The Buick Rainier is a

mid-size Mid-size—also known as intermediate—is a vehicle size class which originated in the United States and is used for cars larger than compact cars and smaller than full-size cars. "Large family car" is a UK term and a part of the D-segment in t ...

luxury Luxury may refer to: *Luxury goods, an economic good or service for which demand increases more than proportionally as income rises *Luxury tax, tax on products not considered essential, such as expensive cars **Luxury tax (sports), surcharge put ...

SUV that was manufactured by

General Motors The General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. It is the largest automaker in the United States and ...

and marketed by

Buick Buick () is a division of the American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American marques of automobiles, and was the company that established General ...

for model years 2004–2007. It was named after

Mount Rainier Mount Rainier (), indigenously known as Tahoma, Tacoma, Tacobet, or təqʷubəʔ, is a large active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest, located in Mount Rainier National Park about south-southeast of Seattle. With a ...

, and — along with the

Saab 9-7X The Saab 9-7X is a mid-size luxury SUV that was built by General Motors for the American market and sold under the Saab marque. The 9-7X was first revealed at the 2004 New York International Auto Show, and was available starting in the model y ...

— was the replacement for the Oldsmobile Bravada.

History

The Rainier was introduced on July 28, 2003 for the 2004 model year, in a 5-door, 5-passenger configuration, yet was one of only five

GMT360 GMT 360 is a vehicle platform that was manufactured by General Motors from the 2002 and 2009 model years. Designed primarily for SUVs, the GMT360 architecture served as the third generation of mid-size SUVs produced by GM. Directly succeeding i ...

SUVs to offer a V8

engine An engine or motor is a machine designed to convert one or more forms of energy into mechanical energy. Available energy sources include potential energy (e.g. energy of the Earth's gravitational field as exploited in hydroelectric power ...

— along with the

GMC Envoy The GMC Envoy is a mid-size SUV, manufactured and marketed by General Motors for model years 1998-2009 over two generations. Adopting a nameplate used by GM Canada, the Envoy was a rebadged variant of the Chevrolet TrailBlazer, Oldsmobile Brava ...

Denali,

Isuzu Ascender The Isuzu Ascender is a mid-size SUV built by General Motors for Isuzu. The 7-passenger Ascender was introduced for the 2003 model year as a replacement for the Isuzu Trooper. The 5-passenger Ascender was introduced for the 2004 model year as a ...

EXT,

5.3i and Aero, and

Chevrolet TrailBlazer The Chevrolet Trailblazer is an automobile nameplate used by General Motors for its Chevrolet brand since 1999 for several SUV models: * TrailBlazer, a name of appearance package for the Chevrolet S-10 Blazer used between 1999 and 2002 * Chevro ...

LT (optional) and SS. Both rear and

all-wheel drive An all-wheel drive vehicle (AWD vehicle) is one with a powertrain capable of providing power to all its wheels, whether full-time or on-demand. The most common forms of all-wheel drive are: ;1x1 : All unicycles Reflecting one axle with one ...

models were offered. An upscale ''CXL'' trim added a better Bose stereo and

XM Satellite Radio XM Satellite Radio (XM) was one of the three satellite radio (SDARS) and online radio services in the United States and Canada, operated by Sirius XM, Sirius XM Holdings. It provided pay-for-service radio, analogous to subscription cable televisi ...

. For the 2004 model year only, there was a CXL Plus trim level with a touchscreen navigation system. Buick Rainier

Buick also debuted the QuietTuning sound insulation on the Rainier, where a vehicle's sound dampening featured triple door seals, acoustic laminate glass, and thicker sound-absorbing pads on the hood and firewall. The Rainier was discontinued after the 2007 model year and was replaced by the

Buick Enclave The Buick Enclave is a three-row luxury crossover SUV produced by General Motors since 2007. It was previewed at the 2006 North American International Auto Show, officially as a concept car, making it the first Lambda vehicle to be displayed. ...

in 2008. GM ended production of the related

, and

after the 2009 model year. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the 2004 Rainier an overall ''Marginal'' score for front impacts while the 2005 and newer models are given an ''Acceptable'' score. In side impacts the Rainier was given an overall ''Marginal'' score with side airbags present. *

Engines

The Rainier debuted with a standard LL8 4.2 L (256 in³) I6 engine producing , and an optional ''LM6'' 5300 5.3 L (323 in³) V8 producing . For 2005, a new ''LH6'' V8 with

Active Fuel Management Active Fuel Management (formerly known as displacement on demand (DoD)) is a trademarked name for the automobile variable displacement technology from General Motors. It allows a V6 or V8 engine to "turn off" half of the cylinders under light-l ...

increased output to . For 2006, the I6 increased to 291 horsepower.

Trim levels

The Rainier debuted with two trim levels: CXL and CXL Plus. The CXL Plus trim was removed for 2005. More upscale appointments were added in 2005 including a wood steering wheel, chrome Buick logo, and new black gauges with chrome rings.

2006 update

* For 2006, the Rainier was updated with a new front fascia and slightly changed instrument panel. It added standard StabiliTrak Control System with built-in traction control.

Sales

Recall

In 2012,

had recalled more than 258,000 SUVs in the U.S. and Canada to fix short-circuits in power window and door lock switches that could cause fires. The recall covered Chevrolet TrailBlazer,

, Buick Rainier,

, and

SUVs from the 2006 to the 2007 model years. The SUVs were sold or registered in 20 U.S. states, Washington, D.C., and in Canada, where salt and other chemicals are used to clear roads in the winter.

References

External links

{{Authority control Rainier Mid-size sport utility vehicles All-wheel-drive vehicles Rear-wheel-drive vehicles Cars introduced in 2003 Motor vehicles manufactured in the United States