- crossover 161,528
- 4,995 high price
- Salem, OR
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- autoshopper.com
- crossover 161,528 automatic
2005 buick rendezvous review this car review is specific to this model, not the actual vehicle for sale. Ultra brings power, elegance to versatile vehicle. introductionthe buick rendezvous is easy to like, with solid engineering, useful flexibility, and a handsome appearance. Rendezvous is what the industry calls a crossover vehicle. It blurs the lines between sport utilities, minivans, luxury sedans, and station wagons. It carries people more efficiently than an suv, and it drives more like a minivan than a truck. rendezvous seats five passengers, or seven with the optional third-row seats. Its seats are roomy and comfortable and the interior is elegantly designed. The controls feature big knobs and are easy to operate. the new rendezvous ultra is luxurious with elegant leather and wood trim. It's roomier and can carry more cargo than a lexus rx 330, the archetype of luxury crossovers. Though not as quiet as a luxury sedan, the rendezvous rides better than most suvs. All-wheel drive is available, improving traction and handling in slippery conditions. new for 2005 is a passenger-sensing system for the right front seat, which turns off the corresponding airbag if it detects a small-size occupant, or no occupant at all, thereby avoiding possibly injuries to a child or small adult and/or an unnecessary replacement of the airbag. A status indicator on the instrument panel tells occupants if the airbag is on or off. Even with this feature, however, the second or third row is the safest seating position for a child. lineuprendezvous is offered in a variety of trim levels: cx, cx plus, cxl, cxl plus, and ultra. For 2005, all models are available with front-wheel drive (fwd) or all-wheel drive (awd). A 242-horsepower, all-aluminum 3. 6-liter v6 with dual overhead camshafts (dohc) and variable valve timing (vvt) is standard on ultra and optional 2,025) on cxl and cxl plus. the rendezvous cx 26,585) comes standard with cruise control, remote keyless entry, pass-key iii theft-deterrent system, am/fm/cd stereo, power outlets for all three seating rows, and p215/70r16 all-season tires on steel wheels. Cx awd 29,775) adds the all-wheel-drive system plus anti-lock brakes (abs) and side-impact airbags. the cx plus 28,315) adds onstar, driver's information center, ultrasonic rear parking assist, manual dual-zone air conditioning and 225/60r17 all-season radials on 17-inch aluminum wheels. Both models come standard with side-impact airbags and abs. On models that don't come standard with them, we recommend adding side-impact airbags 350), anti-lock brakes 600), and traction control 175) for their safety benefits. A power sunroof 800) is available. Multi-media sound with touch-screen navigation 1,600-$1,995) is available on cxl, cxl plus, and ultra. A towing package 395) is offered on all but the base cx, and includes a high-output alternator, transmission oil cooler, heavy-duty engine cooling and automatic load leveling. It's difficult to judge its size of without the context of another vehicle nearby. That's usually a sign that the design team got the scale right. As a buick, it fits somewhere between the buick rainier, a truck-based suv, and the 2005 buick terraza, a new minivan-like vehicle gm is calling a crossover sport van. The spec sheet says that rendezvous is as tall as an suv, at 68. 9 inches without the roof rack. But with nearly 64 inches between the left and right rear tires, the rendezvous has a wider track than some medium-size suvs. And its strong horizontal design visually suggests stability. the rendezvous' traditional buick grille emphasizes a familial resemblance to the park avenue, but on rendezvous it somehow looks less formal and more cheery. It's a pleasing countenance. On ultra, the familiar grille is body-color rather than black. Bright inserts along the top of the side molding add a look of richness to ultra. In short, we like its looks. the amazing thing about the low stance and flat floor of the rendezvous is that all-wheel drive and a low, flat floor are supposed to be mutually exclusive. Well, the buick engineers found a way to do it. Too bad being unobtrusive is a mark of success because this accomplishment needs to stand up and take applause. It's best appreciated when driving with a full load of people and their stuff on a nasty, sleety, darkening afternoon with a slippery glaze on the street. interiorthe rendezvous has a nice, elegant interior with attractive wood accents on high-line models. The seats are comfortable. The ultra model we drove had a rich, two-tone interior with dark, coffee-colored upper and ivory lower trim with suede inserts on the seats. The leather seats gave off the smell of leather, a new-car smell that we hadn't experienced in awhile. the steering wheel is nicely finished in leather and wood. The column shifter is covered in a soft, rubber-like material that feels good to the touch. Even the headliner is nicely finished in nylon-like material. The big center console is nicely upholstered and feels like quality. With its big glovebox, big cubby, and neat storage area under the center tunnel, there are plenty of places to stash stuff up front. The cup holders are big, solid and easy to access. the switchgear is simple and elegant laid out. That's refreshing as many vehicles have become complicated and fussy to operate with small buttons and menus of controls buried in navigation systems. That's not the rendezvous. Here, climate controls are clear and easy to use and require a minimum of button pressing. Radio buttons are big and easy to operate, a paragon of elegant design. Even secondary controls, like the rear wiper/washer, park aid, and front seat heaters, are easy to find and operate. even with seven inches of ground clearance and all-wheel drive, getting in and out of the rendezvous is more like getting in and out of a sedan than an suv. Small children, arthritic knees and tight-skirts can be grateful for that. All seats are easy to access and quite comfortable. rendezvous can seat up to seven passengers. Or it can carry two people with scads of stuff. We recommend the second-row captain's chairs as a replacement for the standard 50/50 split bench seat, though the bench seats three. We found the captain's chairs quite comfortable, with supportive seat bottoms. They're nicely finished in leather (on models so equipped), and cup holders are provided. In short, the second row of the rendezvous is a comfortable place for adults to sit. access to the third row is far simpler than in most vehicles with three rows of seats. The third row in seven-passenger models is somewhat cramped for adults, squeezed from the outside by the inner fenders, so it lacks leg room and hip room, and is best for kids. The seats fold and tuck and fit into an amazing number of arrangements. The available third-row seat 525) folds flat into the floor. For maximum cargo capacity, the center row can be removed. Hiding places and lockable bins are strategically placed here and there. When ordered without the third seat, cx plus and cxl come with a cargo storage system that includes a sliding tray. the rendezvous' load-height is low, which reduces back strain when loading or unloading heavy objects. The rear opening is wide enough to slide a 4x8-foot sheet of plywood in flat. A red flag affixed at back will have to deal with the length. the optional xm satellite radio features 100 coast-to-coast digital channels, including 71 music channels (more than 30 of them commercial-free) and 29 channels of sports, talk, children's and entertainment programming. onstar works well as a navigation system because there's n. Cruise Control✔ AM/FM✔ Power Seats✔ Anti-lock Brakes✔ CD Changer✔ Air Conditioning✔ Navigation System✔ Leather Seats✔ Sunroof/Moonroof✔ Aluminum Wheels
4,995 Salem, ORSalem, OR at autoshopper.com