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I haven't seen anything first hand, but straight from what I was told, take the overall Centieme design theme, make it longer and wider, with more realistic design elements, and you'll have the new Enclave.
It'll share underpinnings with the similarly new GMC Acadia and Saturn Outlook "mid-large" crossovers.
That said, our neighbor has a 2003 and has has no issues with over 100K kms on the dial.
Firstly, all makes have lemons. 1 or 2 experiences do not make an overall truth. In fact, Buick is ranked 2nd behind Lexus for overall reliability, and 3rd for Customer Satisfaction by JD Power. These are based on huge #'s that give a better picture overall. I won't get into a statistical lesson here. AND, I have never been a Buick fan in the past. Most sedans I have owned have been European, or Japanese.
HOWEVER, I find the editor's review to be grossly unfair. They take the RDV and compare it to the best of each segment. OK, it's not as luxurious as a Lexus or MBz sedan, it has less cargo room than a minivan, and it can't tow like a Yukon. I can write this exact same review for any crossover and it would hold true in each case.
When I bought my 1st RDV, it just eeked past the MDX. My decision was based on cargo room, third row leg room, and cool features like the Heads Up Display. Not to mention $30 per month lower payment. I must admit, after about 15,000 miles, I thought maybe I should have gotten the MDX simply for driving pleasure. However, since this is our kiddie car and used extensively for weekends and vacations, I knew it was the right call given the IR DVD, cargo room, ease of entry, etc. After all, it IS a small minivan disguised as an SUV.
We drove this car for 60,000 miles, and not a single hiccup. It remained as tight as ever, and drove very comfortably all along. Since I was getting killed on mileage, I decided to look for something else to put miles on. I test drove many vehicles. Trailblazer/Envoy: drives like a cargo van (uuugh!)These are death on wheels. Highlander: A boat! You get sea sick making left hand turns. Everything slides around due to the ultra soft suspension. MDX: Again, too small. XC90: No legroom in 2nd row. Nice ride and handling, very carlike, but noisy engine. Also has a very loud suspension over potholes. Extremely overpriced once you load it up. Otherwise a fine choice, in my opinion. Honda Pilot: OK overall, good drive, lots of road noise though. A little sloppy compared to MDX. AND Dealers are a pain in the a**. They treat you like you're a teenager, and insult your intelligence when negotiating. Arrogant as can be! Lastly, the Pacifica: Nice overall, but a bit chintzy after scrutinizing. Also small for cargo, and has a horrible blind spot.
So, after all this, I got a call from GM/Buick Dealer. They would buy out the rest of my lease, and offer better financing on another RDV. For financial reasons alone, I couldn't pass this up.
Now I have the CXL Plus with neutral interior instead of the Gray in my old one. This is important now....The only thing I truly disliked about the old one was how soft the suspension was. It held the road surprisingly well, but leaned quite a bit in the turns. It also had a tendency to hop a bit in the rear on bad roads when turning. The new one has the trailering package which I did not ask for but was already included. WHAT A DIFFERENCE! Along with the 17 inch wheels which add to the road feel, this vehicle rides and handles as well as anything on the market. Take my word for it.
This feature is very inexpensive, but adds an air compressor which automatically measures weight of people/things in the car and uses air pressure to stiffen or soften suspension accordingly. I immediately noticed that the lean was gone. The shocks push the wheels back down to the road with authority when I encounter bumps and potholes. It actually feels rather sporty now. I'm loving it. I find myself going out at night just to drive some twisty roads in our area. Just for fun! I haven't even mentioned the new VVT engine yet. 245 hp and loads of torque. I timed 0-60 in under 8 seconds. Yes, it sucks gas when you floor it, but it's nice to have the power in reserve for when you need it.
Look, here's the bottom line:
This vehicle is solid, dependable, and very high in the utility department. It has much more cargo room than any other mid sized crossover. Nothing even comes close. It even trumps the Volvo XC90 by nearly 20 cu ft. The new interior in the Plus package warms things up quite a bit. It is more pleasing than the MDX interior to me. It can tow 3500 lbs. More than I will ever need, and more than most other vehicles in its class. You can actually seat adults in the 3rd row from time to time. No it can't tackle the mountains, but neither can anything else in this class. Save the Touareg, but that's not a family vehicle, is it? It's drivetrain and platform are time proven for reliability. Just check out published detail on this. You can expect over 100,000 miles on these engines easily.
The RDV has less cargo room than a minivan but more than any other mid sized cross-over you can find. It offers the only truly usable 3rd row seating. It can not tackle rough terrain like a truck, but is far easier to drive. It is not as silky and refined as a Lexus 330, but still better than average in the class. It is well built. Surprisingly so for a GM vehicle. Remember, 60,000 miles on the old one, and not even a single rattle when I returned it.
Sorry for the ulta-long post. But, this is how the editor's review should read. I hope the guys at Edmunds are listening. You really should take another look at this vehicle. It seems to me that you guys went into evaluating the original 2002 model after already making up your minds. I noticed you haven't road tested it since. Take another look, and reevaluate. You owe it to your readers.
tidester, host
we are looking to replace the car, a 1998 olds intrigue, that my wife drives daily to and from work. her round trip is 40 miles of rural highway driving. she loves the intrigue but would like a little more groung clearance and a higher seating position in a fwd vehicle. we live about 80 miles from any import dealer, but have a full line GM,DC Jeep dealer in town. Service means a lot to me,{I hope to never have to use it,} and this dealer has a great service department.
