Ever meet somebody new, strike up a friendship and then discover new things you appreciate about him or her every time you see them? So it is with the 2010 Buick Enclave. The Enclave, which was introduced in 2008, enters the 2010 model year with the same great styling and even more features than last year’s model.

For 2010, the Buick Enclave still features a snappy 3.6-liter Spark Ignition Direct Injection (SIDI) V6 engine with either front-wheel or all-wheel drive that delivers 288 hp and 270 lb/ft of torque. Notable safety and handling features of the Hydra-Matic 6T75 electronic six-speed automatic transmission include precise shift control and shift stabilization, and automatic grade braking.

This full-size luxury crossover can seat eight and offers just about all the cargo room you could want. It still manages to deliver an EPA-estimated 16 mpg city and 22 mpg highway, better than any other eight-passenger crossover. With a great balance between performance and pulling power, the Enclave can tow up to 4,500 pounds when properly equipped.

Drivers will enjoy the Enclave’s exceptionally smooth ride. They’ll also enjoy its ultra-quiet interior, thanks to QuietTuning, an exclusive process by which Buick engineers isolate the cabin from outside noise. For 2010, the Enclave will offer a 20-inch Chrome Wheel Package, as well as the 19-inch wheels featured in 2009.

Slide behind the wheel and you will know why Enclave’s luxurious and understated styling have made it so popular since it was first introduced.

This vehicle boasts large interior space with a standard third row and seating for up to eight people. What’s more, the third row is comfortable for adults. Buick’s second-row SmartSlide^™ feature lets you gain easy access to that third row and adjust the second row for maximum comfort for second- and third-row passengers. There is big-time cargo space, too, with 23 cubic feet available neatly behind the third row. If you fold down the middle and third rows, you will gain an additional 115 cubic feet of storage or cargo space.

The 2010 Buick Enclave offers all this and outstanding overall safety with its extensive driver and passenger airbag systems (including head-curtain side airbags and rollover protection for all rows), standard StabiliTrak traction control, and additional standard and available features like a rearview camera system, Ultrasonic Rear Parking Assist, and Articulating Xenon Headlamps, among others. Enclave earned five star safety ratings in the government’s frontal and side-impact crash tests.

Choose any of its available trim levels, and don’t be surprised by all of the intelligent creature comforts packed onboard. In its top CXL trim, the 2010 Enclave really takes owner satisfaction to another level with a wide variety of luxury and high-tech standard and optional features. These include a heads-up display (HUD); remote vehicle start; power everything including the tilt/telescoping steering wheel, rear liftgate, memory settings for two drivers and heated outside mirrors w/turn signal indicators; a 10-speaker BOSE surround-sound system, three-zone climate control, GPS, a two-panel sunroof and a backseat entertainment system. In addition, the CXL features supreme comfort with heated and cooled driver and front passenger’s seats, Bluetooth with hands-free feature, XM NavTraffic and OnStar with upgraded vehicle diagnostics and emergency services.

Say hello again to this great friend—the 2010 Buick Enclave with a starting MSRP of $35,165.