Let’s be honest, Buick hasn’t exactly been top of mind for most SUV buyers in recent years and that’s a shame. The fact is the 2026 Buick Enclave Sport Touring should be on your list.
Starting around $48,795, it undercuts the range-topping Avenir, which I reviewed last year, by a wide margin while still delivering most of what buyers actually want. The Avenir, starting at $59,395, leans harder into luxury with 22-inch wheels, adaptive suspension, ventilated seats and more premium materials. But for many buyers, the Sport Touring hits a better balance of price, styling, and features.
Let’s compare the two trims while discussing the 2026 Buick Enclave.
Exterior Design: Blacked-Out and More Aggressive
The Sport Touring trim gives the Enclave a noticeably different personality compared to the more upscale Avenir.
Where the Avenir leans into chrome and traditional luxury cues, the Sport Touring goes the opposite direction with a blacked-out aesthetic. You get darker trim elements, more aggressive visual touches and 20-inch wheels that fit the vehicle well without feeling oversized.
The Cherry Red Tintcoat paint on our test model pops adding some personality without being too flashy.
Up front, the grille and lighting remain clean and modern but the darker accents give the Sport Touring a more contemporary, almost sporty edge. Along the sides, the continuous glass look still works well, and the reduced chrome helps reinforce the more modern design direction.
Out back, the full-width LED lighting bar ties everything together. It’s a familiar design trend, but it works here, especially paired with the darker trim.
Overall, if you prefer a less traditional luxury look (aka loads of chrome), the Sport Touring is the one to get.
Interior: Comfort First, Without the Full Luxury Price
Inside, the biggest takeaway is how much this cabin doesn’t feel that much cheaper than the Avenir trim.
Seat comfort has been a long-standing complaint with GM vehicles. That’s fixed here. The seats are wider, softer, and far more supportive, making long drives much more comfortable.
Now, compared to the Avenir, you do give up some high-end touches. You won’t get features like ventilated seats or the most premium materials, but honestly, this still feels upscale enough for most buyers. Nothing about the interior feels cheap or stripped down.
Second-row space is generous, with plenty of legroom and headroom for adults. You also get heated seats, USB ports, and a standard outlet, making it practical for passengers on longer trips.
The third row remains usable, not just a token feature, and cargo space is pretty good. With the third row up, there’s still room for items like golf clubs. Fold everything down, and you’ve plenty of storage capacity.
Technology and Features: Strong Value in This Trim
The Sport Touring still delivers where it counts on tech with a large, wide display across the dashboard.
The easy to use display also supports wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, plus offers built-in apps and vehicle data.
You also get a Bose sound system, wireless charging, and multiple camera views. One small critique remains, the camera display feels smaller than expected given the screen size.
Super Cruise from General Motors is available here as well. It’s still one of the better hands-free driving systems on the market, especially for highway use. It uses mapped roads and driver monitoring to allow hands-free driving in certain conditions, which makes long trips noticeably easier.
Like before, it requires an upfront hardware cost and a subscription, but for frequent highway drivers, it’s worth considering.
Night Driving and the One Big Flaw
At night, the Enclave continues to impress in most areas.
Ambient lighting adds a premium feel to the cabin, and the LED exterior lighting performs well. The digital rearview mirror is especially useful, cutting down glare from headlights behind you.
However, the same issue shows up here as in higher trims.
There’s a noticeable reflection of the dashboard on the windshield at night. It sits in your line of sight and can be distracting. Adjusting brightness helps, but it doesn’t eliminate it completely.
It’s not a dealbreaker, but it’s the one flaw you’ll consistently notice and other GM vehicles have this concern as well leading to the company offering fixes like anti-glare mats on the dashboard.
On the Road: Smooth, Quiet and Finally Confident
Power comes from a 2.5-liter turbocharged engine paired with an 8-speed automatic transmission, producing 368 horsepower and 366 lb-ft of torque.
Compared to the previous generation, this is a major improvement.
Acceleration is stronger, passing power is there when you need it, and the overall driving experience feels more confident. It’s not trying to be sporty, but it finally avoids feeling underpowered.
More importantly, it delivers on what buyers actually want:
- Smooth ride
- Quiet cabin
- Enough power for real-world driving
Fuel economy sits around 19 mpg city, 24 mpg highway, and 21 mpg combined, which is competitive for a three-row SUV.
Ride quality is composed, visibility is strong, and overall comfort is excellent, especially on longer drives.
Final Verdict: The SUV Most Buyers Will Be Very Happy With
The 2025 Buick Enclave Sport Touring starts around $48,795, and that’s what makes it so compelling.
Yes, the Avenir offers more luxury, larger 22-inch wheels, adaptive suspension, ventilated seats, and upgraded materials, but you’re paying a significant premium to get there.
Aside from the nighttime windshield reflection issue, there’s not much to complain about.
Bottom line: if you’re shopping this segment, this is the trim and a SUV that makes a lot of sense.
And maybe more importantly, Buick is finally back in the conversation. That is if consumers remember the brand exists is another thing.
