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2004 Buick Rainier Mid-Size Sport-Utility Wagon
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And within the five-place cabin, Rainier the wagon reveals an impressive quality of quietness in terms of reducing noise, vibration and harshness (NVH).
All external NVH is locked outside, the result of wrapping the compartment liberally with sound-deadening material, including thick layers of laminate applied to the windshield and front side windows.
The effort to control NVH inside Rainier is labeled by Buick marketeers as QuietTuning. It represents a sense of refinement more akin to a premium luxury car than a sport-utility vehicle riding on the chassis of a pickup truck.
Rainier is the second SUV for Buick following in the path of Rendezvous. It emerges as a 2004 model based on the mid-size GM SUV architecture that also underpins mid-size wagons like Chevrolet's Trailblazer and GMC Envoy.
The new wagon skews toward the luxury side of motoring with plush seats in a cabin and deluxe appointments including rich perforated leather upholstery.
It comes with a choice of V6 or V8 powertrain in either rear-wheel-drive (RWD) or available AWD traction for forays on slick pavement or graveled trails.
Rainier the SUV looks big but refined and decidedly like a Buick, due to a rounded prow that prominently displays the Buick signature of an oval grille in chrome inset with vertical bars and Buick's tri-shield insignia.
Headlamps protected behind clear lenses flank the oval grille and together form a bold horizontal band marking the face of the wagon, with a body-colored bumper running below and cradling round corner foglamps also in chrome.
Side panels flare in arched wheelwells between door panels and contain big 17-inch aluminum wheels, while at the rear there's a large liftgate hinged at the top.
Rainier's agile nature and smooth ride quality are the result of a rigid ladder-frame chassis with one-piece steel rails running the length of the wagon. The unusual rails -- each a single piece of seamless tubular steel -- produce a foundation that's strong and light in weight using fewer component pieces.
A welded steel superstructure rises from the rigid chassis bed with all body mounts tuned in all directions to enhance the frame's stiffness, absorb impacts from vertical movement and isolate noise.
Then the suspension, independent in front and with the air suspension in back, produces excellent handling control along with that smooth ride quality.
An uncommon component for a truck-based wagon is the quick rack and pinion steering mechanism coupled to hydraulic power assistance. It brings a good on-center feel for steering with precise movements, but also sets up Rainier's tight turning circle of 36.4 feet.
For stopping, four disc brakes connect to an intelligent four-wheel anti-lock brake system (ABS), with electronic traction control (ETC) at the rear.
Optional AWD utilizes a smart system to distribute engine torque between front and rear wheels. It operates automatically and requires no input from the driver.
For locomotion, Rainier presents more choices.
Standard engine is the in-line-six powerplant developed by General Motors to generate the high horsepower of a V8 engine but the fuel efficiency of a V6.
The 4.2-liter six, with dual overhead cams and four valves for every cylinder, delivers 275 hp at 6000 rpm and a flat band of torque running to 275 lb-ft at 3600 rpm.
A heavy-duty GM Hydra-Matic 4L60-E HD four-speed automatic transmission mates with the Vortec 4200 straight-six to handle all of the torque.
Optional power comes from a 5.3-liter V8 with an all-aluminum block.
It produces as much as 290 hp at 5200 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque.
Trailer towing capacity for a Rainier set with RWD traction mode climbs to 6300 pounds.
