Compare the2022 Buick EnclaveVS 2021 BMW X7

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Enclave are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The X7 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Enclave has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The X7 doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Both the Enclave and the X7 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning and available around view monitors.

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and with its optional front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Enclave the rating of “Top Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 213 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The X7 has not been tested, yet.

Buick’s powertrain warranty covers the Enclave 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X7. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the X7 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are almost 6 times as many Buick dealers as there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Enclave’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2020 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Buick vehicles are better in initial quality than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick 7th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 26 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 18th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Buick vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick fifth in reliability, above the industry average. With 8 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 10th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Buick vehicles are more reliable than BMW vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Buick fourth in reliability. BMW is ranked 12th.

On the EPA test cycle the Enclave AWD gets better fuel mileage than the X7 M50i 4.4 twin-turbo V8 (523 HP) (17 city/25 hwy vs. 15 city/21 hwy).

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Buick Enclave uses regular unleaded gasoline. The X7 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Enclave has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The X7 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Buick Enclave higher (6 out of 10) than the BMW X7 (3). This means the Enclave produces up to 23.4 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the X7 every 15,000 miles.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Buick Enclave, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the X7.

The Enclave stops shorter than the X7:

The Buick Enclave’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The BMW X7 only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Enclave has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The X7 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Enclave is 1 inch wider in the front than the average track on the X7.

The Enclave Essence handles at .82 G’s, while the X7 pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Enclave’s turning circle is 3.8 feet tighter than the X7’s (39 feet vs. 42.8 feet).

The Buick Enclave may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1050 to 1200 pounds less than the BMW X7.

The Enclave uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The X7 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Enclave has .7 inches more front headroom, 1.4 inches more front legroom, 2.2 inches more front shoulder room, .7 inches more rear legroom, 3.5 inches more rear shoulder room, 1 inch more third row headroom, .2 inches more third row legroom and 9.4 inches more third row shoulder room than the X7.

The front step up height for the Enclave is 2 inches lower than the X7 (18” vs. 20”). The Enclave’s rear step up height is 1.8 inches lower than the X7’s (18.7” vs. 20.5”).

The Enclave’s cargo area provides more volume than the X7.

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Enclave easier. The Enclave’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 30.5 inches, while the X7’s liftover is 32.5 inches.

The Enclave’s cargo area is larger than the X7’s in almost every dimension:

The Enclave’s liftgate lifts up in one piece, completely out of the way of loading and unloading, while sheltering the cargo loading area. The X7’s tailgate’s top part raises up, but the bottom part lowers, getting in the way of loading and making an uneven surface for sliding cargo.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Enclave’s available exterior PIN entry system. The X7 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its BMW Assist can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Enclave has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the X7 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Consumer Reports rated the Enclave’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the X7’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

The Enclave offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The X7 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Enclave is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The X7 doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Insurance will cost less for the Enclave owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Enclave will cost $5980 to $9090 less than the X7 over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Buick Enclave will be $30680 to $43000 less than for the BMW X7.