Chevy Uplander/Pontiac Montana SV6/Saturn Relay/Buick Terraza

dirkwork · December 2005

What you are driving now is a good vehicle, and similar to the vans as you noted. The new vans have somewhat improved ride and features but are similar to the older models. Your Buick Rendvs has a better rear suspension design for a smoother rear ride than you are likely to get with the van. But there is a ton of room, and with the new motor, they are not a bad choice. Some people think the sun rises and sets with Toyota and Honda, but they have issues too. Personally I think the Toyota is too mushy riding and pedestrian for my taste (sort of like a big camery, tells people you really don't care your vehicle has the personality of a rock), my Olds seems bolted to the road (rims & tires make a big difference though) and can handle turns beyond what the passengers wish to experience! The GM vans are typically somewhat less costly (watch the options) but have a steep depreciation curve. If you do buy new, hope you keep it a long time. Otherwise, perhaps lease or buy a used one - as the recent deals on new vehicles have hurt used resale to the point you could score big.

jerrywimer · December 2005

Are you sure the Rendevous's rear suspension is better than the Terraza's? I know all Terraza's have the fully independent rear suspension. The other GM minivans only get this if they are AWD.

dave_justdave · December 2005

Well, I loved my Rendezvous but with three kids, on long trips there just wasn't enough room. This new 3.9L engine is fantastic - nice smooth acceleration and yet very powerful. I drive on the highway every day and I do not notice the constant up/downshifting that others seemed to notice with the older engine. The ride is quite similar to the Rendezvous - perhaps a bit softer, easier on the bumps etc. Handling is great, the sight line for driving is excellent, there is much more room for cargo, and passengers yet the handling is good and parking isn't much more difficult, which my wife likes. The CXL Terraza has all the creature comforts of the Rendezvous except for the HUD. As one final note, I made sure they took off those Goodyear Integrity tires that came standard, they were horrible on our camry - the new Continental tires seem fine. Dave

dave_justdave · December 2005

Just noted the comment from Dirk about depreciation - we leased this Terraza and they do depreciate it heavily over a 3 year period, so if you buy, be sure to get every possible discount going at the time. We had trouble getting a Terraza up here in Canada, but I suspect it would be easier in other cities, esp in the US. I cant share the price as we are GM Family Plan members - my Dad worked at GM for 35 years so we get a slightly higher discount than most could likely negotiate (just my impression - go ahead and negotiate heavily! - GM is still not doing very well these days). Some 06s still come with the 3.5 engine, so be sure you know what you are buying. Good luck. Dave

cla1 · December 2005

I have read and mostly appreciated CU for years, but have learned to take their subjective assessments as that. We have an 05 Terraza and while I certainly agree that the second seats are heavy and clumsy to remove (my God, who designed these things anyway?)and difficult to adjust fore and aft--I certainly don't find the engine coarse, the trim insubstantial, and the interior noisy. They tend to generalize findings from one "sibling" to all. Plus, after living with this thing a year, we like the "snout" and overall are very pleased with it.

nymom · December 2005

Hello,
I test drove an 06 terraza yesterday and overall really liked it. I just have one question? I currently have two children in car seats and have an 04 jeep grand cherokee which i use the tether(spelling?)straps that hook into the roof. Is there a place in the terraza to use this same system or will i have to use the latch system? Any advice would be great.
Thank you

dave_justdave · December 2005

I would confirm with the sales staff but I am using a back seat tether for my little one's car seat (third seat - right behind the seat). There is only one tether location at the back though, but each middle seat has its own location at the bottom of the seat, according to the owners manual. Dave

hammy233 · December 2005

NHTSA Probes Windshield Wiper and Headlight Problem in Some GM Models

December 5, 2005
The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) has launched a preliminary safety investigation of the Chevrolet Uplander, Pontiac Montana SV, Saturn Relay and Buick Terraza because of a flaw that could cause the headlights to go out.

All of the vehicles in the investigation are from the 2005 model year.

