Buick Enclave Vs Chevrolet Traverse: Which Three-Row GM SUV is Right for You?

Yes, the Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave are cast from the same mold but are not as similar as you would think.

The sport utility segment has grown and evolved tremendously over the past two decades. What started off as little more than station wagons based on a truck chassis have become the most diverse and the most popular vehicle type in North America. Just about every automaker operating in the United States and Canada offers at least one SUV or crossover, including European exotic brands such as Porsche and Lamborghini. When companies that have always relied purely on performance cars begin making SUVs, it is clear that involvement in the segment is crucial on a global scale.

The only problem with so many SUVs being sold in North America is that the shopping experience can be frustrating. For those looking to spend big money on something like a Porsche Cayenne, there are fewer choices, but if you are looking for a roomy family vehicle for the daily drive, there are dozens of options.

Two popular options in the three-row group are the Chevrolet Traverse and the Buick Enclave. These vehicles are closely related, riding on the same chassis platform with the same drivetrain, but there are a surprising number of differences between the two. The most obvious difference is exterior styling, but the Chevy offers an advantage in pricing while the Buick offers a more luxurious feel.
Below, we take a look at all the key features of the Chevrolet Traverse and the Buick Enclave, including which shines brighter in which areas.

The Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse are both three-row SUVs with the same chassis and same basic body shape, but there are some differences in cabin space. Most importantly, the Buick is only offered with captain’s chairs in the second row and a bench in the third row, so the Enclave seats seven. On the other hand, the Traverse can be equipped with a three-person split bench in the second row, leading to total seating for eight people. There are also some small differences in passenger space.

Buick Enclave: The driver and front passenger of the Buick Enclave will enjoy 41 inches (1,041 mm) of headroom, 41.2 inches (1,046 mm) of legroom, 62.4 inches (1,585 mm) of shoulder room, and 59.1 inches (1,501 mm) of hip room. In the second row, you get 39.9 inches (1,013 mm) of headroom, 38.9 inches (988mm) of legroom, 61.7 inches (1,567 mm) of shoulder room, and 57.7 inches (1,466 mm) of hip room. In the third row, passengers get 37.6 inches ( 955 mm) of headroom, 33.5 inches (851 mm) of legroom, 57.3 inches (1,455 mm) of shoulder room, and 48.5 inches (1,232 mm) of hip room.

Chevrolet Traverse: The front seats of the Chevrolet Traverse offer 41.3 inches (1,049 mm) of headroom, 41 inches (1,041 mm) of legroom, 62.1 inches (1,577 mm) of shoulder room, and 58.1 inches (1,476 mm) of hip room. In the second you, you have 40 inches (1,016 mm) of headroom, 38.4 inches (975 mm) of legroom, 62.2 inches (1,580 mm) of shoulder room, and 56.9 inches (1,445 mm) of hip room. Finally, the Traverse offers 39.2 inches (996 mm) of headroom in the third tow, with 33.5 inches (851 mm) of legroom, 57.5 inches (1,460 mm) of shoulder room, and 48.5 inches (1,232 mm) of hip room.

Bottom Line: If you want more headroom, the Chevy has the advantage, particularly in the third row along with having the advantage of the extra seat in the second row, so if you are looking for the most passenger space, the Chevrolet gets the nod. On the other hand, if legroom is your key concern, the Buick offers a bit more in that department.

The spacious cabin of the Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse offers plenty of room for passengers, but when you aren’t hauling a full load of people, you can fold the seats down for varying levels of cargo space. Also, with the optional towing package, both of these GM SUVs will tow many smaller trailers.

Buick Enclave: The Buick Enclave offers 97.6 cu-ft (2,763 liters) of cargo space behind the front seats, with both the second and third rows folded down. With the second-row seats in their upright position, the Enclave offers 58 cu-ft (1,642 liters) of space and with the third-row seats in use, there is still a cargo space of 23.6 cu-ft (668 liters).
In terms of pulling a trailer, the Enclave with the towing package will tow up to 5,000 lb, which is enough to pull a small travel trailer, a jet ski, or other smaller recreational trailers.

