2016 Buick Enclave for Sale in Santa Barbara, CA

Need a luxury-oriented full-size crossover that won’t break the bank? Check out Buick’s 2016 Enclave when it hits dealer showrooms in the summer of 2015. The 7- or 8-passenger Enclave remains a roomy and stylish alternative to, for instance, Ford’s funk-laden Flex or Mazda’s agile CX-9, and it doesn’t cost as much as Acura’s smaller MDX. Furthermore, this elegant mini-ute returns in 3 trims: the base Convenience Group, the up-featured Leather Group, and the top-shelf Premium Group. And for the upcoming model year, a sleek and slinky new Tuscan Edition is waiting in the wings to complement the Leather and Premium Groups.

Power-wise, look for the upcoming Enclave variations to each boast the 3.6-liter V6 engine in last year's version, mated with a standard 6-speed shiftable automatic transmission. Expect 288 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque from the peppy V6, with front-wheel drive (FWD) remaining the standard drivetrain. As is traditional, however, the Leather Group and the Premium Group, including both in the new Tuscan Edition, return offered with available full-time all-wheel drive (AWD). Mileage figures are expected to remain estimated at 17 mpg city/24 highway/19 combined in FWD versions, with AWD iterations again coming in at 16/22/18. And for those who are interested, towing capacity is rated at 4,500 pounds with the proper equipment.

Expected to return for the 2016 Enclave lineup, appearance-wise, and depending on the trim selected, are such goodies as 18- or 19-inch alloy wheels, a roof rack, and a power-opening rear liftgate.

Inside, once again depending on the trim chosen, look for cloth, or, in higher trims, leather upholstery, as well as heated power-adjustable front seats, reclining rear seats, full power accessories, cruise control, telescoping tilt-wheel steering, a remote garage door opener, a rear-view camera, and rear parking sensors. Additionally, 3-zone auto climate control is expected to return, as is Bluetooth-interfaced OnStar infotainment with Directions & Connections technology.

Upper-echelon Enclave trims, furthermore, are slated to add such perks as standard reverse-tilt exterior mirrors, a heated steering wheel, and memory for driver's settings. The Premium Group further enhances its appeal (and its MSRP) with standard GPS navigation.

Entertainment in the entry-level Convenience Group and the midlevel Leather Group is scheduled to again include a CD/MP3 player boasting 6 speakers, satellite radio, and an auxiliary audio input. The Premium Group, of course, improves on this with a premium Bose audio system driving 11 speakers and complemented by separate rear-seat audio controls.

The brand new Tuscan Edition sub-trim, by the way, distinguishes itself through such unique exterior touches as bronze highlights adorning the grille and the alloy wheels, while a trio of new exterior colors, White Frost Tricoat, Dark Chocolate Metallic, and Ebony Twilight Metallic are matched with a pair of unique interior hues, Coccachino and Ebony. Meantime, a further improvement slated to further elevate the 2016 Enclave Tuscan Edition over the current iterations is the introduction of QuietTuning technology, whereby the aerodynamically improved profile, thicker glass, and sound-absorbent interior materials are expected to cut wind and road noise to just about zero.

Options for the upcoming Enclave lineup currently include trim-specific extras such as a front power moonroof with fixed rear moonroof, rear-seat DVD entertainment, a 4G LTE wireless hotspot, various cargo management systems, and body-color sidesteps.

Oh, and cargo capacity is expected to remain a fairly hefty 115.2 cubic feet with the rear seatbacks folded.

Standard safety equipment for the 2016 Enclave lineup is expected to include 4-wheel antilock brakes (ABS), traction and stability control, front side-mounted airbags, 3-row head curtain airbags, daytime running lights, and high-intensity-discharge (HID) headlights. OnStar emergency telematics are also slated to return, as are turn-signal-integrated mirrors, a post-collision safety system, and a remote antitheft alarm. Additionally, the Leather Group and its Premium Group sibling, both straight and in their new Tuscan Edition garb, also get standard blind-spot warnings. The Premium Group and the Premium Group Tuscan Edition are additionally slated to tote standard lane-keeping assistance, a forward-collision alert, and rear cross-traffic alerts.

The current Enclave gets 5 stars overall in government safety tests, with the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) giving this slick crossover its highest rating of Good in all testing criteria.

Finally, the current Enclave stable is panned by some owners as having issues with the infotainment gizmos, and its seats are not considered especially comfortable for long journeys. On the plus side, owners are lavish in praising this sizable quasi-ute for its comfy ride and spacious cabin.