If there is any car that has the rare combination of the ride of a luxury sedan and the spaciousness of a minivan, it is the Buick Rendezvous. The Rendezvous also marks Buick's foray into the SUV arena. The vehicle is based on the minivan platform shared by the Pontiac Montana and the Pontiac Aztek.

General Motors launched the Rendezvous in 2002. Since its launch, the carmaker was been promoting the Rendezvous as a car with the features of a luxury sedan, the ability of an SUV and the convenience of a minivan. However, the hype fizzled out soon after, and Buick had to replace the Rendezvous with the Enclave in the 2008 model year. Experts blame this on Buick's failure to combine and perfect those traits in the Rendezvous. Nevertheless, one can't deny the rock-solid engineering, useful flexibility and striking appearance that came with the Rendezvous.

The SUV from Buick comes with three varied engine specifications in its 2002, 2005 and 2006 versions. The 2002 version comes with a 3.4-liter V6 engine generating 185 horsepower and 210 pound per foot of torque. In 2005, you will find a more refined 3.6-liter DOHC V6 offering 245 hp and 235 lb of torque. The 2006 edition offers a 3.5-liter V6 engine producing 201 hp and 216 lb of torque. One aspect that remained unchanged despite the power train variation is the four-speed automatic transmission system.

Another key factor that proved to be quite a letdown for the Rendezvous was its interior design and materials. GM could have spent more time on it as Buick intended the Rendezvous to give other SUV leaders a run for their money. However, you can't ignore that the passenger room in the front and back along with the 109 cubic feet of cargo space gives the SUV a spacious feel.

The dull interior design and poor styling have all contributed to the downfall of the Rendezvous. Even more baffling is that Buick discontinued production of the crossover SUV midway through the 2007 model year, without making a sincere attempt to come up with an improved version of the Rendezvous. All those shortcomings notwithstanding, the Buick Rendezvous has been able to place among the most preferred family vehicle.