The 2025 Buick Enclave ST AWD: Navigating the Nuances of Buick’s Mid-Tier Ambition
The year 2025 presents a fascinating, often challenging, landscape for automotive manufacturers, especially in the fiercely contested premium midsize SUV segment. Consumers today demand more than just transportation; they seek a harmonious blend of style, cutting-edge technology, sophisticated driving dynamics, and undeniable value. As someone who has spent the better part of a decade analyzing and evaluating vehicles across this evolving spectrum, I approach each new contender with a critical eye, dissecting whether it truly earns its stripes – and its price tag.
Enter the 2025 Buick Enclave ST AWD. On paper, it slots into Buick’s refreshed lineup as a key player, aiming to capture the essence of refined American motoring. However, our extensive time with the mid-tier ST variant revealed a vehicle that, while competent in many respects, struggles to articulate a compelling narrative in a market overflowing with dazzling alternatives. Stripped of the top-shelf Avenir trim’s distinguishing accouterments, the Enclave ST AWD left us pondering whether its foundational strengths are enough to overcome its perceived shortcomings and deliver a truly premium experience.
Buick’s refreshed design language, heavily influenced by the evocative Wildcat concept, has undeniably injected a much-needed shot of modern sophistication into the Enclave. For 2025, the exterior styling is genuinely handsome, boasting clean lines, a confident stance, and thoughtful proportions that avoid the over-aggressive tendencies seen in some rivals. The increased physical size is a welcome enhancement, contributing to improved interior space without transforming the Enclave into an unwieldy behemoth during daily urban maneuvers or navigating tight parking structures. It’s a testament to Buick’s design team that such a substantial vehicle still manages to convey an aura of approachable elegance rather than imposing bulk. This aesthetic appeal is arguably one of the Enclave ST’s strongest suits, offering a visual identity that distinguishes it from its more common GM stablemates and positions it squarely within the contemporary “luxury midsize SUV” aesthetic.
Beneath that attractive sheet metal, Buick has opted for a significant powertrain shift for 2025, replacing the outgoing V6 with a new turbocharged four-cylinder engine. This move aligns with broader “automotive technology trends 2025,” prioritizing fuel efficiency and reduced emissions without, in theory, sacrificing performance. From an EPA perspective, the new engine delivers a welcome improvement in “fuel efficiency SUV 2025” ratings, a crucial consideration for today’s value-conscious buyers. However, during our extensive testing, the “slight acceleration penalty” compared to its predecessor was noticeable. While perfectly adequate for daily commuting and highway cruising, the turbo-four rarely evokes excitement. It delivers power smoothly, but without the immediate, authoritative surge that a six-cylinder or a more potent turbocharged four might offer in this class. For a vehicle with aspirations in the premium segment, where effortless power is often a given, this engine package, while efficient, feels more functional than inspired. The Enclave ST’s driving dynamics further compound this impression; the ride is comfortable enough over most surfaces, absorbing road imperfections with a soft compliance. Yet, there’s a distinct lack of engagement. The steering, especially when toggled into the “Sport” drive mode, becomes artificially heavy without offering any genuine feedback or precision, detracting from any potential sporty appeal. The overall sensation is one of competent utility rather than refined dynamism, leading to a “snoozetastic driving experience” that, for many, won’t justify the “Buick Enclave pricing” as a premium offering.
Perhaps the most compelling, yet frustrating, aspect of the 2025 Enclave ST AWD lies in its technological offerings, particularly regarding “driver assistance features” and “ADAS technology.” The inclusion of Super Cruise, GM’s acclaimed hands-off-the-wheel driver assistance system, is a significant win for Buick. Having won a prestigious 2025 MotorTrend Best Tech award, Super Cruise operates with commendable caution and precision on its pre-mapped highways, offering a genuinely relaxing and confidence-inspiring semi-autonomous driving experience. For long-haul commuters or road trippers who frequently traverse these mapped routes, Super Cruise is a game-changer, elevating the travel experience dramatically. This is a clear indicator of Buick’s commitment to integrating advanced “automotive technology trends 2025” into its vehicles.
However, the euphoria quickly dissipates when Super Cruise is not active. A perplexing decision by Buick (or perhaps GM’s product strategists) is the complete absence of any basic lane-centering functionality when the vehicle is not on a Super Cruise-enabled road. This omission is glaring and, frankly, inexcusable in a vehicle commanding a $61,475 sticker price for the ST AWD trim. Many similarly sized and priced SUVs, and even some significantly less expensive ones, offer robust lane-keeping assist systems that actively center the vehicle within its lane even when the driver’s hands are on the wheel. The lack of this foundational “next-gen SUV feature” places the Enclave ST at a considerable disadvantage against its rivals, undermining its perceived technological sophistication. It’s a short-sighted marketing decision that limits the Enclave’s appeal for everyday driving scenarios where Super Cruise simply isn’t an option.
