The 2007 Buick Rendezvous has an average sticker price for its class, though the Mazda CX-7 has a somewhat lower base price and the Hyundai Santa Fe and Toyota 4Runner have substantially lower prices. Kelley Blue Book says that in spite of “its high-end nameplate, the Rendezvous is not expected to hold a strong resale value, retaining less of its original value over a five-year period than the Toyota Highlander and Chrysler Pacifica.” IntelliChoice gives the 2007 model a value rating of “average” for its predicted five-year total cost of ownership, as compared to vehicles in its class.

Fun to look at and drive, the new 2008 Buick Rendezvous is innovative, stylish, and infinitely capable. As a hybrid design combining the best qualities of a luxury sedan, a minivan, and a sport utility vehicle, the 2008 Rendezvous is capable of meeting the many needs of your diverse lifestyle. Take note of the notable innovations that make the new 2008 Buick Rendezvous Ultra accessory review one of the most comprehensive on the web.

Consumer reviews of the Buick Rendezvous have generally been favorable, as owners are pleased with its combination of interior space, ride comfort, fuel economy and overall value. Resale value has never been a strong point for the Rendezvous, so if you’re in need of an affordable family vehicle, it might be worth a look on the used car market. We’d advise you to zero in on 2004-’06 models equipped with the 3.6-liter V6.

This 2008 Buick Rendezvous Ultra accessory review is a testimony to the surefootedness of its available Versatrak all-wheel drive to its amazingly reconfigurable interior, Rendezvous brings together-for the first time-the best features of an SUV, a luxury sedan, and a minivan. It’s a brilliant combination of functionality and performance. Take an even closer look and get ready to bid the status quo a very fast adieu.

2007 Buick Rendezvous Models:
2007 Buick Rendezvous CX
2007 Buick Rendezvous CXL

The 2007 Rainier is a 4-door, 5-passenger sport-utility, available in two trims, the CXL RWD and the CXL AWD.

Upon introduction, the CXL RWD is equipped with a standard 4.2-liter, I6, 291-horsepower engine that achieves 16-mpg in the city and 22-mpg on the highway. The CXL AWD is equipped with a standard 4.2-liter, I6, 291-horsepower engine that achieves 15-mpg in the city and 21-mpg on the highway. A 4-speed automatic transmission with overdrive is standard on both trims.

Rainier shares its basic truck-type design with the Chevrolet TrailBlazer, GMC Envoy, Isuzu Ascender, and Saab 9-7X. It comes only in CXL trim with a standard 6-cyl engine or optional V8. The V8 has GM’s Active Fuel Management cylinder deactivation. A 4-speed automatic is the sole transmission. Rainier offers rear-wheel drive with traction control or all-wheel drive that lacks low-range gearing. ABS and traction/antiskid control are standard. Also included are load-leveling suspension, leather upholstery, dual-zone climate control, and OnStar assistance. Curtain side airbags with rollover deployment are optional. Other options include power-adjustable pedals, heated front seats, navigation system, and DVD entertainment.

The Rainier partly redeemed itself with smooth and strong powertrains, competitive acceleration and a plush, quiet ride. But compared to other competing upscale SUVs, Buick’s entry failed to completely deliver in the important categories of refinement, feature content and handling. For consumers shopping in this segment, we suggest taking a look at more qualified and desirable vehicles, such as the Mercury Mountaineer, Toyota 4Runner or Volkswagen Touareg. Another good option is Buick’s new large crossover SUV, the Enclave.

2007 Buick Rainier Models:
2007 Buick Rainier CXL RWD
2007 Buick Rainier CXL AWD

Buick’s largest car adds an optional navigation system for 2007. Lucerne shares its basic architecture and V8 engine with the Cadillac DTS. CX and CXL V6 models have a 197-hp V6. CXL V8 and the top-line CXS have a 275-hp V8. A 4-speed automatic is the sole transmission. Lucernes come with front bucket seats and a center console for five-passenger seating. CX and CXL models seat six with an available front bench. Front side airbags, curtain side airbags, ABS, and OnStar assistance are standard. An antiskid system is standard on CXS, optional on CXL V8. Exclusive to CXS is GM’s automatic-adjusting Magnetic Ride Control suspension. Leather upholstery is standard on CXLs and CXS, unavailable on CX. Available features include remote engine start and heated and cooled front seats. A navigation system is newly optional on CXL and CXS.

