doesn’t allow the car to move until the driver seatbelt is buckled.

With all that said, Buick has poised the 2025 Enclave to better contend in the competitive three-row market. It starts at $46,395 with destination– that’s for a front-wheel drive Preferred; all-wheel drive is a $2,000 upgrade. The same can be said for the ST, starting at $48,795, and the Avenir, starting at $61,395. It’s available on dealer lots now… and one has just been delivered to the MotorWeek Road Test lot. Stay tuned for our official review, coming soon.