Buick Rendezvous

cwjacobsen

Your post number 438 got me thinking and while it took a bit of tracking (too much time on my hands), you're right. A person with the handle "huibregtse" said (s)he bought the first Rendezvous in Austin in post #362 on May 3rd. (S)he bought a CX, but has never posted since then. Since ambiguity on CXL packages/options is exceeded only by ambiguity on CX packages/options, I really wish (s)he'd chime in again and rejoin the discussion.

CWJ

P.S. I hesitate to ask, but any news?

cwjacobsen

You're truly one of the most consistently helpful and constructive posters on this topic. And once again I want to apologize for how my response to your comment must have appeared to you. I'm analytic, but not judgemental, by nature and as such it's very frustrating to not have a firm base from which to draw factual conclusions.

CWJ

toog

By the way, I also go by mmeehan
To my best recollection, the grey mist and storm grey are very similar in color (in between a medium and a very dark grey). The pewter Rendezvous I saw was a CXL and while the color combination is nice (it's my second favorite color combo) I too was a little surprised that the pewter had a beige tone to it. I was really hoping that it would be a real grey metallic and I actually saw it on the road before I saw it at the dealer and it appeared to be almost a champagne color. Also got great news today from a second dealership that you can now order all-leather as an option in CX's but still no price. The dealer said they get dribs and drabs of information and it's frustrating (for them and us). Anyway, I'm so glad that now I don't have to settle for that ugly cloth/leather combo. By the way, apparently no one will do after-market leather because they don't want to mess up the side impact air bags.

bertoli

Today I learned that my ordered CXL is at a distribution point in Port Allen (Baton Rouge), LA. It should be loaded on a truck in the next couple of days and make it to the dealer in MS soon after. Since I live in Southwest Florida, I've got quite a drive to make to pick it up.

Also, I'm not crazy for ordering a vehicle from a dealer that's a 13 hour drive away. It just happens that I ordered my CXL from my old hometown dealer so I'd have an excuse to visit with some of my buddies back home. Now that I've been married a few years and have a kid, it seems *me* time is getting scarcer and scarcer.

My only concern, and it is a big one, is that I've yet to actually see, sit in, or drive a RDV. The thought of arriving at the dealer to pick up the RDV only to realize I have a serious problem with the styling, color choice, fit/finish, power train, etc, etc..is not something I wanted to have to deal with. Here's hoping a RDV will actually make it to my area before the weekend.

fedlawman

Being an analytical person myself, I understand what you're going through. I hope it doesn't mar your ownership experience (or at least, your new car excitement).

Here are some positive thoughts:

People who ordered Toyota Sequoia SR5's with the luxury package took delivery of their trucks, and learned when they got home that Toyota had removed heated seats from the package and shipped the vehicles...without telling anyone (including dealers). There are a lot of angry Sequoia owners with cold bottoms right now!

At least one MDX shopper has decided to buy a RDV instead because he/she is fed up with Acura dealer attitudes, games, and price inflation. You should check out some of the games Acura dealers are playing, it's a disgrace! Why would anyone wait 6 months AND pay $6000 over invoice, only to have their car sold to someone else from under them?

My dealings with my local Buick dealer have been fantastic. The fleet manager (Victor) is as frustrated as I am with the lack of information and misinformation regarding the RDV. He has endured my questions with a smile, and every time, he has called Buick and called me back with an answer! I even changed my mind on colour twice and he never missed a beat.

Bertoli - As you know, my wife and I currently own a 1993 Accord that is "Seattle "Silver", which is basically a light gold or champagne type colour. We didn't want another gold car. In fact, we originally wanted a pewter RDV because we expected it to be a dark silver sort of thing. We were surprised to see how gold it appeared, so we changed our minds and ordered white over light sandrift. Of course, we (she) changed our minds again three days later and had Victor (smiling fleet manager) change the order to white over moss green (sorry ra1der5).

dindak

13 hours away.. yikes! I thought I was nuts when I bought my last car at a dealer in my home town which is 3 hours away. I know what you mean about time though. We have a little girl and between her, work, studying and time with my wife I have no time to visit friends out of town. Sad reality.

