Which Big Crossover Is A Better Deal? 2015 Buick Enclave vs 2016 Mazda CX-9

Much to the chagrin of many of us, a lot of modern cars aren’t “cars” at all, but rather SUVs. Many of them are car-based, rather than truck-based, and are therefore called “crossovers,” a term that used to mean a country song that made it on to the pop charts. Whatever you want to call them, they’ve become the default vehicle for many Americans. Today, continuing with our exploration of cars under fifteen years old, we’re going to check out two largish crossovers with three rows of seats.

Yesterday’s small car battle wasn’t much of a battle at all. The little pink Chevy Spark absolutely got its clock cleaned by the tobacco-brown Fiat. Many of you thought that if you were going to drive a small car for economic reasons, it should have a little panache and be a little bit fun to drive, and the Spark just couldn’t hang with the Fiat in that regard.

I have admired the Fiat 500 since it first came out, and it’s one of few modern small cars I think I’d really enjoy. But I feel like if I settled for an automatic one, I’d always regret not getting a manual. The Spark seems like it would be a dull appliance either way, so it may as well be an automatic for convenience. But between these two, I think I’d still take the Fiat, and do the same thing I did with my automatic Neon: look up how to do a manual swap, think about it, price out parts, but never get around to it.

A lot of car enthusiasts look down on SUVs and crossovers, but I completely understand the appeal of a big box on wheels. It makes particular sense if you want just one car that can do everything, which, I’m told, is how some people do it. There’s no shortage of choices if this is what you’re looking for, but these two jumped out at me as being fairly evenly matched. They’re both front-wheel-drive, they’re about the same size, and they both are north of 200,000 miles and still going strong. Let’s check them out.

2015 Buick Enclave Premium – $4,250

Engine/drivetrain: 3.6-liter DOHC V6, six-speed automatic, FWD

Location: Dallas, TX

Odometer reading: 205,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives well

Considering all the GM brands we’ve lost over the past couple of decades, I can’t believe Buick is still around. Pontiac is a memory, Oldsmobile ended not with a bang but a whimper, and yet Buick is still peddling the same chrome-laden dinosaurs it has for decades. Well, not the exact same, but the same idea. This Enclave is essentially just a Roadmaster Estate for the twenty-first century, minus the fake woodgrain sides. And if the nostalgia train keeps rolling long enough, that may make a return as well.

The Enclave shares a platform with the Chevy Traverse. It’s front-wheel-drive, with a transversely mounted V6. All-wheel drive is available, but it isn’t necessary down in Texas, so why deal with the extra fuel and complexity? The V6 is GM’s 3.6-liter “High Feature” unit, which replaced the bulletproof (and decidedly low-feature) 3800. The 3.6 has some issues with the timing chain and oil consumption, but this one has made it to 205,000 miles, so either it has been well cared for or it has had some repairs. It’s a one-owner car, so maybe you can get your hands on some service records.

It’s in good condition inside, and it does look comfy in there. The seller also says it “smells good” inside, which could mean a lot of things to a lot of people, but hopefully it means it doesn’t smell like cigarettes or feet or something. The air conditioner works fine, too.

The outside looks good, but the seller does disclose that it has had a minor accident in the past. It’s all fixed up now, and I don’t see any problems besides a couple of missing wheel center caps.

2016 Mazda CX-9 – $5,200

Engine/drivetrain: Turbocharged 2.5-liter DOHC inline 4, six-speed automatic, FWD

Location: Dallas, TX

Odometer reading: 248,000 miles

Operational status: Runs and drives well

It’s hard to believe that this car is made by the same company that makes the Miata. Mazda’s claim to fame has been small, light, zippy cars for many decades, and a three-row SUV is sort of the antithesis of that. But I guess if you want a big SUV that doesn’t handle like a big SUV, you get one from the company known for sports cars.

Besides sports cars, Mazda is known for its unusual engines. The rotary is the most famous example of this, but Mazda’s piston engines are often pretty cool, too. In recent years, Mazda engines have been marketed under the Skyactiv name, which isn’t a specific design or technology, but rather a combination of attributes like high compression ratios and direct fuel injection designed to improve efficiency and lower emissions. The engine in the CX-9 is a turbocharged 2.5-liter four that makes 227 horsepower and 310 pound-feet of torque, which is plenty for a vehicle like this. It has nearly a quarter million miles on it, but it runs and drives just fine.

We don’t get very good interior photos of this one; I think they took this one from across the street. All the ad says is that everything works fine, including the air conditioning. I guess you’d have to go look at it in person to assess its condition accurately.

I have to give Mazda credit for the styling of this car, too. It’s a lot better looking than most crossovers. It looks like it’s in good shape, too. I don’t even see any door dings, which is amazing for a car with this mileage.

These aren’t what you’d call exciting cars, but they are practical. If you have a big family or need to travel with your own pit crew, they make a lot of sense. These two have a lot of miles, but that doesn’t seem to affect modern cars as much. And looking at higher mileage cars is a great way to save some money. If you were in the market for a big do-it-all family hauler, which one would you go for?