Cons: Wallowy chassis reflexes, miserable fuel economy, no third-row seating, residual cheapness in the interior.
The Bottom Line: The Rainier is sure to please buyers who subscribe to a traditional American definition of luxury. In most respects, though, it's not in the same league as the competition.
Without a doubt, one of the hardest-working chassis in GM's mechanical stable is the GMT360 platform. This mid-sized truck template forms the basis for no fewer than five SUVs in the GM heirarchy: the Chevrolet TrailBlazer, GMC Envoy, Isuzu Ascender, Saab 9-7X, and Buick Rainier. It also underpinned the Oldsmobile Bravada, but production of that model ended with Olds' demise in 2004. Still with me? I'll understand if you aren't.
As you can imagine, marketing the same basic truck as seven unique vehicles can result in something of a credibility gap. Especially when you're pitching some variants--the Rainier among them--as luxury vehicles, while others play the "value" card. Indeed, GM has a long history of foisting hasty rebadge jobs on the motoring public. But has the General learned its lesson, and crafted the Buick Rainier into a legitimate contender in the luxury-SUV segment? I test-drove the Rainier--and several key competitors--at GM's Auto Show In Motion to find out.
Performance
The Rainier offers a choice of two powerplants: a standard 4.2-liter inline Six, or an optional 5.3-liter V8. The former has received copious praise in the automotive press, and it certainly furnishes ample power in the Rainier. Standing starts are brisk, and while the engine note isn't exactly musical, it's at least well-muted. The Six may not be a particularly inspiring powerplant, but it endows the Rainier with enough thrust for all practical purposes.
When equipped with the V8, though, the Rainier takes on an entirely different character. Its deep, woofly exhaust note and heavy-handed torque turn the Rainier into a legitimately appealing SUV--it brims with traditional American charm. One deterrent to ordering the V8, however, is its touchy throttle response. There's a bit of slop at the top of the pedal's travel, with artificially abrupt tip-in lurking just a toe-twitch below that. As a result, I found it difficult to drive the V8 Rainier smoothly at low speeds.
Oh, and there's one other issue I haven't mentioned yet: fuel economy--or, more accurately, the lack thereof. The 5.3-liter V8 is indeed an impressive performer, but its EPA ratings of 15/19 MPG make it a guzzler of the first wash. The Six does little better, at just 15/20 MPG. Both engines use regular fuel--a rarity in this class--which helps offset the cost of the Rainier's thirst. But is that fair compensation? Let your conscience be your guide.
Transmission/Clutch
The Rainier can only be had with one transmission, the same 4-speed automatic that's fitted to the TrailBlazer and Envoy. Like most GM transmissions, this one is exceptionally smooth in operation, shifting with luxurious imperceptibility in routine driving. But there's no "manumatic" gate, the gear ratios are widely spaced, and most of the Rainier's rivals offer five-, six-, or even seven-speed automatics. Relative to such competition, the responsiveness of the Rainier's transmission suffers.
Still, I can't imagine this will bother most owners, who will probably just be satisfied with the tranny's transparency in gentle driving. More likely, they'll be concerned about the lack of a gear readout on the Rainier's console-mounted shifter. For some reason, GM moved the "PRNDL" indicator to a small LCD display in the gauge cluster. And since this display is always a beat or two behind the movements of the shifter, it can result in some annoying missteps when changing gear.
Steering/Handling
The Rainier's steering has been substantially improved versus its GM siblings, but it's still one of the least-satisfying helms to command in this class. Effort is very light, and while feel and response are crisper than you'll experience in a TrailBlazer, the ratio remains slow, necessitating lots of wheel-twirling in tight turns. Come to think of it, the most satisfying aspect of the Rainier's steering may be the wheel itself--it has a wonderful knurled-wood grip on the upper and lower sections of the rim, and is trimmed in soft leather elsewhere. It's a pity that this lovely piece of hardware doesn't direct a better rack-and-pinion assembly.
The Buick's humble roots also show up in its chassis dynamics. The Rainier negotiated GM's handling course as smoothly as one can expect of a truck-based SUV, but it didn't pretend to enjoy the exercise much. Turn-in felt slow and woolly, and the body leaned softly even at moderate speeds. The comfort-biased tires weren't ambitious about grip, either--on one dust-coated corner, I got the nose plowing good and hard, then kicked out the tail abruptly with just a touch of throttle. Clearly, Buick did not tune the Rainier with enthusiasts in mind.
However, Buick did seem to tune the Rainier with greater delicacy than its GM relatives. When I drove the Rainier at a gentler pace--as most buyers are likely to do--it felt more "stately" than "clumsy," with an air of composure that's absent in the TrailBlazer and Envoy. The difference may come down to the Rainier's standard air-spring rear suspension, which doesn't get as woozy over uneven surfaces.
