A friend of mine is finally giving up on his thirsty Jeep Grand Cherokee in favor of something a little more fuel efficient, not to mention reliable (it’s a mid-90s JGC). So after discussing the needs of his growing family and fragile ego (he really wants a Tahoe), my recommendation was a Saturn Outlook since he didn't like the styling of the Acadia.

We just so happened to have an Outlook here in the office, so I took it for a drive to reassure myself it was the right choice. It drives fine, but then I took our long term Buick Enclave home for the night. Now I think he should buy the Buick instead.

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We have a "quiet room" here at the office. I've never actually used it, but I've checked it out. It is indeed pretty quiet, and there are a couple of plush-looking couches for those moments when you just want chill out and enjoy some personal time without being disturbed.

The Buick Enclave feels like a quiet room on wheels. Road and wind noise? Not even. Close those bank-vault doors, and the world outside may as well be a universe away. Beefy, welcoming seats are another plus. This weekend, they enveloped me like an overstuffed couch would; gotta love having that much comfort and support. And we've blogged ad nauseam about the Enclave's forgiving ride. Almost every road is a smooth one when you're behind this Buick's wheel.

I occasionally get people asking me for recommendations regarding vehicles that are tranquil and composed. The Lexus brand has long been a safe choice in that respect. Time to add the Enclave to that list.

Warren Clarke, Automotive Content Editor @ 17,716 miles

Our long-term Buick Enclave took my family of three on a 200-mile round trip jaunt to the Antelope Valley to catch the peak of the California poppy/wildflower season this bright and sunny weekend. However, the ride was comfortable, the navigation system got us there without a hitch and the toddler-loading was quick and easy. However, we suffered frequent temporary blindness because of the very pretty but impossibly shiny chrome trim that’s all over the instrument and gear panels. It was like actual solar flares combined with George Hamilton’s teeth (and/or forehead) times 1 million, and I’m not exaggerating.

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Our 2008 Buick Enclave has just busted through the 15,000 mile mark. That's 15,000 miles in just six months, which means we like this truck.

But here's the best part, the Enclave has been as reliable and problem free as a car can get. It's only been to the dealer once and that was for a scheculed maintanence visit for the usual oil change and tire rotation.

Solid as a stone, reliable as the sunrise, comfortable as a couch, quiet as a mime, the Enclave is the best SUV GM has ever built. Unless you're planning to tow really, really big stuff, you'd have to be nuts to pass on the Enclave and buy a Tahoe or a Yukon. Now if GM can only build a Buick sedan this good...

Scott Oldham, Inside Line Editor in Chief @ 15,055 miles

Our long-term 2008 Buick Enclave is a mechanical twin to the GMC Acadia. They share the same basic chassis, suspension geometry and powertrain. They drive much differently, however.

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As I pulled into a Target parking spot, I thought I heard my cell phone ring. Just as I realized that it wasn't my ringtone, the ringing stopped and an automated message from a Blockbuster video store started to admonish me for not returning a DVD on time, warning me that if the movie wasn't returned by Monday, I would be charged full price.

Curious, I thought, because I don't rent movies from Blockbuster. Even curiouser because the message was not, in fact, coming through my own cell phone, but instead it was playing through the Buick Enclave's audio speakers.

A bit thrown, I called Road Test Editor Brian Moody.

"The Enclave is accepting its own phone calls," I complained.  

"Yes," explained Brian. "That's the peril of having a phone number assigned to a vehicle through the OnStar system instead of using Bluetooth through your own cell phone. Someone who was desperate to keep a "Blades of Glory" DVD forever may have given your Enclave's number to Blockbuster, uh, accidentally."  

Huh. The Enclave better pay its own late fees.

Kelly Toepke, News Editor @ 14,706 miles

What do American Idol contestant Kristy Lee Cook and our long-term Buick Enclave have in common? They've both been labeled "absolutely forgettable."

Although it's AI judge Simon Cowell who delivers the bad news to Kristy on a weekly basis, it's my friend Lydia who's continuously unimpressed with the Enclave. Not that she doesn't like the Enclave, it's just that as many times as she's been in it, she can't seem to remember what it is.

"What is this?" she asked yesterday when she climbed into the passenger's seat for the umpteenth time. "Oh, it has a third-row seat," she said nodding her head in approval.

"Yeah," I thought to myself. "Same as it did last week."

Once we were on the road, she again commented about the pleasant interior, comfortable seats, good-looking controls.

As much as she likes the Enclave in the moment, it just doesn't seem to leave a lasting impression.

Kelly Toepke, News Editor @ 14,150 miles

With the approach of the summer driving season and the continuation of high fuel prices, you'll likely see media outlets publishing stories about how to save gas. But do these fuel-saving tips really work?

Well, we tested them to find out. In our Edmunds We Test The Tips Part II article, we used our long-term Buick Enclave, our long-term Toyota Tundra and a Lexus ES 350 to determine what techniques deliver the best improvements in fuel economy. We tested tips such as driving style, tire pressure, running the air-conditioner and lowering a pickup's tailgate.

Obviously, you'll want to read the story if you're interested. But here's a bit of a teaser: we were able to realize a 38 percent potential improvement in fuel economy in the Enclave. For the Tundra, we got nearly 21 mpg in one test, well above the truck's EPA highway estimate.

Brent Romans, Senior Automotive Editor

This weekend I put a substantial number of miles, both freeway and city street, on our 2008 Buick Enclave, and I am so impressed with its ride. It's remarkably smooth, and a perfect exemplar of why crossover platforms make so much sense. It's huge, no doubt about it, but it rides well, it slides around corners, and it feels confident and composed at high speeds.

In the past, I have taken issue with some modern sedans, like the Camry, because they're so smooth and disconnected from the road that you can go 100 and feel like you're going 40. Due to its size, the Enclave never feels that way. It's remarkably soft and comfortable, but always transmits enough feel that it won't catch you off guard.

Different passengers this weekend all commented on how lush and well-appointed it looks inside, its ample front legroom, and its smoothness. One friend even lavished it with his highest praise: "Pimpin'." Whoever thought a Buick crossover with three rows of seats could be *pimpin'*?

Doug Lloyd, Senior Copy Editor @ 13,177 miles

Last night I got into a little fender bender, or so I thought, with a Nissan Altima. I was clearly signaling and turning left down a side street and he was coming out of that side street and turning left onto the busy street I was leaving. I was almost completing the turn when he decided to go on ahead. I felt his car hit the rear driver side of mine. It jolted the Enclave a little.

Immediately I pulled over and got out. Fortunately, he did the same. I looked at the area of the Enclave where I thought he hit but since it was night and raining hard I couldn't get a good look. "Looks like there's no damage," he said quickly. "Not that we can see. It's dark. Can I get your information?" I said calmly. "Look, you're making me late for a dinner. There's no damage," he reiterated. "I didn't see you signal left," he added. "Oh, I signaled left." It was funny how he tried to make it my fault when he was the one who was clearly in a hurry somewhere.

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