Compare the2022 Buick EnclaveVS 2021 Cadillac Escalade

The Enclave has a standard blind spot warning system which uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. Only the Escalade Premium/Platinum/Sport offers a blind spot warning system.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Enclave has a standard cross-path warning system, which uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. Only the Escalade Premium/Platinum/Sport has a cross-path warning system.

For better protection of the passenger compartment, the Enclave uses safety cell construction with a three-dimensional high-strength frame that surrounds the passenger compartment. It provides extra impact protection and a sturdy mounting location for door hardware and side impact beams. The Escalade uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Enclave and the Escalade have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, front seat center airbag, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, plastic fuel tanks, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, rearview cameras 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 Escalade has not been tested, yet.

There are over 2 times as many Buick dealers as there are Cadillac dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Enclave’s warranty.

For smoother operation, better efficiency and fewer moving parts, the Enclave has an overhead cam design, rather than the old pushrod design of the engine in the Escalade.

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 12 points higher than the Escalade.

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 Cadillac vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick 7th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 12 more problems per 100 vehicles, Cadillac is ranked 14th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Buick vehicles are more reliable than Cadillac vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Buick fourth in reliability. Cadillac is ranked 21st.

On the EPA test cycle the Enclave gets better fuel mileage than the Escalade:

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

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

The Enclave Avenir handles at .75 G’s, while the Escalade Sport 4WD pulls only .60 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Enclave Avenir executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.7 seconds quicker than the Escalade Sport 4WD (28.4 seconds @ .6 average G’s vs. 30.1 seconds @ .53 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Enclave’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the Escalade’s (39 feet vs. 39.7 feet).

The Buick Enclave may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1150 to 1300 pounds less than the Cadillac Escalade.

The Enclave is 7.1 inches shorter than the Escalade, making the Enclave easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Unibody construction lowers the Enclave’s center of gravity significantly without reducing ground clearance. This contributes to better on the road handling and better off-road performance and stability. In addition, unibody construction makes the chassis stiffer, improving handling and reducing squeaks and rattles. The Escalade uses body-on-frame design instead.

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

The Enclave has .3 inches more front headroom and 1 inch more rear headroom than the Escalade.

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 Escalade’s liftover is 37 inches.

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 Escalade doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its OnStar® can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Enclave is less expensive to operate than the Escalade because it costs $73 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Enclave than the Escalade, including $587 less for a muffler, $9 less for a fuel pump, $659 less for front struts, $204 less for a timing belt/chain and $235 less for a power steering pump.