We have considered the Pac, but have concerns about visibility. We have considered the Equinox/Torrent but don't like the layout of the interior. since we have a GM mastercard the GM line is being given more attention.
the Rdv's we have sat in seem very comfortable. I know of a family that are also on their 2nd RDV. they love them and nver had any problems either. their first on was a 2002 cxl awd, and now have a 05 ultra.
we are thinking about a cxl fwd, trailering package, 2nd row captains seats and cargo cover.
again thanks for the post. it helps in the decision process more than you know.
I went to an auto show this weekend. Sat in & LOVED the RDV (2006) - 2 concerns/questions I have. Is there a large blind spot when looking out the sides in the back?(as when you want to change lanes on the highway) - it appears there may be. Also, do you prefer the bench seat with the pull down arm rest/cup holder/tray gadget, or do you prefer the captain chais in the 2nd row?
Thanks!
Any thoughts before I get it towed in the morning?
Thanks in advance.
I need to replace it anyways
tks
There's talk about it in the 2007 Saturn Outlook/GMC Acadia/Buick Enclave discussion.
Steve, Host
Check here to see if the part's available.
also
gmpartsdirect.com
or used..
www.car-parts.com
2014 Malibu 2LT, 2015 Cruze 2LT,
Ken
2. 01/05/06 8:00 am: Have to bring it back to the dealer because it never went through CT emissions. Am given my old Jeep as a 'loaner' for the day
3. 01/05/06 5:00-9:00 pm: Pick up car, notice an antifreeze smell. See steam coming from grille, but see no leak. Decide to bring it in first thing in the AM.
4. 01/06/06 8:00 am: Bring the car in when the shop opens, at 10:00 I am informed that the intake gasket is leaking, and they need to keep the car until Monday. Am given my old Jeep as a 'loaner' for the weekend.
5. 01/09/06 12:00 pm: Call to ask when the car will be ready so I can pick it up. Am told that since they have to send the heads out to be machined, it won't be ready until the following day.
6. 01/10/06 10:00 am: Call for a status; leave a message
7. 01/10/06 11:00 am: Call for a status, speak to salesman, who says service will get back to me.
8. 01/10/06 12:15 pm: Call service directly, am told that the head hasn't been sent out yet, car won't be ready until the following day.
I've since discovered this weekend that the intake gasket problem is a common one, so I can live with the fact that it went bad; at least I discovered very early and it won't cost me anything. Having the car for 1 out of 7 days kind of angers me, though.
Can you tell me if your seat covers "work/fit?" My Rndy has side air bags. Had to return seat covers because you can't block the airbags here in massachusetts. Also, does anyone know if in an 04, we can (hopefully) install remote car starter and not have all the issues those in the past have listed here as far as the car quiting on them? Thank you.
Tommy
Howard
BTW, a coworker told me that he believes his sister is wanting to sell her Silver 2002 CXL and it only has 30k miles on it. She has yet to name a price on it. If I could pull that off for $11-12k(KBB lists just under $13k in excellent condition), are there really any other vehicles even worthy of consideration? I'd really like the added convenience to being able to handle more than 4-5 passengers the RDV allows for, but I don't want a mini van. Thanks for any info you could provide.
We traded off a 34,000 mile 2002 CXL AWD that you couldnt tell from new and believe me you wouldnt have wanted it.On the plus side they are roomy,handle good,and ride good.
On the down side beware of faulty BCM's,leaking intake gaskets,wheel bearing issues,failing AC condensors,etc.
Personally I would look for a 2003 or newer RDV.
MODERATOR /ADMINISTRATOR
Need help navigating? kirstie_h@edmunds.com - or send a private message by clicking on my name.
Share your vehicle reviews
Is it worth it? Anything I should look for?
PS> I'm getting a CXL with sunroof.
http://www.ctv.ca/servlet/ArticleNews/story/CTVNews/20060330/whistleblower_gm_06- 0406/20060406/
Total cost to me averaged $0.42 per mile. This consists of
$0.25 per mile for purchase price minus trade in value ($7700... not worth much, is it?)
Gas cost averaged 10.8 cents per mile @18.3 mpg
Insurance was 2.6 cents per mile and repairs were 4 cents per mile.
I bought the extended warranty for $1795, and it saved me $1000. Major repairs included left front wheel bearing/hub, a/c condenser, air bag control module, BCM twice, O2 sensor, mass air flow sensor, transmission pressure control unit, and fuel tank sending unit
My impressions of the vehicle: A lot of bang for the buck, feature wise. Very comfortable for tall people, not really a replacement for a minivan if you're hauling 4 adults, a great center console, poor heating/a/c to the back seat..may as well not have had rear vents at all, loved the backup sensors and big mirrors, I thought the vehicle seemed a bit noisy in its later years.
Hope someone finds this useful!
Funny, Edmunds' True Cost to Own tool says the average cost per mile for a 2002 Rendezvous CXL is .42 a mile too, for my zip code anyway.
Did you plan it that way?
Steve, Host
Can anyone tell me if they have had a noise under their hood like a soft grinding noise from 0-30MPH? I have been to 2 dealers, they hear it, but haven't a clue. Finally, one got some report from GM that mentioned Camshaft issues, but rept. stated "Not an issue, won't affect performance or Safety." This car has got to go and I'm working on selling/trading it as it's been a year of much unhappiness as my posts indicate. Putting that aside, I'm wondering if anyone has heard of this? I can't drive the car in traffic w/o radio on, as the noise is more like a tea kettle on high boil sound. Air throttle came up on computer at dealers, so they replaced it, and guess what??? It wasn't that, so now they tell me they don't know, and to "ignore" it until it gets unbearable. It is,and they still don't know. Thank you in advance, gail :lemon:
Thanks.
I would really appreciate it. Thanks!