NHTSA has received information that the actuating bar of the windshield wipers might cause damage or even cut a wiring harness that results in loss of the headlights.

In a related problem, General Motors issued a bulletin to dealers on February 21, 2005 warning that the wiper motor crank arm could contact an under-the-hood electrical center and "Some customers may report a stall and the no start condition after the wipers are used." :lemon: :lemon:

delirious_car · December 2005

I noticed that GM decided to add second row seat mounted side airbags on it's Vans's for the 2006 model year, but one thing I saw on Saturn's website was that if you got the side airbags for the second row, you could not remove the second row of seats. This made me wonder, is it really worth it? (put aside the fact that is is a necessary feature for minivans)

nymom · December 2005

Thanks for responding, i was able to find the one in the third row section. I also found what i believe is the ones on the back of the second row captians chairs but i could not get the tether hook in the hole. The hole seemed too small. has anyone else had this problem? thanks

dirkdaddy · December 2005

You are correct about the rear suspension, I have not seen much of the Buick so I was thinking of the older models.

Dirk

jchan2 · December 2005

If you can't remove the second row, then you probably can't get maximum cargo capacity.

Why not just have side curtain airbags?

delirious_car · December 2005

Why not just have side curtain airbags?

That is exactly what I said. I realized though, that these vans are not entirely and are only dramatically changed, so if we want curtain airbags we will have to wait for a COMPLETE redesign.

I still wonder why GM allowed so many class standards (i.e. curtain airbags, power liftgate, and sunroof) to be left off these vans. :confuse:

beach15 · December 2005

Wrong. A perfect example is when the last gen ('99-04) Jeep Grand Cherokee was mid-cycle, I think '02. Nothing really changed except a few trim pieces and some colors, but they ALSO incorporated side curtain airbags as a new option, without having to change or redesign much, if anything, at all.

The only reason GM did the bags in the seat thing for the back is purely the cost factor, as it is much easier to take the same mechanisms you already have designed and tested for the front side bags and just put those same seats in the middle--bingo, no extra R&D work, and you get some kind of bags in the rear area. Not a strong solution, but still a solution. Wouldn't have required a lot to get curtain airbags, but these vans still share so much with the old, it just wouldn't be monetarily worth it to a company with such tight purse strings at the moment--but wouldn't be that hard from an engineering aspect.

kcorey · December 2005

The way that I have been able to attach the tether hook is to put it in side-ways and keep the spring portion down (in other words, up-side down). Maybe it's not right, but it works for me.

momof · December 2005

WELL I SEE I'M NOT THE ONLY ONE GOING CRAZY OVER MY VEHICLE AND ITS PROBLEMS!! I PURCHASED A SATURN RELAY, THE SAME AS THE UPLANDER, IN JULY AND HAVE HAD NOTHING BUT PROBLEM AFTER PROBLEM. RUNNING TO THE SERVICE DEPARTMENT WITH MY 4 CHILDREN EVERY TIME. TOTALLY FRUSTRATING. I HAVE BEEN TRYING TO FIND SOMEONE WITH THE FLICKERING HEADLIGHTS PROBLEM, ACTUALLY ALL THE LIGHTS OF THE VEHICLE FLICKERS. THEY REPLACED, SO THEY SAID, THE ALTERNATOR AND ITS AS THOUGH NOTHING WAS EVER REPLACED. IT DOES THE SAME THING. I DO NOT DRIVE DURING THE EVENING/NIGHT ANYMORE BECAUSE PEOPLE THINK I'M FLASHING MY LIGHTS AT THEM!!! I REFUSE TO BE KILLED DUE TO ROADRAGE FOR SOMETHING THAT THE MECHANICS ARE OVERLOOKING OR ARE JUST IGNORING. PLEASE INFORM ME OF WHAT PROCEDURE WAS DONE ON YOUR VEHICLE TO REMEDY THE FLICKERING LIGHTS PROBLEM. ALSO I HAVE BEEN EXPERIENCING A WHISTLE SOUND WHILE ACCELERATING. TOTALLY ANNOYING!!! MY DRIVERS SEAT HAS STARTED TO BUCKLE UP ON THE SIDE, ALONG WITH SEVERAL OTHER PROBLEMS THAT THE MECHANICS SEEM TO NOT BE ABLE TO DUPLICATE. I'M AT A POINT WHERE I FEEL THEY ARE JUST IGNORING ME AND DO NOT CARE ABOUT THE SAFETY OF ME AND MY FAMILY.

