Compare the2025 Buick EnclaveVS 2025 Lexus GX

The Enclave has a standard front seat center airbag, which deploys between the driver and front passenger, protecting them from injuries caused by striking each other in serious side impacts. The GX doesn’t offer front seat center airbags.

In a Vehicle-to-Vehicle Frontal Crash Prevention 2.0 test conducted by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS), the Buick Enclave achieved a “Good” rating - the highest possible - for its performance in forward collision warning and automatic braking systems, demonstrating its excellent capabilities in preventing collisions. The Lexus GX has not been tested.

To deliver safety and visibility under dusty conditions the Buick Enclave’s backup monitor has a standard rear washer to keep the view clear. A camera washer system costs extra on the Lexus GX.

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 GX uses a body-on-frame design, which has no frame members above the floor of the vehicle.

Both the Enclave and the GX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, side-impact head airbags, front and rear seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, blind spot warning systems, rearview cameras, rear cross-path warning, available all wheel drive, front parking sensors and driver alert monitors.

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 and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Buick Enclave is safer than the Lexus GX:

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

The Buick Enclave has achieved the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety’s (IIHS) highest rating of “Top Safety Pick Plus” for the 2025 model year. This distinction is based on its exceptional performance in IIHS’ rigorous battery of safety tests. Specifically, it earned a “Good” rating in the latest, more stringent moderate overlap front crash test, a “Good” result in the updated side impact test, and an “Acceptable” score in the revised pedestrian crash prevention test. The GX has not yet been evaluated by the IIHS for 2025.

There are almost 4 times as many Buick dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Enclave’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2024 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Buick vehicles are better in initial quality than Lexus vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Buick above average in initial quality. With 10 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lexus is rated lower.

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

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Enclave’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. If the conditions warrant or the driver wishes, the system can be manually disabled at any time for the duration of a trip. The GX doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Buick Enclave uses regular unleaded gasoline. The GX requires premium, which can cost on average about 84.9 cents more per gallon.

The Enclave has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The GX doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

The Enclave stops much shorter than the GX:

For better traction, the Enclave’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the GX (275/45R22 vs. 265/55R20).

The Enclave’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the GX Overtrail’s standard 70 series tires. The Enclave’s optional tires have a lower 45 series profile than the GX’s optional 50 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Enclave has standard 20-inch wheels. Smaller 18-inch wheels are standard on the GX Overtrail.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Enclave’s wheelbase is 8.7 inches longer than on the GX (120.9 inches vs. 112.2 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Enclave is 1.3 inches wider in the front and 1 inch wider in the rear than the average track on the GX.

The Enclave Avenir handles at .83 G’s, while the GX Overtrail+ pulls only .71 G’s of cornering force in a Car and Driver skidpad test.

The Enclave Avenir AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.1 seconds quicker than the GX Luxury+ (27.8 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.9 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

The Buick Enclave may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 1000 to 1050 pounds less than the Lexus GX.

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 GX doesn’t use unibody construction, but a body-on-frame design.

The front grille of the Enclave uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The GX doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

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

The Enclave’s cargo area provides more volume than the GX.

The Enclave’s cargo area provides more volume than the GX Overtrail.

Pressing a switch automatically lowers the Enclave’s optional second and third row seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The GX doesn’t offer automatic folding second row seats.

The Enclave has a standard heated steering wheel to take the chill out of steering on extremely cold winter days before the vehicle heater warms up. A heated steering wheel costs extra on the GX.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Buick Enclave has a standard wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. Wireless charging costs extra on the GX.

The Enclave’s optional Enhanced Automatic Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, starting, stopping and changing direction automatically. The GX doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

The Enclave is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The GX doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.