Certified Benz & Beemer Compares 2011 Buick ENCLAVE VS 2011 Lincoln MKT Near Phoenix, AZ

For enhanced safety, the front shoulder belts of the Buick Enclave are height-adjustable, and the middle and rear seat shoulder belts have child comfort guides to move the belt to properly fit children. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages children to buckle up. The Lincoln MKT doesn’t offer comfort guides on its middle or rear seat belts.

The Buick Enclave has Daytime Running Lights to help keep it more visible under all conditions. Canadian government studies show that driving with lights during the day reduces accidents by 11% by making vehicles more conspicuous. The MKT doesn’t offer Daytime Running Lights.

Both the Enclave and the MKT have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, plastic fuel tanks, four wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding and available all wheel drive.

Buick’s powertrain warranty covers the Enclave 30,000 miles longer than Lincoln covers the MKT. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the MKT ends after only 70,000 miles.

The Enclave’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the MKT’s (6 vs. 5 years).

There are almost 2 times as many Buick dealers as there are Lincoln dealers, which makes it much easier to get service under the Enclave’s warranty.

To reliably start during all conditions and help handle large electrical loads, the Enclave has a standard 730 amp battery. The MKT’s 650 amp battery isn’t as powerful.

The Enclave’s 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 18 more horsepower (288 vs. 270) than the MKT’s standard 3.7 DOHC V6.

On the EPA test cycle the Enclave FWD gets better fuel mileage than the MKT FWD with its standard engine (17 city/24 hwy vs. 17 city/23 hwy).

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Buick Enclave uses regular unleaded gasoline. The MKT with the 3.5 turbo V6 engine requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Enclave has 3.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the MKT (22 vs. 18.6 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Enclave stops much shorter than the MKT:

For better traction, the Enclave has larger tires than the MKT (255/60R19 vs. 235/55R19).

The Buick Enclave’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Lincoln MKT only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Enclave’s wheelbase is 1.1 inches longer than on the MKT (119 inches vs. 117.9 inches).

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Enclave is 1.9 inches wider in the front and 1.8 inches wider in the rear than on the MKT.

The Enclave CXL AWD handles at .76 G’s, while the MKT AWD pulls only .75 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

For better maneuverability, the Enclave’s turning circle is 1.1 feet tighter than the MKT EcoBoost’s (40.4 feet vs. 41.5 feet). The Enclave’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the MKT 3.7 V6’s (40.4 feet vs. 42.4 feet).

The Enclave is 6.1 inches shorter than the MKT, making the Enclave easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Enclave offers optional seating for 8 passengers; the MKT can only carry 7.

The Enclave has 10.7 cubic feet more passenger volume than the MKT (153 vs. 142.3).

The Enclave has .3 inches more front headroom, 1.5 inches more front hip room, 3.4 inches more front shoulder room, .4 inches more rear headroom, 1.1 inches more rear hip room, 3.3 inches more rear shoulder room, 4.3 inches more third row headroom, .2 inches more third row legroom, 7.7 inches more third row hip room and 8.3 inches more third row shoulder room than the MKT.

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

When the Enclave CXL is put in reverse, both rearview mirrors tilt from their original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirrors into their original positions. The MKT’s mirrors don’t automatically adjust for backing.

Insurance will cost less for the Enclave owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Enclave will cost $2410 to $3036 less than the MKT over a five-year period.

Intellichoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Buick Enclave will be $8567 to $11082 less than for the Lincoln MKT.