Compare the2023 Toyota HighlanderVS 2023 Buick Enclave

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and second-row seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Highlander have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Buick Enclave doesn’t offer pretensioners for its second-row seat belts.

For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Toyota Highlander are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The Buick Enclave doesn’t offer height-adjustable front seat belts.

The Toyota Highlander has a standard driver’s side knee airbag mounted low on the dashboard. The knee airbag helps prevent the driver from sliding under the seatbelts or the main frontal airbag; this keeps the driver better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. A knee airbag also helps keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The Enclave doesn’t offer knee airbags.

The Highlander has a standard Secondary Collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Enclave doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

The Highlander’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Enclave doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

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

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

	Highlander	Enclave
	Passenger
STARS	4 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	328	333
Chest Compression	.6 inches	.9 inches
Neck Injury Risk	28.4%	35.2%

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, results indicate that the Toyota Highlander is safer than the Buick Enclave:

	Highlander	Enclave
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	55	69
Chest Movement	.3 inches	.9 inches
Abdominal Force	79 lbs.	161 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	114	134
Spine Acceleration	37 G’s	39 G’s
Hip Force	152 lbs.	716 lbs.

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

Side impacts caused 23% of all road fatalities in 2018, down from 29% in 2003, when the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety introduced its side barrier test. In order to continue improving vehicle safety, the IIHS has started using a more severe side impact test: 37 MPH (up from 31 MPH), with a 4180-pound barrier (up from 3300 pounds). The results of this newly developed test demonstrates that the Toyota Highlander is safer than the Enclave:

	Highlander	Enclave
Overall Evaluation	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Structure	GOOD	MARGINAL
	Driver Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	71	141
Neck Tension	156 lbs.	446 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	ACCEPTABLE
Shoulder Deflection	.51 in	1.3 in
Shoulder Force	223 lbs.	312 lbs.
Torso Max Deflection	1.26 in	1.5 in
Torso Deflection Rate	6 MPH	6 MPH
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD
	Passenger Injury Measures
Head/Neck	GOOD	GOOD
Head Injury Criterion	132	189
Neck Tension	67 lbs.	134 lbs.
Neck Compression	112 lbs.	201 lbs.
Torso	GOOD	GOOD
Torso Max Deflection	1.1 in	1.22 in
Torso Deflection Rate	6 MPH	10 MPH
Pelvis	GOOD	GOOD
Pelvis Force	201 lbs.	848 lbs.
Head Protection	GOOD	GOOD

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, daytime pedestrian crash prevention, and nighttime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Highlander its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2023, a rating granted to only 29 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Enclave has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

The Highlander’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Enclave’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Toyota pays for scheduled maintenance on the Highlander for 2 years and 25000 miles. Toyota will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Buick doesn’t pay scheduled maintenance for the Enclave.

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 Highlander’s reliability 19 points higher than the Enclave.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Toyota vehicles are more reliable than Buick vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Toyota first in overall reliability. Buick is ranked 11th.

Engine

The Highlander’s 2.4 turbo 4-cylinder produces 44 lbs.-ft. more torque (310 vs. 266) than the Enclave’s 3.6 DOHC V6.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Highlander gets better mileage than the Enclave:

			MPG
Highlander
	FWD	2.4 turbo 4-cyl.	22 city/29 hwy
	AWD	2.4 turbo 4-cyl.	21 city/28 hwy
Enclave
	FWD	3.6 DOHC V6	18 city/26 hwy
	AWD	3.6 DOHC V6	17 city/25 hwy

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Highlander’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Enclave:

	Highlander	Enclave
Front Rotors	13.3 inches	12.6 inches
Rear Rotors	13.3 inches	12.4 inches

Suspension and Handling

For better maneuverability, the Highlander’s turning circle is 1.6 feet tighter than the Enclave’s (37.4 feet vs. 39 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Highlander has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Enclave (8 vs. 7.5 inches), allowing the Highlander to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Toyota Highlander may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 200 to 250 pounds less than the Buick Enclave.

The Highlander is 9.9 inches shorter than the Enclave, making the Highlander easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

Passenger Space

The Highlander has standard seating for 8 passengers; the Enclave can only carry 7.

The Highlander has .8 inches more front legroom and .4 inches more rear legroom than the Enclave.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Highlander’s middle and third row seats recline. The Enclave’s third row seats don’t recline.

Cargo Capacity

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Highlander. The Enclave doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The Highlander’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Enclave’s (5000 vs. 1500 pounds).

Standard Trailer Sway Control (TSC) on the Highlander uses the Enhanced Vehicle Stability Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Enclave doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

The Highlander’s front and rear power windows all open or close 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 Enclave’s passenger windows don’t close automatically.

The Highlander has a standard locking fuel door with a remote release located convenient to the driver. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank. The Enclave doesn’t offer a locking fuel door.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Highlander Platinum has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Enclave doesn’t offer cornering lights.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Highlander to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Enclave doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Toyota Highlander and the Buick Enclave, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Toyota Highlander outsold the Buick Enclave by over seven to one during 2022.