Did you recently take on (or consider) a loan of 84 months or longer on a car purchase?
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/22 for details.
A reporter would like to speak with you about your experience; please reach out to PR@Edmunds.com by 7/22 for details.
Options
Comments
Speaking of options, you mentioned that you got Peweter w/ the "Light graymist"; [I know this topic was covered somewhere in the last 2 or 3 weeks, but I'd have a hard time finding it; please forgive me folks.] Is the "light graymist" darker than (ie. almost black) as compared to Storm Gray, as per the brochure? Is that the preferred look (Light Graymist) to those who chose Pewter? Like you and your wife, my wife and I would prefer the gray interior. And I believe you're correct that you cannot get the gray interior w/ bronzemist. Thanks for pointing that out.
Bertoli & Brian: thanks for your answers to the mirror/seat memory question. I'd like that option just for the convenience of it; as Brian says, the synchronization w/ the keyless entry system is pretty cool.
r5: Looks like the "silver & black" is headed for the end zone! I'm sure everyone here's is anxious to hear your feedback on the real thing. Congrats!!
John B.
We are all kinda like dads waiting in the lobby outside the delivery room...congratulating each other as our "babies" arrive, aren't we?
After I ordered our pewter/graymist CXL I came to find out this was the case and I really was worried that I wouldn't care for the contrast between the light pewter and the *dark* gray.
After actually seeing the combo in person, I didn't have a problem with it at all. However, when it comes to mixing and matching colors, everyone has their own opinion of what looks good together and what doesn't. I'm also happy with the gray leather interior, I think it fits well with how the gauges are designed.
Good luck on your negotiating and I'm sure you'll get a price you'll be happy with.
ra1der5 - great news, isn't yours a white/sanddrift? I'm wanting to see one of those as it was was our 2nd color choice only because we forced ourselves not purchase another white vehicle.
Brian: You mentioned you ordered the seat/mirror memory option; I assume you are in the "pre-sell program" - Correct? I didn't know you could add that under the pre-sell program. Pls. let me know.
Also I believe there is more limitations on the color selection under the pre-sell program, vs. buying "outside" the program. Is that right?
John B.
To illustrate, I finally ended up with a CXL 1SD with Moonroof, Heated Seats, Memory Seat/Mirrors, White over Greymist.
Pre-sell simply allows you to order without impacting the dealers quota and allows you to take advantage of discounted lease interest rates.
BTW - Just a ramble...I saw a Honda Odyssey in a parking lot today and noticed it had Firestone Affinity "Touring" tires on it. Size was 215/65-16. Don't know if they are original equipment, or not.
CWJ
P.S.: Brian, Regarding the 235/65-16 tire you mentioned earlier. I think it would be marginally OK on the 6.5" rims that come with the Rendezvous, but good luck finding this size.
Regarding replacement tires, I'm sure you're right about not being standard "car" sized tires. When I replaced my mother-in-law's Chevy Venture tires (215/70-15), I had to go with a light truck/van tire. They were more expensive ($100) than a typical car tire and had to be ordered.
Regarding the Odyssey, I simply had never heard of this tire before so I was surprised to see them on the Honda. Since the aspect ratio is only off by 5mm, that led me to think that it may be a retail production tire made in a variety of sizes...and there was some talk earlier about the Affinity being an OEM tire.
I put the word "touring" in quotes because the word "touring" was printed on the sidewall of the Affinity I saw on the Honda.
Also, just thinking out loud about the 235's. They may or may not exist...or even be worthwhile.
Regardess of price, it doesn't amount to a hill of beans.
Brian
CWJ
Are you guys saying a "replacement tire" for the RDV doesn't exit? and if you do find one, it's a special "truck tire" that doesn't ride the same as the origial tires that come w/ the RDV? Hopefully, I'm misunderstanding your posts.
John B.
CWJ
So, my question: Knowing the AWD Versatrek adds about 200 pounds to the car, how much of a "power difference" might the FWD have over the AWD?
We could easily go w/the FWD as we always drive on stable terrain (SF Bay Area - no snow, gravel roads, etc..); however my wife does drive up and down a fair-sized hill every day. So power would be more important overall then the sure-footedness of the AWD. However, if the difference would only be modest, then the AWD & extra features w/ the CXL - Versatility pkg. would be nice to have. Any feedback would be appreciated.
