It is difficult to judge the size of the Rendezvous without the context of another vehicle near it. That's usually a sign that the design team (headed, by the way, by a woman, Liz Wetzel) got the scale right. Although Buick says the track of the Rendezvous (64 inches between left and right tires) is wider than any SUV, the body is still quite tall. But the eye is told otherwise by strong horizontal elements that say ''stability.'' The traditional Buick grille on the Rendezvous emphasizes a familial resemblance to the Park Avenue but it somehow looks less formal and more cheery here. It's a pleasing countenance.
The Rendezvous shows kinship to the shorter Pontiac Aztek without the body piercing and other design cues meant to appeal to a youthful (some might say taste-innocent) market. The Rendezvous is probably not beautiful to many, but it has an integrity that is suitable to its purpose and is thus attractive. In short, I like its looks.
The seating setup depends, first, on how you order the vehicle and then on how you choose to fold and configure. You can end up seating two with scads of stuff or seven with a lot less. Captain's seats, for example, can replace the 50-50 split bench seat in the second row (an elegant choice, by the way). Also, instead of opting for the third row a buyer can choose a three-compartment storage arrangement. Additional hiding places and lockable bins are strategically placed here and there.
The flexibility of the seating configurations is an exercise in automotive origami. The seats fold and tuck and fit into an amazing number of arrangements. And you can end with two people up front with a flat floor behind without leaving anything home in the garage. Truly neat. For maximum capacity, however, the center row can be removed.
The load-height is low, reducing back strain when loading or unloading heavy objects. And get this: that old 4x8 plywood test? Well, the Rendezvous has a rear opening wide enough to take on board such building material flat. A red flag affixed at back will deal with the length.
The really amazing thing about the low stance and flat floor of the Rendezvous is that four-wheel drive and independent suspension and a flat floor are supposed to be mutually exclusive. Well, the Buick engineers found a way to do it. Too bad being unobtrusive is a mark of success because this needs to stand up and take applause.
Even with a 7-inch ground clearance and all-wheel drive, getting in and out of the Rendezvous is more sedan-like than SUV-like; small children, arthritic knees and tight-skirts can be grateful for that. All seats are easy to access and quite comfortable.
Access to the third row is far simpler than in most vehicles with three rows of seats. Once back there, the third row is pleasantly suitable for two full-size adults. And the third row is no Siberia: Even from way back there the acoustics allow you to participate in any car conversations.
Most important, perhaps, is the story in the rear part of the Rendezvous; the engineers managed to fit an excellent AWD system and suspension system while maintaining a flat floor. That's best appreciated when driving with a full load of people and their stuff on a nasty, sleety, darkening afternoon with a slippery glaze on the street.
But all is not sheer delight inside the Rendezvous. The plastic used for the instrument panel looks dowdy compared with the rest of the interior.
City MPG: 19
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