2021 Toyota Venza vs 2021 Buick Enclave

The 2021 Toyota Venza was a sleek and stylish SUV, often compared to a Lexus in terms of its design. Critics noted its resemblance to the Lexus LF-1 Limitless concept, especially with its grille and elongated profile. The Venza was available in three trim levels—LE, XLE, and Limited—and offered seven paint colors. Standard features included LED headlights and taillights, a wireless charging pad, and an 8-inch infotainment touch screen. Higher trims added more luxurious touches like a digital rearview mirror, a 12.3-inch infotainment screen, and the Star Gaze panoramic roof.

In contrast, the 2021 Buick Enclave was a large, impressive SUV that harkened back to Buick's glory days. It was the largest of Buick's four SUVs and was available in Preferred, Essence, Premium, and Avenir trims. The Enclave's design was upscale, especially in the Avenir trim, which featured a unique grille, extra brightwork, and 20-inch wheels. Inside, the Enclave Avenir boasted a minimalist design with soft, perforated leather seats and polished accents. The cabin was spacious and quiet, thanks to Buick's QuietTuning technology and laminated windshield glass.

The 2021 Toyota Venza came with a 2.5-liter four-cylinder gasoline engine paired with a lithium-ion battery pack and electric motors, delivering a combined 219 horsepower and 163 pound-feet of torque. The hybrid system used an electronically-controlled continuously-variable transmission (eCVT) with a sequential-shifting feature. While the Venza's acceleration was smooth, it was not particularly rapid, and the engine noise was noticeable during acceleration. However, the Venza excelled in fuel economy, achieving an EPA-estimated 40 mpg on the highway, 37 mpg in the city, and 39 mpg combined. Toyota backed its hybrid powertrain with a 10-year/150,000-mile hybrid battery warranty and an eight-year/100,000-mile Hybrid System warranty.

The 2021 Buick Enclave featured a 3.6-liter V6 engine producing 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. The Enclave offered both front-wheel drive (FWD) and all-wheel drive (AWD) options. The V6 engine provided strong acceleration, and the nine-speed automatic transmission performed smoothly. The Enclave's suspension, especially with the Avenir Technology Package, offered a premium-tuned ride with continuously variable damping. The Enclave achieved an EPA-estimated 21 mpg in combined driving, and its 21.7-gallon fuel tank allowed for a range of up to 460 miles on a full tank.

The 2021 Toyota Venza offered a practical and comfortable interior, with premium appointments in the center stack and a unique cabin design. The deep center console featured resizable cup holders, a traditional stick shifter, and various control buttons. The Venza's seats were accommodating, with ample space for both front and rear passengers. However, the Venza had less cargo space compared to some competitors, with a maximum of 55.1 cubic feet. Despite this, the cargo space was easy to arrange with quick-flip releases on the 60/40 split-folding rear seatbacks.

The 2021 Buick Enclave was one of the largest SUVs in its class, offering a spacious and comfortable interior for up to seven passengers. The Avenir trim featured 12-way power-adjustable front seats with a basic massaging function, heated and ventilated seats, and a stylish center console. The Enclave's third-row seat was genuinely useful, providing comfort comparable to the Hyundai Palisade and Kia Telluride. The Enclave offered 23.6 cubic feet of space behind the third row, 58 cubic feet with the third row folded, and a maximum of 97.6 cubic feet with the second row folded.

The 2021 Toyota Venza featured an 8-inch infotainment system in the LE and XLE trims, while the Limited trim had a larger 12.3-inch touchscreen. The Entune infotainment system included Apple CarPlay, Android Auto, Amazon Alexa, and a Wi-Fi hot spot. The Venza Limited also offered a nine-speaker JBL premium audio system. Toyota connected services included Safety Connect, Remote Connect, and Service Connect, with dynamic navigation available on models with the larger screen.

The 2021 Buick Enclave's infotainment system met basic expectations but fell short in some areas. The Enclave 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 offered a rear camera mirror, providing a live video view of what was behind the SUV.

The 2021 Toyota Venza came with the Toyota Safety Sense 2.0 suite, which included eight airbags, a rearview camera, hill start assist, parking distance sensors, and a tire pressure monitoring system. Additional features included a pre-collision warning system with pedestrian detection, lane-departure alert with steering assist, lane-tracing assist, automatic high beams, adaptive cruise control, and road sign assist. Blind-spot monitoring with rear cross-traffic alert was standard, with an upgrade to similar technology with automatic braking available in the XLE and Limited trims.

The 2021 Buick Enclave's safety systems were less comprehensive. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were available starting from the Essence trim. The Driver Confidence Plus Package, standard on the Premium and Avenir trims, included forward-collision warning, low-speed automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, automatic high-beam headlights, and front and rear parking sensors. Adaptive cruise control with enhanced automatic emergency braking was available only with the Avenir Technology Package. The Enclave received a five-star overall rating from the NHTSA but missed out on a Top Safety Pick accolade from the IIHS due to a Marginal headlight performance rating.