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2002
Buick Rendezvous

Starts at:
$25,520
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New 2002 Buick Rendezvous
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Not rated
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Available trims

See the differences side-by-side to compare trims.
  • CX FWD
    Starts at
    $25,520
    19 City / 26 Hwy
    MPG
    7
    Seat capacity
    Gas V6
    Engine
    Front Wheel Drive
    Drivetrain
    See all specs
  • CX AWD
    Starts at
    $28,055
    18 City / 24 Hwy
    MPG
    5
    Seat capacity
    Gas V6
    Engine
    All Wheel Drive
    Drivetrain
    See all specs
  • CXL AWD
    Starts at
    $28,055
    18 City / 24 Hwy
    MPG
    7
    Seat capacity
    Gas V6
    Engine
    All Wheel Drive
    Drivetrain
    See all specs

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2002 Buick Rendezvous 2002 Buick Rendezvous 2002 Buick Rendezvous 2002 Buick Rendezvous 2002 Buick Rendezvous 2002 Buick Rendezvous 2002 Buick Rendezvous 2002 Buick Rendezvous 2002 Buick Rendezvous 2002 Buick Rendezvous 2002 Buick Rendezvous 2002 Buick Rendezvous

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Expert 2002 Buick Rendezvous review

our expert's take
Our expert's take
By
Full article
our expert's take

Americans don’t want sport-utility vehicles. They want station wagons. They’ve always wanted station wagons, which is why they started buying sport-utility vehicles in the first place.

SUVs are rolling symbols of federal energy policy gone awry.

Lawmakers, afraid to take the political weight for conserving gasoline through higher fuel taxes, shifted the burden to automakers. The lawmakers told the car companies to make more fuel-efficient vehicles or suffer financial penalties.

The car companies complied by downsizing their new-vehicle fleets, which meant the virtual elimination of big station wagons.

That put big American families in a bind. They turned to trucks — vans, minivans, pickups and SUVs. Trucks had way more room than downsized cars. They also had lower fuel-economy requirements than automobiles. But the lawmakers didn’t seem to mind that; nor did the buying public.

Trucks now make up 50 percent of the new-vehicle market in the United States. To some, that might seem a repudiation of the theory that Americans really prefer station wagons.

It’s not.

The proof is in the 2002 Buick Rendezvous CXL, the latest in a series of station wagons designed to look like trucks.

The Rendezvous possesses all of the station-wagon characteristics Americans love, including a spacious interior for people and cargo and a smooth ride.

It has none of the truckiness that consumers have come to hate in SUVs — no dicey handling or bumpety-bump road manners.

Though it shares the same body structure with the abysmally styled Pontiac Aztek, the Rendezvous, by comparison, is an appealing work of art. The look is chic suburban, or what General Motors Corp., the vehicle’s maker, calls “refined ruggedness.”

That means the Rendezvous looks as if it can go off-road, as long as “off-road” means the gravel parking lot of a country club, or the grassy expanse behind the fence of a steeplechase race.

That same limited “off-road” ability holds true for the Rendezvous equipped with GM’s optional all-wheel-drive Versatrak system. It’ll get you through snow and shallow mud but nothing more challenging. But surely, no one with common sense would deliberately put the Rendezvous in proximity of anything that could scratch its surface or muddy its interior.

Step inside the tested Rendezvous CXL to see why. There are two-tone leather-faced seats, brushed metallic accents in the door and instrument panel, deep-pile carpeting front to rear, and an optional “new generation” head-up display that projects speed and data on other vehicle functions on the bottom of the windshield. Ah, there’s also an optional audio entertainment system with rear-seat controls and headphones.

This one is going into the deepest, darkest forest? Hardly!

The Rendezvous can be equipped to haul a trailer weighing 3,500 pounds, as cou ld any large station wagon of yore.

The auto industry has been going through great pains to call Rendezvous-like vehicles anything but station wagons. Their fear is that station wagons are passé and off-putting to young and restless families who are psychologically opposed to “uncool” family transportation, such as minivans.

Auto marketers say those families want something sporty, hip, versatile. They want a vehicle that supports an “active outdoors life,” marketers say.

Baloney.

Young American families today want what American families have always wanted: a vehicle big enough to carry their people and things. Covered wagons once served that purpose. Station wagons eventually followed. Trucks began arriving in force in the mid-1980s.

Now, station wagons, albeit in new form, are back. It’s about time.

2002 Buick Rendezvous review: Our expert's take
By

Americans don’t want sport-utility vehicles. They want station wagons. They’ve always wanted station wagons, which is why they started buying sport-utility vehicles in the first place.

SUVs are rolling symbols of federal energy policy gone awry.

