Toyota Highlander Hybrid vs Buick Enclave

The 2022 Buick Enclave represented a significant shift in Buick's design philosophy, moving away from its traditionally conservative styling to embrace a more modern and upscale aesthetic. This transformation was evident in the Enclave's exterior, which featured a refreshed grille, updated front and rear fascias, and new headlamp and taillamp designs. The Avenir trim level, in particular, stood out with its unique grille and 20-inch wheel design. Inside, the Enclave offered a refined cabin with upgraded materials, a restyled centre console, and available heated and cooled seats, enhancing the overall comfort and luxury feel. The Avenir trim further elevated the interior experience with climate-controlled front seats, heated second-row captain's chairs, and distinctive trim and seat stitching.

In contrast, the 2023 Toyota Highlander Hybrid maintained a more aggressive and over-styled appearance, with exaggerated forms and bold design elements. The Highlander's interior followed a similar theme, featuring large air vents, a giant 12.3-inch touchscreen infotainment system, and oversized climate control knobs. However, the cabin's mismatched textures and tones, along with reflections from the display and black plastic trim, detracted from its overall appeal. Despite these design choices, the Highlander Hybrid prioritized practicality and functionality, offering a spacious interior with standard three-zone automatic climate control and heated front seats. The Platinum package added further comfort with a heated steering wheel, heated and ventilated front seats, and heated second-row captain's chairs.

The 2022 Buick Enclave was powered by a 3.6-litre V6 engine, delivering 310 horsepower and 266 pound-feet of torque, paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission. This powertrain provided a smooth and responsive driving experience, with the Enclave's AWD system ensuring confident handling in various conditions. The SUV's maximum towing capacity was 2,268 kilograms, making it a versatile choice for those needing to tow. The Enclave's ride quality was enhanced by the optional Avenir Technology package, which included a premium ride suspension and continuously variable real-time chassis damping. This setup allowed the Enclave to handle various terrains with ease, while Buick's QuietTuning and active noise cancellation technology ensured a serene cabin environment.

The 2023 Toyota Highlander Hybrid combined a 2.5-litre Atkinson-cycle four-cylinder engine with two electric motor-generators, producing a total of 243 horsepower. This hybrid powertrain prioritized fuel efficiency, with a Predictive Efficient Drive system learning driving habits to optimize performance. However, the Highlander's gas engine offered limited torque, resulting in underwhelming high-speed passing power. The SUV's towing capacity was 1,588 kilograms, but its performance in mountainous terrain raised concerns about brake reliability. The Highlander Hybrid featured Eco, Normal, and Sport driving modes, along with an AWD system and Trail mode for light off-road use. Despite its focus on efficiency, the Highlander's driving experience was described as uninspiring, with soft suspension tuning and a continuously variable transmission contributing to a lack of engagement.

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 provided ample room for passengers in all three rows, with the third row accommodating six-footers comfortably. The second-row captain's chairs facilitated access to the third row and offered versatility with flip-and-fold functionality. The Enclave's centre console featured push-button transmission gears, and the SUV provided generous cargo space, with up to 2,758 litres available when both rear rows were folded.

The 2023 Toyota Highlander Hybrid also prioritized practicality, accommodating seven or eight passengers depending on the configuration. Standard equipment included three-zone automatic climate control and heated front seats, with the Platinum package adding further comfort features. The Highlander's second-row captain's chairs offered comfort and flexibility, while the third row was best suited for occasional use. The SUV's interior featured a useful dashboard shelf and various storage areas, though some design choices, such as the centre armrest storage console, were criticized for their complexity. Cargo space was generous, with up to 2,387 litres available when the second-row seats were folded.

The 2022 Buick Enclave featured a standard 8-inch touchscreen infotainment system with 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 connectivity. Standard safety features included a following-distance indicator, HD rear vision camera, and Teen Driver technology. Notable available features included adaptive cruise control, head-up display, and HD surround vision.

The 2023 Toyota Highlander Hybrid introduced new technology, with upper trims receiving a 12.3-inch digital instrumentation display and a new Toyota Audio Multimedia infotainment system. The Limited trim featured a 12.3-inch display with over-the-air software updates, dual-device Bluetooth pairing, and wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. The Highlander Hybrid also offered connected service plans, including Remote Connect and Drive Connect, which provided advanced features such as natural voice recognition and cloud-based navigation. The test vehicle included a head-up display and an 11-speaker JBL sound system, though the graphics on the infotainment system were noted as needing improvement.

The 2022 Buick Enclave made significant strides in safety, with the Buick Driver Confidence Plus package becoming standard across all trims. This package included automatic emergency braking, forward-collision warning, lane-change alert, rear cross-traffic alert, lane-keep assist, and more. Additional features on higher trims included enhanced automatic emergency braking, adaptive cruise control, and a surround-view camera. The Enclave received a five-star overall safety rating from the NHTSA and "Good" ratings in most IIHS crash tests.

The 2023 Toyota Highlander Hybrid was equipped with Toyota Safety Sense 2.5+, a comprehensive suite of advanced driving assistance systems. This included adaptive cruise control, forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane-departure warning, and more. Blind-spot monitoring and rear cross-traffic alert were also standard, with higher trims gaining front and rear parking sensors and a surround-view camera. The Highlander Hybrid received excellent crash-test ratings from both the IIHS and NHTSA.