Background: Oldsmobile’s loss is Buick’s gain. After more than 100 years in business, Oldsmobile will drive off into the sunset after the 2004 model year. General Motors is currently in the process of reshuffling product and plant capacity to other divisions. One of Oldsmobile’s more successful vehicles during the past decade has been the Bravada sport utility vehicle. Bravada first arrived on the scene in 1991. The world’s largest automaker is banking that those customers who enjoyed Bravada’s upscale appeal will venture over to Buick dealers for a look at the all-new, mid-size 2004 Buick Rainier. Plant capacity at the Moraine, Ohio assembly plant once occupied by Bravada is now reserved for Rainier. This is the same facility where Rainier’s twins, the GMC Envoy and Chevrolet TrailBlazer are built. Rainier is a mid-size, body-on-frame, truck-based sport utility vehicle with terrific towing ability that seats five travelers. No third row seating is currently offered. This sturdy four-door SUV, available with rear wheel or all-wheel drive, began arriving at Buick dealers last fall. All-wheel drive versions are fully automatic and require no driver input. It’s the second SUV-like vehicle in Buick’s lineup that for most of the past eight decades sold sedans and coupes exclusively. The slightly larger Rendezvous crossover vehicle, based on a minivan platform, arrived in the 2002 model year. Buick’s Terraza debuts in the 2005 model year and is Buick’s first minivan, although GM incorporates many visual cues of a sport utility with this vehicle. Competitors in this mid-size SUV segment include the Lexus GS 470, Lincoln Aviator and upscale Jeep Grand Cherokee trims. General Motors’ Buick division celebrated its 100th birthday last year. Buick Motor Co. was incorporated in Detroit on May 19, 1903, and became one of the industry’s major manufacturers after moving to Flint, Mich., later that same year. Buick now plays the part of General Motors entry-luxury division.
Inside: Maneuvering into and out of Rainier is a pleasant experience. It’s a sit down, not a step-up procedure and ceiling assist handles are above all four doors when needed. Leather seating is standard throughout. Second-row seats fold down with a 60/40 split. Cushions fold forward then seatbacks go down with headrests tilting back in the process, eliminating the need for removal and storage; a nice touch. With the second row up, Rainier holds 39.8 cubic feet of space; with seats down, cubic feet expands to 80.1. These dimensions surpass both the Lexus GS 470 and Jeep Grand Cherokee. Three riders can fit in back if needed. Dual cup holders are accessible between the front bucket seats as is a jack outlet for listening to the stereo via headphones. General Motors has promised to improve the look of its interiors. For years a gray, plastic look made even the most modern-operating dashboard seem cheap. Rainier includes burled walnut trim on doors and dash but the dull gray look is still utilized. The center arm rest also has a flimsy feel and look. The floor-mounted automatic shifter moves smoothly through gears, but does not have a PRND12 display anywhere near by. To double check which gear the truck is in, one must look to the horizontal digital display inside the instrument panel. Single, circular beverage holders are at the front and rear of the gear shift. To the right is a hand-operated parking brake. Cruise control and front wipers activate from the left-side turn signal stalk. A dial on the bottom of the center console signals the rear wiper. The ignition cylinder is placed on the right side of the steering column stalk, which manually moves up and down. The steering wheel face includes secondary stereo and ventilation controls. Headroom is average. The busy instrument cluster has four small dials to the right. A large half-circle speedometer is front and center with a digital information screen below. To the left is a large circular tachometer. A dial activating headlights is on the dashboard’s far left side. The driver’s door is home to a power side view mirror adjustment via a small turn knob on the top of the door panel. Along the armrest are power window, lock and heated seat controls. The stereo cluster is atop the central dashboard and features toggle-like pre-set buttons. The standard automatic climate control is below with dials controlling temperature, a toggle switch for fan speed and button for blower direction.
