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Buick Rendezvous

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  • gmdronegmdrone Member Posts: 78
    Rendevous is building saleable vehicles, they passed quality gate last week. I'm excited, 'cause this car is building better than Aztek, in pilot we're at half of the predicted defects, I've never seen that before, either at home or abroad. Hang in there, my understanding is that they'll be in showrooms next month!
  • rkuehnrkuehn Member Posts: 120
    does rendezvous have an interior bike mount available? apparently aztek does but i can't find photos...
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    I would expect since Aztek production has gone well, Rendezvous would also. Nice to hear production is under way. My last 2 cars have been from GM and they have both been excellent (1998 Grand Prix SE and a 2000 Intrigue GL). One of the main reason I left Honda was that service sucked. GM is 10x better. The fit and finish isn't quite up to Honda yet, but it's close enuff!
  • jlschmidtjlschmidt Member Posts: 5
    Does anybody know if the leather seats all have that same Buick emblem embossed all over the seats?? I saw the Rendevouz at the Milwaukee auto show, but it was up on a pededstal so you couldn't sit in it. I love the car styling, but the seats from a distance looked like they were covered with Polk-a-dots. From reviewing the Buick site I know they are the Buick emblem. I hope this isn't the only seat coverings available. In my opinion they destroy any atmosphere of a luxury interior. Has anybody seen this up close and not laughed?
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    The Rendezvous I sat in at the Toronto auto show was all black leather. I don't remember any emblems, but I wansn't really looking either.
  • buzzbo99buzzbo99 Member Posts: 111
    The leather seating in the pictures that Buick sent me had no pattern in them. They looked to have a lighter seat and back contact area and darker trim leather. I also did not care for the emblems on the cloth seats.
  • gmdronegmdrone Member Posts: 78
    Just saw the data on the pilot cars to date, Rendevous percent out of spec is half of what Aztek was at the same point in the program. My God! I can't believe my own eyes! This is the kind of stuff that my department works on all the time, I've been here for 5years (Dimensional) and we are starting to see results. Please don't tell any body here that we might be making progress! That'll jinx it for sure.

    The cloth seats, as I recall, DO have the tri-shield on them, I just can't remember if they are all over them or not. I'm at Pontiac right now, and I'll take a look at the PEP lot on my way out, I'll let you know. Seems to me that you'll have to get leather, though, if you want plain.

    No mountian bike rack that I've seen, but I don't ever see dealer installed items!

    Regards,

    MAK
  • toogtoog Member Posts: 6
    I was told by my dealer the other day that leather is on hold for now (meaning it's not going to be available right away and that silver is not available, so if any of you preordered silver you'd better look into it. I was also told that only 8500 are going to be produced this first year and with 3500 Buick dealerships, that doesn't leave too many to go around. I have a feeling that a lot of people are going to be waiting quite a while before they're able to park a Rendezvous in their driveways. Can anyone shed some light on this 8500 number. Is it real or just a scare tactic?
  • rkuehnrkuehn Member Posts: 120
    Buick guy at Atlant auto show told me official on-sale date is June. Wonder why the delay?
  • fedlawmanfedlawman Member Posts: 3,118
    I believe that a fair number of you, like me, are considering the Rendezvous as an alternative to a minivan (my wife REFUSES to consider one). As it happens, I was driving with my wife today and she saw a "nice looking car." When I told her that it was a Mazda MPV, she replied that she would like to go look at it. We went to a local Mazda dealer and she examined an ES model with tan leather interior and she couldn't stop talking about it. She felt it didn't look "too van-like" and the interior was quite luxurious and well put executed.

    I am going to place the MPV on my 'short list' as I wait to see the Rendezvous in person, but I am suprised at how closely these two vehicles compete with each other. Some food for thought:

    1. Mazda has a good reputation for build quality and reliability, Rendezvous is 1st production year General Motors (albeit based on the 3 year old Chevy Venture platform).
    2. MPV has a weak but smooth 2.5L V6, Rendezvous, with a 3.4L, is stronger (torque and HP) and should be more durable.
    3. MPV fully loaded with leather, wood dash, and moonroof is about $26K. Rendezvous is similarly priced in CX 1SC form but has more content such as tire monitor, compass, thermometer, homelink, etc. (but no leather).
    4. MPV has rear drum brakes and no traction control. Rendezvous has 4 wheel discs + traction control.

