Tap, tap, tap.

Well, now this was a surprise.

“Mind if I ask you about your Enclave?” the man said as I rolled down the driver’s side window.

I normally get flagged down and questioned when I’m driving sexy sports cars or other high-priced prestige machines.

But GM designers would be tickled pink at this kind or interest in the Buick Enclave, a vehicle that they’ve pinned their hopes on as “the new face of Buick and a new direction for the brand.”

The Buick Enclave debuted in 2008. It is a full-size luxury people carrier with three rows of seats and room for seven passengers (or eight with an optional bench instead of the second row captain’s chairs).

Although the Enclave is slotted in with SUVs on GM’s website, it is officially listed as a crossover, covering the product gaps left by both the former Rendezvous and the Terraza minivan. Other companies label their versions as “sport tourers” or other fanciful names.

The important thing is to not call it a minivan. Nobody wants to be labeled a minivan driver anymore even though, for all intents and purposes, this vehicle serves exactly the same purpose.

But, granting those GM designers some points for their efforts, the Buick Enclave approaches a new people-moving challenge with a modern sense of style and a full load of luxury amenities and technologies.

The Enclave shares a platform with the GMC Acadia and Chevy Traverse but it has been positioned in a more upscale slot with an almost all-inclusive content list.

The exterior body shell is handsomely sleek, aerodynamic and curvaceous, a new take on the Buick theme complete with the modernized heritage of the waterfall grille, a bold tri-shield emblem and three v-shaped portholes that have moved up to the hood.

Under that hood, the Enclave is powered by a 3.6-litre V6. Shortly after the vehicle’s launch for 2008, GM realized they needed a little extra oomph to move their two tons of fun. In a case of evolving technology catching up with product, they added direct injection to the 2009 model, boosting power from the original 275 hp to 288 hp at 6300 rpm. Torque is up from 251 lb/ft to 270 lb/ft.

That’s enough to provide a satisfying surge of power when you push the go-pedal.

The 3.6-litre direct injection V6 runs on regular gas but manages to produce the power of a V8.

Direct injection is more precise than the previous port-injection system, creating a better burn in the cylinders with increased muscle, requiring less fuel while reducing emissions. The Enclave’s official fuel economy rating is 12.7/8.4L/100km (city/hwy) which came close enough to my averages.

The engine is mated to the Hydra-Matic 6T75 electronically-controlled six-speed automatic transmission, putting power to the road through a front-wheel-drive or optional AWD system. The all-wheel-drive option will set you back about an extra $3,000.

The six-speed’s wide ratio of gears was designed to complement performance and fuel economy. The auto tranny was occasionally flummoxed by quick power changes but, for the most part, the Enclave proved to be a smooth sailer.

Speaking of which, we wound up using the Enclave to haul family and what seemed to be half their worldly possessions to a houseboat vacation.

Now I wouldn’t exactly call the Enclave a houseboat on wheels but the comparisons are obvious. Both vessels were designed for maximum interior room over the long haul and are loaded with features to make your stay as comfortable as possible.

The Enclave comes in CX and CXL trim choices.

The base CX model starts a long list of goodies that includes a StabiliTrak stability control system, six airbags, a tire pressure monitoring system, fog lamps, heated power exterior mirrors, keyless entry, power windows and doorlocks, power six-way driver seat, power two-way passenger seat, tilt/telescopic steering, automatic tri-zone climate control, cruise control, 6-speaker CD/MP3 audio system with XM Satellite Radio, Bluetooth connectivity and the OnStar system with 1 year of the Directions and Connections Plan and Turn-by-Turn Navigation.

Whew! That’s a pretty long list even after skipping over some of the standards. Moving up to a CXL model can add heated and cooled leather seating, audio upgrades and extras like the rearview camera system and ultrasonic rear parking assist. Check the different packages online for more details.

All this equipment bolsters a big and comfortable cabin with plenty of elbow room and a refined treatment of textures, woodgrain and chrome highlights. With the woodgrain, it’s a little bit old-school but it’s still a nice place for passengers to be in. The Enclave’s long haul highway capabilities benefit from this big crossover’s combined qualities of minivan-like room and utility, the pleasantly high vantange point, a little SUV attitude and surprising levels of luxury sedan-like sophistication.

Enclave’s second-row seats feature GM’s Smart Slide, which allows easy entry to the third row and enough fore and aft movement to adjust for passenger room in either the second or third row.

Raise the standard power liftgate and you can fit 660 litres (23.3 cubic feet) of luggage behind the third-row seat. That’s already the trunk capacity of some sedans.

We managed quite handily on our vacation trip by flopping the third row for two coolers, food boxes and a week’s worth of luggage and bedding for four. Folding both the second and third row seats creates a cavernous maximum cargo volume of 3,265 litres (115.3 cubic feet).

My test ride for this story was a 2009 CX FWD model, starting at a base model price of $41,595. Since the Enclave is only in its third year of production, there won’t be many changes to the 2010 Enclave except for new available chromed 20-inch wheels, an added USB port with the upgraded audio packages and a new rear backup camera with a screen embedded in the inside rearview mirror.

Prices for the 2010 models will be up slightly, starting at $43,505, so a 2009 model and some aggressive dickering might get you a better deal.

I guess that even with all this downsizing going on lately, not everyone is thinking small. And as a multi-passenger people mover, the Enclave fulfills its role with style, content and all of the levels of luxury and refinement you’d expect to find in a Buick. And it’s all done in a handsome and modern style that makes the Enclave a very viable contender in a competitive market.

Buick Enclave CUV 2009

Body Style: Full-size, luxury crossover utility vehicle.

Drive Method: front-engine, front- or all-wheel-drive.

Engine: 3.6-litre VVT V6 (288 hp, 275 lb/ft)

Fuel Economy: CX FWD as tested, 12.7/8.4L/100km (city/hwy)

Price: $43,200 as tested (includes destination $1,250)

Website: gm.ca.