Buick Rendezvous Overview

The term "crossover" has become part of our automotive lexicon. When introduced, the Buick Rendezvous crossed over all the lines that used to separate sedans, minivans, and sport-utility vehicles. It's a perfect example of the new category of crossover vehicles, a category that defies categorization. Rendezvous combines aspects of SUVs, minivans, and wagons.

For starters, it's versatile, seating five to seven passengers. The styling is nice. It has fine manners on the highway, a benefit of unibody construction normally associated with sedans. Four-wheel-drive is available to cope with gnarly weather and marginal off-highway tracks with dignity.

No matter what you decide to call it, the Buick Rendezvous is priced well and easy to like. There is much to like here in terms of engineering, flexibility, and appearance. The three-row interior compares favorably with the passenger capacity of costlier vehicles. Satellite radio and a rear-seat DVD system are now available as options.