    I really want the Rendezvous to be nice...I really hope it sweeps me off my feet. We'll see.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    That may be the official date, but I'm sure they will be showing up at dealers long before June.
  • buzzbo99buzzbo99 Member Posts: 111
    8500 vehicles produced sure seems like a small number. Especially if they use some of the unused Aztec capacity. One thing that would make sense to me is that if these are the pre-production numbers. The mail out that Buick sent indicated there would be 5000 units produced for sale before they go on sale to the general public in August. That number added to 3500 dealers would make sense. But my dealer said he would get 2 in April which does not add up. The first time I heard of the Rendezvous a long time ago the date was said to be April. Who knows.

    By the way. In an earlier post I said I ordered the Luxury package. When I looked back I noticed I was wrong again. I ordered the Premium Versatility package.
  • fdogsfdogs Member Posts: 9
    Not to advertise for a competitive site...but kbb.com has the list and invoice pricing posted now for the 2002 Rendezvous.
  • steverstever Guest Posts: 52,454
    Yeah, sure, but what's the True Market Value gonna be? .

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    Host
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  • buzzbo99buzzbo99 Member Posts: 111
    I received a die cast model of the Rendezvous in the mail today from Buick. Of course there was a card with it I could put names and addresses of people they could write to and send it back. Anyway I was surprised to get the mode. It seems like I remember the car company used to make the models for customers and dealerships. I think I will call my dealership and see if I got one before they did. Of course there was no indication of when the real thing would arrive.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    That is very cool. How big is the model?
  • buzzbo99buzzbo99 Member Posts: 111
    The model is 3" X 7.5" and is black with gray interior. The front doors and rear hatch open with the flip up third seat in back. It even has rubber tires and if they are to scale, they are wide enough to give it a more sport utility look than a van.
  • toogtoog Member Posts: 6
    I saw a Rendezvous at the Ft. Lauderdale Auto Show this past weekend and was very impressed. Unfortunately,I could only look at it as it was a prototype and they didn't allow anyone to sit in it. It was black with real nice soft looking grey leather (no Buick insignias), sunroof and third seat. The access to the third seat looks good, in some of the SUV's there's hardly enough room to get in, like the Lincoln Navigator which is about $50K. The whole profile looks real nice, very similar to a Lexus RX300. As someone stated in an earlier message the base price for the CX is around $25,550 and the CXL I think the Buick rep said starts at around $28K. Moonroof is about $650 and third seat on CX is about $750. One of local dealers said they're getting 2 or 3 in June, 7 or 8 in July and 15 in August. The Buick rep told me the factory has the capability to build about 80,000/year.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Strange how they only had a prototype. The Toronto show had a Rendezvous you could sit in. I was pleasantly surprised!
  • drew_drew_ Member Posts: 3,382
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  • drew_drew_ Member Posts: 3,382
    Oops, the editors chat is tonight at 5-6pm Pacific/8-9pm Eastern. Apologies for the typo.


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  • fedlawmanfedlawman Member Posts: 3,118
    I am currently on a business trip in Phoenix and took a drive to Tucson to visit a friend. Anyway, to make a long story short, as I was driving southbound on I-10 to Tucson today, I saw a car carrier truck driving northbound towards Phoenix. The trailer was loaded with Rendezvous (Rendezvous's?). Only caught a brief glimpse but they were presumably coming up from Mexico (via Nogales).
  • buzzbo99buzzbo99 Member Posts: 111
    My salesman told me yesterday the computer picked up my order and gave me a build date of the week of April 2nd. I am sure that some of you know what that means but I still have no idea when it will get here except that he said it would beat there model here and sure would like it to sit on the floor for a few days. I guess the mailing list and pin number did in fact mean something. I cannot wait to see if I can really put a sheet of plywood in the back.
  • gmdronegmdrone Member Posts: 78
    Yes, they were coming from Ramos Arizepe, via Nogales. Buzz, I didn't get a model!! I'll probably get one in August when the regular production team returns to Warren/Flint/Pontiac. That is one of the neat things about our launches, every one I've worked on since '97, we've all got a model of the vehicle we worked on. I have a curio cabinet full of them.

    Rendevous production is going very well at Ramos, I think this one is a winner, and will prove to be a very popular vehicle.

