What Are the Differences Between the 2021 Buick Enclave & 2021 Chevrolet Traverse?

Both made by GM, built on the same chassis, with the same drivetrain, and featuring three-row versatility, what separates the 2021 Buick Enclave vs. the 2021 Chevrolet Traverse? There are many differences between these two SUVs, including their exterior/interior styling, pricing, features and much more. Read on with us here at Ernie Dean as we compare and contrast the 2021 Buick Enclave and the 2021 Chevrolet Traverse, highlighting their main differences.

 

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Exterior Design & Features

 

While both SUVs may be built on the same platform, the two offer a completely different exterior design. The Enclave is very well representative of the Buick brand by presenting a luxury-forward vehicle with hints of sport utility across its streamlined frame. The Traverse, on the other hand, presents a much larger style, with an increased grille size, and a body that has an upward-angled side and a flat roof, creating a beefy style against the Enclave’s more crossover design.

 

Enclave Key Difference:

• Luxurious & sporty style

Traverse Key Difference:

• Muscular style

 

 

Interior Design & Features

 

These three-row SUVs come with a multitude of options for shepherding both people and cargo. Fold down both or either of the second and third rows to balance passengers and gear, and tow up to 5,000 lbs with the towing package. The Traverse gives you the most total rear cargo space between the two, while the Buick actually offers the most space behind those second and third rows. Given all this space it leads the way for a host of appointment styles, with each SUV taking a different route. The Buick is all about luxury with wood, chrome and leather all finding their home inside on even the base trims, whereas the Chevrolet presents a more basic feel with cloth seats on their introductory trims with leather available only on higher trim editions.

 

Enclave Key Difference:

• Premium materials

Traverse Key Difference:

• Most rear cargo space

 

Tech & Safety

 

The tech available comes quite similar between these two incredibly modern SUVs, with both offering 8-inch display screens, connective Apple CarPlay & Android Auto, a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot and more. In the safety department, these are both exceptionally safe family SUVs thanks to their advanced safety tech, with their area of differences much the same, coming down to trim availability. The Enclave offers more on its trio of trims while the 6 trims of the Traverse require a bigger need to upgrade to a higher trim to get the features you may truly want. In particular, in regards to safety, the Enclave comes with more features throughout the trim levels due to the increased price, but when both are fully fit with all of the features available, they offer quite equal systems.

 

Enclave Key Difference:

• More safety systems through its lesser number of trim levels

Traverse Key Difference:

• Budget-conscious feature availability

 

 

Trims & Pricing

 

The Enclave and Traverse have a different mindset when it comes to trim levels, and thus both have a different range of pricing. The 2021 Buick Enclave is only available across 3 trims: Essence, Premium and Avenir, with the base level starting at $48,993* and the top level starting at $62,298*. The 2021 Chevrolet Traverse is found across 6 trims: LS, LT Cloth, Truth North, RS, Premier and High Country, with the base level starting at $36,498* and the top level starting at $60,298*. The luxury features of the Enclave put its price at a higher point than the Traverse on both entry and top trim levels.

*Prices are subject to change

 

Enclave Key Difference:

• Only 3 trims to choose from

Traverse Key Difference:

• Cheaper starting prices

 

Buick Enclave vs. Chevrolet Traverse Verdict

 

By going through both of these GM SUVs you can see that even though both are very similar in a lot of aspects, there are a few key differences that may make your choice between them easier. What it all boils down to is a choice between luxury vs. practical, and the price tag that goes along with it. The 2021 Buick Enclave presents a much more luxurious and sporty SUV with premium materials/features inside and out, but thus comes a high cost. The Traverse on the other hand may not have as many of those top quality features, but can come much cheaper and is perfectly primed for the no-nonsense budget-conscious driver. No matter what one you’re interested in, or if you just have more questions about either, our team here at Ernie Dean is always more than happy to assist.