If it holds its full complement of seven passengers plus a week's worth of groceries, and your home is situated on the top of a hill in San Francisco, the Buick Rendezvous crossover SUV struggles a bit with its 3.4-liter, 185-hp V6 engine. So the 2004 Rendezvous adds the Ultra, with a 245-hp, 3.6-liter DOHC V6 that more than makes up for the two-ton-plus weight of this SUV. A 4-speed automatic is the only available transmission. Buick's only truck-based vehicle, the 2004 Rendezvous is available in FWD or AWD in both CX and CXL trims, but the Ultra is AWD only.

The Ultra comes standard with ABS brakes and Versatrak traction control (as do all the AWD trims), and features power leather seats, two rows of captain's chairs, a CD-changer, wheel-mounted audio controls, chrome gauges, and wood and leather interior trim. Other additions to the 2004 Rendezvous is optional satellite radio on all trims, and a new optional navigation system for the CXL and Ultra. Dual front-side airbags and a tire monitor are standard on CXL and Ultra AWD and optional on the CX, and all trims can be outfitted with optional parking assist. Oversized side mirrors also help when backing up, though some drivers say they can get in the way when trying to park in tight spaces.

Though the 2004 Rendezvous comes standard with two rows of seats, a third row can be added, but it greatly cuts down on the 54 cubic feet of cargo space (down to 18 cubic feet). When both rows are folded, that space increases to 108 cubic feet. The Rendezvous has some of the best headroom in its class, and owners like this and how it makes entry and exit easy. They like the new Ultra power, the car-like handling combined with minivan versatility, and the comfortable seats. On the negative side, they mention that the gauges are hard to read in the daytime, rear visibility is limited, as is third row legroom, and gas mileage could be better.