    Regards,

    MAK
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    I see no reason the Rendezvous won't be a good seller. Good looks, space, mileage and quality is what people are looking for. It would seem this vehicle has all those attributes.
  • hiker1hiker1 Member Posts: 9
    I thought I saw a photo several weeks ago of 2nd row buckets as an available option for the Rendezvous. Does anyone know if this is correct?
  • fedlawmanfedlawman Member Posts: 3,118
    You were probably looking at a Rendezvous with optional "Center Row Captain's Chairs." They are included with the "Luxury" Option Group (1SD for the CX and 1SE for the CXL). They can also be had as an individual option.
  • buzzbo99buzzbo99 Member Posts: 111
    The GM Card web site finally posted they had set a $1,500 redemption allowance for the Rendezvous. That is what I expected since 1500 seems to be the standard when they introduce a new vehicle. Too bad I could not wait a few months when there will be more price incentives.

    I also read about the second row captains chairs but have not seen any pictures. I still do not know if the second row seats fold up and forward like the Aztek or down like the truck based SUVs.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    GM card works a bit different here in Canada. No limits on any model up to $3500 except Corvette and you can use the points at Saturn Saab Isuzu dealers. I think I will only have about $1400 by the time I buy again anyway.
  • ogdensogdens Member Posts: 9
    What is a GM card (a car buying credit card)?
    What are GM Card points?
    What do you mean by a $1500 redemption allowance?

    Sorry for what may be obvious questions.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    GM card is a Mastercard that gives you 5% of your purchases back in money you can use to buy a new GM vehicle. I'm not sure who issues it in the U.S., but in Canada it's Toronto-Dominion Bank.
  • toogtoog Member Posts: 6
    BUZZBO....IF YOU GET THE 2ND ROW BENCH, IT'S A 50/50 SPLIT AND FLIPS AND FOLDS. YOU PULL A LEVER AND THE SEAT BACK FOLDS DOWN THEN YOU PULL THE LEVER AGAIN AND THE WHOLE SEAT FLIPS AND FOLDS FORWARD UP AGAINST THE FRONT ROW OF SEATS.
  • buzzbo99buzzbo99 Member Posts: 111
    Thanks for the info. Apparently the second row seats are just like the Aztek which flip up or pop out all together. That will be fine with me.