soderholmd · December 2005

Ladies and Gents,

Went perusing three days ago for a minivan replacement for our 99 Windstar (which has been very bulletproof BTW). On our van we wanted heated leather, DVD, Good stereo, power sliders, 4 wheel discs with ABS and Stability control at a minimum. Started at the Honda dealer;

Honda-

Pompous dealers - acted like I was doing them a favor for checking out their van and asking for a testdrive. The powertrain of the van was excellent with some nice interior details and tricks. Really liked the fold down split 3rd seat. We took out an EXL and I liked driving it. It seemed to handle well. I asked about DVD and was told its available as a 1700.00 option. Total price would be around @ least 33K and they sell close to retail, hhhhmmmmmmmmm.

Toyota-

Dealer experience similar to Honda - whats with these guys? The Toyota we drove was an XLE to get all the options we wanted. Around 34K. Powertrain was nice, not as snappy as the Honda. Van rode very smooth and quiet, but handling was very soft and soggy - didn't feel as buttoned down as the Honda. Tight turning circle, nice seats, and good stereo system. Still no DVD at this price?

Saturn-

Dealer treated me like a guest. He couldn't do enough for me! I Asked for a test drive and he gave me the van for the day........WOW. I took out a loaded Relay 3. Every option on the list except all wheel drive. Including Onstar, DVD, Heated leather, 17 inch wheels, Power sliders, Awesome stereo, 4 wheel disc, ABS and stability, cool reverse sensing system, rail storage system, trailer package Driver info center, beautiful gauge package and more. Van drove great, more firm than the Toyota and less than the Honda. Driving position was excellent. Seats in all positions were large and comfy (as were all 3 vans). Powertrain was competent and smooth, although with noticibly less oomph than the other 2. It was far from lacking in power though. Kids loved the DVD! Only "downside " is the rear seats - they dont fold back and flat as the others, but can form a flat load floor none the less. Went back to the dealer and he said the MSRP was 30,700.

I wasn't sure if the difference in price was worth it. He then said BTW they now have 8k off the price. WOW!! Loaded for 22K - Youre kidding me!? Wife signed the papers and it's in the garage now. We're very happy!

All the vans were nice, but value wise between the 3 - no contest - and I found I prefer the SUV look vs. the Rocket boy styling of the other 2. Great experience - I'll keep you updated. Thoughts?

jk27 · December 2005

Great mini-review! Thanks. Sounds like you got a GREAT deal. Was the 8k off due to the "Red Tag Sale"? Compare this ... my Buick dealer offered to sell me a loaded 2006 Terraza AWD for $20K if I traded in my vehicle (worth $13K). Sounds like the Relay is a much better value and looks like I'll be going to a Saturn dealer for a test drive of the Relay!

Did you get the 2nd row side airbags in the Relay? What kind of stereo? I'm interested in the 6 disk changer and/or the Phatnoise system. Thanks for the info.

jchan2 · December 2005

If I were to get a Relay I'd get one with Navigation because even if you add back the $2,000 to the $22K it is still a SCREAMING value.

soderholmd · December 2005

The saturn dealers are giving the 8k off to clear out the 05 inventory. We are very happy with the deal! It's got the 6 disc cd xm radio pakage. Whats really cool is 3 different people can listen to three different stations at the same time. 2 with the wireless headphones and one on the main speakers. This van really is very quiet and solid. I can't believe how biased the magazines are against it! Go get'em while this deal lasts!

jchan2 · December 2005

So your's is a 2005? I really want Navigation though, so I guess I'll wait until the 2006 closeout.

soderholmd · December 2005

BTW - got a 500.00 Target gift card with the deal - nice christmas bonus!

jk27 · December 2005

A 2005? Does that mean that there are no side airbags for the 2nd row?

jchan2 · December 2005

probably not. The second row side airbags didn't become an option until 2006.