Ride
I'll admit up front that I'm much pickier about handling than I am about ride comfort. So when I say that the Rainier isn't one of the best-riding SUVs in its class, it's entirely likely that you'll disagree. I look for two things in a vehicle's ride: structural rigidity and body-motion control. The Rainier scores fairly well on the first count, rattling only a little over sharp impacts, but its soft springs and marshmallow damping result in far more floating than I prefer.
However, I imagine there are plenty of Buick buyers that will find the Rainier's loping suspension "just right." Indeed, the Rainier rolls softly over most imperfections, and its much-hyped QuietTuning keeps the cabin impressively hushed. However, the Rainier's composure is limited by its live-axle rear end, which can wiggle and hop over impacts that most rivals simply shrug off.
Interior
Buick faced plenty of challenges in differentiating the Rainier from its corporate siblings, but the interior surely posed the greatest challenge of all. Could Buick turn the TrailBlazer's cheap, unappealing cabin into something palatable to luxury buyers?
The answer is a qualified "yes." Buick indeed did a decent job of elevating the Rainier's interior ambiance. But from the driver's seat, it's not too difficult to spot the GM family resemblance. You see it in the blobby, unresolved look of the instrument panel, and in the exposed screw heads on the dash. Most of the switchgear is standard GM parts-bin fare, and the wide panel gaps don't exactly scream "quality."
For all these weaknesses, however, the Rainier's interior is not without a measure of traditional charm. The classically-scripted gauges, chrome detailing, and wood trim combine with the unexceptional build quality to evoke the feel of an American luxury car, circa 1975--a sensation I found oddly comforting. And despite the generic appearance of the switchgear, it's all smooth-acting, clearly-labeled, and easy to use. I have a feeling these attributes will go a long way towards engendering affection among the "mature" set.
Buyers of any age will also appreciate the Rainier's front seats, which are broad, nicely supportive, and trimmed with buttery-soft leather. The propped-up driving position is good, too, with decent legroom and a surplus of space in all other directions. My only complaint up front concerned the near-total lack of lateral bolstering, which had me sliding around in the seat as I negotiated the course's twists and turns. However, I doubt the typical buyer will generate similar cornering loads on a regular basis.
The cushiness continues in the Rainier's back seat, which is also broad and well-shaped, and trimmed in the same pillowy leather. There's also plenty of room in back, so the Rainier will easily accommodate the heads and legs of tall passengers. There's only one downside to the Buick's rear accommodations: an odd cutout in the bench cushion that completely denies center riders of thigh support.
Practicality
Like most SUVs, the Rainier discredits the "utility" portion of its "sport-utility" moniker by failing to offer a third-row seat. This limits passenger capacity to the same five occupants accommodated by any conventional sedan--and frankly, I find that ridiculous in a 5,000 lb vehicle. So, if an extra couple of seats would make your life easier, consider the seven-seat Cadillac SRX, Acura MDX, or Lexus GX 470.
The Rainier does better when judged on cargo capacity. Its load floor is long, wide, and flat, with minimal intrusion from the rear suspension towers. A split-folding rear seat is standard, too--and with the seatbacks folded, there's plenty of room for bulky objects. Loading of said objects is hampered by the high liftover, but this weakness is common to nearly all SUVs due to their tall build.
Reliability
Like other members of the GMT360 family, the Rainier has racked up a below-average reliability record among consumer advocacy groups. However, this isn't necessarily the kiss of death that it appears to be. Most of the cited problems were related to faulty trim and electrical glitches, and as such, they're likely to be more annoying than dangerous. Keep in mind, too, that GM's parts and service costs are considerably lower than the European brands'. That said, if faultless operation is your primary objective, you'll probably be happier with rivals from Acura, Infiniti, or Lexus.
Overall
In all honesty, I drove the Rainier expecting to get a hatchet-job review out of it. I figured it was just another one of GM's crass badge-engineering exercises--a place holder in Buick's lineup destined for low sales and early retirement. But the Rainier turned out to be better than I expected. In fact, it's so close to being competitive, I almost feel sorry for it.
The Rainier's strengths are those of a traditional Buick: it's soft, it's quiet, and it's imbued with a genteel, old-school character. It's also among the most-affordable SUVs in its class, with rebates currently running about $4,000. Some buyers, I imagine, will find this blend of attributes as comforting as a warm blanket--I'm thinking specifically of older folks, those still mourning the Electra, Century, and Roadmaster.
Most buyers, however, are unlikely to find the Rainier as tempting. Its road-course behavior felt hopelessly clumsy after driving the Cadillac SRX and BMW X5, and its dressed-up TrailBlazer interior lacks the substance and quality of a Lexus RX 330's. Buick may have made the best of a bad truck, but the end result is equal parts silk purse and sow's ear.
Epinions.com periodically updates pricing and product information from third-party sources, so some information may be slightly out-of-date. You should confirm all information before relying on it.
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