Chevrolet Traverse: The Chevrolet Traverse offers 98.2 cu-ft (2,780 liters) of cargo space behind the front row, 57.8 cu-ft (1,636 liters) behind the second row, and 23 cubic feet (651 liters) behind the third row. Again, the Traverse has the option of two or three seats in the second row.
Like the Enclave, the Traverse will tow up to 5,000 lb with the optional towing package.

Bottom Line: If you want the most possible cargo space, the Traverse has the advantage, but if you are concerned with having the most cargo space behind the second and third rows, the Buick is the better choice.

Buick Enclave: The Buick Enclave Preferred comes standard with cloth upholstery on the front buckets, the second-row captain’s chairs, and the third row 60/40 split-bench seat. The front seats are heated and feature eight-way power adjustment for the driver and six-way adjustment for the passenger. The Essence, Premier, and Avenir all come with perforated leather upholstery while Premier and Avenir also feature cooled front seats, heated second-row seats, and a power-folding third-row bench.

The Buick lineup focused on affordable luxury and that is reflected in the “base model” Enclave Preferred. Standard exterior features included automatic headlights, a hands-free rear liftgate, heated exterior mirrors with power control, and LED headlights with LED daytime running lights. On the inside, the base Enclave comes with a 4.2-inch driver information center screen, active noise cancellation, a six-speaker audio system, an 8.0-inch infotainment screen, cruise control, power door locks, power windows, an auto-dimming rearview mirror, keyless open and start, a leather-wrapped steering wheel with infotainment system controls, rear climate controls, a remote panic alarm, a tri-zone automatic climate control system and the universal home remote.

The Enclave Preferred is also 4g LTE WiFi hotspot capable and Buick Connected Access capable. The Essence trim level adds SiriusXM with 360L while the Premium models include a 120-volt power outlet, an automatic heated steering wheel, the Bose premium 10-speaker system, the memory package, a power tilt, and telescopic steering column, HD radio, and heated, power-folding exterior mirrors. Finally, the top-of-the-line Avenir trim level adds real wood accents on the steering wheel, the navigation, a wireless charging pad, a power dual moonroof, an 8.0-inch driver information center screen, and a rear camera mirror with HD Surround Vision.

Chevrolet Traverse: The Chevrolet Traverse L and LS come with cloth-covered front buckets and three-person split-bench seats in the second and third rows. The LT Cloth models are the first to offer the second-row captain’s chairs while the LT Leather trim is the first to offer premium upholstery. The LT Leather trim levels also come standard with heated and cooled front seats, with the RS models sharing the same seats. Premier and High Country Traverse models come with premium perforated leather upholstery with heated and ventilated front seats with memory and heated outboard seats in the second row. High Country also comes with a power 60/40 split folding third-row bench seat.

The Traverse L and LS both come standard with automatic HID headlights, heated exterior mirrors with power adjustment, a 3.5-inch driver information center, the Chevrolet Infotainment 3 System with a 7.0-inch touchscreen, cruise control, keyless entry, power door locks, power windows with front express-down, the rear vision camera, steering wheel information system controls, a tire pressure monitoring system, a tri-zone automatic climate control system, the Teen Driver system and two USB ports in each seating row.

These models are also 4G LTE WiFi hotspot capable and Chevrolet Connected Access capable. Traverse LT Cloth adds a leather-wrapped steering wheel and SiriusXM while LT Leather adds a 4.2-inch Driver Information Center, an 8.0-inch HD touchscreen, remote start, SiriusXM 360L, and a Universal Home Remote. The RS trim level adds a 120-volt power outlet, an automatic heated steering wheel, the Bose premium audio system with 10 speakers, navigation, HD Surround Vision, and the Rear Camera Mirror. The Premier trim level builds on the RS, adding a power tilt and telescoping steering column and wireless charging while the range-topping High Country trim level also comes standard with Adaptive Cruise Control.

