Driving Impressions

Despite structural similarities to the wildly styled Pontiac Aztek, Buick's crossover model has a personality of its own. Automatic-transmission responses are quick and easy. Acceleration is good, if not exactly inspiring. The Rendezvous runs very quietly and offers plenty of versatile space. The gauges are notable in appearance, but they're not the easiest to read at a glance.

The Rendezvous delivers a generally soft ride, but its suspension hits some bumps rather hard. Handling is reasonably precise with good steering feel and feedback, very much like what drivers might expect from a minivan.

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    Heated Seats
    Heated Front Seats The buttons are on the climate control panel. To operate, the ignition must be on. Press to heat the driver or passenger seat cushion and seatback. Indicator lights on the clim ...

    Muting a Call
    During a call, all sounds from inside the vehicle can be muted so that the person on the other end of the call cannot hear them. To Mute a call 1. Press . The system responds with “Ready” ...

    StabiliTrak® System
    The StabiliTrak system assists with directional control of the vehicle in difficult driving conditions. The system is on when the vehicle is started. To turn off both Traction Control and Stabil ...