Overview & Reviews
At its debut, the Buick Rainier added a bit of diversity to the brand's rather uniform lineup. Joining a family of mostly big, softly sprung sedans, this truck-based, midsize SUV became the first Buick in a long time with traditional body-on-frame construction and rear-wheel drive (with optional all-wheel drive), enabling it to carry a considerable amount of cargo (80 cubic feet) and tow heavy loads (up to 6,700 pounds).
Buick sourced the majority of Rainier's design from General Motors' midsize SUV platform. This meant that there wasn't much variation between it and its GM sport-ute brethren like the Chevrolet TrailBlazer, GMC Envoy and Oldsmobile Bravada -- the third of which the Rainier effectively replaced when the Olds division was discontinued.
Of this core SUV grouping, the Buick Rainier was meant to be the most comfortable and upscale. Buick's exclusive rear air spring suspension made the Rainier the most successful at concealing ruts in the road, and the effects of Buick's "QuietTuning" could be heard in its near-silent interior. The Rainier also earned a bit of initial distinction as it was the only regular-length SUV of the bunch to offer an optional V8 engine. (The Rainier was never offered in extended-length seven-passenger form.) Finally, Buick's SUV came with the most standard equipment.
Sadly, all the extra effort didn't cure the Buick Rainier of its deepest family flaws. The combination of a high stance, high weight, a softly tuned suspension and a live rear axle penalized handling on several fronts. Handling was sloppy even by truck-based SUV standards. The Rainier's numb steering needed continual corrections to hold a straight line and its rear end felt loose and unstable in extreme handling situations. It also guzzled more gas than any modern Buick, and its interior was marred by cheap and mismatched materials, illogical controls, a lack of storage space, subpar build quality and fatiguing seats.
The Rainier partly redeemed itself with smooth and strong powertrains, competitive acceleration and a plush, quiet ride. But compared to other competing upscale SUVs, Buick's entry failed to completely deliver in the important categories of refinement, feature content and handling. For consumers shopping used midsize SUVs, we suggest taking a look at more qualified and desirable vehicles such as the Mercury Mountaineer, Toyota 4Runner or Volkswagen Touareg. Another good option is Buick's new large crossover SUV, the Enclave.
Most Recent Buick Rainier
The Rainier debuted for 2004 and received minor changes over its four-year run. Initially it was offered in CXL and CXL Plus trim levels with the six-cylinder engine producing 275 horsepower and 275 pound-feet of torque and the 290-hp (320 lb-ft) V8 available as an option. Aside from its significant increase in torque, the V8 also featured a cylinder deactivation system that saved a little fuel when cruising. Either way, a four-speed automatic transmission was standard, and both engines were available with rear- or all-wheel drive.
The following year, Buick dropped the Plus trim and the optional front seat-mounted side airbags. In their place, full-length side curtain airbags became available. In 2006, stability control became standard, the inline-6 gained 16 hp for a total of 291 and the V8 was pumped up to 300 hp.
The Buick Rainier midsize SUV was discontinued after 2007, its final model year, to make way for the vastly superior Enclave. At this point there was one well-equipped model, the CXL. Standard equipment included alloy wheels, an auto load-leveling suspension, dual-zone climate control, a CD player, power front seats, leather upholstery, antilock brakes, traction control and stability control. Major options included a navigation system and a rear-seat entertainment system.
If you're shopping for a used Buick Rainier, we'd advise confining your search to the '06 and '07 model years to ensure you get a Rainier with stability control, a feature we consider especially important given this SUV's less-than-ideal handling dynamics.
User Reviews:
Showing 131 through 140 of 242.00-
Ranier - 2005 Buick Rainier
By richards - May 12 - 3:39 pmThe ride is the best! So smooth and lots of power and very quiet.
-
Our Ranier - 2005 Buick Rainier
By jim & Lou - April 23 - 11:35 pmJust completed a 6,000 mile trip with this vehicle. My husband and I both remarked how easy the SUV was to drive. As though it just glided along the hiway. With the air supension in it no matter how we packed the stuff in it, it always evened itself out and was the most comfortable ride we have ever had. We traveled thru mountains, deserts, plains, large cities, small cities, 4 lanes, 2 lanes, and every type of road imaginable and the vehicle just seemed to adjust to the road and conditions by itself. My husband is 6 foot tall and this is the first vehicle that we have purchased that his head does not touch the top of the car and he has plenty of room for his legs also. We are happy with the Rainier.
