Overview & Reviews
When Buick decided to offer its first minivan, it attempted to minimize the associated stigma by labeling the Terraza, a badge-engineered General Motors minivan, a "luxury crossover sport van." In other words, the Terraza was a minivan featuring a taller stance, an elongated nose and available all-wheel drive. While it shared a platform with several corporate siblings such as the Chevrolet Uplander, the Buick Terraza offered a few distinguishing characteristics and styling tricks that lent an upscale feel in comparison. Nicely finished leather and wood trim in the uplevel versions provided an elegant ambience not seen in the Buick's more lowbrow relatives, and it came with more standard features as well.
But as minivans go, the Buick Terraza lagged behind the segment leaders (as well as newer true crossovers) in terms of driving refinement and safety features. Shoppers are advised to check out models such as the Honda Odyssey and Toyota Sienna or even Buick's own Enclave before settling on this "luxury crossover sport van."
Most recent Buick Terraza
Buick introduced the Terraza in 2005 and discontinued it after the 2007 model year. At first, it had an underwhelming 3.5-liter V6 providing 200 horsepower matched to a four-speed automatic transmission. All-wheel drive was optional. The Buick Terraza minivan came in three trim levels -- CX, CX Plus and CXL. The well-equipped CX offered the expected popular amenities, while the CX Plus added a sport-tuned suspension, dual-zone climate control and auto-leveling rear suspension. The top-of-the-line CXL provided alloy wheels, rear air-conditioning, rear parking assist and eight-way power front seats.
The Buick Terraza comfortably accommodated up to seven people and offered room for lots of stuff -- its second- and third-row seats folded down to provide up to 137 cubic feet of space. However, unlike most other minivans, the Terraza's third row did not fold completely into the floor, though it could be removed. The rest of the cabin was luxurious thanks to convincing faux wood and double-stitched leather seats with contrasting piping. A modular roof rail system allowed passengers to adjust the DVD player and storage compartment components, and folding center trays were located between the first- and second-row seats. There was also an available remote vehicle start system that enabled one to heat up or cool down the cabin before getting in.
Used-model shoppers might want to focus on 2006-and-later models, as these vans became available with first- and second-row side airbags inside and the more powerful 3.9-liter V6 under the hood of front-wheel-drive models. Rear DVD entertainment was made standard, and those wanting more choices could opt for the PhatNoise digital media system. All-wheel drive and the 3.5-liter V6 were dropped for 2007.
In reviews, we found the Buick Terraza's large V6 capable of delivering respectable acceleration around town and ample power for merging and passing at highway speeds despite its hefty mass. The suspension struck an acceptable balance between ride comfort and responsive handling, but other minivans offered sharper reflexes and a tighter turning radius. The Terraza's braking distances were also a little on the long side. And despite Buick's advertised "QuietTuning" technology, cabin noise levels were above average and not as whisper-quiet as we expected.
User Reviews:
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Love My terazza! - 2006 Buick Terraza
By hazel - August 27 - 1:54 pmI love my Terraza. There is not much I would change. The van is an excellent vehicle for a family in need of a van. It has the versatility of a van but the look of an SUV, I get many comments about the look of the vehicle. There are many features on the insided that give lots of comfort while driving it. Our children love the DVD and the headphones are great...because we dont have to listen to their movie! The third row seating has lots of room for feet. We have even taken it to the drive-ins and put the back seats down to watch the movie. My husband took one seat out in the middle and sat outside the vehicle to watch the movie - many people thought that was great! Overall we love it!
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Great car but under powered. - 2005 Buick Terraza
By Jerry C. Martin - August 26 - 5:39 pmI would rate the car at 9.2, and would give it a better rating if the car had a little more zip.
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The Best Value: Terraza - 2005 Buick Terraza
By Michael Wilson - August 24 - 1:08 pmBefore I purchased the Terraza, I evaluated 5 other mini-vans:Oddessey, Quest, Monterey, Sienna and Freestar. I feel the Terraza is the best value based on price, options and performance. It has a very quiet ride and the turning radius of a normal size car. Its very stable and doesnt have the typical "tippy" feel when rounding corners. The Terraza CXL has great interior styling with an SUV look outside. The rest of the vans have either dated exterior styling (egg look) or mini vans are now an after thought (second fiddle) to their SUV product. Im very pleased with the purchase and I would reccommend this van to anyone.
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Terazza - 2006 Buick Terraza
By Ericzoom - August 21 - 11:51 amThe van rides pretty well and has decent pickup for its size and weight. The brakes feel good with little fade and no shudder.The seats are comfortable and theres lots of room for hauling things.
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Quiet Comfort - 2006 Buick Terraza
By RON - August 20 - 5:14 pmWalked through the dealership and noticed that Buick made a van. It caught my eye and the more I looked at it, the more I thought for what was offered at the price it was a bargain. Just an example of the quietness of the vehicle was when it was fully loaded and I could hold a normal conversation. Now 12,000 miles later I walk out to the parking lot and still utter, yeah!
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2005 Terraza - 2005 Buick Terraza
By Ken - August 11 - 5:46 pmThis is my 1st minivan. I bought it so my 5 (soon to be 7) grandchildren could fit. I was impressed by the price, compared to Mercury & Chrysler, it was about $5,000 less. The car is very quiet (no need to shout so the people in the 3rd row can hear). The ride is super smooth, even in the 3rd row. All the seating is comfortable with plenty of leg room. I sat in all the rear seats before buying it, and was impressed by the passenger comfort (my sons & daughter are very tall, and they liked it). I wouldnt have bought the DVD at extra cost, but now Im glad its there...and my grandchildren are even happier. OnStar is a great necessity, especially for emergencies.
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Summer Ride - 2006 Buick Terraza
By Lester Wright - August 6 - 1:11 pmRides very well under all conditions. The feel is more like a large luxury automobile. The comments from other drivers are all very positive to I am going to buy one. I found that on long trips my back did hurt or my body felt tired at all. I would recommend this van to any looking to buy a van.
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Terraza - 2006 Buick Terraza
By terraza - August 6 - 11:42 amI have had excellent experience with my new Terraza and would purchase another. Recently we took the van on a 1200 mile trip through the mountains. The van was completely loaded with a packed luggage carrier on the top, two toddler car seats and 4 adult passengers cooler and suitcases in the back. We got 22mpg. We rode in comfort and were fully satisfied.
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WAY Better than the Grand Caravan - 2005 Buick Terraza
By Kim - July 29 - 7:31 pmWe recently traded in our 2004 Grand Caravan for the Buick Terraza. The Dodge seemed to have a lot of mechanical problems and we decided to take advantage of the employee pricing from GM. We fell in love with the Terraza at first sight, but actually driving it was what won us over completely. It is a very smooth, quiet ride. All of the many features are within easy reach (not so on the Dodge), and there is a lot more legroom in the middle and back seats. Sure, the seats dont fold down magically into the floor, but Ive sat in the new "stow- and-go" seats. They definitely had to sacrifice comfort for function. You will not find a more comfortable, easy to drive van than this one.
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Very Disappointed - 2005 Buick Terraza
By no fan - July 23 - 3:07 pmI thought I had bought the best van out there until the car stopped starting for me. Three times at the dealer in 6 weeks and they still cant fix it. It now sits in my garage not being driven because I cant count on it starting. A very big disappointment after spending upwards of $36,000.00 for it fully loaded.