Same with the factory Navigation...

soderholmd · December 2005

It has front side airbags, but not the 2nd row side airbags. Nav system is an 06'option also I believe.

jchan2 · December 2005

yep. the Navigation system was added as an option on the Relay and Terraza for 2006.

genmtrfan · December 2005

After 7 months with our very active family, I continue to be very satisfied with this vehicle. The van now has 11,500 trouble-free miles on it. In my opinion the professional reiewers are missing the value of this van. It really has a lot to offer for a reasonable price. Our van is an LT with many options and we only paid 23,500. The van has not been in the shop for any repairs and with 3 kids we've really appreciated the power sliding doors and DVD. Additionally, the remote start has come in handy on 15 degree mornings this winter. The computer is showing an ave. of 21.5 mph in mainly city driving, outstanding for a vehicle this big. I like the cool front and awesome wheels. We couldn't be happier. IMO the GM vans offer the most for the money. Hopefully the long term reliability will be solid. Perhaps this will be enough for the "professionals" to take note.

soderholmd · December 2005

The real injustice is that the press worships imports, so people never even take these vans on a test drive!

"Must drive Odyssey....Must drive Sienna....Press says they are best...must get one....." :surprise: :confuse:

They suck into the "it's just a venture with a nose job....." and write them off the list - Wow, it's so much better than that! It really feels like a completely different vehicle - I've driven both and there is no comparison between the two. The interiors and mechanics are top notch and the value can't be touched!
Congrats on the Uplander success story - I think your story with the Uplander is MUCH more common than the people on these boards and the press think.........I will add my Relay story this time next year...!

odie6l · December 2005

Hello all, I just want to find out what the general concensus thinks of the '06 SV6 (they did drop the Montana name for '06 MY). I'm in the process of trading my '01 Escape XLT V6 (loaded with extra's) for either a '06 SV^ w/ 3.9ltr, '06 Quest SL SE, or '06 Freestyle SEL. All tree vehicle will be fully loaded to the gills and will all have AWD. I'm just trying to find out how everyone likes their SV6

Odie

bobw3 · December 2005

The Quest & Montana are both minivans, while the Freestyle is the wagon version of the Ford 500, so the Freestyle's interior is more car-like, as well as it's driving characterictics.

soderholmd · December 2005

Thats a good set of vehicles to choose from. Does the quest have AWD? Not sure on that. I have a 05' Relay and have been very impressed with the solidity and build quality of it. Seats are very comfortable, handling is good, power is good (especially if you get the sport package with the 3.9!)Standard DVD player and lots of options included at what is usually a bargain price compared to others in it's class. Check out the 05' Relays - they are sister vans to the SV6 and they are giving great rebates on them right now!

genmtrfan · December 2005

You are so right. This vehicle may share some parts with the Venture, but it doesn't feel or look like one. I drove a Venture for 6 years and was generally happy with it. The improvements I see in the Uplander are the road feel and handling, the interior, and the solid, quiet feel. I really felt like I was driving a Lexus as I drove it off the lot. I don't have the squeeks and rattles that plagued some of the earlier Ventures. As I said in my previous post, I hope the long term reliability of the powertrain will be good. I was surprised to see the lower than average initial quality ratings on the Uplander by JD Powers. Perhaps the recalls had something to do with that (alternator and the tightening of the harmonic balancer). I'm betting that the '06 ratings will be better and the '05 long term ratings will improve as well.

odie6l · December 2005

All three vehicles are AWD. I forgot to ask. What size trailer hitch ( 1 3/4" or 2") is on the pontiac. None of the dealers have had any information regarding the hitch mount. I have a hitch mount bike carrier for 4 bike. The Quest has a 1 3/4" mount. Some of the dealers have already tried to sell me on the roof rack system for the bikes, but why spend the extra money when I already have the carrier?