-
Had to buy 2 of them - 2005 Buick Rainier
By Ed Kildoyle - April 23 - 11:15 amI bought one for myself and my wife liked it so much she wanted one of her own so we now own two of them. We both love our Rainiers as they give us the luxury comforts and the features of a mid sized SUV. They are very quiet with a comfortable ride especially on long trips. I have the V8 so the pickup is very good and unless you take turns at 80 miles an hour the handling and performance is more than satisfactory. I wish it had the rainsense wipers I had on my Cadillac as well as the backup warning system. Other than that we love our Buick Rainiers.
-
Not perfect but very good - 2005 Buick Rainier
By LWhitmer - April 14 - 3:41 amIve now had the car for 2 months and still find it very nice to drive - very quiet and smooth. It does have some problems though. The transmission does not downshift smoothly, ever. The AWD system is rather poor in snow - too much torque goes to the rear wheels making hills a real challenge that my previous Blazer ate up like butter. I find the braking and handling are quite good for an SUV even in emergency manuevers. All in all, a very good highway cruiser.
-
Best SUV We Test Drove & Bought - 2005 Buick Rainier
By Mark Ayers - March 31 - 12:43 amThis is an elegant SUV that handles like a dream, with all the creature comforts you would want in a luxury SUV. It drives well, has great acceleration, and feels like it is floating. Some have criticized the rear suspension, but we have not found that to be an issue. We test drove other SUVs, even imported models, and for the money and accessories, it won.
-
Ambivilent - 2005 Buick Rainier
By Disappointed in PA - March 26 - 10:57 pmReplaced my Lexus RX300 with an American car. Love the drive, size of cargo space but disappointed with the navigation system. Had 3 other cars with navigation previous to this. This car I have to replace my CD with the Nav disk. What a pain. The sticker said it had a 6 CD changer but when I checked it out the navigation system had replaced the 6 CD changer. How dispointing. Then the Nav system requires you change areas (NJ and PA are not in the same districts). Shame on you GM. DONT BUY THE NAVIGATION SYSTEM. It is not worth it. Get an external one if you must have it. Cant believe we got ripped off but love the car and only drive it around town luckily.
-
Comfy ride - 2005 Buick Rainier
By Kim - March 18 - 10:36 pmI havent had it long. I had a 96 Blazer before moving up to this SUV. It is very comfortable and handles well. It has a lot of luxury features the my other SUV did not have. It is quiet. You dont hear a lot of extra road noise. It is a very smooth riding vehicle. I love it!
-
Buick Rainier - 2005 Buick Rainier
By J Byrd - March 18 - 12:25 pmThe Buick Rainier that my wife and I purchased was a being driven by the owner of the dealerships wife. The car is all that we had expected at this time in our ownership of it. The ride is exceptional and has all the room that we need since our kids are away at college. The power and handling seem to be fine also. We have not had the opportunity to take the car on an extended road trip to get an accurate estimate of highway millage but local driving seems to yield around 17 mpg. In short at this point my wife loves the car so Im happy with it also
-
My little opinion - 2005 Buick Rainier
By Steven - March 13 - 7:14 pmI have yet to find something dissapointing about my brand new Rainier. I read this page Edmunds.com vehicle review and I dissagree with the obvious negative slant. The Rainier is everything I wanted in an SUV. Of course the mileage is bad, but when we were shopping for an SUV, we agreed that we dont give a darn about gas mileage. It is so comfortable that my dad even said it was nicer than his Lincoln. We will keep this Rainier forever.This handles excellent in snow and ice. I was showing it off to my pal (who bought one also)and I couldnt lose control in the snow. I tried everything to skid, but the Rainier woulnt have it.
-
Rainier really shines - 2005 Buick Rainier
By quarque - March 9 - 1:20 amThe best vehicle Ive ever driven. Rides very well and is VERY quiet and comfortable. AWD with 275 HP 6 is fantastic. Air suspension and heated seats are just icing on the cake. The "pros" rate this car a "6" just because it is not a BMW or sports car. Frankly, I didnt want a sports car. I wanted quiet comfort and this is IT. The little extras like access to the air compressor make it sweet. I test drove Honda, Toyota and Nissan - no comparison to the solid, quiet feel of the Rainier. The Pilot was noisier than my old Blazer. I will keep this vehicle a very long time after paying $33k with 0% financing.
