Compare the2022 Buick EnclaveVS 2021 Ford Explorer

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Environmental Friendliness
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the Buick Enclave’s middle seat shoulder belts have child comfort guides to move the belt to properly fit children. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages children to buckle up. The Ford Explorer doesn’t offer comfort guides on its middle seat belts.

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 Explorer 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 Explorer doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

Both the Enclave and the Explorer 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.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Buick Enclave is safer than the Ford Explorer:

	Enclave	Explorer
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	15.6%	26.3%
Leg Forces (l/r)	53/40 lbs.	230/210 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Buick Enclave is safer than the Ford Explorer:

	Enclave	Explorer
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.9 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	161 G’s	161 G’s
Hip Force	204 lbs.	224 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	251	288
Spine Acceleration	34 G’s	39 G’s
Hip Force	554 lbs.	573 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Warranty

The Enclave’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the Explorer’s (6 vs. 5 years).

Reliability

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Enclave’s reliability 49 points higher than the Explorer.

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 Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick 7th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 24 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is ranked 16th, 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 Ford vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick fifth in reliability, above the industry average. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles, Ford is ranked 22nd.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Ford vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Buick fourth in reliability. Ford is ranked 22nd.

Engine

The Enclave’s 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 10 more horsepower (310 vs. 300) than the Explorer’s standard 2.3 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Buick Enclave is faster than the Ford Explorer V6 hybrid gas:

	Enclave	Explorer
Zero to 60 MPH	7 sec	7.7 sec
Quarter Mile	15.4 sec	15.7 sec

Fuel Economy and Range

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

The Enclave FWD’s standard fuel tank has 1.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Explorer Hybrid’s standard fuel tank (19.4 vs. 18 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Enclave AWD’s standard fuel tank has 1.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the Explorer V6 Turbo’s standard fuel tank (21.7 vs. 20.2 gallons).

Environmental Friendliness

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Buick Enclave higher (6 out of 10) than the Ford Explorer (5). This means the Enclave produces up to 6.9 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Explorer every 15,000 miles.

Brakes and Stopping

The Enclave’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs standard on the Explorer ST are solid, not vented.

The Enclave stops shorter than the Explorer:

	Enclave	Explorer
60 to 0 MPH	130 feet	136 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

The Buick Enclave’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Ford Explorer 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 Explorer doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

The Enclave offers an available driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Explorer’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Enclave’s wheelbase is 1.8 inches longer than on the Explorer (120.9 inches vs. 119.1 inches).

The Enclave Essence handles at .82 G’s, while the Explorer XLT 4WD pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

Chassis

As tested by Car and Driver while at idle, the interior of the Enclave Essence is quieter than the Explorer ST 4WD (38 vs. 41 dB).

Passenger Space

The Enclave has 4.6 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Explorer (157.3 vs. 152.7).

The Enclave has 1.9 inches more front headroom, .4 inches more front shoulder room, 1.3 inches more third row legroom, 7.6 inches more third row hip room and 2.7 inches more third row shoulder room than the Explorer.

Cargo Capacity

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

	Enclave	Explorer
Behind Third Seat	23.6 cubic feet	18.2 cubic feet
Third Seat Folded	57.7 cubic feet	47.9 cubic feet
Second Seat Folded	97.4 cubic feet	87.8 cubic feet

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

	Enclave	Explorer
Length to seat (3rd/2nd/1st)	26.2”/54”/90”	20.8”/49.8”/83.9”
Max Width	52.7”	59”
Min Width	48.5”	48.1”
Height	30.8”	33.7”

Servicing Ease

The Enclave uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Explorer uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

Ergonomics

The Enclave Premium/Avenir has a standard heads-up display that projects speed and tachometer readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Explorer doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Enclave’s front and rear power windows all lower with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Explorer’s rear power window switches have to be held the entire time to open them fully.

If the windows are left open on the Enclave the driver can close them all from a distance using the remote. On a hot day the driver can also lower the windows the same way. The driver of the Explorer can only close the windows from inside the vehicle, with the ignition on.

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

The Enclave’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Ford only offers heated mirrors on the Explorer XLT/Limited/ST/Platinum.

When the Enclave Premium/Avenir is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The Explorer’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Enclave has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the Explorer.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Buick Enclave has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Only the Explorer Limited/ST/Platinum offers wireless charging.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Enclave owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Enclave will cost $235 less than the Explorer over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Enclave is less expensive to operate than the Explorer because typical repairs cost much less on the Enclave than the Explorer, including $202 less for a muffler and $62 less for a timing belt/chain.