Drove by local Buick dealer this morning. Still no Rendezvous' on the lot. They have 3 of the new Envoys though. Very nice!

bertoli

Fed, we would have ordered the white over light sandrift but the last three cars we've owned have been white and we were ready for a change.

I'll be sure and give a report when we get back home with RDV. It'll be interesting to see how the RDV holds up on a long trip and driving on the interstate.

Toog - thanks for the comments on the "storm gray"/"graymist" cladding and the pewter combo.

boondocks

BY and his wife, the most generous people on the face of the earth, let me drive their new RDV last night. I was quite impressed. I had expected it would have less "get up and go" than what I am driving now ('93 Bravada, 200 hp, close to the same curb weight), but that wasn't the case - it was about equal. I didn't actually time the acceleration, but 0 to 55 was considerably less than the 11 seconds I had read about. I didn't pass on the 2 lane roads, but passing on the freeway, going from 70 mph to 85, was more than adequate. It handled very well on gravel roads also. I had thought that the heads up display might be intrusive on the windshield, but it projects the speed onto the bottom part of the glass, so it wasn't intrusive at all.

Darn, now I have to buy one :-). I'll have to go with the CXL in order to get both AWD and captain's chairs, with the third row seat. I wish they would offer the captain's chairs with the versatility package, or on the AWD CX, because I really don't need most of the luxury package features and don't particularly like having to pay for them just to get the seats (which are extra on top of the extra cost of the luxury package). I need the captain's chairs because I have to have 2 carseats installed, and wouldn't be able to access the third row seat otherwise. The other vehicle I'm looking at, the '02 Explorer with third row seat, does a 40/20/40 split for the second row bench. By the time I add up the CXL with luxury package and captain's chairs, the price of the high end Explorer becomes comparable.

Thanks bymclaugh!

boondocks

I looked good and hard at the MDX - it made the final cut in my book, along with the RDV and '02 Explorer. It was also Motortrend's SUV of the year for 2001. Some things that I didn't like about it include:
3rd row seat is almost useless for anyone over the age of 7
considerable wind noise if you have the roof rack
some questionable things mentioned on the MDX board here at Edmunds, like rear slip on tight curves with some tires, and some maintenance things
lastly, and this one is probably personal to me, the nearest dealer is over an hour away, and I don't want to have to go that far every time I need something serviced.

But for a lot of people, it would make a fine choice. Just not for me.

dindak

If you wait a few months, you can probably buy that Rendezvous for around $30K.

buzzbo99

Since you mentioned it I also wonder why "huibregtse" has not posted again. Anyway my salesman called yesterday when he heard from Buick that my RDZ got on train yesterday afternoon. Nobody gave any reason for the delay and I cannot figure it out either except that it was getting a tan.

By the way "woody", what did you say I had to do to get a trailer hitch for my truck? My salesman could not believe it did not have one until they received their first RDZ with towing and no hitch. Of course I said "I told you so" and I read it on this board. In fact everything I have read on this board has been very accurate.

I did not consider the DX nor RX300 for several reasons but the main one was the nearest dealerships were 60 miles away and the local Buick dealer had such great customer service.

Dindak I agree with you and have said before I wish I could wait and get a better deal on my Rendezvous. Taking in consideration the unexpected increased production capability, after the initial demand is over they will be giving rebates and other incentives.

fedlawman

Hey Tony, another benefit of driving all that distance is you get to drive the RDV cross-country! I think you'll enjoy it. Just think, smooth Buick ride, 8 speaker stereo...we'll be waiting for your road test report when you get back!

Exzur - We already went down that road a few weeks ago...It is a rare Acura dealer indeed that is selling an MDX at invoice, and when you add sales tax, you are looking at about $38,000. Most people are waiting 4 to 6 months and some people are getting the run around from the dealers. More than a few people ordered cars at MSRP, only to discover 4 months later that their car was sold to a walk-in customer for MSRP+.