Engine: While interior looks need some polishing, Rainier’s two durable engines are well respected and generate good power. One nice cost-saving feature is that both engines recommend lower cost regular unleaded gasoline in the 22 gallon tank. Standard is a Vortec 4.2-liter, inline six cylinder engine producing 275 horses and generating 16 miles per gallon in the city and 21 m.p.g. highway in rear drive and one mile less per gallon in the city with all-wheel drive. The V-6 Jeep Grand Cherokee produces 195 horses. Optional is a 5.3-liter Vortec V-8 generating 290 horsepower. The V-8 generates 15 miles per gallon city and 19 m.p.g. with rear drive and one mile less in both city and highway driving with all-wheel drive. A V-8 Grand Cherokee generates 265 horses while the standard 4.7-liter Lexus GS V-8 generates 235 horsepower. An electronically-controlled four-speed automatic transmission comes standard in Rainier.
Price: The lowest priced Rainier, a CLX with inline 6 and rear wheel drive starts at $35,545. With all-wheel drive, the price jumps to $37,495. The V-8 engine is a $1,500 option. Buick dropped off a black CLX with all-wheel drive to try for a week. After factoring in options including the V-8 engine, power sun roof, running board and heated seats, the bottom line landed at $41,040 including a $685 destination charge. Jeep Grand Cherokee is priced between $28,000 and $41,000, but has several more trim levels to choose from. The GS from Lexus starts at $45,900 and comes in one well-equipped trim.
Standard equipment: Rainier comes standard with many amenities one would expect from a luxury vehicle (power windows, locks, mirrors; cruise control; rear window defroster etc). In addition, dual climate control and both a cassette and CD player come standard. Front bucket seats come with memory and heat options. Also optional are a rear DVD entertainment system, sunroof, running boards and navigation system.
Exterior: Rainier’s exterior encompasses all the highlights of a traditional sport utility vehicle with a conservatively appointed style. The rear hatch opens two ways. The window flips up with the push of an exterior button for quick trips into the hatch area, or the entire door opens from the bottom up when loading more substantial cargo. Some of Lincoln’s SUVs have a power rear hatch, a feature Rainier does not offer. Cup-like handles adorn all four doors, which are body colored as are the side view mirrors. Our test-drive vehicle included optional running boards along the length of the door bottom, although with this vehicle most people will find these more decorative since entering Rainier is not a chore. A circular fuel tank door is on the left side rear fender. Triangular tail lights flank both sides of the lower cargo door. In front, rectangular headlight housing flanks the chrome grille with Buick’s tri-shield logo centered among vertical bar highlights. Circular fog lamps are below. A full-size spare tire stows under the vehicle while a whip radio antenna protrudes up from the right passenger-side fender.
Safety features: Dual stage front air bags come standard as do four-wheel anti-lock brakes, daytime running lamps, theft deterrent system and remote keyless entry. Rainier also includes OnStar, General Motors satellite drive communication system linking occupants with manned centers throughout the United States. Another nice touch are additional blinker lights built into the side view mirror housing. This alerts more drivers on the road to your intended maneuvers. Rainier does not have a rear-sensing system popular in many SUVs that sends a beeping sound through the interior via a bumper sensor when in reverse and approaching a low-lying object. Adjustable foot pedals are optional as are front side air bags with driver head protection. Side curtain air bags are not offered. Traction control comes standard in rear-wheel drive editions.
Warranty: Both Rainier’s basic and drivetrain warranties are good for three years or 36,000 miles. Roadside assistance is good for the same duration. Rust/corrosion warranty is covered for six years or 100,000 miles.
Final thoughts: For a truck-based SUV, Rainier rides very smoothly thanks to electronically-controlled rear springs and independent front suspension. Like other vehicles of this ilk, drivers sit higher up, providing a good command of the road. Sight lines are good in all directions. Rainier’s twin cousins, the GMC Envoy and Chevrolet TrailBlazer are both available in extended length versions with three rows of seating. The Buick currently does not have this popular option. However, Buick is the only one of the three offering a V-8 engine in the five-passenger version. Rainier’s two well-tested engines help the vehicle achieve some of the highest towing capacity numbers in the mid-size SUV segment. A rear-wheel drive inline six can tow up to 6,300 pounds. |