John B.
My wife and I have a 95 Suburban which we enjoy very much and I am just curious if anyone here in the forum has traded one of these beasts or a Tahoe for the new Rendezvous or perhaps is considering that move.
I have not seen one of these vehicles in person yet so have not been able to crawl around inside or test drive but I'm sure you folks are very familiar with the pros and cons here.
What about storage room behind the 3rd seat? Is there any to speak of?
Is the 3rd seat 50/50?
Anyone going to tow? I have a 2000 lb boat and trailer.
Is there rear A/C for the 3rd seat?
How is the ride of the FWD compared to the 4WD? How about gas mileage difference?
How does this vehicle ride compared to Lexus RX300?
Thanks for the responses in advance
Ken
Basically, the Aztek weighs 3800 lbs. a FWD RDV weighs 4000 lbs. and the AWD RDV weighs 4200 lbs.
My contention is that the difference between these weights is not noticeable in day-to-day driving.
For example, I own a Honda Accord EX. It has a 2.2L rated at 145 HP.
It feels peppy when I'm alone, and I don't notice any real difference when I have my family with me. Now put 800 lbs. in it and there is a difference, but in normal driving, I don't feel the difference.
My mother-in-law owns a Chevy Venture which I often drive. As I have mentioned before, it weighs the same as the Aztek and I have driven it on all manner of roads with as many as 6 adult passengers (I recently estimated 1200 lbs). My wife and I also take the in-laws and the kids skiing in the mountains every winter in the Venture and I have NEVER felt it lacked power. In fact, I think it is quite peppy, especially down low. I admit that at freeway speeds, passing power is mediocre, but it is not lacking (even fully loaded).
IMHO, I don't think it's possible to casually tell the difference between the FWD and AWD. The only way to be certain would be to drive both, which I haven't done.
Brian
P.S. I have to correct myself from an earlier post. I discovered that the memory seat/mirror option is INCLUDED in the CXL 1SD Versatility Package. I looked at my paperwork and also discovered it is a prerequisite for the heated seats option.
I would say that light truck/van tires are similar in all performance areas to comparable car tires...just higher in profile and price.
Brian
Does anyone know or pay GM's employee price on the RDV? How much does GM employee pay below the invoice? I am working on GM's supplier discount price which is GM's employee price+4%. Wondering how much discount will I get below the invoice?
Thanks
Behind the 3rd row, there is enough depth for one row or grocery bags, although the 3rd rown folds flat very easily. This creates similar room to a Tahoe behind the 2nd row.
The 3rd row seat is not 50/50.
The RDV with tow package is rated at 3500 lbs. The tow package does not include the hitch. You have to order that on your own. The 3500 lbs. includes passenger/cargo weight, I believe.
There is no rear A/C available.
Ride of FWD vs. AWD should be the same. The AWD system is on-demand so, most the the time, it runs only the front wheels. The RDV is not designed to go off-road, in that there is no low gearing and the AWD system is not selected by the driver.
IMO, ride and handling are at least on par with the Lexus if not better (I prefer a more taught, controlled ride, which the Buick has). Horsepower is down from the Lexus, although torque is pretty close.
Thanks again
Ken
Multiply the MSRP of the base car by .86 and the MSRP of each option by .83. Add full destination charge and you've got GMO!
Hope that helps.
1. With third seat, neither captains chair or bench seat options give a level floor (when the second seats are removed). My mate and I want to be able to drive to a remote area and pitch an air mattress in the back so we can 'hit' the lake with our kayaks the next morning. Can't do that with third seat.
We haven't seen the version without third seat but hope it can be made level behind the front seats.
2. The power was of course lacking vs. the 270 HP Bravada, and the cornering is definitely inferior vs. the Bravada, even with the touring tires.
We may still get the RDV because of the better audio controls on the steering wheel and the heads-up display. And, of course, mpg should be better than Bravada. Also, it seemed a bit quieter (without the sunroof open!)
Louis
Also, no one has chimed in on my previous tire inflation monitor question? It's not a real big deal but I was under the impression it was going to be on the vehicle. I'm assuming it's not ready for production yet or they made it part of the luxury (1SE) pkg.
