2004 Buick Rainier Review

Specifications

More Choice for GM Customers

Sometimes when an automaker comes to market with a new vehicle it just seems to fill a void that wasnt properly represented either by manufacturers as a whole or the particular brand itself. And then other times, Im left scratching my head in wonderment as to why it exists at all.

Take the new Buick Rainier. Is it nice? Yeah, its easily as good as the Chevy Trailblazer, GMC Envoy, Isuzu Ascender and soon to be discontinued Oldsmobile Bravada, near identical siblings that each deserves respect. As it seems the General is taking brand engineering to a new level, a philosophy the worlds largest automaker promised years ago it would discontinue.

But why stop there, joining the Rainier will be the upcoming Saab 9-7 based once again on the same architecture. It is one thing to want to bolster sales in what was a bleeding Swedish brand when the concept was envisioned (its sales have since improved dramatically with the onset of the impressive 9-3), but to base Saabs first SUV on a body-on-frame truck platform is extremely difficult to understand. After all, it has to go up against a slew of Asian and European premium competitors including Volvos exceptionally good XC90.

So why so many virtually cloned SUVs? While Rainier features distinctive front end styling and a few unique interior surface treatments, its existence cant all be about appearances. What about luxury? Buick has a name for pampering its customers for sure, but the GMC Envoy offers levels of interior luxury easily on par with Buicks new entry.

OK, what about customers extremely loyal to the brand because of its stellar reliability record? Why not give them a large SUV? Thats good reasoning, and one that Im sure played an important part in GMs decision to build the Rainier.

But even more important are GM dealers that sell only Buick and Pontiac brands, none of which offered an SUV prior to the Rainier - crossovers such as the Rendezvous and Aztek not included. I dont know how many of GMs dealers are in such a predicament, as all Ive been able to check out in my town also offer GMCs. But if Pontiac-Buick dealers do exist no doubt theyve been screaming for an SUV for years, with others that are in the process of losing their Oldsmobile franchises demanding a Bravada replacement to fill the void. Jackpot! If there ever was a reason for the Rainiers existence, this is it.

So now that Ive speculated on the reason for Buicks version of the Envoy, whats it like to drive? It would be easy to just end it hear with a “go to GMC Envoy road test” tagline but that wouldnt be fair. After all, GM engineered the Rainier to not only look different than its Envoy counterpart, from the front at least, but offer different driving dynamics too. Its ride seems softer and smoother, with the resultant compromise being squishier handling both on and off the road, despite its Bilstein shocks, 17-inch alloy wheels encircled with P245/65R17 front and P255/60R17 rear all-season Michelin tires - base RWD models receive P245/65R17 tires at all four corners. For me this isnt necessarily a positive step forward, but I can appreciate there are many that would take a comfortable ride over road-holding. The suspension system is independent all-round, with a sophisticated 5-link system in the rear, optimized by an even more sophisticated rear air suspension. The big difference between the Rainier and Envoy is that the “air springs” are standard (an upgrade on Envoy) replacing the usual coils found out back. They do a good job reducing road noise, as well as leveling off the rear end when loaded with cargo. I didnt try towing a trailer but can also imagine the benefits under load.

The truck also gets hydraulic power-assisted rack-and-pinion steering, with an excellent 36.4 foot turning circle. While the Rainiers steering still feels vague at center it is quite easy to maneuver in city traffic or place into a tight parking spot.

What about braking? The Rainier features 4-wheel discs and standard ABS, which on paper should help it stop much quicker than rival SUVs with rear drums. I couldnt detect a noticeable difference, but to be fair its difficult to tell a few meters improvement from one vehicle to the next without lines drawn on the road and a competitive vehicle to compare it to - none of which were available. The brakes did feel good though, responding to input quickly and during extreme panic braking tests showing reasonable levels of fade for this category.

Either an award-winning 275-hp 4.2-L inline 6-cylinder engine with 275 lb-ft of torque, or GMs 285-hp 5.3-L V8 with 325 lb-ft of torque are available, both adequately powerful to move the Rainier along at a decent clip. Each is mated to a 4-speed automatic that shifts smoothly, dropping down gears quickly when called upon.

