2022 Toyota Highlander vs 2021 Buick Enclave

The 2021 Buick Enclave harkened back to the brand's glory days with its big, shiny, and impressive design. After a period of decline, Buick found its footing by offering globally-sourced and rebadged GM vehicles. The Enclave stood out as the largest of Buick's four SUVs, offering a luxurious and spacious option for consumers. Available in Preferred, Essence, Premium, and Avenir trims, the Enclave's pricing ranged from just over $41,000 to nearly $55,000. The Avenir trim, in particular, added a unique grille pattern, extra brightwork, and polished 20-inch wheels, enhancing its premium appeal. Inside, the Enclave Avenir featured a minimalist design with organic forms, polished accents, and soft leather, although the wood trim was not genuine. The electronic transmission shifter was initially fussy but became intuitive with use.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander featured a modern and somewhat aggressive front-end design. Its flared fender arches and slightly kicked-up third-row window gave it a compact appearance, despite its spacious interior. The XSE trim, in particular, stood out with its bold red leather interior, unique exterior styling, ambient interior lighting, and sport-tuned suspension. The Highlander was available in L, LE, XLE, XSE, Limited, and Platinum trims. The base L trim offered a range of standard features, including 18-inch alloy wheels, pushbutton start, and an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Higher trims added more luxury and tech features, such as a power moonroof, wireless device charging, and a JBL premium stereo system. The Limited and Platinum trims further enhanced the Highlander's appeal with features like heated and ventilated front seats, a hands-free power liftgate, and a panoramic sunroof.

The 2021 Buick Enclave was powered by a 3.6-liter V6 engine paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, available in both front-wheel drive (FWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD). The V6 produced 310 horsepower at 6,800 rpm and 266 pound-feet of torque at 2,800 rpm, providing strong acceleration and a maximum tow rating of 5,000 pounds when properly equipped. The Enclave's ride and handling were impressive, thanks to the premium-tuned suspension with continuously variable damping. The nine-speed automatic transmission performed flawlessly, and the Enclave's steering and brake response were well-balanced. The EPA rated the Enclave at 21 mpg in combined driving, and during testing, it averaged 21.2 mpg, allowing for a range of up to 460 miles on a full tank.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander came equipped with a 3.5-liter V6 engine, delivering 295 horsepower and 263 pound-feet of torque. Power was routed through an eight-speed automatic transmission to either standard FWD or available AWD. The Highlander featured a drive-mode button with Sport, Normal, and Eco modes, as well as an AWD dial with Mud/Sand, Rock, and Normal modes. The V6 engine provided adequate pickup, especially at highway speeds, and produced a throaty exhaust note. The Highlander's handling was commendable, with the XSE trim's sport-tuned suspension reducing body roll while maintaining a comfortable ride. The Highlander could tow up to 5,000 pounds and had a maximum payload of 1,685 pounds in the FWD L and LE trims.

The 2021 Buick Enclave was one of the largest SUVs in its class, offering ample space for six or seven passengers. The Avenir trim featured a 12-way power-adjustable driver's seat with a basic massaging function, while the front passenger seat was 10-way power-adjustable with matching massage. The seats were heated, ventilated, and wrapped in soft leather. The Enclave's third-row seat was spacious and easy to access, and the vehicle offered 23.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row, 58 cubic feet with the third row folded, and 97.6 cubic feet with the second row folded.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander provided up to 84.3 cubic feet of cargo space with the second- and third-row seats folded. With the second-row seats in use, there was 48.4 cubic feet of cargo space, and with all seats deployed, the Highlander offered 16 cubic feet of cargo space behind the third row. The Highlander's interior was designed for convenience, with deep cargo pockets, extra ledges, and a spacious center console compartment. The XSE trim featured second-row captain's chairs, providing a center aisle to the third row. While the second-row seats were spacious for adults, the third row was best suited for short trips.

The 2021 Buick Enclave's infotainment system met basic expectations but fell short in some areas. It featured an 8-inch touchscreen, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, SiriusXM 360L satellite radio, and a 4G LTE WiFi hotspot. Upgrades included a premium sound system, navigation, wireless smartphone charging, and a surround-view camera system. However, the Enclave lacked smart home digital assistant integration and high-end audio components. The Avenir trim's 8-inch touchscreen was the largest available, and the 10-speaker Bose sound system was underwhelming compared to competitors. One notable feature was the rear camera mirror, which provided a live video view of what was behind the Enclave.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander came standard with a WiFi hotspot, five USB ports, and an 8-inch touchscreen supporting Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, and Amazon Alexa. The infotainment system was user-friendly, with hard buttons on either side of the screen. Higher trims offered a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen, a digital instrument panel screen, and an 11-speaker JBL premium stereo system. The XSE trim featured a wireless charging pad and a combination of USB and USB-C ports.

The 2021 Buick Enclave's safety features were somewhat limited. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were only available on the Essence trim and above. The Driver Confidence Plus Package, which included forward-collision warning, low-speed automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and more, was standard on the Premium and Avenir trims. Adaptive cruise control with enhanced automatic emergency braking was only available on the Avenir trim with the optional Avenir Technology Package. The Enclave received a five-star overall rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) but had a four-star rating for frontal-impact protection. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave it high marks, but its Marginal headlight performance rating prevented it from earning a Top Safety Pick accolade.

The 2022 Toyota Highlander came standard with the Toyota Safety Sense suite, including forward collision avoidance, automatic emergency braking, pedestrian detection, lane-departure warning, adaptive cruise control, traffic-sign recognition, and automatic high beams. Higher trims added blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, front and rear parking sensors, rain-sensing windshield wipers, a surround-view parking monitor, a head-up display, and adaptive headlights. The lane-departure warning and lane-keeping assist systems were very active, sometimes overly so, but the lane centering was generally effective.