Overview & Reviews

At its debut for the 2002 model year, the Buick Rendezvous midsize crossover SUV was touted as a cross between a luxury sedan, an SUV and a minivan. But in reality, the Rendezvous didn't offer the level of interior design and driving excitement that luxury car buyers expected. And although Buick's crossover could seat up to seven and had the requisite fold-flat third-row seat, it was too small to appeal to minivan buyers, and it didn't have much of a styling advantage over them anyway.

An optional all-wheel-drive system made the Rendezvous a less costly alternative to true SUVs for buyers needing a snow vehicle, but otherwise this Buick wasn't particularly rugged. Over the years, the Rendezvous fell behind the rest of the crossover SUV crowd, which exploded into a very competitive market dominated by the leading import brands.

Rather than update the Rendezvous, Buick decided to halt production midway through the 2007 model year. For used car consumers who can accept the Rendezvous' faults, it could still prove to be an affordable, practical choice for a family vehicle. But we think the vast majority of shoppers would be better served by other, more refined crossovers, including Buick's own Enclave.

Most Recent Buick Rendezvous
Sold from 2002 through the first half of 2007, the Buick Rendezvous was typically offered in two basic trim levels, CX and CXL. There was also a high-line Rendezvous Ultra model in 2004 and '05. Since Buick considered the Rendezvous a premium crossover, even the base CX trim came with a decent list of standard features, including keyless entry, power accessories, air-conditioning and a CD player. The Rendezvous CX came with a five-passenger seating arrangement.

You could pick up a third-row seat on the CXL as a standard or optional feature, depending on the model year. This was also your ticket to leather upholstery, power front seats, automatic dual-zone climate control, wood-tone cabin trim and alloy wheels. In addition to a more powerful engine, the Ultra model came with second-row captain's chairs (dropping seating capacity to six), satellite radio and a head-up display. These items were moved to the CXL's options list when the Ultra was discontinued.

But Buick stopped short of its competitors when it came to high-end amenities. Key safety features like ABS and front-seat side airbags were moved to the options list after the '02 model year, and items like stability control and side curtain airbags were never available. Buick did at least offer a DVD-based navigation system (starting in 2004) and a rear DVD entertainment system (starting in 2003) as options.

Although the Rendezvous' interior design and materials were better than most General Motors fare of the time, it wasn't quite up to import-brand standards. It was, however, one of the roomier crossover SUVs on the market, with plenty of passenger room in the front and back. It wasn't quite a minivan substitute, though, as the third row was best left to the kids. Cargo room was generous, too (with a maximum capacity of 109 cubic feet), though Buick's packaging of the third-row seat made for an uneven load floor.

Three different engines were offered on the Buick Rendezvous, and all were paired with a four-speed automatic transmission. For 2002 and '03, the only choice was a 3.4-liter V6 with 185 horsepower and 210 pound-feet of torque. Acceleration was sluggish, but fuel economy was above average for this class. In 2004 and '05, you could get either this engine or, on the Ultra model, a more sophisticated 3.6-liter DOHC V6 good for 245 hp and 235 lb-ft of torque. For 2006, Buick replaced the old 3.4-liter with a more vigorous 3.5-liter V6 rated at 201 hp and 216 lb-ft of torque. It still wasn't a very refined engine for this class, but acceleration was improved. The 3.6-liter V6 remained optional for '06, but was discontinued at the end of the model year.

All-wheel drive (AWD) was standard on all 2002 Rendezvous models, but lower-cost front-wheel-drive versions were added the following year. Oddly, AWD was discontinued altogether for 2007, making the Buick Rendezvous the only crossover SUV not to offer any kind of all-weather capability.

In road tests we found the Rendezvous similar to most other Buicks in its driving characteristics, which is to say it focused on comfort at the expense of road feel. The vehicle's handling was sloppy, with considerable body roll around most corners. Neither the 3.4-liter nor the 3.5-liter engine was particularly competitive when it came to response or refinement, and the four-speed automatic's wide gear ratios didn't take full advantage of the power reserves. Although Rendezvous models equipped with the 3.6-liter V6 still had this old-tech transmission, they felt much stronger during passing and merging maneuvers. The 3.6-liter's power delivery was smoother and quieter as well.

Consumer reviews of the Buick Rendezvous have generally been favorable, as owners are pleased with its combination of interior space, ride comfort, fuel economy and overall value. Resale value has never been a strong point for the Rendezvous, so if you're in need of an affordable family vehicle, it might be worth a look on the used car market. We'd advise you to zero in on 2004-'06 models equipped with the 3.6-liter V6.

User Reviews:

• 

  2004 Buick Rendezvous CXL - 2004 Buick Rendezvous
  By brandonhill18 - April 22 - 9:19 am

  My grandmother bought her Rendezvous brand new back in July of 2003. Its been to Flordia, Texas, Arizona, etc... Its fully loaded (CXL), although its missing roughly 4-5 features. As far as reliability goes, its not that bad. It starts up every single time no matter how cold it is. Sadly its starting to break down. Within the past 6 years, parts have been going out, or just not working at all. But hey its a 10 year old car, and the parts are not going to last forever. The Rendezvous is a great SUV, and I recommend it to anyone with a large family. Gas mileage isnt that bad either, my gma averages 23-26 (80% city driving/20% hwy driving).