I agree that the MDX is a really nice car! In fact, my wife and I went to test drive one and where very impressed. If I was in the market for a $32,000 car and willing to pay $38,000, it would be first on my list. Maybe I could have it by Christmas? As it happens, with my GM discount and GM Card earnings, I am getting a CXL with 1SD and moonroof for $27,000.

Dindak - I agree that people will be able to buy a RDV for $500 over invoice, which would be about $30,000 a CXL with 1SD.

Boondocks - Thanks for your input. More than a few of us are hungry for real-world impressions, especially regarding power-to-weight ratio. I agree with all your comments about the MDX and Explorer, which were (are) strong contenders on my list...although the RDV is virtually a sure thing.

bymclaugh

You're welcome, and it was pleasure meeting you all. And your kids were adorable! Your son was very cute during the test drive pointing out all the neat stuff outside ("Oooh! horsies!"). And I have to say when you passed the trucks on the freeway, even I was impressed that it got up and going that quickly, since I hardly ever get to drive it on the freeway. It definately seemed more than capable.

Again, I'm glad we could help, and hopefully we'll see you in a Rendezvous soon!

BY

cwjacobsen

There's no doubt that the MDX is an alternative to the Rendezvous. And it would also appear that one gets a state of the art drive train compared to the Rendezvous. I can definately see where one might want the MDX instead. However, I went over to the Acura web site to look at the equipment included in their $34,850 vehicle and I believe your comparison between the two needs to be trued up a bit. First of all you mention that the Rendezvous had the towing package and 6CD changer which are optional not standard on the Acura. In fact, there must be other items included on your friend's $34,512 Rendezvous quote since if I've got my numbers right, a CXL with Versatility package, moonroof, heated seats, and memory options comes to an MSRP of only $33,202. That configuration gives you everything that's standard in the MDX, plus a roof rack, power passenger seat, & memory functions. I included the memory option because the Car and Driver site wouldn't let me build a CXL with heated seats without also choosing the memory option. If you're willing to equate (dollarwise only) a roof rack and power passenger seat (CXL) with heated seats (MDX), then a truly comparable CXL would sticker at only $32,772 compared to $34,850 for the MDX.

Other things equal, is the newer more powerful drivetrain worth $2,000? Depending on the individual, probably so. But other things aren't equal. Your comment that an "MDX can be had for $34,850" seems a bit naive. My understanding is that you would be lucky to get the MDX for only $34,850 (Edmund's TMV for this very vehicle is $35,760), while as Dindak points out there will soon be substantial negotiating room in the CXL's price.

CWJ

exzur

I should have spent more time looking for the facts. Instead I wrote sometthing to think about.. hastily. CWJACOBSEN, looks like you did your homework. I goofed.

houtexan

Got my base MDX for MSRP, no extra, nothing. Waited 2 months. It's a base but it's all I need. The $34,500 plus tax I paid was worth every penny. The 240hp motor is so sweet and powerful you wouldn't believe you are drive a SUV. I still get about 23.5mpg on the freeway. Did I say it really handles well? It does. It's more expensive than a RDV but it's worth it.

I don't really think you can compare the RDV to a MDX. The MDX has a much more powerful engine, 5 speed transmission and duel AC/Heat system that really works. It's based on the Honda Odessey, which is light years ahead of the GM Mini-vans the RDV is base on.

You can defend it all you want since this is the RDV group. But please don't make this the be all and end all of SUVs. It's not. I don't even think this is considered a luxury SUV, is it?

For that matter, the MDX is not either, but it's not as "bad and terrible" as you make it to be. It has a long waiting list because it's highly desirable. It's a supply and demand thing, you know.

If you are getting massive discounts on the RDV this earlier in the game, then, good for you, but what does that really mean.

BTW I got over $1,000 rebate on my MDX using the Citibank Driver's Edge VISA. It's not brand restricted and it works.

fedlawman

Thanks for your input! I think you are basically correct that the MDX and RDV don't really compete with each other. My feeling is that the MDX is more car than the RDV but Buick never intended the RDV to compete directly with it. Instead, the RDV offers a similar level of comfort and amenities for thousands of dollars less than the MDX. I would classify both vehicles as near-luxury, car-based SUV's. I admit that if money was no object, the MDX would be at the top of my list. Instead, I chose the RDV because I feel I am getting 90% of the MDX for 70% of the cost.

