2004 Buick Rendezvous Review

Specifications

Achieving the Top Rung of the Rendezvous Ladder

Buick hasnt been in the SUV business for long, with only two models to its credit. The recently introduced Rainier adds a refined yet rugged truck-based model to the mix, but it was the minivan-derived Rendezvous crossover that first pulled General Motors entry-luxury division into the sport utility segment.

My recent foray into Buicks all-wheel drive camp, by way of the 2004 Rendezvous Ultra, was pleasing to say the least; although that pleasure comes with a steep price tag if the “Ultra” nomenclature is affixed to the rear liftgate.

Buick is making a determined effort to propel its midsize Rendezvous uptown, hoping to become a contender in the highly competitive premium midsize SUV segment. Sidling up to my Ultra test unit I admired its exclusive “Sagemist” metallic finish and racy alloy rims. Unlike non-Ultra examples, a monotone paint scheme also denotes its rarity among Rendezvous. The lower portion of the less grandiose Rendezvous is accented with a contrasting color to the remaining upper body - a styling theme that Im not big on.

Since its inception, I have admired the Rendezvous for its interesting exterior design elements, such as the headlight assembly, which cuts horizontally across the top of the front fenders and into the hood. Dominating the Rendezvous face is a large oval grille, which also appears to cut into the hood by way of a chrome nameplate forming the top edge of the oval. This distinctive arrangement is definitely a Buick genus design element.

The side view of the Rendezvous is no less striking, delivering the impression that Buick designers used a large blade to slice off its rear body structure at a 45-degree angle just behind the rear windows; following which a cargo area was piggybacked onto the remaining body work. Such adventurous design elements created a fairly controversial, love-it or hate-it appearance. Fortunately for Buick, the Rendezvous has been more popular than the even more controversial Pontiac Aztek that shares the SUVs general architecture. Regardless on which side of the design fence youre on, Buick - traditionally a gray-wave car company - deserves a little credit for fashioning a midsize SUV that exhibits attitude.

Buicks stylists didnt call it quits after the exterior of the Rendezvous was penned - rather they carried-on to the inside. While I mentioned the Rendezvous is pricey when dressed in its Ultra togs, the big coin brings with it big content in a classy interior. Except for the audio/navigation system in my tester, which could not play a music CD if the navigation disc was in the CD slot, the Rendezvous has a well laid-out, very functional interior. Unfortunately, there is little hope of being guided through the countryside while simultaneously playing a favorite music disc. Personally I think Id rather be lost and listening to great tunes, than be found in silence. According to the operations manual, however, an audio disc can be played in the rear seat DVD system while the in-dash CD spins the navigation disc. This is an impractical solution. Given the sting in the price tag, the in-dash single slot is completely unacceptable. A multi-disc changer should be standard.

Tempering my audio/navigation hysteria is the Rendezvous high level of comfort allowing for a relaxed atmosphere. My Ultra featured leather trimmed seats with suede-fabric inserts, a design theme that carried through to the stow-away third-row bench seat. Further spoiling the driver and front passenger are heated, 6-way power adjustable front seats. These are wonderfully comfortable and supportive, without being hard or overly firm. The seat bottoms are long and wide, providing a suitably sized surface to ensure long-legged folk receive their fair share of thigh support. In typical Buick fashion, the seatbacks are wide and accommodating, but offer little side bolstering. The third-row stowable bench seat accommodates two passengers, but they had better be agile as ingress and egress is best left to children or contortionists. Albeit once in place, the comfort level is acceptable - although headroom may be problematic for the basketball crowd.

In the Ultra, a combination of wood and leather-wrap adorns the steering wheel, providing grip aplenty. The wood detailing continues onto the expansive center stack, and to a lesser degree the door panels, however, my Spidey-sense tells me that the elegant looking material is plastic-molded. Nonetheless, the “environmentally friendly” material imparts a taste of highbrow that complements the practicality of the Rendezvous interior.

On a more practical vein, both second row captains chair seatbacks fold forward creating a flat tabletop workspace and additional storage capacity. With the flick of a lever and a yank on the seats, they can be entirely removed resulting in an expansive cargo floor enabling the ingestion of a bountiful 103.1 cubic feet of cargo.

Unlike most of its competitors, the Rendezvous makes due with a column-mounted gear shifter. Sure, its not as enticing to use as a console-mounted unit, but it leaves greater room for convenient console storage. On the downside, though, the column mounting eliminates the benefit some drivers find in operating the transmission in manual-mode - despite there being no sequential manual-like shifter, a feature that comes standard in most of the Rendezvous rivals.

On the road, all drivers and front seat passengers will appreciate the substantial head and legroom available just the same. Second-row legroom is adult-sufficient but not generous. Fit and finish is good for a lower-end SUV, but not what I expected given the Ultras attempt at high-end positioning. Most surfaces are tactile-friendly, however, I noted a few abrasive edges around plastic moldings and finishes.

