Compared: 2023 Buick Enclave vs. 2023 Chevrolet Traverse
Two approaches to the same corporate crossover.
Buick | Chevrolet
If the 2023 Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse seem to be rivals, that's no accident. Beneath their different bodies, they share an engine, a transmission, and plenty of features.
The Enclave and Traverse are powered by a 3.6-liter V6 rated at 310 horsepower connected to a nine-speed automatic transmission. Both come standard with front-wheel drive and offer all-wheel drive (AWD) as an option.
Load up a Traverse with extras and its price tag will have plenty of overlap with the Enclave.
Buick
The Buick Enclave Is the Pricier Choice
The Enclave comes in three trim levels: Essence ($46,000), Premium ($53,000), and Avenir ($59,000). The Essence lacks features such as heated exterior mirrors, a head-up display, heated rear seats, a power-folding third-row seat, and ventilated front seats. All are standard on Premium and Avenir.
The top Avenir trim level gets exclusive 20-inch wheels and automatic windshield wipers, both of which are unavailable on Essence or Premium. The Avenir Technology Package adds adaptive damping and enhanced LED headlamps.
Chevrolet
Chevrolet offers five Traverse trim levels. Two cost less than the least-expensive Enclave but lack its amenities. The base LS trim level ($36,000) can't be had with a power driver's seat, heated front seats, wireless phone charging, or an 8.0-inch touchscreen, all of which come on the slightly more expensive ($38,000) LT trim level.
The Traverse RS ($46,000) adds a Bose audio system, navigation, uprated automatic emergency braking, a surround-view camera, rear camera mirror with washer, and rear pedestrian alert, bringing it close to the Enclave Premium's standard equipment.
The Traverse's top two trim levels take features not available on lower trims and make them optional on Premiere ($49,000) and standard on High Country ($53,000). Both premium trims have a standard trailering package with hitch guidance and heavy-duty cooling, giving the Traverse a maximum towing capability of 5,000 pounds. The trailering package is not available on the LS but is optional on all other trims. The same package on the Enclave also allows for a 5,000-pound towing capacity.
Buick
The Enclave and Traverse Offer Similar Features
All Enclaves have leather-trimmed seats (heated in the front row), 8.0-inch touchscreens, three-zone climate control, and wireless device charging. The lower two Traverse trim levels can't match that.
Enclaves are seven-seat crossover SUVs with captain's chairs in the second row. The Traverse LS has a standard bench in the second row, allowing for eight seats. The bench is optional at no additional cost one trim level up but is unavailable on all other Traverse trims.
Chevrolet
General Motors didn't skimp on most driver-assistance features on either vehicle, except for adaptive cruise control. It's unavailable on the Traverse's lowest two trim levels. It's optional on LT and standard from RS on up. In the Enclave, adaptive cruise is standard on Avenir and is optional on Essence and Premium.
Interior room differences are measured in tenths of inches, with 38.4 inches of second-row legroom in the Traverse and 38.3 in the Enclave. That goes for cargo as well, with 23.6 cubic-feet behind the third-row seat in the Buick, 57.7 cu-ft with the third row folded, and 97.4 cu-ft with both rows folded compared with 23.0 cu-ft, 57.8 cu-ft, and 98.2 cu-ft in the Chevy.
Buick
The Buick and Chevy Achieve Similar Fuel Efficiency
Sharing dimensions plus an engine and transmission results in near-identical fuel economy. The front-wheel-drive Enclave and Traverse return an EPA-estimated 18/26/21 mpg city/highway/combined and 18/27/21 mpg, respectively. The AWD Enclave and Traverse both net 17/25/20 mpg.
All vehicle pricing includes MSRP plus destination charges (set at the time of publication), and will be rounded to the nearest thousand.
Written by humans.
Edited by humans.
Mike HagertySorting through the hundreds of new car, truck and SUV choices on the market to find the right one for your needs gets tougher all the time. I'm here to help. I've been writing and talking about new vehicles for 25 years on TV and radio, in print and online. And my passion for cars and driving goes back even farther than that. I love design and performance, but the second-largest purchase most of us will ever make (for some of us, the largest) needs to be based on more than good looks and quick zero-to-60 times.
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