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PALM SPRINGS, Calif. — Buick hopes the Rendezvous will lead to a renaissance. This minivan-based crossover SUV, the first Buick truck in nearly 80 years, is charged with bringing younger buyers into Buick showrooms and gathering a share of the noncar market, which is now more than half of all vehicle sales.

Buick invited journalists to sample preproduction models on a day’s drive of about 300 miles in and around this desert community. A crossover SUV is one based on a car or minivan chassis, and it is destined to become more and more common as SUVs become less like trucks and more like tall cars. This change makes sense because crossovers drive better, ride better and generally get better mileage. Besides, only a tiny number of buyers ever use their SUVs off-road. Competitors include the Acura MDX, Lexus RX 300 and Toyota Highlander.

The Rendezvous is Buick’s rendition of the Pontiac Aztek, which has already been sent back for a styling update. It is technically a truck because the chassis platform originated with the Pontiac Montana minivan, yet it meets all car safety and emission requirements.

It is available in two trim levels, CX and CXL, in front-wheel or all-wheel drive. Prices start at $25,499 for front-wheel drive and $28,027 for all-wheel drive. Buick expects about 70 percent of vehicles to have all-wheel drive.

Although the Rendezvous shares its DNA with the Aztek, its styling is much more conservative, and successful. The nose is punctuated with a meaty version of the Buick oval grille, and the bodyside cladding looks more like a luxury car and less like a hiking boot.

The interior is nicer, too, with an instrument panel that has gauges with brushed-aluminum faces in a large binnacle behind the steering wheel. The gauge faces are curved for a three-dimensional look.

Depending on trim level, there are three upholstery choices: cloth, cloth inserts with leather trim and all-leather. The cloth inserts are styled like a Louis Vuitton bag and look slick. I spent most of my time in a top-line CXL with full leather, and by the end of the day I would have preferred slightly longer bottom seat cushions and more side padding, although I was not fatigued.

One of the Rendezvous’ most endearing features is a folding third seat that can provide seating for six or seven. (Six would be more comfortable.) This arrangement, similar to the Acura MDX, which is also built on a minivan platform, is immensely useful for hauling the kind of gear that active, young families require. The RX 300 and Highlander do not offer third seats.

Easy access to the third seat is important, and Buick has addressed that with second-row seats that tumble forward by pulling a single lever. Buyers have a choice of a split-folding second-row bench or two captainÕs chairs.

Attention to detail and functionality show up in the design of the center console. It contains a deep, lockable compartment big enough to hold a laptop computer, and there is a light inside. There is also a compartment for a cell phone, complete with AC outlet, and two cupholders. In the bottom of the console there is an open space, with elastic net sides, that is ideal for a purse, camera or lunch sack.

Drivability and comfort are key elements of crossover vehicles, and the Rendezvous acquits itself reasonably well compared to other vehicles in the segment. From the driverÕs seat, the dash looks deep, and wide, like a minivan, but the overall maneuverability is considerably less cumbersome than a van. On the twisty mountain roads around Borrego Springs, our Rendezvous handled the corners without excessive body roll. You wonÕt mistake it for a sports sedan, to be sure, but it seemed to be on par with competitive crossover SUVs.

An independent rear suspension is a key reason for the RendezvousÕ good handling. This unit was designed to mount the rear-wheel drive unit for the Versatrak all-wheel drive, but i is ed in all models. A wishbone-type design with coil springs is mounted to a large, cast-aluminum structure that is then attached to the body with four rubberized mounts. These mounts keep noise and vibration away from the passenger compartment.

The Versatrak system is the same as the Aztek. It uses two Geromatic hydraulic pumps in the rear axle, and when one wheel spins, drive is transferred to the rear wheel with the most traction. This design is elegant in its simplicity because it is always there, not switches to flip or levers to pull. One area where it shines is accelerating with two wheels on ice or sand and two wheels on pavement. It provides the kind of all-weather security that people expect in a vehicle like this.

The powertrain is one area where the Rendezvous comes up a little short compared to others in this segment. The 3.4-liter, overhead-valve V-6 is not as technically sophisticated as the multi-valve, overhead-cam engines used by its competitors, nor does it have as much horsepower. It is rated at 185, whereas most comparable vehicles have 200 or more. However, on the road, the 3.4-liter engine produces strong mid-range torque so the vehicle moves with greater alacrity than you expect. A benefit is better gas mileage: 19 miles per gallon in the city, 26 on the highway, for front-wheel drive, and 18 city and 24 highway for all-wheel drive.

The Buick’s usability quotient is enhanced with a 48-inch-wide cargo area, although not many folks will want to slip a sheet of plywood inside.

The Rendezvous marks a significant change in course for Buick as it attempts to reconfigure the model lineup with more youthful products. It offers SUV functionality without feeling like a truck, and that is a characteristic that many will like. Plus, it is priced lower than most of its competitors.

Price

I drove was a CXL with Versatrak. Its base price was $28,027. Loaded with goodies such as heated seats, dual-zone climate control, roof rack, towing package, OnStar, rear-seat audio controls, third seat, 6-disc in-dash CD player and tinted glass, its sticker price was $33,957.

Warranty

Three years or 36,000 miles.

There is no At A Glance box since this was not a regular test drive of a production vehicle.

SPECIFICATIONS:
Engine: 3.4-liter V-6
Transmission: automatic All-wheel drive
Wheelbase: 112.2 inches
Curb weight: 4,024 lbs.
Base price: $28,027
As driven: $33,957
Mpg rating: 18 city, 24 hwy.
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