1. Price
The Avenir trim level is available in both front- and all-wheel-drive with a base price of $54,495 and $56,795, respectively. Compared to the Premium trim below it, the Avenir costs an extra $5,400 regardless of the drivetrain you choose. That’s a considerable jump in price, and it can go even higher; with options, the as-tested price of the Enclave Avenir we tested for this piece rang in at $59,540 (including a $995 delivery charge).
A near-$60K price brings the Enclave Avenir into competition with some serious three-row luxury SUVs. The Audi Q7, Volvo XC90, and Land Rover Discovery all start around $50,000.
2. Exterior Upgrades
Your extra $5,400 over the Enclave Premium trim level comes with some Avenir-exclusive exterior upgrades.
Exterior upgrades:
- A three-dimensional mesh grille paired with chrome wings inspired by Buick concept cars
- 20-inch, six-spoke wheels with a pearl nickel finish
- Five premium exterior colors: Satin Steel Metallic, Pepperdust Metallic, Dark Slate Metallic and Ebony Twilight Metallic, which are all no-cost options, and White Frost Tricoat, which costs an extra $600
- Avenir script badges on both front fenders
3. Interior Upgrades
Like the outside, the Enclave Avenir’s interior features some exclusive items not available on other trim levels.
Interior upgrades:
- Chestnut interior with Ebony piping on the seats and contrasting stitching
- Embroidered first-row headrests
- Avenir floormats
- Wood-accented steering wheel
- Avenir-scripted sill plates on all four doors
4. Technology Upgrades
There are also exclusive technology and convenience features that are Avenir-exclusives.
Technology upgrades
- Driver information center with 8-inch diagonal screen (exclusive to Avenir) and standard Buick Infotainment System with Navigation and 8-inch diagonal Color Touch Screen (available on other trims)
- Rear camera mirror (standard, not available on other trims)
- Wireless charging (standard, not available on other trims)
- Surround vision (standard, available on other trims)
- Power dual moonroof with rear fixed skylight (standard, available on other trims)
5. Access To More Options
If you were hoping the Avenir trim level’s extra cost meant that it came with every option standard, you’ll be disappointed. There is one major option package available, called the Avenir Technology Package, and it costs an additional $2,095.
Avenir Technology Package
- Adaptive Cruise Control
- Forward Automatic Braking
- Upper active aero shutters
- A real-time damping suspension, which adjusts damping forces every two milliseconds
6. Anything Else?
Other than what's been mentioned, the Avenir's upgrades end here. Conspicuously absent are any mechanical improvement to the vehicle other than the aforementioned adaptive suspension, which can't really be felt from behind the wheel and didn't strike me as substantively better than the Enclave's standard, non-adaptive suspension.
In other ways, though, the Enclave doesn't need upgraded. Its 3.6-liter V6 engine producing 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque is one of the most powerful available in its class. The nine-speed automatic transmission is already flush with gears and shifts silently and smartly among then. And lastly, the Enclave is a very big three-row crossover with some of the largest dimensions for passengers and cargo you can find. There's just nothing for the Avenir trim level to improve in these areas.
Is Adding Avenir To Your Enclave Worth It?
In a word, no. That’s not to say the Enclave isn’t worth your consideration. Quite the opposite; the Enclave is a stylish, comfortable, and, thanks to its generous proportions, supremely useful three-row crossover.
The Avenir trim level, though, doesn’t add anything that materially improves the Enclave. So you get a special grille, wheels, and paint colors. Who cares? Lesser trim levels actually give you more choice with the Enclave’s looks: more color options, more wheel designs, and more variety. Same goes for the interior. Do you really want a wood-accented steering wheel? Maybe if your last car was a Lexus from 1999.
Technology is where the Avenir holds an edge over the other trim levels because many of these features aren’t available on lesser trims. The special adaptive suspension, for instance, is an Avenir exclusive. Don’t worry, though, because the Enclave’s standard suspension is just fine and the adaptive suspension, frankly, can hardly be felt. It doesn’t have modes to dial-in any particular sort of ride and handling profile, and it’s general tuning skews towards a smooth ride, just like the standard suspension.
It is a shame, though, that Buick restricts some useful safety technology to the expensive Avenir trim level. Features like adaptive cruise control and forward automatic braking are fast becoming standard equipment on cars, even ones costing half as much. But here, they're only available on the Avenir model, and they're not even standard.
Ultimately, the Avenir experience is as much marketing speak as anything else. Yes, an Enclave Avenir may be better than the Premium trim below it, but not enough to draw comparisons with six-figure watercraft. Buick should leave that narrative to the Bentleys of the world.