Tony
Of course, I didn't look for myself but took him at his word...maybe I won't truly know until I get the car. Sound familiar?
Don't know what to say about the tire monitor...I don't think it's available yet as none of the printouts mention it. I suppose the memory seat/mirror could be a bone to compensate us for the missing tire monitor.
I better go get my new printout tomorrow and confirm that it's all there. I'll check to see if I paid for the memory seat/mirror option or not.
Memory seats and mirrors are included. Unfortunately, so are those Freestone tires! An added surprise for us was inclusion of the ultrasonic rear parking assist.
The dealer received six RDV's this week, with all but one CXL's. We chose the Indigo Blue/Dark Bronze Mist with Oak interior and believe it was an excellent choice. The colors match superbly and the stitching on the leather seats appears to be well-done. We definitely believe GM has created a winner!
I checked the Car & Driver page again and it doesn't list the memory seats/mirror as being included in the 1SD package for the CXL...
Just another oddity in the ongoing RDV option packaging confusion, but I don't want to find out I paid extra for an option that should have been included in my option pkg. to begin with...
It would be even worse with 2nd row captain chairs.
If you are using your 3rd row where do you put your purchases? From what I saw there is some room behind the 3rd row towards the floor which can be quickly filled.
I will soon have 4 kids and I'm wondering if this is as practical as I thought it would be.
If one of the 3rd row seats were able to fold separately this would not even be a thought.
Maybe I'm destined for a mini-van or just keep my LC.
The ideal situation would be not to take the whole family when you are going shopping or to buy anything of size but sometimes that can't be helped
As anyone who's seen the limited space available behind the RDV 3rd row seat will attest, you're not going to able to haul much of anything other than people. A splitting 3rd row seat would have been neat though...
A couple of weeks ago I test drove the RDV with the luxury package and really liked what I saw. One of the things that kinda bugged me though was the room behind the third row when it was up.
Well, my wife drove the car for the first time last night and she didn't like it AT ALL! She said she felt like she was too high in the car (even with the driver seat all the way down) and, although she now drives a 4cl Honda Accord, she didn't like the power in the RDV. Additionally, she found it to be too big and bulky... basically all the things we were trying to avoid by not considering the larger SUVs. She HATED the tan interior (similar comments about being too orange/yellow). And when she saw the room behind the third row... well, let's just say that was the kicker.
So... we left the car at the dealership. They were very gracious and understood our concerns. After about two hours with the sales manager, we walked away from a good deal. So, now I guess it's back to the ol' drawing board.
Personally, I like the car. The tan color was a little "off", but I didn't see that as a show stopper for me. My wife is the one who has to drive the thing... she's the one who has to be happy. She just didn't like the RDV. Period.
It's been fun corresponding with all of you these last few weeks, but you likely won't see much of me after today. Thank you for all of your input and opinions.
Go Raiders!
R5
The tire inflation monitor has been deleted from all RDVs because of a reliability problem.
I hope this makes things a little more clear
regards,
Steve
We were all excited for you picking up your RDV, and then this... Well, as you said, your wife will be driving it, and she's the one Buick needs to please. I'd be curious what you consider as an alternative vehicle. Please let us all know.
You mentioned that she didn't like the power; how was this felt? - - freeway merging, going up hills, or what? How many were in the car when she drove it?
BTW, I have a good friend in Scotts Valley; I wouldn't mind looking you up next time my family & I are in the area. You've been a great & enthusiastic participant these past few weeks.
Wishing you & your family the best,
John B.
Yes it's a huge vehicle. Yes the gas mileage stinks - but those of us with 3 or more kids, a dog, and in your case strollers, play pens, etc., need SPACE.
Ours was bought used a couple years ago - a 95 LS - and it's fantastic.
Take a look - and think of the vacations you can take with all that space!
Ken
Maybe a Volvo wagon with the 3rd row? It's not as practical but, I can't think of anything else that has three rows...and is lower to the ground.
Good luck and best wishes.
