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out the interior of Rainier, Buick's new mid-range sport utility, and the feeling
is just delicious. "Cashmere"
and "pewter" for colors. "Dark burled walnut woodgrain" in
the "soft-touch" interior with luminous gauges, and perforated leather.
Such tactile feel descriptions help set the stage for the first truck-based utility
to come out of GM's upmarket Buick Division. Slightly
larger, with a fraction longer wheelbase, the Rainier is vastly different in intent
than the Rendezvous crossover vehicle, which proved Buick could be successful
with a truck-type vehicle in its lineup. But unlike the minivan-based Rendezvous,
the Rainier fills Buick's need for a gutsy, midsize "body-on-frame"
utility in the more traditional genre. In
concert with its interior names, Buick refers to the Rainier as a "forward
looking design," with "silky street and highway performance" in
keeping with longstanding Buick tradition of pure creature comfort in its ride.
But that doesn't limit its purpose. Unlike car-based crossovers, Rainier was designed
as a truck, to go where crossover competitors wouldn't attempt to travel. More
than an off-pavement forager, the Rainier is "capable of bounding over an
unpaved two-track trail or tackling any number of off-road conditions..,"
according to Buick, while doing it all in style. (Remember, there's a formidable
mountain with the same name. Call that capability by association.) Mate
that ability with the underpinnings of a finely tuned suspension and, the folks
at Buick say, you have another version of Nirvana on wheels that matches the division's
reputation for making vehicles with a smooth ride. The result: A tough performer
with the gusto of an explorer (catch the competitive nuance), while its "best-in-class"
body stiffness, electronically controlled rear air suspension, independent front
suspension, special window glass and widespread use of sound conditioning isolate
those jarring road vibrations and noise that could ruin an otherwise luxurious
ride. Buick
claims a 25 percent quieter interior in some cases than its head-to-head competition.
It even claims to match or exceed the hushed sound conditions of some luxury automobiles,
where pin-drop interiors can be expected, even at highway speeds. The
Rainier is built to hold five adults like other vehicles in the short wheelbase,
midsize segment, but boasts superior interior room. Its design is less experimental
than the Rendezvous and more typical of competitive truck-based sport utilities
over in Ford or Dodge or Nissan country for example, but includes an expansive,
wraparound rear window effect. Buick adds what it calls an "aerodynamic side
profile" to keep the vehicle stable in crosswinds, without really explaining
how that's achieved. And it puts the Rainier on standard 17-inch wheels with premium
Michelin tires, then pampers its customers by making anti-lock braking, locking
rear differential, plus traction assist for two-wheel models standard items as
well. The
rear drive or all-wheel drive Rainier is secure in varied driving conditions,
according to Buick. The AWD system includes an automatic, on-demand feature to
keep trouble at bay in less than optimum driving conditions. Breaking
again with the old tradition of being GM's one-time six cylinder division, Buick's
Rainier promises additional punch. It is powered by a standard Vortec 4200 inline
6 cylinder engine, or the aluminum head, 290 horsepower Vortec 5300 V-8 that ratchets
up performance and boosts towing capability to 6,700 pounds, the only use of that
GM engine in a short wheelbase utility. Both powerplants use the same four-speed
automatic transmission. Who
is Buick marketing this vehicle to? The upscale woman executive, with a need or
desire to travel the backroad at times while enjoying the fruits of a successful
career might be one. (Think of towing a sailboat to the local yacht club, or following
a trail through a meadow to find the ideal spot by a stream for a picnic of wine
and cheeses.) You
might even say this is the kind of premium utility vehicle designed to appeal
to those whose lust for door adventure might include time to browse a quaint little
mountain village or enjoy a pampering stopover at a resort's famous spa, instead
of a dip in the old swimming hole.
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