Odie

kcorey · December 2005

I'm so glad to see that someone else has had such a positive reaction to a GM dealer. I leased my '05 Terraza last February (2005). I now have 12,000 miles, and have enjoyed every one of them. I have 5 grandchildren, and they love riding in their grandparents car. Yes, we've brought their parents too, all 6 of them! We have the CXL (my wife HAD to have heated seats). You're right...the press is trying to be so hotsy-totsy pushing foreign cars. I'll take an American car (built in America by Americans) any day. I love my Buick...good luck with your Saturn!

poorcruzer · January 2006

Hello: New to this forum, I am always on Chev Tracker forum. Sister in law just bought a new Montana SV-6 and it came from the factory with a bad alignment problem. The rig pulled big time to the right, it also had a very bad vibration in the steering wheel at low speed and up. My brother in law took it in to the dealership who fixed the alignment but told him the vibration was found in alot of Montana SV-6's. Have any of you had this problem and what is the possible cause. Thanks.

jerrywimer · January 2006

We have a 2005 Terraza, but since all four of these vans are more or less mechanically identical I'm going to reply that your dealership is full of it. Our van has no unusual vibration in the steering wheel (at any speed). By unusual I don't mean compared to other GM vans either- I mean compared to any other vehicle I've ever driven. The only time we get vibration in the wheel is on certain rough roads or if we run over a rumble strip.

soderholmd · January 2006

05' Relay - Tracks straight as aa arrow and no vibes........

terraza_owner · January 2006

Well, I eventually got the crossbars and have stored them until I need them. I agree that they are easy to install and look forward to the ease of installation before the next family road trip. The dealer got the wrong ones at first to fit triangular-shaped rails but got the ones that fit the round rails on the second try.

terraza_owner · January 2006

Recently took the 05 Terraza CXL on a 400 mile trip. The light flicker problems were there every once in a while. It also affected the DVD player--the kids were asking: "Dad, what happened?" The flicker affected lights, ventilation and the DVD player. Has anyone seen or heard of whether this problem has been fixed yet? I've already got the most powerful alternator that they offer...

blessingsx4 · January 2006

I purchased my Uplander in March of '05. WHen there were less than three hundred miles on it the gas tank began leaking and had to be totally replaced. Since then the brakes started shuddering, the DVD player started humming the AC failed numerous times, the compass stopped calibrating and the weatherstripping on the door fell of twice. For the past few months my headlights started dimming intermittantly to the point where all I had left was the parking lights. When this happened, the interior lights also dimmed and the blower motor on the heater also shut down. The first few times I took it to the dealer service department they told me they could not duplicate my complaint and that it could be a normal operating condition. Then I realized after looking at the RO's they were not even driving it. So I continued to take it back and eventually after three months, a visit by a zone rep and a zone engineer, three alternators a pcm, a jumper wire, 5 terminals, an order by tech support to not replace any more parts because 5% of Suspect Trucks are not repairable, and a gentleman at GM repurchase who probably lacks the intellectual ability to operate a toliet, I am left with my vehicle that doesn't operate at an acceptable level of safety, a complaint to the NHTSA, a complaint to the FTC, and a lawyer who specailizes in Magnuson-Moss. Can anyone tell me why an all american company like GM doesn't have a desire or capacity to back it's products? Doesn't common sense tell you if you have someone that purchased a vehicle that cannot be repaired and she is willing to negotiate with you that you should replace the vehicle as opposed to facing legal proceedings, not to mention the multitude of other public venues she will explore to make sure no one else wastes three months being, for lack of a better term, screwed over by GM?