The Buick Lucerne is the brand’s flagship sedan. Its clean lines are suggestive of fine European imports yet maintain Buick traditions. Inside, Lucerne is elegant, comfortable and easy. Underway, it’s smooth and quiet; but with precise steering and a chassis that handles winding roads with aplomb. we find the Lucerne to be a plush, highly competent full-size sedan at a compelling price. The Lucerne CXS is certainly the most enjoyable of the new Buicks to drive, thanks to its powerful V8 engine and Magnetic Ride Control, an adaptive sports suspension developed for the Corvette. Yet we might opt for the Lucerne CXL V6, a very enjoyable car to drive, with agile handling and plenty of performance. The V6-powered Lucerne CXL is positioned to compete against the Toyota Avalon and Lexus ES 330, while the V8-powered CXS aspires to the Lexus GS and Infiniti M luxury sedans.

Lucerne is about three inches longer than LeSabre and is built on a wheelbase that is also three inches longer. The `01 model had a 3.8-literV6 that developed 205 hp. That compares with the 275 ponies available in the Lucerne’s “Northstar” 4.6-liter V8. Both are coupled to a four-speed automatic transmission.

Built at the same General Motors factory that makes the Cadillac DTS, the Lucerne shares the Caddy’s 115.6-inch wheelbase (though overall length is 4 inches shorter). The top trim level, the CXS, comes with a 275-horsepower Northstar V8. The other two trims, base CX and leather-lined CXL, have the proven 3.8-liter, 197-horse V6 as standard, with the Northstar available as an option on the CXL. The Lucerne CXS also features GM’s Magnetic Ride Control (MRC) suspension. Able to adjust shocks’ damping within milliseconds, MRC allows a traditionally Buick-plush ride for normal driving while sportier driving will firm things up to minimize body sway in the corners.

Over the years, the `01 LeSabre has averages nearly 21 mpg in all types of driving, with a maximum of nearly 32 mpg on the highway. The Lucerne, on the other hand, averaged 18.2 mpg overall and barely reached the claimed 25 mpg on the highway.

2007 Buick Lucerne Models:
2007 Buick Lucerne CX
2007 Buick Lucerne CXL V6
2007 Buick Lucerne CXL V8
2007 Buick Lucerne CXS

Buick’s midsize sedan is little-changed for 2007. LaCrosse offers seating for five with front buckets or for six with an available bench. Three trim levels are offered. CX and step-up CXL use a 200-hp 3.8-liter V6. The top-line CXS has a 240-hp 3.6-liter V6. CXS comes with a sportier suspension and 17-inch wheels vs. the others’ 16s. All use a 4-speed automatic transmission. Every LaCrosse has ABS, traction control, and curtain side airbags. OnStar assistance is also standard. An antiskid system is an exclusive CXS option. Available features include rear obstacle detection, remote engine start, and sunroof.

What owners of recent Buicks might not expect is the way LaCrosse drives. Its steering is more precise, and it turns into corners crisply, with little body lean. In short, it handles quite impressively on winding mountain roads where it’s capable of keeping up with any of the imported mid-size cars. Its V6 engines offer good power, growling under acceleration, but motoring along smoothly and quietly on the freeway. And of course its transmission works flawlessly.

Overall, the 2007 Buick LaCrosse is a pretty decent car. It’s fairly quick with the top-line V6, and it delivers a smooth, quiet ride. But there’s very little else that makes the car desirable alongside the top vehicles available in this price range. Handling is sloppy, seat comfort is below average and the equipment list is unimpressive. With that in mind, we encourage shoppers to take at look at the other available sedans in this class before settling on this midsize Buick.

