In our ever-changing world of catchy names and categories for categories, General Motors has struck again, killing off the minivan name in place of the crossover sport van: basically a minivan with an elongated snout with an "SUV appearance". These vans, The Chevrolet Uplander (nee Venture), Saturn Relay, Pontiac Montana SV6 (nee Montana) and Buick Terraza make up the small van/crossover fleet for GM, adding two models (Terraza and Relay) while taking away one (Olds Silhouette); not the best way to save money for a cash-strapped company, but what do we know about running a business?
We were sent a front-wheel-drive Terraza CXL with a 3.5-liter OHV V6 with four-speed automatic transmission. The 3.5 makes 200 horsepower and 220 lb.-ft. of torque and propels the van with authority in most situations, as long as there is only one or two people and not much cargo. Once you start piling the people and cargo in the Terraza it starts getting sluggish in the acceleration department but doesn't loose much handling composure…unless you're trying to win the Parking Spot 500.
The Terraza's styling leaves a bit to be desired. From the front quarter it looks like some sort of SUV-thing. But after the A pillar it looks like the old GM minivan, sort of a form follows function approach.
With that said, we did like the overall approach that Buick has taken with the van. The chrome wheels gave it a classy look and the paint was stellar, with a deep, rich look that belied the luxurious nature of our tester.
The first time we sat in the Terraza we were quite surprised to find that we could not see where the hood ended, but we got used to that fairly quickly and found that it was not much of a hindrance on our daily commute or for parking either.
And, while we're talking about sitting in the Terraza, this is one sharp vehicle. The layout and look of the interior is top notch, from the contrasting white seams on the black leather door panels to the black piping on the gray leather seats and controls that feel naturally placed. Our only real gripe is the wood veneer trim that looks totally fake and not hardly worth the effort.
Another item of note whilst driving is the multitude of blind spots. We found that lowering the rearseat headrests helped, but to lower them you actually have to lower the seats; not too convenient when you have to switch between hauling cargo and hauling people.
Safety is on everyone's minds these days and the Terraza is no slouch in that category, with dual-stage front and (optional) side airbags, four-wheel ABS, StabiliTrak (GM's stability control system) and OnStar. Talk about a virtual safety-fest…it's a safety-palooza, to coin a phrase.
Pricing on the Terraza wasn't too bad considering the amount of features and appointments that were included.
Our tester started at $31,170, which included traction control, Stabilitrak (GM's stability enhancement program), automatic leveling, rear parking assist, four-wheel disc brakes, DVD entertainment system, leather seats and steering wheel, power sliding doors, luggage rails up top and a 115 volt power outlet.
There were only a few options, and for once they didn't raise the vehicle price too much: 17-inch aluminum wheels ($650), XM ($325), MP3/six-disc changer radio ($295) and remote vehicle starter ($175). All that plus a destination charge of $715 added up to an as-tested price of $33,330.
We never really cared for owning minivans, but can't argue with their ultimate versatility and ease of use in most situations. With that said, next to a Mazda MPV, the Terraza gets our vote for the Mini…er…Crossover Sport Van we'd actually consider purchasing.