Buick's Fabulous Five
The Buick Motor Division of the General Motors Corporation is in
transition, much like the rest of the venerable auto company.
Old models have been canceled, new models added, and the current
line up is radically different from just three years earlier.
Now down to five models, the remaining vehicles in the Buick
line up are all winners. Let's take a look at each model and
what they have to offer to you, the consumer.
Lucerne - Buick's Roadmaster and LeSabre are both gone,
but the full size Lucerne have taken their place. Featuring V8
power and luxurious appointments such as heated and cooled
seats, liquid heated windshield fluid, and leather appointments,
the big Lucerne is based on the Cadillac DTS, but the car sells
for more than $10,000 less than its up market Caddy cousin.
Lacrosse - This five seat sedan is sleek, aerodynamic,
and quiet. With starting prices in the low 20 thousand dollar
range, the car competes against the Toyota Camry and Honda
Accord.
Rainier - The larger of two Buick SUVs, the Rainier comes
standard with a 275hp I6, Stabitrak suspension/steering system,
eight way driver powered seats, leather seating, and more.
Rendezvous - As Buick's first SUV, the Rendezvous has
succeeded where its Pontiac cousin, the Aztek, failed. Available
in two or four wheel drive, the Rendezvous features seating for
five [with available seating for seven], four wheel disc brakes,
and a host of sought after outdoorsmen desired accessories.
Terraza - Is it a minivan or is it an SUV? The Terraza is
part of a family of GM crossover vehicles introduced in the 2005
model year. This seven passenger vehicle comes equipped with a
3.5L I6 engine and is available in either front wheel drive or
all wheel drive. As GM considers getting rid of its aging and
unpopular line of minivans, the Terraza and its cousins will
likely step in and fill the hole.
General Motors has been fairly silent regarding the future of
the Buick division. Some have been concerned by the steady
depletion of models while others are seeing Buick make a clean
break from its past which has included several uninspiring
models such as the Century and the Roadmaster.
In spite of everything, the Buick Enclave, featured at the
recently ended Detroit Auto Show received rave reviews. The
Enclave is yet another crossover vehicle and it should hit Buick
showrooms by 2008.
Clearly, Buick could use a wider variety of vehicles to ensure
its long term success. Perhaps the type of success the division
had when the Regal was part of the fold would reinstate the
division to its past glory, if a car matching the Regal's
caliber was developed.