Enclave vs. Outlook/Acadia

[mkaresh]

I test drove an Enclave and an Acadia back-to-back yesterday.

The Enclave is significantly quieter than the other two. They're quiet, but the Buick is extremely quiet. Engine noise is much more muffled, and wind and road noise are also lower.

The Enclave also seemed to ride more smoothly, though noise levels have been proven to affect perceptions of ride quality. Also, the Acadia had the optional 19s, which create more road noise. So I had to rely on my memory of ride quality in the Outlook I drove with 18s. The Acadia handled a bit better, but overall I thought that the Enclave's advantage in ride quality exceeded its disadvantage in handling.

As I've said before, I think the Buick should have had higher grade materials than the other two to support its upscale interior styling and positioning.

Will post full reviews of both vehicles to epinions.com in the coming week.