BTW, during my shopping, my wife and I visited two Acura dealers. On both occasions, we were treated quite disrespectfully and the sales people made no attempt to answer our questions or offer us a test drive.

cwjacobsen

You were not off base. "Goof" is too strong a word. The Rendezvous should not be afraid of being compared appropriately to the MDX or any other comparable vehicle. Like I said, all that needed to be done was to true up the numbers, and frankly the raw dollars are closer than I would have thought. Of course, the real world dollars may be a bit wider.

Thanks for joining this thread. I think you own an Aztec if I remember, and like "dog" said, that makes us cousins. And as people become less knee jerk about THAT vehicle, I don't mind being a member of the family (if undeniably the successful handsome member of the family). Insert cute wink face here.

CWJ

P.S. If you're comfortable with my entire handle that's fine, but CWJ works just as well.

dindak

houtexan: Citibank Visa takes way too long to save money up for a new car. As I recall you get 1 or 2% of your purchases compared with 5% for the GM card. As for the MDX, it's nice. It's much like the Rendezvous in the sense that it's not a real truck SUV. It's also a crossover.

I'm driving by the Buick dealer every day but still no Rendezvous.

ra1der5

Our RDV will arrive by the end of the month. Personally, I was hoping for August so we could rack up the GMCard $$$. None the less, we're EXCITED!

R5

robsmith

Looks like Buick did update their website regarding the cassette being excluded with the 6 disc cd-changer. I guess not much can be done about the brochures already out.

Looks like the dealers in Cleveland are getting their RDV's in. I got a call from another dealer who has 2 in. I'm stopping by during my lunch to check them out.

My $.02 regarding Drivers Edge. I have the GM card that limits how much I can use on a vehicle. I have almost $1700 on it but can only use $1500 for a RDV. I can earn 2% on any vehicle with Driver's Edge and have $1350 on it. It is something to consider after you max out your GM Card.

dindak

The GM card I have limits savings to $500/ year but you can use up to $3500 on any car (including Saturn/Saab/Isuzu, but not Corvette). I usually switch over to my Air Miles card when my GM points max out.

cwjacobsen

Hey Rob. Thanks for the update. Progress happens. Have fun checking out the vehicle.

cwjacobsen

there's no need to build strawmen to knock down. Your post reminded me of what I like about the posters on this board, and the people interested in the Rendezvous. And also what I dislike on other boards. The posters here seem to have outgrown the my car is better than your car phase of their lives.

Defend the Rendezvous? Who's attacking it?

"...please don't make it the be all and end all of SUV's." Who here has even begun to do that? It's seems to me that Rendezvous buyers and pre-orderers are united only in that the vehicle in our opinions best fits each of our individual sets of needs and desires, at a price we are each willing to pay. We all make choices in our lives. Choices are individual. There is no "be all and end all."

Since you put it in quotes, who here has said the MDX is "bad and terrible." You attribute it to this board. So who said it. No one. The people here who have shown an interest in the Rendezvous have done so for positive reasons, not negative ones. They have not nor do they seem to feel the need to run down other vehicles to justify their interest in the Rendezvous.

The massive discounts to which you refer came from the unique bargaining position given to people ordering the vehicle through the "pre-sell" program, it doesn't "mean" anything. I expect that for a time dealers will be able to sell the vehicle at or near sticker, and then the normal domestic vehicle haggling process will kick in at some point.

So, tell me houtexan, why are YOU so defensive about your choice in vehicle that you have to make up issues that as far as I can tell don't exist?

CWJ

cwjacobsen

My little small town dealer (Auburn, IN) finally received one! Rendezvous. This is a white over moss green versatility package with sunroof. I had to wait my turn to take measurements and take it for a drive. So Fed, if your vehicle shows up with unexplained mileage on it, blame us hoosiers.

CWJ

buzzbo99

Woody are you still out there? I expect my RDZ to be here some time next week and I will have no way to pull my boat even with the towing package. Has anyone had a trailer hitch installed yet?

