Fairfield-Echo.com

At the corner diner where I often eat breakfast, the regulars and staff have a keen interest in the test vehicles I drive every week. (Part of this is shop talk, since the diner's on the edge of one of my city's top car-dealer boulevards.)

When I parked the Enclave, Buick's all-new 2008 crossover, in front of the diner, two of the waitresses hustled out to take a closer look. They loved what they saw, but then one of them shook her head in surprise.

"Are you sure this is a Buick?" she asked.

Yes, welcome to GM's latest comeback attempt. The week after I'd driven what has to be the most pointless of GM products ever -- the Hummer H3, all attitude and no space -- I had the Enclave, a sleek and stylish newbie with all the versatility one could ask for. Welcome back, GM.

While it won't ever be a serious dog-hauler -- it's just too nice for muddy paws -- the Enclave's fold-flat third-row seating makes it the roomy update of the classic American family station wagons that helped to raise a generation of baby boomers. Except that this update of the suburban workhorse is more comfortable and versatile than those wagons ever were, with oodles of add-ons and safety features.

You can pack it all in, in comfort: the kids, the gear and the golden retriever. There's room for everyone, at a price that's well in line with comparable offerings (starting at $33,000, although the well-equipped one I tested was a good $10,000 more). Fuel economy is 16/24 mpg for the front-wheel drive Enclave -- again, not great, but in line with others in the class.

The perfect dog car? Not hardly. But there's so much to like about the new Enclave that if your dog is part of your family's life -- as opposed to the center of your universe -- you need to check out this versatile winner.

(Gina Spadafori reviews new vehicles and pet travel products for the Pet Connection's DogCars.com.)