By Kristin VarelaMother Proof
July 29, 2005
According to Buick, "the all-new Terraza crossover sport van brings a rich blend of style, comfort and elegance to the premium mid-van segment." Style, comfort and elegance: Perfect! I'm missing all three of those. My life is better described as dirty (nobody told me that having children forfeits my right to a daily shower), exhausted (I don't remember the last time I read more than a paragraph at night before falling asleep), and sticky (how do my children manage to cover nearly every household surface in yogurt?). Style? Elegance? Did the people at Buick actually see this car before writing that? My experience in the 2005 Buick Terraza CXL is quite different. My first impression is that the exterior of the vehicle looks like a really old Dodge Caravan. The metal trim piece on the side is very dated looking. I'm still trying to figure out who came up with the term "crossover sport van." There's nothing sporty about it. Climbing into to car has me wondering: Is this car actually new? Nothing about it seems modern. The interior is dominated by icky brown plastic, with the exception of the leather seats. The butter soft leather trimmed with contrasted piping is oddly out of place. Buick has a reputation of being popular amongst the more mature segment of our population, something that Buick is attempting to change with the addition of the ever popular (and young) Tiger Woods as a spokesperson. I'm curious, what does Tiger's fiancee; drive? I'd be willing to bet that it's not a Terraza. It's no secret that I don't like how this "sport van" looks. But how does it function? The automatic sliding doors win my kids over immediately. They also like the folding tray table with cupholders between the second row captains chairs - a feature also seen between the front two seats. Folding the trays down makes it easy to move about in the vehicle. Opening the cargo door to load my stroller and other necessary mom and kid equipment leaves me in pain. The cargo door latch pinches my fingers each and every time I use it. I do love the level cargo floor (as opposed to the sunken ones found in most minivans). It makes a great platform for changing diapers when the need arises. The level floor lifts up in two sections to reveal a clever series of underfloor storage bins (perfect for storing an emergency diaper changing kit). When additional cargo space is necessary, the seats fold flat simply (although the head restraints must first be removed). Driving the 2005 Buick Terraza CXL gives me a whole slough of other complaints. The driver's seatbelt is attached too high up on the door jam, causing some rubbing on my neck, despite adjusting it to its lowest position and raising the seat up; the lack of power is frustrating (even to me - and I normally couldn't care less about power) and the noisy cabin is, well, noisy, making it hard to hold a conversation with my children in the back. Modern moms demand form and function in their cars today. The 2005 Buick Terraza has some function but no form. I'm sorry to say it, but despite its nifty "crossover sports van" title, it just can't compete with other more innovative and style conscious minivans on the market today. *For more information on the Buick Terraza and its safety features visit Cars.com. LET'S TALK NUMBERS LATCH Connectors: 2 Seating Capacity (includes driver): 7 IT'S THE LITTLE THINGS THAT COUNT Storage Compartments (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Ample Cargo/Trunk Space (Puny, Fair, Ample, Galore): Ample SENSE AND STYLE Family Friendly (Not Really, Fair, Great, Excellent): Great Fun-Factor (None, Some, Good Times, Groove-On): None
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