CA thanks for posting my sentiments.

exzur

Cwjacobsen, My initial findings was, MSRP to MSRP, the MDX and the RDZ are not that far apart. Since I cannot
spend the time looking for the details, and my gut feeling is the price of the MDX will go up, while the RDZ will go
down, hence, placing the two cars in different ballpark. Thanks for the kind words, Instead of the word "goofed", I
should have said, "You are right.".

fedlawman

Just change the oil at 500 miles...

BTW, how did the colours look to you?

Brian

cwjacobsen

Brian, It's pretty spooky that your demographics are the same as R5's and they delivered your car to my dealer, and somehow we're all posting on the same board.

You know, I think you're going to like the moss green. It's not exactly the same as either the website color page or the brochure, but it looks quite nice. Take it up and out into your gorgeous green great northwest outdoors and it will look even better. However, it does clash with corn and soybeans so the sooner they ship your vehicle out of here the better.

Now the inside, you will absolutely love. The "oak" is a marvelous choice and they use several different shades without the interior looking too "busy." There are strips that are trying to look like brushed metal that I like but ar the perfect candidates for you to remove and replace with your wood package when you either find one or invent it yourself. You'll see what I mean when you finally get your vehicle.

I also liked the sunroof a lot. The total effect is exactly what I hoped. Namely a feeling of a well appointed vehicle allowing you to forget you're hauling a van/truck hybred behind you.

Other impressions:

Power: no problem. Gets up to speed very smoothly. In fact, just like my Jaguar it puts on pace without you realizing it. Things seem slower when you're up high in a relatively vertical sitting position without a long hood in front of you. Which brings me to:

Ride: Very controlled by Buick standards. Not a truck, but not a pillow.

Noise: Quiet until the engine gets to higher revs. This must be the "thrashing" I hear others talk of. Would have liked something a bit more refined, but this is not a problem other than to remind you of the vehicle's van underpinnings. Everything else hides the van background quite well.

Size: Big but not "party van" big. The three rows of seating is workable but not generous. If this is what you get with 109 cubic feet, I have to wonder how workable smaller SUV's would be with a third row. The cargo area is just over six feet from the inside the rear hatch to the back of the center console.

I could go on, but I've posted a lot lately and should just back off for a few days.

CWJ

fedlawman

Thank you for that! Your description of the look and feel of the interior only reinforces my high expectations for the RDV.

I'm not sure why I am excited about you seeing my car in IN, but your description really brought me there.

Regarding demographics, maybe there is more to GM than meets the eye...

bymclaugh

Hi all. I finally got around to putting some pics of our RDV up on the web. You can find them here:

http://www.mclaugh.com/RDV/RDV.htm

BY

bymclaugh

Thanks for posting your thoughts on the RDV after your test drive. I would have to agree with most everything you said, but you just said it more eloquently than I could have. Like the power, it doesn't blow you away or put you back in your seat, its just a smooth accel that gets you there without being too showy about it.

You made me wish I could have seen an oak interior before we ordered, as the wife really wanted the light sandrift for the exterior color, but it only came with the oak interior, and she didn't want a "tan" interior, so we went with the Indigo Blue with Grey interior. I like it, but I wish she could have seen the oak, as then she might have realized that it wasn't the "tan" interior she was expecting.

Anyhow, thanks again for sharing your thoughts.

BY

bymclaugh

Something fedlawman said got me to thinking. Buick has said they are hoping the RDV will bring a younger crowd to Buick, more in the age range 35-55. They've hit that market with us on the low end of the age scale, as we are both under 35. I'm curious if Buick is actually managing to hit that target on a more widespread level, ie, is everyone here in that target demographic? Just curious...

BY

bymclaugh

Glad to hear your RDV is on the way! Can't wait to hear your impressions after driving it! And I don't recall what color you ordered, but after sitting out in the sun for so long, I'm guessing its gonna be Sedona Bronze! Congrats!

