Yes, even a venerable 100-year-old nameplate thought of as the car your dad drives, now offers a truck-based SUV. Well, you knew it was just a matter of time. Buick officials defend the move saying they’re simply meeting the demand of buyers who prefer SUVs to cars.

The 2004 Buick Rainier isn’t exactly what I’d call a “brand new” SUV. In typical General Motors (GM) fashion, the Rainier is more about being a smoother riding, sound-insulated “Buickized” version of the mid-size SUV GM has sold as the Chevrolet TrailBlazer, GMC Envoy and Oldsmobile Bravada since the 2002 model year.

But this is a Buick, which means it isn’t cheap. Sticker prices, including destination charges, start at just under $36,000 for a two-wheel-drive version. Compare that to less than $28,000 for a base, two-wheel-drive TrailBlazer and just under $30,000 for the same Envoy, and you’ve captured some of the essence of Buick. An all-wheel-drive (AWD) Rainier with a V8 under the hood can easily run into the $40s. Our AWD test model, which featured the Vortec V8, premium Bose sound, and a lot of other bells and whistles, stickered at $39,925.

On the up side, you can also look at Rainier pricing another way: Instead of thinking of it as an upscale, Trailblazer, its actually $650 less than the top-of-the-line, five-passenger Envoy SLT, and about $4,000 less than a base, two-wheel-drive Lincoln Aviator — which isn’t much more than a tricked-out Ford Explorer.

Walkaround: The Rainier shares the same, rugged, truck-based platform, same powerplants and the basic dimensions of the TrailBlazer and Envoy, both which are extremely capable off-road — and offer the kind of strong towing capacity (6,200 pounds with the base 275-horsepower, inline six and 6,700 pounds with the V8) not seen since the days of the old Buick Roadmaster.

Luckily, although very similar, the Rainier is distinctive enough in its own appearance that it’s not immediately recognizable as related to the TrailBlazer or Envoy. Standard tires are 17-inch Michelins and ground clearance is a solid SUV-like 8 inches, so getting inside is just a bit of a climb up.
   Interior: Instrumentation is Buick’s signature white face gauges with teal-colored indicators. Seats are finished in standard perforated leather similar to what is used in the Cadillac Escalade and isn’t available on the other 2004 GM SUVs.

Another item not found in the cheaper GM SUVs is a laminate in the glass of the Rainier’s windshield and front door windows that reduces noise intrusion.

The Rainier is fairly well-appointed, but I was surprised to find some equipment lacking — like side curtain airbags, which offer head protection for multiple rows of passengers during a rollover. These are becoming a pretty standard safety feature on most other SUVs. The Rainier does come standard with front airbags and offers optional side airbags for the driver and front-seat passenger.

I was also surprised — and disappointed — that although the Rainier strives for that luxury, upscale feel Buick does so well, the Rainier’s dashboard has kind of a cheesy plastic look because what’s advertised as “burled walnut woodgrain” is so obviously fake. And it’s missing from the one place you’d expect to find it — the steering wheel. A Buick official said that should be corrected in the 2005 model year.

Back-seat passengers should watch as they exit the Rainier, because the rear door opening is right on top of the back wheel wells.

Under The Hood: Two powerplants are offered: A 275-horse, inline six and a 290-horsepower, 5.3-liter V8, which is a $1,500 upgrade and available on the 2004 TrailBlazer and Envoy only in their longer-wheelbase, seven-passenger configurations. Both are married to a four-speed automatic.

Both engines are strong performers. But unless you really need the extra horses for towing capacity, the six-cylinder should get you around just fine. I’m not convinced the extra 15 ponies are worth a hundred bucks apiece.

Behind the Wheel: The first thing I noticed inside our test Rainier was how quiet the interior is because of the extra sound insulation added to the basic SUV structure used by the TrailBlazer, Envoy and Bravada. I didn’t hear any noise from cars or trucks around me in traffic and didn’t notice wind or tire noise at highway speeds.

The ride is smooth and cushioned, thanks to an independent, double-A arm configuration in the Rainier’s front suspension and a five-link, solid axle setup in the rear, which is also managed electronically by the air suspension.

The Rainier seemed to soak up the bumps and other disturbances while keeping riders oblivious to it all without any vibration. Also, for a vehicle built on a truck frame, there was no truck-like bounciness and it wasn’t unusual to feel sort of like riding in a Buick automobile — except, of course for sitting up higher off the road.

The strong power sound did readily come through in our V8 test vehicle on sudden acceleration, and frankly, it was both pleasing and confidence inspiring. The shift points in the Rainier’s four-speed automatic transmission weren’t immediately noticeable, but power was strong and steady enough to push me back into the seat when I floored the Rainier’s gas pedal from a standstill.

Etc… If you choose the navigation system option you can’t play CDs while it’s in operation because the CD player in the dashboard is used for the nav DVD. The VW Touareg operates the same way, which on a trip can be highly annoying. Even if you don’t use the nav system, you can only load one CD at a time — there’s no six-CD option available.

 Whines: I was disappointed in the Rainier’s interior, which makes the Lincoln Aviator’s cheesy overuse of soft leather and faux brushed-silver actually look good. The Rainier also doesn’t have either a standard or optional stability control system, which can help a driver avoid a rollover crash by sensing beforehand when a loss of control is eminent. Volvo has perhaps the best one, and in my view these should be mandated as standard on every SUV. Additionally, the Rainier isn’t available with a reverse park assistance system, which can help guide a driver when backing up, and can help prevent backover incidents where children or small adults could be run over. The Rainier could also use a tire pressure monitor system to alert the driver when a tire is getting flat.

Bottom Line: For the first time in its 100-year history, Buick gets an upscale, truck-based SUV that’s extremely capable off-road and offers great towing ability. Mechanically, an upscale version of your basic Chevy TrailBlazer — there’s numerous niceties not available in the TrailBlazer. The new Rainier features an interior that is exceptionally quiet, a ride that’s smooth as silk, and it delivers strong power from either the standard 275 horse six-cylinder or the optional V8. A Buick official said the cosmetic flaws and CD issue are likely to be fixed in subsequent models. Overall, the Rainier is a pretty nice package.