Inside the cabin, the Enclave ST presents a dichotomy. The large, curved infotainment screen, which appears to be a derivative of the stunning display found in the Cadillac Vistiq, is a visual focal point and the heart of the “vehicle infotainment systems.” Powered by Google Built-in, the system is intuitive and responsive, allowing for seamless integration of familiar “common phone apps” like Spotify and Waze directly into the car’s OS. This approach minimizes reliance on smartphone mirroring, offering a more native and integrated user experience. Google Assistant works exceptionally well, responding to voice commands with impressive accuracy for navigation, media control, and even climate adjustments. This aspect of the Enclave’s “automotive design philosophy” is forward-thinking and genuinely useful.
Yet, this focus on the digital experience seems to have come at the expense of tangible interior quality, particularly in the ST trim with its monochrome black interior. Buick’s long-standing reputation, and its current efforts towards “Buick brand repositioning,” suggest a push for premium status. However, the Enclave ST’s cabin falls short of these aspirations. Hard plastics are abundant, particularly below the dashboard, and rough edges on various trim pieces betray its premium pretensions. Compared to competitors like the Hyundai Palisade or Kia Telluride, which offer rich, upscale interiors at similar or even lower price points, the Enclave ST’s cabin feels distinctly less refined. Even a Chevrolet Traverse High Country, which stickered for nearly a thousand dollars less than our test Enclave, presented a more cohesive and arguably more pleasant interior environment. The center console, in particular, looks and feels like an “afterthought,” lacking the thoughtful integration and premium materials expected in a vehicle attempting to justify a $60,000+ price tag. While the “good balance of second- and third-row room” is undeniable, offering genuinely usable space for families, and the easy flat-folding rear seats contribute to practical versatility, the overall ambiance misses the mark for “luxury SUV interiors.” The third row is indeed functional for smaller children and average-sized adults on shorter trips, and the second row offers ample comfort, reinforcing its “premium family SUV” credentials from a utility standpoint, if not from a material quality perspective.
This brings us to the crucial discussion of “Buick Enclave pricing” and its overall “value proposition.” Our 2025 Enclave ST AWD test vehicle carried an MSRP of $61,475. This figure places it in direct contention with a broad array of formidable rivals, not just from mainstream brands like Hyundai, Kia, and even Chevrolet, but also encroaching on entry-level luxury crossovers from Acura, Mazda, and even Lexus. While the top-tier Avenir model aims to justify a mid-$60,000 price with upgraded active shocks, a panoramic roof, and a more aesthetically pleasing interior, even that variant often pales in direct comparison to the refined elegance and robust feature sets of many competitors.
The core issue for the Enclave ST is that it struggles to differentiate itself convincingly in a market where excellence is increasingly accessible. It’s a perfectly functional “3-row SUV,” offering good space and useful technology, but it lacks that elusive “wow” factor that truly sets a vehicle apart. The “SUV market analysis 2025” clearly shows that consumers are willing to pay for genuine luxury, innovative technology, and engaging driving dynamics. The Enclave ST delivers on some fronts, but its compromises in interior material quality, driving excitement, and particularly its baffling ADAS limitations outside of Super Cruise, make it a tough sell at this price point. When considering your next “car buying guide 2025” options, these factors weigh heavily on the perceived “car value depreciation” over time, as a vehicle’s initial perceived value often dictates its long-term desirability.
In conclusion, the 2025 Buick Enclave ST AWD is a good, decent servant – a capable family hauler that offers handsome styling, commendable interior space, and the brilliance of Super Cruise on specific roads. However, its mid-tier execution leaves too much to be desired for a vehicle aspiring to premium status. The indifferent fit and finish of the interior, the uninspired driving experience, and the baffling absence of basic lane-centering technology without Super Cruise enabled, collectively prevent it from becoming a true standout in its highly competitive segment. It’s a vehicle that performs its intended function adequately, but it lacks the spark, the polish, and the comprehensive luxury experience that its price tag suggests it should deliver.
Before making your final decision on a “premium family SUV” for 2025, we strongly encourage you to experience the Enclave ST AWD firsthand. More importantly, take the time to cross-shop it rigorously against its many impressive competitors. Evaluate what truly matters most to you – is it cutting-edge design, superior interior quality, a more engaging drive, or comprehensive driver assistance features? Your perfect vehicle is out there, and understanding the nuances of offerings like the Enclave ST is the first step toward finding it. We invite you to explore further reviews and comparative analyses on our platform to ensure your next automotive investment truly dazzles.