blessingsx4 · January 2006

It sounds like your uplander was made on the same day mine was!!!! Contact a lawyer, GM will NOT take you seriously, no matter how far up the corporate ladder you climb. Take it from someone who spent four months waiting for my vehicle to be fixed or replaced, only to find they cannot fix it and wont replace it. Also contact the NHTSA at 1888327-4236 and file a complaint with them. Contact the FTC as well. The only way to make them back their vehicles is to get as many federal agencies involved as possible!!!

blessingsx4 · January 2006

My advise is simple...don't wait for GM to come up with a solution. I had a field engineer look at mine and he still could not fix it. Go to the NHTSA web sight, copy this post onto their "file a complaint" form and file it. The FTC websight also takes complaints. The only way to get these unsafe vehicles off the road is to band together and let these agencies know how bad the problem really is!!!

uplanderfan · January 2006

I had the same problem with my 2005 uplander that was purchased in November. The dealer ended up replacing the right front tire. While it has improved, a service appointment has been scheduled to "tweak" again. Keep us up to date on your brother in laws issue.

islandgirl2006 · January 2006

Mine had a bad tire and it had to be replaced, once they fixed that and the alignment, it was much better. It had a shudder at low speed. Good luck to her!

islandgirl2006 · January 2006

My 2005 SV6 had the rattle in the front right side- after a couple attempts to fix it, it turned out to be the link from the sway bar. It 'ate' a bunch of my CD's- the design of the console at floor level allows the CD's to slide out the back- they were rattling around for a bit, but that's probably too low for your rattling problem. Good luck!

soderholmd · January 2006

Sorry to hear about your experience. realIy is quite disturbing that your dealership is not standing behind you on this issue. May I ask the name, so they may be avoided in the future? Include a number so that posters can call and complain on your behalf.

Why wouldnt this vehicle qualify for a lemon law?

hawkeyes1 · January 2006

Hello, i have a 2005 montana sv6 that has a high pitched whistling noise that seems to be coming from the front drivers side. I only seem to hear it when driving speeds over 60 and have a head wind or cross wind. My dealer has made 2 attempts to fix. One was by following service bulletin 02-08-58-005B. Has anyone been able to get this fixed???

shredder · January 2006

I am looking at getting a 2006 3.9L SV6 in March.

My question is this: If you have the DVD player playing a movie, can the front seats (Driver and Passanger) listen to the radio/CD player?

How about if the back seats use headphones?

Thing is if my kid is watching a movie I don't want to have to listen to it while I drive.

Thanks,
Shredder

poorcruzer · January 2006

Sister in law is going through G.M's arbritration process as I write this. G.M technical advisor and dealership service advisor say the truck is fine. Independent garage inspected truck and found it running like a van with 500,000 km's. Independent garage suspects faulty frame alignment. Sister in law now under the arbritration process has to take the truck to another dealer for inspection???? What the H E double hockey sticks is this going to accomplish? I don't want to tell her that Consumers Reports has her 2005 Pontiac Montana SV-6 as one of it's worst cars for initial quality and reliability, even worst than the previous Montana years. I don't get it. How can you build a truck for years, change it slightly and end up building a lower quality product? It's not like G.M hasn't been building vehicles for a few years, God help them when the Chinese get here next year.

jerrywimer · January 2006

Yes, the sound systems in these vans has multiple zones. But if you mean can the kids listen to a DVD using the rear speakers while you listen to something else using the front speakers, the answer is no. They definitely have to use the headphones if you want to listen to something different up front.

As a bonus, each headphone has two channels, and one person in back can listen to one source, while the other listens to something completely different from what's on the van's speakers. Ex.- driver / passenger listening to XM radio over speakers, one passenger watching DVD / listening to it with headphones (set to channel 1), and second passenger listening to FM station with headphones set to channel 2.

Chevy Uplander/Pontiac Montana SV6/Saturn Relay/Buick Terraza

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