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:

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  A Mistake - 2002 Buick Rendezvous
  By jerezaa - April 12 - 6:11 pm

  Bought used but shouldnt have, Luckily I got the extended warranty because 2 months later the transmission went out (While crossing the Bay Bridge into San Francisco- what an adventure!) Took a month to fix. No trouble for a while but then the something computer module which controls nearly everything went and it overheated. Spent tons of money to replace heads and the dealer (Covert Buick in Austin TX) and apparently they did not fix correctly. Its back in the shop after having it back for only 2 weeks. I should have just bought another car. The car is comfortable and I like driving it but it is the second worst car Ive ever owned (The first worst was a Renault LeCar) Dont buy it!

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  JUNKING IT!!! And Im ON TOP of maintenance!!! - 2003 Buick Rendezvous
  By abby258 - January 15 - 7:15 pm

  This car is a LEMON!!! It should be taken OFF the market and NEVER made again!! I have replaced gaskit 2 times, Wheel bearings WAAAAAYYY too MANY times to even count anymore, the rocker arms, tie rods, breaks, rotars... more than normal, among many other repairs... I cant remember. This car PLAIN AND SIMPLE SUX! It needs MAJOR REPAIRS EVERY Flippin month. I have spent more repairing this dumb thing than my old 92 Geo Prizm!! Do NOT buy this vehicle, its NOT as nice as it looks! Better off with Hyundai, or Kia! We purchased in 06 used from an elderly couple who rarely used it... It had 12,000 miles!!! They took care of it, had receipts of oil changes, and car fax was FLAWLESS!!!

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  Review - 2007 Buick Rendezvous
  By nikki24 - January 14 - 3:20 pm

  I was happy to purchase my 2007 Rendezvous after having a 1996 Lumina. There are a lot of things I love about it, but am not happy about the gas mileage. Got about 5 miles/gallon better with the Lumina.

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  Speedomenter view issues - 2004 Buick Rendezvous
  By beall2141 - January 9 - 3:13 pm

  We love our 2004 Rendezvous for the all over performance, smooth ride and storage capability. Its a good family car. There is one design flaw that needs to be fixed: Speedometer has a silver background and black numbers. During dawn/twilight, it is nearly impossible to see the numbers. The black fades into the silver. During these light conditions, there is no way to see my speed and other guages.

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  great suv - 2004 Buick Rendezvous
  By nana - December 3 - 2:00 am

  I bought my suv new in jan 2004 and i now have over 191,000 miles..just put the first battery on it still had the original..no major issues just normal work down..I cant complain..Ive owned 2 buick now and they both have been great vehicles and very reliable

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  Rendevous Troubles - 2005 Buick Rendezvous
  By Rendevous Troubles - December 2 - 2:00 am

  I purchased a brand new 05 Rendevous in April 2005 and have had continuous troubles from 3 months into the purchase. The following are issues I have had to fix: Front tire hubs x6, wiring to traction control, wiring to steering wheel, wiring to heating and air conditioning control, tire bushings, back window washer arm, rear hatch handle x2, console cover, and most recently a transmission. Some of the issues were covered under the factory warranty but most were covered by the extended warranty at $200 each repair. When you buy a new car you dont expect issues such as these. If I had to do it all over again, I would have never bought this car. I should have researched consumer reports first!

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  2004 Rendezvous Ultra - 2004 Buick Rendezvous
  By dr_rick - November 22 - 2:00 am

  Bought the Ultra in 2007 with 80K on it put another 60K on it in three years. Has room similar to a minivan, but with better handling, and a 3rd row seat. The 3.6L engine is unusually advanced for a GM product behaves more like a Honda motor and pulls my 21ft bass boat with no trouble. No problems with the climate control system or AWD powertrain. Wheel bearings wore out relatively early and recently the pneumatic ride control system quit. Fuel economy is not that great, but the VVT mechanism is sensitive to oil quality, and I suspect the O2 sensors have exceeded their life expectancy. In retrospect, I would probably purchase it again if I had similar requirements.

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  Totally disappointed - 2005 Buick Rendezvous
  By disappointed - October 16 - 2:00 am

  Ive purchased this vehicle with excitement only to find out that it is high maintenance with very expensive repairs. Bearings and rear differential have to be replaced which is going to cost me $4000 thousand dollars. Rear hatch handle broke easily, snow builds up in wheel well, gas gauge has a mind of its own, spedometer also has a mind of its own. Too many problems with this vehicle and very very very disappointed with the many repairs having to be made.

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  Dont buy! - 2002 Buick Rendezvous
  By Lindalmom - October 5 - 2:00 am

  My daughter bought this car and it has been nothing but problems - first the antilock brake sytem went and couldnt be fixed - even by 3 different mechanics. Air conditioning went. Many service problems then last week it over heated and she pulled off the highway to let it cool down - It had to be towed and the head gaskets need to be replaced - Greenwood Chevy (Youngstown, Ohio) dealer says $1800 to replace - The car is money pit and is only worth about $2300. I would never buy another GM product again! ( Nor will she) If I ever buy American again it will be a Ford but were leaning towards Honda!

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  Its falling apart - 2004 Buick Rendezvous
  By big dawg - October 1 - 2:00 am

  I had hoped to keep this car for a long time but its slowly falling apart. Part of it is the salt in our region. The rotors rust and wear out the brakes/rotors prematurely. The bearing hubs have been replaced. Control arm bushings dont last and the AWD actuator had to be replaced.The racheting device on the seatbelts caused the belts to tear and need to be replaced. Its constantly being repaired and I no longer trust it except for trips around town. The quality of the suspension/drive train parts is not good. It does have a nice ride and nice stereo and room to take my 90 lb German Shepherd but I think I may look at a Nissan, Toyota or Honda to replace it. American cars= no good.