• 

  nightmare - 2007 Buick Rendezvous
  By myoplnion - March 11 - 6:09 am

  Upon purchasing my 07 rendezvous I was happy that lasted 2 weeks. My battery light would come on n the car would die for about 10 seconds n then come back on. It was very difficult to convince the dealership. They finally left a computer connected for a few days n found the alternator was spiking the system. That was replaced n the car was fine until it rained the power steering went out, replaced that n nothing changed, then the water pump went out. The dealership worked wonders for me n found a way to put me in a new car n junked the rendezvous.

• 

  What a great SUV! - 2003 Buick Rendezvous
  By lynzimarie412 - November 6 - 11:45 pm

  I bought my 2003 Buick Rendezvous in April 2013. It already had 116,000 miles on it. The previous owners had some maintence already done on it, so now it has 126,000 miles on it and I havent had to put any additional money into it. I went from a little 2001 Pontiac Grand Am to this.. I know some people say it looks like an older persons vehicle, but after driving similar SUVs ,like a Ford Escape, the Buick Rendezvous was my favorite! *There are little to no blindspots which is awesome! *Its bulky feeling yet not too big. *The interior feels pretty modern. *After market parts for it are very reasonable. *I would deffinately recommend to anyone in the market for an SUV!

• 

  I love the Rendezvous! - 2004 Buick Rendezvous
  By brandonhill17 - November 3 - 7:36 pm

  I love my Grandmas Rendezvous. I drive off and on. She has the CXL model (With every single option!) The only thing its missing is the HUD. Its very easy to steer, the steering is basically like the old Cadillacs back in the day. (There steering was very smooth you could move it with just a finger) My most favorite thing of it is the factory exhaust sound. The 3.4 V6 exhaust is awesome! The torque is great too! Its 210 ft/lb @ 4,000 rpm. In reality the torque comes in between 1,800-4,000 rpm. Its a great SUV, and I recommend it to anyone! The cost to insure it, is VERY cheap!

• 

  Nice family car - 2002 Buick Rendezvous
  By jimk1500 - July 9 - 10:45 am

  I bought my 2002 Buick RDZ CXL near 80K miles for $5,500. So far the only significant maintenance that I have had to perform is replacing an expensive sensor in the rear dif. that enabled AWD ($650). Ouch! But no problems otherwise. Nice luxury features for the money. Will probably be switching air ride shocks for stock shocks because the air pump is going, but its just routine care. Not crazy about the lack of power, but it makes me drive slower (my wife is happier). Handled very well in the winter. Surprised that I dont need my truck every time I go to Lowes. Service Records did show that previous owner had trouble with intake. Not my dream car, but a nice cheap drive so far.

• 

  I am pretty happy with owning this Buick - 2006 Buick Rendezvous
  By la312 - May 25 - 2:41 pm

  We bought this Buick from our friend and owned it for almost 3 years. It did happen to visit mechanic, but which car didnt? regularly change brakes, oil, and fluids, etc. there is no major issue. however, the interior is not meeting my exception of the luxury SUV.

• 

  Excellent SUV - 2004 Buick Rendezvous
  By scherbs - April 16 - 10:51 am

  This is one of the best cars Ive owned. I purchased it new and now have over 86,000 miles on it. Had zero problems with it. I would buy another one if they still built them. Since GM doesnt build them any more I bought an Enclave and it too is an excellent vehicle.

• 

  Great Car - 2004 Buick Rendezvous
  By cheri_gossett - April 11 - 10:21 pm

  Over all my car has been great. I bought the car 5 years old with 110K. I now have over 185k and no major problems.

• 

  Had to trade Ol Bessie in... - 2006 Buick Rendezvous
  By emmygirl - March 22 - 5:17 am

  I wanted so badly for the SUV to perform up to my expectations, and it did... for a while. Bought my 2006 in 2008 with 48k miles on it. High, but I got a great deal. The ride was always smooth and quiet, styling was great in the front and inside- the hatchback styled rear is terrible, and the split panelling on some models- ugh! Horrendous. Sadly over 4 years the wiring went out underneath the car which made it stop... mid drive. I replaced the radiator, there were yearly replacements to a wheel bearing, and my fuel level indicator crapped out so I regularly ran out of gas. Finally the A/C drain hose pretty much ruined my interior with mold and I finally had to trade it in.

• 

  Still going - 2002 Buick Rendezvous
  By rendezastek - March 13 - 8:15 pm

  I have owned my 2002 Rendezvous for 6 years now. I bought the car for $6,500. in 2007 and up till a year ago hardly had an issue. Last year I did do some engine work and this year replaced the transmission. The transmission was due to a solenoid. This is a common flaw in these transmissions. Other than that hardly any repairs. I did also replace the wheel bearings this year. Hoping to get another few years out of it.