Lawmakers, afraid to take the political weight for conserving gasoline through higher fuel taxes, shifted the burden to automakers. The lawmakers told the car companies to make more fuel-efficient vehicles or suffer financial penalties.

The car companies complied by downsizing their new-vehicle fleets, which meant the virtual elimination of big station wagons.

That put big American families in a bind. They turned to trucks — vans, minivans, pickups and SUVs. Trucks had way more room than downsized cars. They also had lower fuel-economy requirements than automobiles. But the lawmakers didn’t seem to mind that; nor did the buying public.

Trucks now make up 50 percent of the new-vehicle market in the United States. To some, that might seem a repudiation of the theory that Americans really prefer station wagons.

It’s not.

The proof is in the 2002 Buick Rendezvous CXL, the latest in a series of station wagons designed to look like trucks.

The Rendezvous possesses all of the station-wagon characteristics Americans love, including a spacious interior for people and cargo and a smooth ride.

It has none of the truckiness that consumers have come to hate in SUVs — no dicey handling or bumpety-bump road manners.

Though it shares the same body structure with the abysmally styled Pontiac Aztek, the Rendezvous, by comparison, is an appealing work of art. The look is chic suburban, or what General Motors Corp., the vehicle’s maker, calls “refined ruggedness.”

That means the Rendezvous looks as if it can go off-road, as long as “off-road” means the gravel parking lot of a country club, or the grassy expanse behind the fence of a steeplechase race.

That same limited “off-road” ability holds true for the Rendezvous equipped with GM’s optional all-wheel-drive Versatrak system. It’ll get you through snow and shallow mud but nothing more challenging. But surely, no one with common sense would deliberately put the Rendezvous in proximity of anything that could scratch its surface or muddy its interior.

Step inside the tested Rendezvous CXL to see why. There are two-tone leather-faced seats, brushed metallic accents in the door and instrument panel, deep-pile carpeting front to rear, and an optional “new generation” head-up display that projects speed and data on other vehicle functions on the bottom of the windshield. Ah, there’s also an optional audio entertainment system with rear-seat controls and headphones.

This one is going into the deepest, darkest forest? Hardly!

The Rendezvous can be equipped to haul a trailer weighing 3,500 pounds, as cou ld any large station wagon of yore.

The auto industry has been going through great pains to call Rendezvous-like vehicles anything but station wagons. Their fear is that station wagons are passé and off-putting to young and restless families who are psychologically opposed to “uncool” family transportation, such as minivans.

Auto marketers say those families want something sporty, hip, versatile. They want a vehicle that supports an “active outdoors life,” marketers say.

Baloney.

Young American families today want what American families have always wanted: a vehicle big enough to carry their people and things. Covered wagons once served that purpose. Station wagons eventually followed. Trucks began arriving in force in the mid-1980s.

Now, station wagons, albeit in new form, are back. It’s about time.

Safety review

Based on the 2002 Buick Rendezvous base trim
NHTSA crash test and rollover ratings, scored out of 5.
Nhtsa rollover rating
3/5

Factory warranties

New car program benefits

Basic
3 years / 36,000 miles
Corrosion
6 years / 100,000 miles
Powertrain
3 years / 36,000 miles
Roadside Assistance
3 years / 36,000 miles

Certified Pre-Owned program benefits

Age / mileage
5 model years or newer / up to 75,000 miles
Basic
12 months / 12,000 miles bumper-to-bumper original warranty, then may continue to 6 years / 100,000 miles limited (depending on variables)
Dealer certification
172-point inspection

Consumer reviews

3.9 / 5
Based on 36 reviews
Write a review
Comfort 4.8
Interior 4.5
Performance 3.8
Value 3.9
Exterior 4.2
Reliability 3.6

Most recent

  • 21 years still looks and rides great.

    My Rendezvous is 21 yrs old … the plan was to sell after 10yrs but this vehicle looked and road like new … After 21 yrs no rust … original exhaust engine tranny … 110cu ft of cargo space no suv today can match … and gets a easy 26mpg… 115k hard city miles and original spark plugs! Maybe I will wait for the electric version
    • Purchased a New car
    • Used for Having fun
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 5.0
    6 people out of 6 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No
  • Very comfortable and reliable.