Brian
Since we didn't want to get another Van (currently have a 92 Dodge Caravan ES), we test drove a Toyota Highlander, but realized there just wasn't enough space for us. Even though we only have 2 children there's always the kids' friends, camping trips, etc.; BTW if you ever do consider a van, stay away from Chrysler/Dodge; I could elaborate at another time if you'd like.
One has to think in this time of escalating gas prices, that you cannot/should not be driving something that's averaging 15 mpg. At $2.50 - $3.00 per gal., that gets pretty expensive.
Anyway, a client of mine has a 2001 Sienna that he says is getting 30 mpg on the highway which is fabulous! That's higher than the stated mpg of about 24 mpg. He assures me that's what he's getting. That was one of the things that appealed to me; plus the space that one needs for kids & all the extras.
Anyway Ra1der5, keep us posted on what cars you do consider. Best of Luck.
John B.
Tony, I think when the dealer added the heated seats, the computer must have automatically checked off the memory option, since it is required. Oh well, a couple more hundred dollars isn't too big a deal, especially since I originally planned on paying it. At least I know where I stand.
Problems? A little weak in horsepower (sounds familiar) and no AWD or even traction control available.
Positives? Handsome exterior, sporty handling, and great interior. It is very competetively priced and current incentives are very aggresive. Also, There is good info that the 2002 will have the 3.0L engine and traction control...perfect!
for 235/65-16 there is only one Goodyear Eagle GA which is VR rated 149 MPH @$196.- each OUCH. I don't think RDV can get up to 149 MPH.
There are other tire web sites you can check out e.x. discounttire.com etc..
Sorry to hear you weren't totally pleased w/ the 3rd row situation. Also, as someone else mentioned earlier today, if you have passengers in all seats, there really isn't much room at all behind that 3rd row for storage.
It seems all too true that "there's no perfect car". There always seems to be something that's not just quite right. All-in-all though, RDV still has a lot going for it, including being very good on gas.
I appreciate any feedback you can give on the coupons.
John B
CWJ
I also saw truck/van tires that do not have siblings in the passenger car segment. I didn't really look at them but they were advertised as all-terrain SUV tires, with varying degrees of on-road comfort.
Of course we bought the car! We were at the dealer for about two hours going through all of the options that we didn't have on previous cars. My wife still didn't drive it until after we had paid for it... she says she "trusts" me... SUCKER!
After we took it home, we had a short bite to eat and then it was off to the grandparents (about 10 miles from where we live). The trip had a little of everything for her... highway driving, steep hills with curves, but no off-road/gravel. She LOVES it! Thank God!
About the color scheme, the white with light sandrift looks great. The best way I can describe the light sandrift lower cladding is about the color of the Tampa Bay Bucks helmets... kind-of a pewter color. I do have to say I understand what people are saying about the tan interior... too much yellow/orange. Perhaps with the white car we don't notice it as much as we don't think we'll have any problem with looking at it for the next several years.
No surprises at the dealership... other than having it on the lot within about six weeks after we ordered it. Since this was their first RDV on the lot, all of the sellers and mechanics wanted to take a look at it. I told them all I would be more than willing to give them a tour for a mere $25.
Marina Motors in Capitola was great to work with. They went out of their way to answer our questions, gave us a great price on the car, and lived up to their promises. No games, straight up... here's your car, here's your check, thank you, thank you, bye, bye! The only thing they could have done is spend more time detailing it for us.
FYI: While looking at By's pictures of his RDV I saw 4 dots on the rear bumper. I kept forgetting to ask him about it. It's the back-up assist. I had my wife put the car in reverse while I walked toward it. At about five feet, the driver hears a short beep and a yellow light (from a pod in the back) shines in the rear view mirror. At about three feet, a second yellow light comes on. At 1 & 1/2 to two feet, both yellow lights are on, a red light appears, and there is a constant beeping in the car. Pretty cool.
Well, now I'm spending the next couple of days going through the owner's manual and programming the car.
BTW: If y'all remember, we got the CXL Versatility Package (1SD) with the trailer/tow through the pre-sell program. It DOES NOT come with memory seats and the pre-sell program does not say it comes with memory seats.
Okay... okay... to much information! I was gonna wait 'till tomorrow to come clean, but I just couldn't take it any longer.
Finally, IMHO, the power is FINE for this car.
Go Raiders,
R5
R5