BY

fedlawman

Thanks for the pictures! All of the "real-world" pictures I have seen look much better than the Buick "PR" photos. I really like the blue with grey lower cladding AND, the grey interior is MUCH more handsome than I thought it would be. I normally don't like dark interiors on cars but the grey on yours looks great...very much like the grey interior of the Mercury Mountaineer in that it is well executed and handsome; not drab like some dark interiors can be.

P.S. Regarding demographics, I think you're right. My wife and I are both 35 with kids 4 and 1. Buick hit the mark with us.

toog

I wasn't able to view your pics on your site but someone mentioned that you have the blue, which blue, Indigo or Opal? I'm ordering my Indigo CX tomorrow and will let everyone know about price. Have test driven it on the highway and in the city and it performs great. After listening to all of the talk I think the power issue is all relative. If you're accustomed to driving something more powerful you may be slightly dissapointed (although how much power does one need) and if you're used to driving something smaller, it'll seem great to you. Right now I drive a 1999 Mitsu Galant V6 which offers 190 or 195 HP and has great pickup. The RDV is comparable to it, but even when you put the pedal to the floor it's still a smooth acceleration it doesn't jerk your head back. I drove about 20 miles on the highway (the salesman didn't even go with me, just gave it to me) and it was quiet, but there was a little bit of wind noise around those big side mirrors when I got up to about 70. Overall I was very pleased and my husband likes it too. Just a note, you can create a heck of a lot more room for those 3rd row passengers just by sticking your hand under one of the 2nd row seats and sliding it forward. Great feature which my salesman didn't even know about. Makes it quite comfortable even for a tall person in the 3rd row.

bymclaugh

We have the Indigo Blue and I do like it a lot, as I think it looks pretty sharp. Another color we both liked a lot was the Medium Red, but the wife just had a dark red car and wanted something different. As for not being able to view the pics on the web, hopefully you didn't have any problems with the website. I just checked and it is up and running in case you did want to see the color on an actual pic of the RDV. (BTW, the server the website is on is case sensitive, so you have to type in the link exactly as I posted it earlier, capital letters and all) If there's one real gripe I have about the brochure, other than the cassette error mentioned in earlier posts, is the fact that all the pictures are of the Pewter RDV. I know my wife and I would have really liked it if they would have at least one page with pictures of RDVs in several different colors, as looking at the paint strips may show you the color, but doesn't let you see how it actually looks on the vehicle.

As for the adjustable second row seats, I've also noticed not many people seem to realize that. Most everyone who's checked out ours has been suprised when I've pointed that out, as its a nice feature that even Buick doesn't seem to promote.

Good luck ordering yours today! (and hopefully you won't have to wait too long for it to show up!)

BY

dindak

I couldn't get your picture up. Is that link ok?

By the way, I'm 32 and this is the ONLY Buick I would consider at this time. I do hope Buick makes the Bengal (Tiger mobile).

stever

bymclaugh's link worked for me yesterday and this am....

Steve
Host
Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards

fedlawman

Worked fine for me too!

BTW, I was very tempted by the Regal GS when it came out a few years ago...I'm a sucker for wolf in sheeps clothing cars (I'm in love with the Subaru Impreza WRX).

Brian

ra1der5

As our RDV will be here in a couple of weeks, we are getting more excited about our new car. It's been 14 years since I bought my Beretta. As Fed said, the real life photos do give a different perspective. Also, you are very generous to let others come and drive your car. We have been looking for one to test drive here in CA but haven't found one yet. Again, thanks for your generosity.

Go Raiders!

bymclaugh

The link I put up for the RDV pics is good, however, the server is case sensitive, so if you type it in, you have to use the same case. I've also put up a second version with the same pics but with everything in lower case. The links are as follows:

http://www.mclaugh.com/rdv/rdv.htm

or

http://www.mclaugh.com/RDV/RDV.htm

Hopefully those should both work. (I just checked them and they're working fine right now.)

BY

bymclaugh

Thanks for the kind words. I was glad we could help out boondocks as I know how frustrating it is to try and find a RDV that you can test drive right now. I'd make you the same offer, but I doubt you'll fly in from CA just for a drive.