Both the I-6 and V8 are also quiet, or maybe its not the engines in particular but the excellent job Buicks engineers played in insulating the Rainier from exterior noise. Either way theres no need to shout at those in the rear seats or turn the audio system up to mask infiltrating dBs. That stereo is sufficient nonetheless, despite featuring only six Bose speakers throughout. A 6-disc in-dash CD changer is a welcome convenience, and expected in an SUV targeted at the premium market, as are its steering wheel controls. I also liked the steering wheel-mounted climate control and trip computer buttons.

I cant say Im a giant fan of the silver faced gauges and green needles now that Ive lived with them. While they are kind of cool to look at I suppose Im a traditionalist preferring white on black backgrounds or at the very most black on white. Just the same they help Buick distinguish its SUV from the Trailblazer, Envoy, Ascender, Bravada, etal, and tie the larger truck in with the minivan based Rendezvous.

In the same way the faux wood is a little too faux, and in the Buicks price range should be real to compete with its imported competition. The chrome trim is a nice touch and leather of a decent quality, covering door panels and seats. As expected the front buckets are more chair-like in their construction than others in this category, offering comfortable heated cushions but nowhere near the lateral support of say an Acura MDX or Chrysler Pacifica. But again, those that find protruding bolsters uncomfortable, especially when entering or exiting a vehicle will appreciate the Rainiers seats.

I suppose my only complaint with the interior overall is an all too common theme. I find that most often when a carmaker attempts to take a lesser model upmarket in options and price, something has to suffer. In the case of the Rainier, its Trailblazer roots show through pretty well everywhere you look, despite Buicks ardent attempt to give the Buick an original appearance. Its actually this attempt, highlighted by a unique pattern covering the majority of the vehicles plastic trim surfaces, that cheapens the look overall. Ironically the GMC Envoy appears more upscale in interior styling.

Features such as rear seat passenger audio controls and GMs exceptionally good OnStar communications system help to appease any concerns though. Optional are personalized memory features for the outside rearview mirrors, power driver seat positions, climate control and stereo settings.

Like the Envoy theres plenty of room inside to get comfortable, but surprisingly a 7-occupant version is not available. As far as hauling gear the rear seat folds 60/40 opening up 80.1 cubic feet of luggage space. Even with the seats upright 39.8 cubic feet is still better than average.

Regarding better than average, Buick sits in an admirable position within GMs ranks as the most reliable brand according to J. D. Powers and Associates 2003 Vehicle Dependability Study ranked by nameplate. Not only does it rate well within GM, but annihilates the majority of its competition in third place out of thirty-seven automakers, only beaten by Lexus and Infiniti. It fairs well in J. D. Powers 2003 Initial Quality Study (IQS) too, placing fifth. While Buick deserves praise for its placement in these well respected surveys, it would be tough to argue a case for an initial quality or reliability edge over its Chevy, GMC and Oldsmobile siblings that are virtually identical to the Rainier.

The Rainiers biggest question mark comes down to price. When I had initially previewed the truck in this website, I estimated it to start at about $32,000. While I thought even that was a little steep, I couldnt have expected it to come in at $35,395. That makes it more expensive than a host of vehicles offering similar base power, 5-speed transmissions instead of 4, and more standard features, plus the advantage of being created as premium vehicles instead of gussied up from lower brands. In my preview I was low with regards to its fully loaded price too, expecting about $40,000 and find out the 2004 model tops out at $44,260. I dont know about you, but that seems like a lot of money for what in the end is a glorified Trailblazer, air suspension or not.

With regards to exterior styling Buick did an admirable job separating the Rainier from its GM stable mates - from frontal view at least. While in the flesh I dont find the Rainiers grille the most attractive of the GM siblings, it sure is distinctive; looking nowhere near like an Envoy or Trailblazer, or anything else in the entire class for that matter. From the back theres little to tell the difference between models, but at least all of GMs midsize SUVs benefit from being attractive from behind.

So when it comes right down to it, Rainier buyers will either love the new SUVs styling or simply want a GMC Envoy with a Buick nameplate. While it seems to offer a more compliant ride, theres not much that differentiates the two. In the end the customer gets more options, while Buick dealers are at least happy now that theyve got an SUV to sell. Thats not really a bad deal at all.