2023 Toyota Sequoia vs 2022 Buick Enclave

The 2022 Buick Enclave was a testament to Buick's evolution from its traditionally conservative styling to a more modern and upscale design. Historically, Buick's designs were characterized by softer lines and functional interiors, catering to an older demographic focused on comfort and tradition. However, over the past 15 years, Buick had shifted its focus entirely to SUVs, reflecting broader market trends. The Enclave, with its 2022 mid-cycle refresh, showcased several exterior enhancements, including a new grille and updated fascias, headlamps, and wheel designs. The Avenir trim, in particular, stood out with its unique styling elements and 20-inch wheels. Inside, the Enclave offered a restyled centre console, upgraded materials, and features like heated and cooled seats, enhancing its appeal as a near-luxury SUV.

In contrast, the 2023 Toyota Sequoia made a bold statement with its redesigned exterior, drawing inspiration from the Toyota Tundra pickup truck. The Sequoia's styling was more aggressive, with a distinct SUV body that commanded attention. Inside, the Sequoia shared design elements with the Tundra, featuring an industrial theme with leather, wood, and metallic finishes, especially in the upscale Capstone trim. The interior was dominated by a massive 14-inch infotainment system, and the Capstone's cream white-over-black colour scheme added a touch of luxury. Despite its luxurious appearance, some interior materials reminded occupants of its pickup truck origins. The Sequoia's lineup included various trims, each offering unique features and capabilities, catering to a wide range of preferences.

The 2022 Buick Enclave was powered by a 3.6-litre V6 engine paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, delivering 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque. In Canada, all Enclave trims came standard with all-wheel drive, providing a maximum towing capacity of 2,268 kilograms (5,000 pounds) when properly equipped. The Enclave was renowned for its quiet and smooth ride, thanks to Buick's QuietTuning and active noise cancellation technology. The Avenir Technology package further enhanced the driving experience with a premium ride suspension and real-time chassis damping. Despite its size, the Enclave's powertrain was surprisingly responsive, offering good acceleration and a pleasant engine sound.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia, on the other hand, featured a hybrid powertrain with a twin-turbocharged 3.5-litre V6 engine, a 10-speed automatic transmission, and an electric motor/generator. This setup produced an impressive 437 horsepower and 583 pound-feet of torque. The Sequoia's towing capacity was significantly higher than its predecessor, with a maximum rating of 4,137 kilograms (9,120 pounds) in Canada. The new Sequoia was also more fuel-efficient, with a combined rating of 11.7 L/100 km in 4WD mode. The Sequoia offered various driving modes, including Eco, Comfort, Normal, Sport, and Sport+, allowing drivers to tailor the driving experience to their preferences. However, the ride quality varied depending on the mode, with Sport and Sport+ providing better control but potentially impacting fuel economy.

The 2022 Buick Enclave offered a spacious and comfortable interior, with easy ingress and egress and excellent visibility. Standard features included an eight-way power driver seat, six-way power front passenger seat, and tri-zone climate control. The Enclave's cabin was roomy, accommodating passengers comfortably in all three rows. The third row was surprisingly spacious, even for taller passengers. The Enclave's cargo space was generous, with 668 litres behind the third row, expanding to 1,634 litres with the third row folded, and a maximum of 2,758 litres with both rows down. The power-folding third-row seats added convenience to accessing the cargo area.

In contrast, the 2023 Toyota Sequoia excelled on open roads, offering a comfortable cabin with features like soft leather upholstery, a JBL premium audio system, and a triple-zone climate control system. The Sequoia's second-row captain's chairs provided comfort but lacked the ability to slide forward and back, limiting third-row legroom. The third-row seat was mounted above the battery pack, resulting in a high floor and limited comfort. Cargo space was a compromise, with only 325 litres behind the third row, expandable to 631 litres with the seat slid forward. The Sequoia's maximum cargo capacity was 2,460 litres, significantly less than its predecessor and competitors.

The 2022 Buick Enclave featured a standard 4.2-inch driver information centre, with an 8-inch version available on higher trims. The Essence trim came with an 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system, offering Bluetooth, wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, and wireless phone charging. Premium and Avenir trims added navigation and a 10-speaker Bose audio system. The Enclave's infotainment system supported pairing up to 10 devices, with a built-in Wi-Fi hotspot for up to four devices. Additional features included a following-distance indicator, HD rear vision camera, and Teen Driver technology. The Avenir trim offered advanced features like adaptive cruise control, head-up display, and HD surround vision.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia boasted a new Toyota Audio Multimedia infotainment system, with a 14-inch touchscreen on most trims. The system was intuitive, offering wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. Connected services allowed for user accounts and an Intelligent Assistant for voice commands. The Sequoia's Capstone trim included a 10-inch head-up display and a surround-view camera system. However, the system had some quirks, such as glare on the display and occasional issues with Bluetooth pairing. The Sequoia's parking sensors and automatic rear braking system provided added safety during manoeuvres.

The 2022 Buick Enclave saw significant updates to its safety features, with the Buick Driver Confidence Plus package becoming standard on all trims. This package included automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, lane-change alert, blind-spot warning, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, and automatic high-beam headlights. Additional safety features included a Safety Alert driver's seat, rear-seat reminder system, and HD reversing camera. The Enclave received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA and "Good" ratings from the IIHS, except for an "Acceptable" score in the updated side-impact test.

The 2023 Toyota Sequoia came equipped with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5 (TSS 2.5) as standard, offering a comprehensive suite of driver-assistance features. TSS 2.5 included forward-collision warning, pedestrian detection, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, lane-keeping assist, adaptive cruise control, and road sign recognition. Additional safety features included blind-spot monitoring, rear cross-traffic alert, and Safety Connect services. While the Sequoia had not been crash-tested by the NHTSA or IIHS, the Tundra, on which it is based, received high ratings from the IIHS.