Buick · 2001–2006

Buick Rendezvous

The Buick Rendezvous is a mid-size crossover SUV that was marketed by Buick for the 2002–2007 model years. It debuted at the Chicago Auto Show in February 2000, and sales commenced in spring 2001. The Buick Rendezvous and its corporate cousin, the Pontiac Aztek, were GM's first entries into the crossover SUV segment. The Rendezvous featured a four-speed automatic transmission with a V6 engine and optional all-wheel drive (dubbed Versatrak). The SUV used the same platform as GM's short-wheelbase minivans, the Chevrolet Venture and Pontiac Montana. The Rendezvous provided a passenger- and load-carrying capacity not seen in the Buick lineup since the discontinuation of the Buick Roadmaster Estate station wagon in 1996.

Text from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0).

Successor: Buick Enclave

All Buick Rendezvous data: UK builds, safety, recalls, model years →

Technology and notable features

It was Buick's first truck-based vehicle in its lineup since 1923, and the Rendezvous was billed as a combination of the best attributes of a minivan (large cargo capacity, seating for up to seven), a luxury automobile (ride, handling, smoothness), and a sport utility vehicle (truck styling and available all-wheel drive). The Rendezvous was produced at General Motors' Ramos Arizpe, Mexico, assembly plant, where it shared an assembly line with the Pontiac Aztek. However, unlike the Aztek, the Rendezvous rides on the same 112-inch wheelbase as the short-wheelbase variants of GM's second-generation U-platform minivans. In lieu of a traditional four-wheel-drive system, the Rendezvous offered Versatrak, a full-time, fully automatic all-wheel-drive system which provided sure-footed traction in inclement weather and could handle moderate off-road surfaces. The Versatrak system uses hydraulic gerotor pumps and multi-plate clutch packs, instead of the typically used viscous couplings, and is supplied by Steyr-Daimler-Puch AG, under license from McLaren Traction Technologies. Buick benchmarked its Park Avenue sedan as the prototypical target for ride and handling for the Rendezvous. To provide a luxurious and responsive car-like ride, all Rendezvous models came equipped with a fully independent rear suspension system with aluminum-alloy control arms and crossmember, as well as rear solid disc brakes, regardless of drivetrain. The instrument cluster of the Rendezvous featured teal-illuminated needles and numbers set in a silver face accented by chrome trim rings that was meant to evoke the luxurious look and feel of an expensive watch or designer bracelet. On the uplevel CXL model, a driver information center on the instrument panel provided the outside temperature, compass, and a

Safety

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gives the Rendezvous an overall Acceptable rating in its frontal offset crash test for fair structure performance and fair dummy control. However, the IIHS did not perform a side-impact test on the Rendezvous.

Year to year changes

=== 2002 === Available in CX and CXL trims; front-wheel drive available on CX only. Standard five-passenger seating with available seating for six or seven and stowable third-row seat (except on CX AWD). Standard equipment on all models includes power windows/locks/mirrors, cruise control, CD player, leather-accented steering wheel with radio controls, four 12-volt power outlets (two on first row, one on second row, one on third row), cloth seats (with manual four-way position and lumbar control for front seats and foldable/removable second-row seats), floor mats, traction control (on FWD models), anti-lock brakes, daytime running lamps and fog lamps, roof rack, remote keyless entry, deep-tinted glass (except front doors and windshield), lockable center console and glovebox, 16 × 6.5-inch wheels (steel on CX FWD, brushed aluminum on AWD), cargo net, and cargo privacy cover. Optional on CX and standard on CXL are a garage door opener, rear cargo mat, driver information center (with tire-pressure monitoring system on later models), rear parking sensors, and except on CX AWD, power seats with six-way adjusters, memory seats, second-row footrests, heated memory mirrors, leather seats with heated first row, and rear-seat audio controls. Cloth-and-leather-trimmed seating is exclusive to CX FWD. Exclusive to CXL are electronic dual-zone climate control with pollen/odor filter, auto-dimming interior rearview mirror, and optional chrome-clad aluminum wheels and head-up display. 2003. Available models now include CX, CX Plus, CXL, and CXL Plus in both FWD and AWD. An overhead DVD entertainment system with LCD screen and two pairs of wireless headphones is optional on CXL, but is not available with the sunroof. Traction control, ABS, and side-mounted airbags are now optional on FW

Sections adapted from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0); text is shortened. Read the full article for the complete history and citations.

Specifications

name: Buick Rendezvous
Manufacturer: Buick (General Motors)
Production: February 2001 – December 2006
Model years: 2002–2007
Assembly: Ramos Arizpe, Mexico
Designer: Jelani Aliyu, Elizabeth Wetzel (Interior) (1999)
Class: Mid-size crossover SUV
Body style: 4-door CUV
Platform: U-body/GMT257
Related: Pontiac Aztek
Layout: Front-engine, front-wheel drive / all-wheel drive
Engine: 3.4 L LA1 V6, 3.5 L LX9 V6, 3.6 L LY7 V6
Transmission: 4-speed automatic GM 4T65-E
Wheelbase: 112 in
Length: 186.5 in
Width: 73.6 in
Height: 68.9 in
Kerb weight: 4024-4272 lb
Successor: Buick Enclave

Specification summary from Wikipedia (CC BY-SA 4.0). Measured facts from Wikidata (CC0). Check the linked sources for citations.

More photos

Sources

Wikidata — https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q1002847CC0 1.0 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikipedia — https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Buick_RendezvousCC BY-SA 4.0 · Text © Wikipedia contributors; revision 1371992972 · retrieved 2026-10-01
Wikimedia Commons — https://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:04-07_Buick_Rendezvous_.jpgPublic domain · Photo: IFCAR · retrieved 2026-10-01
Car Model Index — https://models.autoculturesociety.com/Compiled record. Sources that do not permit reuse are not copied; this index is credited instead.