2021 Land Rover Range Rover vs 2022 Buick Enclave

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover was a testament to luxury and timeless design, a far cry from its rugged origins. Once a utilitarian vehicle, the Range Rover evolved into a symbol of opulence, with a starting price of $92,000 and the potential to exceed $250,000 with premium options. Despite its age, the 2021 model maintained a classic and modern aesthetic, featuring hallmark design elements like blacked-out windshield and roof pillars, and a sleek silhouette. Inside, the Ivory-color interior exuded luxury with its high-contrast design and mid-century modern ambiance, although the InControl Touch Pro Duo infotainment system was noted for being less intuitive than newer models.

In contrast, the 2022 Buick Enclave represented a shift in Buick's design philosophy, moving from conservative styling to a more modern and upscale appearance. The Enclave, a three-row crossover SUV, was part of Buick's transition to an all-SUV lineup, reflecting the broader market trend. The 2022 model received a mid-cycle refresh with updated exterior styling, including a new grille, fascias, and lighting elements. Inside, the Enclave offered a spacious cabin with comfortable seating for up to seven passengers, featuring upgraded materials and a restyled center console with new push-button gears. The Avenir trim level boasted exclusive design elements and premium features like climate-controlled front seats and heated second-row captain's chairs.

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover offered a variety of powertrain options, including turbodiesel V6, supercharged 5.0-liter V8, mild-hybrid, and plug-in hybrid choices. The HSE Westminster special edition was equipped with a mild-hybrid turbocharged inline-six engine, delivering an impressive 395 horsepower and 406 pound-feet of torque. This powertrain was paired with a smooth eight-speed automatic transmission and an electric motor for additional assistance. The Range Rover came standard with four-wheel drive and a two-speed transfer case, ensuring its capability as a true off-roader. The Terrain Response 2 traction control system provided multiple modes to handle various weather and surface conditions. Despite its off-road prowess, the Range Rover excelled on paved roads, offering a smooth and quiet ride with its adaptive air suspension. The SUV's fuel economy was rated at 20 mpg in combined driving by the EPA, though the test vehicle averaged 18.5 mpg.

In contrast, the 2022 Buick Enclave kept things straightforward with a single powertrain option: a 3.6-liter V6 engine paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, producing 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque. The Enclave came standard with front-wheel drive, with all-wheel drive available on all trims. The SUV's maximum towing capacity was 5,000 pounds when properly equipped. The Enclave was known for its quiet and smooth ride, enhanced by the optional Avenir Technology package, which included a premium ride suspension and continuously variable real-time chassis damping. The AWD-equipped test vehicle handled various terrains with ease, providing a serene cabin experience thanks to Buick's QuietTuning and active noise cancellation technology. Despite its size, the Enclave offered surprisingly good off-the-line acceleration, and the nine-speed automatic transmission performed seamlessly.

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover featured an air suspension system that made getting in and out of the vehicle a bit challenging due to its height. Once inside, the front seats were decadently comfortable, wrapped in quality leather upholstery. However, the second row was less comfortable, with a slouched seating position and limited support. The back seat was equipped with quad-zone climate control, heated and ventilated outboard seating positions, and overhead air vents for added comfort. Storage space was limited, with only 25 cubic feet of luggage volume behind the rear seats and a maximum cargo space of 59.8 cubic feet. The clamshell-style tailgate and suspension kneel function made loading easier, but the overall storage capacity was less than some competitors.

The 2022 Buick Enclave, as a larger midsize crossover, offered easy ingress and egress with excellent visibility. The cabin was spacious, providing ample headroom, legroom, hip room, and shoulder room for passengers in all three rows. The third row was comfortable even for taller passengers, and the standard second-row captain's chairs allowed easy access to the back. The restyled center console featured new push-button transmission gears, a covered compartment with cupholders, and easy access to USB ports and a wireless phone charging pad. The Enclave also provided generous cargo space, with 23.6 cubic feet behind the third row, 57.7 cubic feet with the third row folded, and a maximum of 97.4 cubic feet with both rows down. The power-folding third-row seats added convenience for accessing the cargo area.

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover boasted a fully digital instrumentation and infotainment system, featuring three displays. The InControl Touch Pro Duo infotainment system, while not entirely intuitive, was manageable for those familiar with smartphones or tablets. The system required some setup to align with personal preferences, and users were encouraged to utilize the touch-sensing steering wheel controls and voice commands to minimize distractions while driving. The Range Rover also offered a head-up display, although it was not visible with polarized sunglasses. Additional features included a touch-sensing steering wheel and an iGuide smartphone app serving as a digital owner's manual.

The 2022 Buick Enclave came equipped with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system featuring wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, as well as wireless phone charging. Premium and Avenir trims added navigation and a performance-enhanced 10-speaker Bose audio system, although some users desired more power. The Enclave's infotainment system allowed pairing of up to 10 devices, with two smartphones active simultaneously, and included a built-in WiFi hotspot for up to four devices. Standard features included a following-distance indicator, HD rear vision camera, and Teen Driver technology. Notable available features were adaptive cruise control, head-up display, rain-sensing wipers, hitch guidance with hitch view, a digital rear camera mirror, and HD surround vision.

The 2021 Land Rover Range Rover came equipped with essential safety features, including forward-collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and lane-keeping assistance. Additional safety packages were available, such as the Drive Pack, which included adaptive cruise control, blind-spot warning, traffic sign recognition, and driver monitoring systems. The Drive Pro Pack added active blind-spot monitoring, stop-and-go adaptive cruise control, and high-speed automatic emergency braking. The Driver Assist Pack offered lane-centering assistance and a 360-degree surround-view camera. The HSE Westminster Edition included the Drive Pro and Park packages, which worked effectively, although the adaptive cruise control was noted to be slow in responding to traffic changes.

For the 2022 Buick Enclave, the most significant updates were related to its driver-assist and safety features. The Buick Driver Confidence Plus package became standard on all Enclaves, including automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning with pedestrian detection, lane-change alert with blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic warning, lane-keeping assistance with lane-departure warning, rear park assist, following-distance indicator, and automatic high-beam headlights. Additional standard safety features included a Safety Alert driver's seat, a rear-seat reminder system, and an HD reversing camera. The Premium and Avenir trims offered further safety enhancements, such as adaptive cruise control, a head-up display, and rear pedestrian alert. The Enclave received a four-star rating for rollover resistance from the NHTSA, while the IIHS awarded it a score of four out of five stars.