Small quibbles aside, there is much to like and appreciate both in the construction of the Rendezvous Ultra and in its ride quality. Buick has always considered itself a step above Chevrolet in the GM hierarchy, with the brands advertising literature generally boasting of a smooth, quiet ride no matter which model it is touting. Such attributes have been incorporated into the Rendezvous, making its ride quality pleasing for an SUV. The Ultras suspension calibration feels similar to that of a Buick sedan with a firm setup. Road disintegration is absorbed by the Ultra without over-stimulating the kidneys of its occupants, with uneven expansion joints being quietly defused by the unitized bodys solidity.

Of course a compliant spring calibration often results in increased body roll and nosedive, to which the Ultra is no stranger. Hard cornering will provoke noticeable body roll and significant front-end plow, not uncommon for any softly sprung SUV. The Rendezvous Ultra isnt an enthusiastic handling rig, however, its nimble about town and well behaved on open stretches of highway; which I would venture to say is exactly what the vast majority of owners expect of their Buicks, SUV or not.

In addition to rolling the Continent in comfort, the Rendezvous Ultra rolls along quietly. Road and wind noises are extensively muted, but I have to say that compromising the silence is the groan of the Ultras V6, plus the whine generated by its aggressive, 225X60 17-inch Goodyear Fortera mud and snow tires. Unless inclement weather is anticipated, dressing the Ultra in a tamer tread pattern would eliminate unnecessary tire noise.

With an acceptable level of refinement the Ultras 3.6-liter (217 cu-in) VVT V6 dispatches a relatively healthy dose of power to any combination of the Ultras four wheels through GMs highly efficient Versatrak all-wheel drive system. A little less noise intrusion into the cab from the peppy mill, however, would vaunt the Ultra higher on the premium SUV chart. The engines note is by no means excessive and never does it sound thrashy even under full acceleration, however day to day duties do elicit more of a groan than I would expect from a top-shelf contender.

Offsetting the auditory factor of the engine is its willingness to propel GMs midsize crossover. There isnt the sort of torque on tap that stretches the face and flattens the ears, but when get-up-and-go is needed 245 horsepower and 235 foot-pounds of torque come to the rescue. Regrettably these ratings sound more impressive than the performance they deliver. Hill climbing and highway passing is certainly adequate, especially given the 4,167 pound curb weight of the AWD Rendezvous, but owners accustomed to V8 torque could be disappointed by the Ultras V6 ability. Still, the 3.6-liter powerplant ups the standard 3.4-liter (207 cu-in) V6 engines output by a significant 60-horsepower and 25 foot-pounds of torque, benefiting from cubic inches, of course, as well as variable valve timing. The larger engine delivers strong about town performance, as its torque, or twisting force, is dispatched early in the powerband, spiking noticeably when the tachometer needle swings past 3,500 RPM thanks to its VVI technology.

Both Rendezvous V6 engines are fused to a 4-speed automatic transmission, which in my test unit performed reliably, shifting when appropriate and employing suitable smoothness to justify the Ultra badging. Downshifts were smartly executed when immediate passing power was demanded as well. The only eyebrow raiser was a tendency for the transmission to engage harshly if placed into Drive when the engine was cold and revving high. Although this issue only pertains to a cold start-up, other premium utes I have tested were not so afflicted. If Buick really wants to run with the high-end crowd they will need to address some non-premium Ultra behavioral traits.

Not in need of remedial attention is the strong 4-wheel disc brake setup, standard on AWD Rendezvous models. I found the brakes to be very predictable and linear in their application. They require low levels of effort to actuate and were fade-free following several emergency stops. The only braking limitation sensed was a marginalization of road grip attributable to the chunky tread pattern on the Goodyear mud and snow boots.

On the safety front Buick installs dual stage, driver and front passenger airbags along with driver and front-passenger, seat mounted side-impact airbags in all of its AWD Rendezvous as standard equipment. Base front-wheel drive models receive only the frontal airbags as standard fare. Unfortunately passengers unworthy of a front seat are also unworthy of a curtain airbag. Buick has not equipped the Rendezvous with this important life-saving technology, which is a shame given the family hauling potential of the vehicle.

When all the numbers are tallied, however, and not just the airbag numbers, the Rendezvous Ultra secures a respectable positioning on my ratings chart. This is a very comfortable vehicle - especially in the Ultra configuration - bound to provide many miles of enjoyable touring. An advantage offered by the Rendezvous is its wide-ranging choice of trim levels and the allotment of both front-wheel and all-wheel drive configurations. This array of possibilities opens the Rendezvous up to a broad spectrum of purchasers. The base Rendezvous CX FWD can be removed legally from a dealers lot for $26,220. In base form this sled is nicely equipped and powered by a V6.

The ladder up to the Ultra plateau is a long one with many stops along the way, including CX, CX-Plus, CXL and CXL-Plus trim levels. I question, though, whether the Ultra configuration lives up to the “ouch” in its price tag. My heavily optioned AWD tester rang the bell at more than $43K before taxes and destination charges were added.

Financial considerations forsaken, whether the midsize SUV a person seeks is positioned at the low end of the luxury spectrum or the high end, they owe it to their astute automotive acumen to checkout the full range of Buicks Rendezvous line.