    All wheel drive , plenty of interior space, very reliable and comfortable. Great family car for work and vacations. Amassed 250,00 plus miles on the one we had.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Transporting family
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 4.0
    Performance 4.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 3.0
    Reliability 4.0
    2 people out of 2 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No
  • Down more than not

    Comfortable, nice conveniences such as climate, audio and power ports. I bought it used. It ran okay, a liitle weak. I did a full tune-up, it ran great for one day. I was nearly involved in a multi car pile up in heavy rain. I avoided it via full throttle. It performed outstanding and we escaped but in the 45 seconds i had it floored it blew the head gasket. It went from normal to max in 90 seconds snd i could not pull over for a couple of minutes by then it blew the tank on the radiator. I have been doing nothing but replacing parts ever since. I neglected to mention it had a no start condition that eventully cost 3 batterier and an alternator. Im teplacing the fuel pump today.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does not recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 4.0
    Performance 3.0
    Value 2.0
    Exterior 4.0
    Reliability 1.0
    2 people out of 3 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • Front end

    Needs Breaks fixed and right front end, and new windshield. If you got the money and time to fix it would be a good car
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 4.0
    Interior 4.0
    Performance 4.0
    Value 3.0
    Exterior 3.0
    2 people out of 2 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • Buick's are very reliable.

    I purchased my used 02 Buick Rendezvous in 04 & it has been a daily driver ever since. Owning this vehicle I know know why there are so many senior citizens on the road driving Buicks. They bought them in the 20's & 30's & the vehicles just don't die.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Transporting family
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 4.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 4.0
    Reliability 5.0
    1 person out of 1 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • Beautiful Car , Inside and Out. Great Performance

    This car has always met our needs. Enjoyable to drive. The leather interior and the exterior appear much newer than the actual age of the car. AWD and the other features make this car very functional in any weather for any age driver. We have owned this car since 2003.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Transporting family
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 4.0
    Reliability 5.0
    0 people out of 0 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • Had since New

    Great SUV, had since new, had to replace the A/C Compressor a couple of times, have now about 75K on, Will probably sell the vehicle next year as may be moving out of the country. I keep the vehicle clean, change oil regularly at every 3K, in very good to excellent condition
    • Purchased a New car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 5.0
    1 person out of 1 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • Most Reliable car Ive owned.

    This car mat all my needs. The Buick Rendevouz is Comfortable, safe, and so stylish. The radio system is awesome, it has many outlets to charge phones, and even automatic windows, which are my favorite.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 5.0
    2 people out of 2 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • Great family car

    This was a great vehicle for my kids and I. Bought it used and drove it for 3 years before the transmission was starting to go out
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Transporting family
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 4.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 3.0
    Reliability 4.0
    0 people out of 1 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • Oh, I loooved my Buick Rendezvous! Huge, great SUV

    I loved my Buick Rendezvous so much, I needed to keep it in the family, so I gave it to my daughter! Size, comfort, reliability - THE best car, ever!
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Having fun
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 5.0
    Value 5.0
    Exterior 5.0
    Reliability 5.0
    0 people out of 0 found this review helpful. Did you?
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  • Great Family car for the suburbs or country ar

    This car has great room for shopping. Love the cargo space. It's roomy enough for everyone to be comfortable. Love the sound system. It does not handle the streets of N.Y. well.
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Commuting
    • Does not recommend this car
    Comfort 5.0
    Interior 4.0
    Performance 2.0
    Value 3.0
    Exterior 4.0
    Reliability 4.0
    1 person out of 1 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No
  • 4-Wheel It To Love It

    I'm starting to Like or Love It But You need to test da 4-Wheel-Out. " Drives like a Dove 4-Wheeling like a Conquer " ( Let's Conquer Da Road America )
    • Purchased a Used car
    • Used for Transporting family
    • Does recommend this car
    Comfort 4.0
    Interior 5.0
    Performance 4.0
    Value 3.0
    Exterior 4.0
    Reliability 4.0
    0 people out of 0 found this review helpful. Did you?
    Yes No

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FAQ

What trim levels are available for the 2002 Buick Rendezvous?

The 2002 Buick Rendezvous is available in 2 trim levels:

  • CX (2 styles)
  • CXL (1 style)

What is the MPG of the 2002 Buick Rendezvous?

The 2002 Buick Rendezvous offers up to 19 MPG in city driving and 26 MPG on the highway. These figures are based on EPA mileage ratings and are for comparison purposes only. The actual mileage will vary depending on vehicle options, trim level, driving conditions, driving habits, vehicle maintenance, and other factors.

Is the 2002 Buick Rendezvous reliable?

The 2002 Buick Rendezvous has an average reliability rating of 3.6 out of 5 according to cars.com consumers. Find real-world reliability insights within consumer reviews from 2002 Buick Rendezvous owners.

Is the 2002 Buick Rendezvous a good SUV?

Below are the cars.com consumers ratings for the 2002 Buick Rendezvous. 69.4% of drivers recommend this vehicle.

3.9 / 5
Based on 36 reviews
  • Comfort: 4.8
  • Interior: 4.5
  • Performance: 3.8
  • Value: 3.9
  • Exterior: 4.2
  • Reliability: 3.6
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