2002 Buick Rendezvous CXL

From The Driver's Seat

The cockpit of the Rendezvous won't be confused with that of any other Buick. The Rendezvous dash is contemporary and stylishly shaped, with two large center gauges offset by a smaller gauge on each side. The dark lettering on the gauges is set against a soft, silvery background, and the instruments have a pleasant, greenish cast under nighttime illumination. The padded sections of the Rendezvous dash are of acceptable quality.

Where the Rendezvous falls short is in materials used elsewhere in the interior. For example, the accent panels around gauges and controls look chintzy for the price Buick is charging. The same goes for an abundance of hard, cheap-feeling plastic. And if a $24,000 Kia minivan can have cushioned covers on some of its storage trays, why should a $32,000 Buick have cheap-feeling covers that flop in the breeze?

GM's generic multi-function turn signal stalk, which seems to do everything but engage warp drive, is also out of place on the Rendezvous. We know this mantra is getting old, but we won't let up until Bob Lutz Bob Lutz gets the message: You distinguish between Chevy, Pontiac, GMC and Buick by giving the cars interiors and exteriors distinct from one another.

That's finally starting to happen on the bodywork of GM vehicles (we'll cover this topic in greater depth in a few weeks), but, unfortunately, GM still can't seem to understand that interiors are even more crucial than exteriors. It matters what you stare at every day; it tells you that you made the right purchase. Ask a Lexus buyer if you still don't get it.

Now that we've gotten that rant off our chests, we'll throw out a little praise: The cabin of the Rendezvous is friendly and functional. The front seats are up to the task of keeping the driver and front passenger comfortable during a long trek. Some might think that the location of the gearshift lever on the steering column is a frumpy touch. But this layout pays big dividends in the amount of storage space for the center console (Acura does the same thing with its MDX, by the way), which is not only large enough to store a laptop, but also has another storage area in its bottom section.

Occupants in the first passenger row have access to separate audio controls, headphone jacks, air vents and a power plug. This row of seats also has fold-down center armrests that can be used by outboard passengers when the center space is unoccupied. Another comfort feature for occupants in the first passenger row: movable footrests.

The Rendezvous is available in five-, six- and seven-passenger configurations. The latter two floor plans come with a third row of seats in which the second-row seat folds forward so two passengers can squeeze into the last row. The seats at the far back are tight for an adult but fine for kids. Behind the third row of seats is a tiny storage area that is adequate for just a few bags of groceries. The Rendezvous had 54.5 cubic feet of cargo space with both rows of passenger seats folded down and 108.9 cubic feet of capacity with both rows removed. The latter figure makes for a huge cargo area, unrivaled by most vehicles in this segment.

Actually driving the Rendezvous is very enjoyable. The Buick has a four-wheel independent suspension that provides a smooth, reasonably well-dampened ride. Steering is tight, with good correlation between driver inputs and wheel movement. The 3.4-liter V-6 isn't especially good at mustering muscle, like many Honda/Acura, Toyota/Lexus engines, but as we said, the Rendezvous is a lot lighter than much of its competition, so it doesn't need stump-ripping torque to make it move. And by the way, it delivers decent mileage, averaging about 20mpg combined city/highway.

In short, the Rendezvous makes decent power, handles admirably and, overall, delivers on its promise of providing the versatility of an SUV with the comfortable ride attributes of an American sedan.

On dry, solid pavement, the Buick's Versatrak all-wheel-drive on-demand system only sends power to the front wheels. Some power is distributed to the rear wheels when the system detects wheel slippage, such as on gravel, wet roads, as well as ice and snow. This isn't a vehicle for serious off-road driving, but is perfectly suited for bad weather or the occasional jaunt down a dirt country road.

The remote tailgate release is another nice feature, but the Rendezvous' design crew took the easy way out and made the tailgate a single piece. While this design economy may be acceptable on a budget-priced SUV or minivan, it seems out of place on a Buick--especially one that lists over $30,000. And, in fact, someone must have been reading our notes, because an option on some of next year's GMC Envoy models (twin to the Chevy Trailblazer) will be a multi-opening rear door that lets you lower the rear glass (so long loads like two-by-fours can protrude through the hole). That door will also swing to the side, à la an old-fashioned station wagon tailgate. Naturally, that GMC will be priced higher than the Rendezvous.

We'd like to end this section on a high note, but we have one final gripe: Carmakers like GM know how beat-up painted bumpers get. That's why some Chevy and GMC products come with skid plates on their bumpers, since paint alone gets scraped off by the constant traffic of heavy loads/kids clambering in and out. But the Rendezvous gets no bumper-top protection, so it looks pretty on the dealer lot, but what about a year from now?

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