Buick joined the minivan market for 2005 with the Terraza, which features sliding side doors and a low step-in height. For 2006, the Terraza can be equipped with a new 3.9-liter V-6.
Sport utility vehicle-like styling features of the Terraza include its closer-to-vertical squared-off front fascia and its tall hood. Prominent C-pillars and 17-inch wheels are also supposed to bring SUVs to mind. Gently sculpted forms, on the other hand, are strictly Buick in nature.
Two versions are offered: the base CX and uplevel CXL. Both models are available with either front- or all-wheel drive. A 3.5-liter V-6 is standard, but the new 3.9-liter V-6 can be installed in front-wheel-drive Terrazas. The Terraza's warranty has been lengthened for the 2006 model year. History
The first difference you see in the Terraza is its stronger, more aggressive nose. There were a number of reasons driving this change. One was to “address the reluctant van buyer who can't get past the look but desires the functionality,” according to the home office. Buick says a squared-off front end yields an SUV appearance. This is accomplished by a 3.9-inch height increase over the old GM vans, making the Terraza 72.0 inches tall, exactly the same as its width, mimicking the proportions of many SUVs. In our view, the Terraza still looks more like a van than an SUV, but its nose definitely sticks out in a crowd.
The 3.4-liter pushrod V-6 used previously has been replaced with a newer, 3.5-liter version of the engine, which is used in the Chevrolet Malibu and Pontiac G6. Horsepower increases by 15 over the 3.4-liter engine to 200, and torque is up 10 pound-feet to 220. These are worthy improvements, but the new output still pales in comparison with that of Honda's similarly priced 2005 Odyssey, which has 55 more horses and 30 more pound-feet of torque from the same displacement. When asked why Buick didn't install the 242-hp, 3.6-liter DOHC engine from the Rendezvous Ultra, the answer was, well, that engine would drive this minivan's elevated price even higher.
It shares the engine and transmission used in the Saturn Relay. This 3.5-liter V-6 is lazy, and the four-speed automatic transmission is unambitious. The accelerator pedal has an abrupt tip-in that makes the minivan lurch forward, but that?s not to be mistaken for real power. And the column-mounted shift lever virtually precludes any manual control while the vehicle is in motion. Top competitors have moved their shifters to the center stack, which is ideal in a minivan.
Two models are offered: the CX ($28,825) and CXL ($31,705). Front-wheel drive is standard, and the General Motors StabiliTrak vehicle control system is optional. Versatrak all-wheel drive is available on both models. Power-operated sliding side doors are standard. So is an overhead, rear-passenger DVD entertainment system with infrared wireless headphones.