Thanks again.

BY

dindak

Still won't work. I'm running Netscape 4.6. I don't get it.

bymclaugh

I tried it a little while ago and it seemed as though the server was down for a little while. That might be it. I've also posted some of the pics in the files area of the RDV owners group at:

http://groups.yahoo.com/group/buickrdv

So maybe that will work. I did also just check the other server and it seems to be running ok right now. I'm assuming when you try to get to the other server you just get no response, or do you get some other error? Any info you can give me and I can take the issue to the web hosting service.

Thanks,

BY

ra1der5

Moore Buick in Los Gatos CA. is about 45 minutes from us and has an RDV. Since we were shopping in the area, I stopped in to take it for a spin.

The dealer walked me through all of the options including the heads-up display, the ultrasonic back-up alarm, and connected me to an OnStar operator to walk me through some of those features. We will receive one year of the basic OnStar service for free. You will soon be able to use the OnStar system for regular cell calls... for an additional fee.

Opening the back hatch, I was surprised at how little space there was behind the third row seat. Four of the white plastic grocery bags is about all it will handle with the seat up. But with the seat down, there is plenty of room for my family and everything we will tote with us! The hide-away storage area is good for tools, flares, and maybe tire chains... but don't expect to be able to hide your kid's Christmas presents in there.

I found the middle row seats easy to handle... fold, flip, and you have fairly easy access to the back seat. But don't get trapped in that back row by yourself. It's hard to get out if you don't know what buttons to push. I'm 5'-10" and I fit okay in the back row. With the middle row all the way back I had about 5-6" for my feet and legs. I wouldn't want to be back there longer than an hour.

The front row seat has A LOT of room! If you are a large person, you will fit fine and with head room to spare. I found the power to be fine. No, it's not going to win any drags, but I definitely didn't have a problem getting into a passing gear at 65 and hitting 75 within a couple seconds. It's enough power for what we are going to be doing.

There has been a lot of talk about wind noise at high speeds. At 75 mph I turned down the radio and TRIED to listen for wind noise... couldn't hear it! I don't know what the reviews were talking about. The ride was smooth, quiet, and very pleasing. The side mirrors are huge! HUGE!

Pictures do not do this car justice. The one thing I found surprising is that the lower cladding started almost half way up the side of the door. I guess that after seeing the Montana, I expected it to start a little lower. None the less, it looks great and the lower cladding will help to protect my new investment... er... car. If you think "van" and look at the car, I could see how some would say it looks like a van. But I really think you have to walk into it with that mindset.

Overall, I think I am going to LOVE this car. We had received a quote from Moore Buick before we put in our order. They gave us a very reasonable price at $500 over invoice but unfortunately it was not the lowest. I say "unfortunately" because this was the first salesman who actually knew about the car and the features. All of the other dealerships, including the one we purchased from, appeared to be relatively clueless. Still, they didn't have a brochure.

No buyer's remorse here! We're looking forward to saying goodbye to ol' "Red Bret".

Go Raiders!

R5

drew_

Your webpage loads up fine in Internet Explorer, but is a blank page in Netscape. I know Steve uses Internet Explorer, which is why he didn't have any problems. I'm not sure why there is a problem either, since the source code looks fine.

I'll link some of your pictures in here so that others can see it. Hope you don't mind. They're a bit wide, so I hope that everyone will forgive the temporary throw off in the page width margins.












Drew
Host
Vans, SUVs, and Aftermarket & Accessories message boards

fedlawman

Thanks for your test drive essay...again, I can't wait to see and drive it myself. Your discussion of the seating room and storage space was very descriptive.

Once again, my excitement about this car is validated!

Brian

bymclaugh

Thanks for the info. I only use Inernet Explorer as well, so I didn't have any problems either. I just used the html album generator from ACDSee to create the page, so I'll have to go check it out with Netscape. Odd.

Thanks

BY

dindak

Those pictures are fine now. The Netscape / Explorer issue was the only thing I could think of. I will have to set up IE on my PC for times like this. I like Netscape better though.

BTW.. that's a beautifl Rendezvous. Great color!!!