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Good-looking Enclave crossover a sales winner
Wednesday, April 16, 2008
Buick Enclave

Buick is raking in the sales these days, thanks to the gorgeous new Enclave crossover.

The Enclave is reportedly one of the fastest moving cars on the showroom floor, and Enclaves are getting somewhat tough to find.

That's no surprise.

The Enclave has more road presence than just about any crossover on the market, and I've seen people stop and stare when one goes by. It doesn't seem to matter how old the passer-by might be, either. I've heard plenty of younger people say they thought the Enclave was "hot."

And if you look at Enclave close enough, you'll see all those hallmarks of Buick such as portholes, lots of chrome, flowing looks and even hints of Buick's famed sweepspear on its flanks.

The Enclave, powered by a 275-horsepower, 3.5-liter V-6 (rated at 16 mpg in the city and 24 mpg on the highway for front-wheel-drive models and 16/22 for all-wheel drive) with a six-speed automatic, comes in CX and CXL versions with eight exterior and three interior colors. Prices start at $32,790. The all-wheel-drive model starts at $34,790.

It has earned a five-star government safety rating for front and side impact collisions. It comes with three rows of seats, and has six air bags, including two rollover-capable head curtain side air bags.

Cargo and passenger room are strong points; even with the third row up, there's plenty of room for several bags of groceries.

Buicks have always been glamorous cars and you can see some of that glamour in the new 2008 Buick LaCrosse Super sedan, now on sale.

Super was the model name used up until 1959 for Buick's high-performance luxury model, which ranked second only to the Roadmaster in glamour at that time. Meanwhile, the Century held down the performance fort for the smaller Buick model line.

This time around, the LaCrosse Super looks different enough from the more modestly styled LaCrosse to really turn heads. Maybe its the chrome wheels, maybe it's the porthole. Who knows? But plenty of people noticed. Other hallmarks of the LaCrosse Super include a 5.3-liter, 300-horsepower V-8 that will hit 60 in 5.7 seconds, chromed dual exhaust tips, a rear lip spoiler, sportier suspension, bigger brakes and a fancier interior.

Fuel mileage ratings are 16/25, and prices to begin around $30,000.

First published on April 16, 2008 at 12:00 am
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