Electronic features make the well-equipped LaCrosse a safe, all-weather family car with nice conveniences. Among them: a remote starting system that will work from up to 500 feet away, great on cold winter mornings; OnStar, which will dispatch emergency crews to your precise location if you have a wreck and don’t respond to operators’ calls; XM Satellite Radio to pick up Fox News, CNN, ESPN, or your favorite music; and StabiliTrak, which can help keep you from skidding off a slippery road. ABS and side-curtain airbags come standard.

A significant new addition is a tire-pressure-monitoring system, now standard on all trim levels. There’s a new Harvest Burl interior wood trim choice, and vehicles equipped with cloth upholstery can now enjoy available heated driver and passenger seats.

2007 Buick LaCrosse Models:
2007 Buick LaCrosse CX
2007 Buick LaCrosse CXL
2007 Buick LaCrosse CXS

The 2008 Buick Lucerne adds a sporty Super model to its lineup. Buick’s largest car shares its basic design with the Cadillac DTS. Lucerne CX and CXL models have a 197-hp 3.8-liter V6 engine. CXS uses a 275-hp 4.6-liter V8. The new Super has a 292-hp version of the same V8. All Lucernes use a 4-speed automatic transmission and seat five. An available front-bench seat on CX and CXL increases capacity to six. Available safety features include front side airbags, curtain side airbags, ABS, traction control, antiskid system, blind-spot alert, and lane-departure warning. Leather upholstery is standard on CXL and CXS. Other available features include remote engine start, heated and cooled front seats, and a navigation system.

Thing is, though, that’s exactly what GM wants. The company views Buick as a home for quiet taste and subtle style, and has begun morphing the Buick lineup accordingly. For 2008, the Lucerne gains the corporate Buick nose, first introduced on the Velite show car in 2004, but it also gains a whole new sister model: the Lucerne Super. Buick’s new Super line (a Lacrosse Super is also offered, and the plan is to extend the philosophy across the Buick range) is meant to emphasize refined speed over brute force, delicacy over tire-shredding, and comfortable capability over racetrack-lapping prowess. Buick

The 2008 Buick Lucerne is offered in CX, CXL, CXS, and Super. The CX comes with a 3.8-liter V6, four-speed automatic transmission, cloth seats for five people, and 16-inch aluminum wheels. Six-passenger seating is available. It is available with the V6 or a 4.6-liter V8 engine. The CXL upgrades with leather seats, a leather-wrapped steering wheel, and 17-inch painted aluminum wheels. The suspension is tuned a little tighter and includes Airlift rear shocks for automatic level control. In the V8 you will find GM’s Magnasteer magnetic assist steering, with a faster ratio; and firms up suspension damping a little further. To help maintain better control in adverse conditions GM’s StabiliTrak electronic stability control system is available as an option. The CXS comes standard with the V8, 18-inch wheels, StabiliTrak, Magnasteer, and Magnetic Ride Control. The Super comes with a 292 hp Northstar V8 engine, woven leather trim, and Delphi magnetic ride control dampers.

In Super form, the changes to the Lucerne are few. A 292-hp Northstar V-8 gets plugged into the ‘Cerne’s engine bay, along with modified Delphi Magnetic Ride Control dampers. Woven leather trim is applied to the Lucerne’s seating surfaces, and subtle trim modifications (dual exhausts, new rocker panels, unique wood trim and wheels, among other things) also join the party. It’s a little ironic that Buick’s premium large sedan doesn’t get the division’s largest and most powerful engine (the 5.3-liter, 300-hp, 323 lb-ft, small-block V-8), but we can’t really complain, given that the less expensive and much lighter LaCrosse Super *does* get it.

The car has got some exquisite standard features such as dual-zone automatic climate control, leather-wrapped steering wheel, a power passenger’s seat, GM’s magnetic assist steering system, StabiliTrak electronic stability control system, 18-inch wheels, nine-speaker, 280-watt Harman Kardon audio system with XM Satellite Radio, StabiliTrak, and Magnetic Ride Control, leather seats with eight-way power seats etc.

2008 Buick Lucerne Models:
2008 Buick Lucerne CX
2008 Buick Lucerne CXL
2008 Buick Lucerne CXS
2008 Buick Lucerne Super