    Also I have used the GM Mastercard for a long time and my wife used points when she bought her 98 Regal GS. If you use a credit card anyway it is a bonus just like airline miles and I feel it works great for GM sales.
  • warrenw48warrenw48 Member Posts: 21
    You can still use up to $3500.00 on the Buick if you have the old card, but you are correct if you have the new card. The advantage of the new card is that it has a 9.9 interest rate instead of 19.8 but as long as you pay it off each month, stay with the old one.
  • buzzbo99buzzbo99 Member Posts: 111
    I was looking at the Aztec board for entertainment as I do sometimes when bored and I found a link with a quote I liked. The link was to an article on Forbes.com written by Jerry Flint titled "Aztec:GM Stumbles Again" so there is no question what the main content was about. But toward the end he said "Buick is getting the Rendezvous, a SUV built off the mini van platform -- but as pretty as the Aztec is ugly." Only those of you who have seen the actual vehicle can confirm or deny this description. Let me know.
  • drew_drew_ Member Posts: 3,382
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  • lbthedoglbthedog Member Posts: 198
    The Rendezvous is far more "conservative" than the Aztek. The chassis is similar on the Rendezvous but the added legthn and the addidition of IRS on both models are huge advantages. It is like comparing a Park Avenue to a Bonneville. Please don't let this board drop into the quagmire the Aztek site has become. What is interesting to me is the effort that GM is putting behind the Rendezvous. If you are among those who visited the site around six months ago and gave them your address, you will have received a large amount of mail from Buick. Some people are getting model cars,I have gotten sets of trading cards and a game. If I were to guess, I'd estimate they've spent at least $50 on mailings. Not that it would make much difference now, the Aztek could have been handled much better. Those of you who can remember, VW sold a lot of Beetles during the sixties. They really weren't great cars in a functional sense. But the advertising was brilliant. The Aztek "persona" has been determined by the car magazine writers. GM has lost the control of it. I guess I still believe that a good salesman can sell ice cubes to an Eskimo. Looks like the good salesmen at GM are in the Buick camp.
  • buzzbo99buzzbo99 Member Posts: 111
    I visited the web site more months ago than I can remember and got all the info, ordered the automobile, got the model and GM even sent people to my house to see what kind of person would buy the truck/van without seeing and what my reasons were. Buick marketing is definitely doing it right as usual and I hope they have another winner. By winner I mean understated appearance with ample luxury and unsurpassed reliability.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Unfortunately the Aztek forum was hijacked by some people who aren't remotely interested in the vehicle and only bash it and GM. I have been checking it out as I want to learn more about Aztek reliability. From what I have seen, it looks pretty good. This all leads me to think Rendezvous will be just as good if not better.
  • fedlawmanfedlawman Member Posts: 3,118
    I too have followed the Aztek forum to check reliability. It is unfortunate that the posts have deteriorated into GM bashing and 'ugly car' comments, but I noted that nobody seems to have any problems with their cars. However, if I were an Aztek owner, I wouldn't frequent that post...perhaps there is an Aztek owners forum out there with more productive information for us prospective Rendezvous owners?
  • ogdensogdens Member Posts: 9
    I signed up twice on the Buick site but have received only a set of (I think) useless trading cards. I've been waiting for this car for months but info is very scarce. Buick very seldom updates its web site. And I am amazed they don't use the email address I gave them twice to send me updates. Their dealers are also very ignorant about the Rendezvous. I have visited several in the Seattle area and do not feel like any are professional enough to sell me a car.
    If you want to see how to use the Net and mail to market a car, study the Acura MDX promotion. That (along with offering a great product) is how you get to be Motor Trend SUV of the Year.
  • ogdensogdens Member Posts: 9
    From reading the FAQs on the GM Card site it appears that you can only earn $500 worth of points per "account year". If true, that is too bad. I considered paying my taxes to earn fast points but since a fee of $500 is charged for using the credit card to pay taxes it doesn't make sense. So, if I got a card now, it seems I would have to wait 3 years to earn the maximum points allowed for redemption towards a Rendezvous. Not very useful.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    It usually takes me around 10 months to max out the $500. While I do charge almost everything to the card (groceries, gas, merchandise), $10,000 of spending is quite a bit. When I max my GM card out, I go to my Amex air miles card for the rest of the year.
  • buzzbo99buzzbo99 Member Posts: 111
    I guess I was lucky on the Rendezvous promotion because I signed up on the website several months ago and received the trading cards then the game. I received the game about a month ago, then after I ordered the car I received an email with the game and PIN number to order one. Anyway on the GM card I used to have the $500 point per yer limit and used it alternately with and airline card. But when I changed over to the blue card there was no limit on points earned, but the limit is set on the car you want. For example I can only use 1500 points on the Rendezvous but could use 2500 on any other Buick.
  • fedlawmanfedlawman Member Posts: 3,118
    I too live in the Seattle area and have found Buick salesmen to be ignorant of the Rendezvous as well. I did speak with the sales manager at Cornforth/Campbell in Puyallup last month and he had some limited information. It seems that Buick has not provided their dealers with any information yet. I called Cornforth yesterday and they said they expect delivery by the end of April...we'll see.

    I went to the Rendezvous website several months ago and registered, played the puzzle game, etc. and have not received anything from Buick...not even an e-mail. For such a "significant" new car release, I thought Buick would promote it at least a little.

    I also signed up for the New GM Card about a year ago. It has unlimited earnings per year but cannot be used for GMO/GMS...so I switched to the gold card and they transferred by earnings balance.

    I am very anxious to see this car as I expect to order one before the summer. I should have about $1000 earnings on the GM Card and the GMO price is typically about $1000 below invoice.
  • dindakdindak Member Posts: 6,632
    Nobody knows much here in the Toronto area either. I got all my info at the auto show last month including a color brochure.
  • toogtoog Member Posts: 6
    I failed to mention that the 2nd row in the Buick also can be removed and I was told by the Buick rep at the auto show that they weigh about 40 lbs each
  • rrtkerrtke Member Posts: 11
    Fedlawmen--

    In your post you refer to GMO and GMS. What type of pricing plans are these and who are they available to?

    Thanks
  • buzzbo99buzzbo99 Member Posts: 111
    I feel like the second row will have to be removed to get 8' lumber or plywood inside. I was carring some lumber in my Jimmy today with the tailgate adding to the length of the bed. Since the Rendezvous does not have a tailgate I wonder how I will keep the rear door steady when hauling lumber. Anyone know?
  • fedlawmanfedlawman Member Posts: 3,118
    GMS/GMO are GM employee purchase plans. GMS used is to buy from dealer STOCK and GMO is used to ORDER your car from the factory.

    It is available to GM employees and their immediate family members.
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