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, a tax on products not considered essential, such as speedboats or diamonds. **Luxury tax (sports), a ...

SUV A sport utility vehicle (SUV) is a car classification that combines elements of road-going passenger cars with features from off-road vehicles, such as raised ground clearance and four-wheel drive. There is no commonly agreed-upon definition ...

that was manufactured by

General Motors General Motors Company (GM) is an American Multinational corporation, multinational Automotive industry, automotive manufacturing company headquartered in Detroit, Michigan, United States. The company is most known for owning and manufacturing f ...

and marketed by

Buick Buick () is a division (business), division of the Automotive industry in the United States, American automobile manufacturer General Motors (GM). Started by automotive pioneer David Dunbar Buick in 1899, it was among the first American automobil ...

for the 2004 to 2007 model years. It was named after

Mount Rainier Mount Rainier ( ), also known as Tahoma, is a large active stratovolcano in the Cascade Range of the Pacific Northwest in the United States. The mountain is located in Mount Rainier National Park about south-southeast of Seattle. With an off ...

, and — along with the

Saab 9-7X The Saab 9-7X is a compact luxury crossover SUV that was manufactured by General Motors for the American market and marketed under the Saab Automobile, Saab marque, then owned by GM. The 9-7X was first presented at the New York International Auto ...

— served as the replacement for the

Oldsmobile Bravada The Oldsmobile Bravada is a mid-size luxury SUV that was sold by Oldsmobile from 1991 to 2004. The only SUV ever marketed by Oldsmobile, the Bravada was the first GM light truck since 1924 offered outside of the Chevrolet and GMC brands. Intr ...

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 through 2009 model years. Underpinning the third generation of GM mid-size SUVs, the GMT360 architecture replaced the pickup truck-derived GMT330 chassis introdu ...

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 ge ...

— along with the

GMC Envoy The GMC Envoy is a Mid-size car, mid-size SUV manufactured and marketed by General Motors for the 1998 to 2009 model years over two generations. Adopting a Envoy (automobile), nameplate used by GM Canada, the Envoy was phased in as a trim variant ...

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 r ...

EXT,

5.3i and Aero, and

Chevrolet TrailBlazer The Chevrolet Trailblazer is an automobile nameplate used by General Motors for its Chevrolet Chevrolet ( ) is an American automobile division of the manufacturer General Motors (GM). In North America, Chevrolet produces and sells a wide ra ...

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. Types The most common forms of all-wheel drive are: ;1x1 : All unicycles Reflects one axle with ...

models were offered. The only trim available was ''CXL.'' An available Sun, Sound and Entertainment package for 2005 (previously called ''CXL Plus,'') added a power sunroof, better

Bose Bose may refer to: * Bose (crater), a lunar crater. * ''Bose'' (film), a 2004 Indian Tamil film starring Srikanth and Sneha * Bose (surname), a surname (and list of people with the name) * Bose (given name), a given name * Bose, Italy, a ''fra ...

stereo, and

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

. For the 2004 model year only, there was a CXL Plus trim level, this became the aforementioned Sun, Sound, and Entertainment package for 2005. A touchscreen DVD-based navigation system was also available with the CXL Plus/SSE package. The 5.3 V8 was also available with the "V8 Power Play" package, which added a "V8" designation to the "RAINIER" script on the left side tailgate. Buick Rainier

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

Buick Enclave The Buick Enclave is a three-row full-size crossover SUV produced by General Motors since 2007. It was previewed at the North American International Auto Show#2006, 2006 North American International Auto Show, officially as a concept car, makin ...

in 2008. GM ended production of the related

, and

after the 2009 model year. The

Insurance Institute for Highway Safety The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety and Highway Loss Data Institute (IIHS-HLDI) is an American nonprofit organization. It was established in 1959, and it is noted for its safety reviews of vehicles in various simulated traffic situations, ...

(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

straight-six engine A straight-six engine (also referred to as an inline-six engine; abbreviated I6 or L6) is a piston engine with six cylinders arranged in a straight line along the crankshaft. A straight-six engine has perfect primary and secondary engine balanc ...

producing , and an optional '' LM4'', a 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 output of the six-cylinder, base option increased to 291 horsepower.

Trim levels

The Rainier was only offered in the CXL trim level, with an available CXL Plus package for 2004 only.

2004

The Rainier debuts in July 2003 as a 2004 model year vehicle, to directly replace the Bravada. This also resulted in a much more luxurious twin for 2006, the

. The body of the Rainier/9-7X is largely carried over from the Bravada, only the front sheetmetal and taillights differ from the Bravada. The Rainier was the first short-wheelbase GMT360 to use the 5.3 V8 option, the V8 was previously only available in the extended GMT370 variant in 2003 prior to the Rainier. The Rainier, along with the Bravada and 9-7X, did not receive a GMT370 extended wheelbase version, and was therefore only available as a 5-passenger configuration for its entirety. The Rainier's interior and options list is directly carried over from the Bravada, with only a silver faced gauge cluster with ice blue needles (and a cluster font similar to the

Rendezvous Rendezvous or rendez-vous may refer to: Arts and entertainment Film and television * ''The Rendezvous'' (1923 film), a silent film adventure melodrama * ''Rendezvous'' (1930 film), a German musical directed by Carl Boese * ''Rendezvous ...

CUV,) along with a Buick Tri-Shield emblem adorning the steering wheel. Seat-mounted side impact airbags are optional.

2005 refresh

The CXL Plus package was renamed Sun, Sound, and Entertainment package for 2005. The Tri-Shield emblem on the front grille was updated. Revised interior appointments were added in 2005, including a revised steering wheel with wood trimmed accents and chrome Buick Tri-Shield jewelry, revised leather shift knob with wood trim, and new blackface gauges with chrome trim rings and updated font. The Generation III LM4 in the 2004 Rainier V8 was replaced with the Generation IV LH6 V8 for 2005. Power adjustable pedals are now an available option. The Voice Memo Travel Recorder has been dropped. The optional seat-mounted side airbags have been replaced with standard side curtain airbags.

2006

For 2006, StabiliTrak Control System with built-in traction control, OnStar, and auto-dimming interior rearview mirror are standard equipment.

2007

The final model year was a carryover from 2006, with no revisions made.

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 Cars discontinued in 2007 Motor vehicles manufactured in the United States Luxury sport utility vehicles