Bottom Line: When they are loaded up, the Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse offer similar interior technology and features, but at the entry point, the Buick comes with far more standard goodies. The Buick also has a more luxurious feel with perforated leather and wood trim, along with the premium infotainment gadgets that are available in both of these SUVs.

While there are many differences between the Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse, none of those differences are found in the drivetrain options. The exact same engine, transmission, and driveline components power both SUVs.

Buick Enclave: The Buick Enclave comes standard with the 3.6-liter V6, offering 310 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque. That engine is mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission and front-wheel-drive is standard on all models. The Essence, Premier, and Avenir models can all be fitted with all-wheel-drive as well.

Chevrolet Traverse: The Chevrolet Traverse is also powered by the 3.6-liter V6 with 310 horsepower and 266 lb-ft of torque. The nine-speed automatic is also at work here and front-wheel-drive is standard on all models. The entry-level Traverse L is only available with front drive, but all other trim levels can be equipped with all-wheel-drive.

Bottom Line: These two SUVs share all of the same drivetrain components with the same output, so there is no advantage in power, but the Chevrolet does weigh slightly less, so the Traverse will feel a bit quicker due to the better power-to-weight ratio.

With the Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse being so similar, it should come as little surprise that their official EPA fuel economy ratings are nearly identical. However, there is a small difference, thanks to the added weight of the Buick.

Buick Enclave: The Buick Enclave with the front-wheel-drive configuration is rated at 18 mpg (13.0 L/100 km) around town, 26 mpg (9.1 L/100 km) on the highway, and 21 mpg (11.4 L/100 km) combined. When you add all-wheel-drive, those numbers dip to 17 (13.6 L/100 km) around town, 25 (9.6 L/100 km) on the highway, and 20 mpg (11.8 L/100 km) combined.

Chevrolet Traverse: The Chevrolet Traverse with front-wheel-drive comes with EPA ratings of 18 mpg (13.0 L/100 km) around town 27 (8.8 L/100 km) on the highway and 21 mpg (11.1 L/100 km) combined while the all-wheel-drive models are rated at 17 mpg (13.6 L/100 km) around town, 25 (9.6L/100 km) on the highway, and 20 (11.8 L/100 km) combined.

Bottom Line: The Traverse and Enclave offer identical fuel economy numbers around down and overall, but the lighter Chevy gets slightly better fuel economy on the highway, giving it the edge in the MPG battle. More importantly, there isn’t much compromise in fuel economy for those who want all-wheel-drive with either model.

While all sorts of people drive three-row SUVs like the Chevrolet Traverse and the Buick Enclave, these are among the most popular families vehicles on today’s market. When you are driving around with your family in the car, the biggest concern is safety and both of these GM SUVs come with a long list of standard features to keep your occupants and other drivers around you safer.

Buick Enclave: The Buick Enclave Preferred comes standard with frontal airbags, driver inboard seat-mounted side impact airbags, seat-mounted side-impact airbags, head-curtain airbags for all rows, rear park assist, rear child security door locks, the StabiliTrak electronic stability control system with traction control and the tire pressure monitoring system. The Essence trim level adds Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert with rear cross traffic alert, Premium adds automatic emergency braking, following distance indicator, forward collision alert, front pedestrian braking, front and rear parking sensors, lane keep assist with lane departure warning and the safety alert seat. The Avenir trim level comes with all of that and the HD Surround Vision system.

Chevrolet Traverse: If you buy the Chevrolet Traverse in L, LS or an LT trim level, you get frontal airbags, driver inboard seat-mounted side impact airbags, seat-mounted side-impact airbags, head-curtain airbags for all rows, rear seat reminder, rear vision camera, the StabiliTrak electronic stability control system with traction control and a TPMS. RS and Premier models also come with automatic emergency braking, following distance indicator, forward collision alert, front pedestrian braking, HD surround vision, Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert, lane keep assist with lane departure warning, rear camera mirror, rear cross-traffic alert, and rear parking sensors. Finally, the High Country trim level adds enhanced automatic emergency braking.

