Travel Swellness: Road tripping with the 2022 Buick Enclave

October 5, 2022

I’ve come a long way when it comes to solo road trips. Last month, I drove by myself six hours to cottage country in Quebec like it was a breeze, followed by driving into Montreal and then back to Toronto (with a morning jaunt to the Scarborough Bluffs). I did this all in the 2022 Buick Enclave that I test drove, which was ideal for my busy itinerary: sleek and chic for city adventures but also sporty for cottage-country fun. And let’s not forget all of the interior space – the Enclave can seat 7 and while it was only me and Billie Jean (and for part of it, my sister), we needed all of that room for luggage (I’m not someone who packs light for 11 days!) not to mention all of the home cooking my mom made for me to bring home (so much food!) – the Enclave’s 60/40 split-folding third-row seats came in clutch!

A big reason I feel comfortable driving the Enclave? I find it is just the right size (I get a bit anxious driving anything much bigger), and I’ve always preferred SUVs for giving me some height on the road, plus it’s got so much connectivity built in. First off, wireless Apple Car Play; I am so directionally challenged and having the ease of using Google Maps via my iPhone is possibly the single thing that makes these solo road trips possible. (Google Maps, by the way, is my driving directions app of choice – I’ve tried several options and it always gives me plenty of notice so that I don’t miss my turn or exit). Besides using it for Google Maps, I love easily receiving and sending text messages by voice (I usually send updates to friends as to how my drive is going, anyone else do the same?).  Oh, and if you’ve got Android, the Enclave’s got Wireless Android Auto Compatibility, too.

The Enclave I test drove also featured a Wi-Fi hotspot, which I obviously can’t use while driving, but whenever I made a stop it was nice having the wifi to use, and also, I feel a bit relieved to have it should I run into any issues with my data plan (like when I reach my phone plan’s data limit and it goes into slo mo).

Also, having the remote starter is essential when road tripping by yourself with your dog, especially in the summer. When I haven’t had a remote starter, stopping at an OnRoute for a bathroom break and to buy a coffee is impossible. There’s no way I’m leaving Billie Jean in the car in the summer heat. But with the remote starter, I can switch the car on so she’s got air conditioning, and I start a timer for 15 minutes, and should my stop take longer than 15 minutes (there’s always long lines for coffee!), I step outside at the 15-minute mark to restart the car for another 15 minutes. As a dog mama who often drives alone with my puppers, the sense of relief this feature gives me is priceless.

The Enclave also features Quick QuietTuning® technology with Active Noise Cancellation, which helps reduce, block and absorb unwanted noise by utilizing many measures including triple door seals acoustic laminated windshield and a noise-reducing five-link rear suspension. For me, this means we can easily chat in the car, and I get to enjoy my podcasts and music (hello, Backstreet Boys!) with little other noise interference.

The interior is also extra comfortable – which became super key on the drive home from Montreal, which took 8 hours. Yes, EIGHT HOURS. Long weekend traffic can be brutal so what the usual five-hour drive became eight hours the Monday we drove home to Toronto. Touches like the warm wood tones, brushed chrome accents and leather seating made for a luxe drive, and I wish I’d remembered that the first-row seats have a massage function! It would’ve broken up those eight hours with mini spa experiences!

 

Now, let’s talk safety features. When you only drive occasionally like me, I think it makes me appreciate the safety features even more so compared to someone who drives regularly. Having driven vehicles without Safety Assist, I know I miss these technologies when I’m driving other cars. The Safety Assist technologies (which are standard on the Enclave) that I appreciate most:

• Front Pedestrian braking and Rear Cross Traffic Alert: Always helpful in parking lots, for example.
• IntelliBeam Auto High Beams: No need to think about switching high beams on or off when driving country roads and night (and much of my driving tends to be country roads for my road trips as my destination is often cottage country).
• Lane Change Alert with Side Blind Zone Alert: I recently drove a vehicle where someone had toggled this off and I had to find out how to turn the feature back on. Even though I always check my blind spot, it’s a nice-to-have feature that makes me feel extra safe on the road.

I realized recently I know quite a few people who don’t drive and/or never got their license. (or who don’t drive outside of their neighbourhood, and never on highways), and often it’s out of fear. The technological features have come such a long way since I got my license that I wish people who might feel a bit fearful about driving would give it a shot and see how safe and easy it feels to drive a vehicle like an Enclave. There’s a world to explore out there, after all, and the Buick Enclave makes it a safe and enjoyable adventure!

Thank you to Buick Canada for the test drive – it made exploring Montreal and cottage country safe and easy.

Filed under: Travel Swellness