The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety took some GMC Acadias and smashed them up to see how the big crossovers hold up against immovable objects, and unlike recent tests conducted for the Chevy Equinox and Pontiac Torrent, the news is positive. An AWD Acadia SLE acted as a stand-in for all of the Lambda models - Buick Enclave, Chevrolet Traverse, Saturn Outlook, and all Acadia trims included. It didn't matter whether the IIHS attacked the front, side, or rear – the CUV earned a "good" rating in all directions. With the standard fitment of Stabilitrak, the IIHS also bestowed a Top Safety Pick crown on GM's big haulers. The Lambas now have both a five-star rating from the NHTSA and a Top Safety Pick designator about which to brag.
In addition to getting the coolest Buicks which are not available in America, individuals in China are about to get the best vehicle that Buick has to offer in the States. In a deal which was initially inked ten months ago, the attractive Enclave CUV, built at GM's Lansing Delta Township assembly plant, is headed for China. The U.S. assembled 'utes will make their way by means of Shanghai GM. The exportation of the Enclave to China is only surprising in that it took so long for the General to get the model there in the first place. After all, Buick sells more vehicles in China than anywhere else in the world, with the nation consuming over half of all Buicks worldwide. We can only hope that Shanghai GM returns the favor and sends some of its best designs our way... and soon.
In January, EA Sports held an online contest for Tiger Woods 08 players on the XBOX 360. First prize was a 2008 Buick Enclave CXL courtesy car used by Tiger during December's 2007 Target World Challenge golf tournament. Tiger won the tournament, finishing seven strokes ahead of '07 Masters champ Zach Johnson. Well, the contest is over and the winner has apparently taken delivery of the Buick, which came complete with a certificate of authenticity signed by Tiger himself. This might well be the only Buick Enclave in circulation that's Upper Deck authenticated.
Naturally, the car's new owner is looking to see if the Tiger connection is something that can be capitalized on, and the ride has been listed on eBay. Fully loaded, finished in Cocoa Metallic over Cocoa Cashmere, and showing just 220 miles on the clock, it's a really nice vehicle. As for the $100,000 Buy It Now price, well, that's ridiculous even with its certified, touched-by-Tiger history. According to the auction listing, eleven people have made offers, but there's no telling if they're anywhere near the asking price. We can't imagine they would be. Our advice: exercise some patience. Garage the Enclave, put the certificate of authenticity in a safe, and offer the whole package at Barrett-Jackson in January. As if by magic, a mundane, dealer-supplied courtesy vehicle becomes a "celebrity car". In B-J's massively hyped, more-money-than-sense environment, a hundred grand seems entirely feasible. Do we hear two hundred?
