2006 Buick Rendezvous Test Drive

Buick's First Crack at an SUV

A minivan-derived SUV gives Buick -- and GM -- a credible entry in the growing crossover segment, but is it a winner?

Auto companies are sometimes like real families — one kid gets the good looks and the other child doesn't.

Buick's new crossover sport utility, the Rendezvous, is a perfect example: The Buick is a knockout compared to the Pontiac Aztek, its mechanical twin. While the two vehicles differ in appearance, they both have similar personality traits, including a pleasant ride, decent handling and a fair amount of utility.

As a near relative of General Motors' third-generation minivans, such as the Chevrolet Venture and Pontiac Montana, the Rendezvous has similar platform genetics to these vehicles as well as the same power plants — GM's 185-horsepower, 3.4-liter pushrod V6. This motor is unlikely to show up on anyone's list of the world's ten best engines, but does a credible job of providing smooth power. We'll be a bit on the generous side and say that acceleration is adequate.

We'll also say that although you can get a bit more power from the Acura MDX (240hp), that vehicle outweighs the Rendezvous by more than 1,000 pounds, and the RX300 also boasts more horsepower (220), but, again, is much heavier than the Buick. In essence, don't expect a muscle car if you're shopping for a family hauler.

One thing you can get is fairly strong styling. Though it is a Buick, the Rendezvous — which is assembled in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico — marks a big departure from the tired styling look of other Buicks. Not surprisingly, this vehicle appeals to many folks who normally wouldn't stroll into a Buick showroom. The average age of Rendezvous buyers is about a decade younger than it is for the rest of the Buick lineup — which, at 63, is among the oldest in the business.

While the Rendezvous doesn't have the handling, fit and finish of segment-leading crossovers such as the Lexus RX300 or Acura MDX, there's also a price gap of $10,000 or more between the Buick and those competitors. As such, Buick's first "truck" in 80 years, and first all-wheel-drive vehicle, passes the price-to-value test. Our tester had a base sticker of $27,730, which climbed to $31,760, mostly from a $4,030 upgrade to the CXL, seven-seat version.

In today's market, the Rendezvous CXL is a lot of sport utility for the money. That sticker includes GM's Versatrak all-wheel drive, four-wheel disc brakes with ABS, seat-mounted side impact bags for front driver and passenger, power windows and mirrors, aluminum wheels and a power remote tailgate release.

The CXL package adds good stuff like six-way power front seats, separate front climate controls for driver and passenger, a third row of passenger seats, leather seating surfaces, luggage rack, a sound system upgrade and a rear parking alarm sensor (which sounds a cockpit alarm to prevent you from backing into another car's bumper when parallel parking).

Also included with the CXL bundle is GM's OnStar hardware and one year of basic service that provides drivers with a security blanket of benefits, such as directions, emergency repairs and automatic notification of the authorities in the event of a crash.

OK, so the Rendezvous is clearly packed with lots of features, many of which you can't even get on the aforementioned Acura or Lexus. But should you really consider this car in the place of those all-stars in this class? That's a very good question. The answers are available with a mouse click.