Bottom Line: The Chevrolet Traverse and Buick Enclave come with many of the same safety features, but the pricier Buick comes with more safety features across more trim levels, giving the Enclave an advantage among the less expensive models. However, when loaded up, both of these GM SUVs come with a full spread of the most popular modern safety features.

In many cases, when two vehicles are as closely related as the Buick Enclave and the Chevrolet Traverse, they often look just like each other shy of badging and perhaps grille design. GM has been particularly guilty of selling multiple vehicles that were the same vehicle with different logos, but the differences between these two go far beyond the badges.

Buick Enclave: Up front, the Buick Enclave has angular LED-trimmed headlights that flow back along the upper edge of the fenders. At the inner corners, the headlights connect to the upper grille that takes up much of the front end. There is also a smaller grille opening along the bottom of the front fascia and fog lights mounted in the vents below the headlights. The next key physical difference is the roofline, which tapers down as it nears the rear glass with B- and C-pillars that are painted black to create a floating roofline look. Of course, there is plenty of chrome trim from front to rear, including the chrome-clad wheels.

Chevrolet Traverse: The Chevrolet Traverse also has LED-trimmed headlights that travel back around to the side, but they have more of a rectangular shape and they don’t flow as far back as the Buick headlights. The Chevy has an even bigger grille that nearly spans the entire front end from top to bottom, with a small lower grille and vents that carry the fog lights. Along the side, the Traverse has more of an upward-angling shape, accentuated by a roofline that is flatter and rear glass that has more of a squared-off look. The Chevy also has a thicker, body-colored C-pillar that creates a very different look from the side. The luxury-level Traverse models come with chrome trim while the RS comes with black trim for a sportier look.

Bottom Line: If you want a luxury look with a bit of sportier flare, the Buick Enclave is the better pick, but if you like the beefier form of the Traverse, the Chevy may better fit your tastes.

The Buick Enclave is a premium model with more standard and optional features, so it should come as little surprise that it costs more than the Chevrolet Traverse. When you pick a premium trim level of the Traverse, the pricing rises into the same ballpark as the Enclave, but the Chevy offers a dramatically lower entry price.

Buick Enclave: The Buick Enclave Preferred trim level starts at $41,495 in front-drive form and all-wheel-drive is not available with this model. The first Enclave with optional all-wheel-drive is the Essence trim level, which starts at $43,495 in front-drive form and all-wheel-drive costs $2,000 on top of that for a price of $45,495. Stepping up to the Premium trim level leads to starting prices of $49,595 and $51,795 for front- and all-wheel-drive while the top-of-the-line Avenir costs $55,295 for front-drive and $57,495 for all-wheel-drive.

Chevrolet Traverse: The front-wheel-drive-only Chevrolet Traverse starts at $30,995, making it one of the most affordable three-row SUVs on the market today. The Traverse LS starts at $34,395 for front-wheel-drive and $36,395 for all-wheel-drive, but the price variance between the two drive configurations varies by trim level. The LT Cloth starts at $36,895 for front-drive and $40,695 for all-wheel-drive while the LT Leather models start at $40,595 for front-drive and $42,595 for all-wheel-drive. Next, we get into the sporty RS, which starts at $45,690 or $47,790 while the plush Premier models start at either $47,295 or $49,895. Finally, the range-topping High Country models start at $53,390 for front-wheel-drive and $55,590 for all-wheel-drive.

Bottom Line: If you are focused on keeping your purchase price low, the Chevrolet Traverse has a big advantage over the Buick Enclave. You can get into a front-drive base Traverse for around $10,000 less than the similar Enclave, but the Chevy LS and LT trim levels all cost less than the entry-level Buick, providing more budget-minded options.

While the Buick Enclave and Chevrolet Traverse as closely related, they are likely to appeal to very different buyers. The Buick offers a more premium luxury feel without the big price tag, but that comes with a high starting price. On the other hand, the Traverse is the better choice for anyone shopping on a tight budget. When they are both loaded up, the pricing and features are nearly identical, but the Buick still costs a little more and gives you a little more. However, if you need to seat eight passengers, the Traverse is the easy pick and that extra seating space doesn’t come with any compromise of creature comforts.

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