Standard Engine: Standard 4.2-liter, Dual Overhead Cam, 12-valves, I-6 cylinder, 275-horsepower at 6000 rpm and 275 lb-ft torque at 3600 rpm.

Optional Engine: 5.3-liter, Dual Overhead Cam, 16-valves, V-8 cylinder, 290 horsepower at 5200 rpm and 325 lb-ft torque at 4000 rpm.

Transmission As Tested: Standard 4-speed Automatic with electronically controlled automatic overdrive with torque converter clutch.

Fuel Economy (city/hwy): 6 cylinder 2WD 16/21 - 4WD 15/21, 8 cylinder 2WD 15/19 - 4WD 14/18

Standard Safety Features: Driver and front passenger airbags, ">Antilock Braking System, remote keyless entry, tire pressure monitor, Traction Control, On Star

Competition: Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited, Lincoln Aviator, Mercury Mountaineer Limited

LONGMIRE, Wash. -- Ride with us as we steer a Rainier, the new sport-utility wagon from Buick, up a winding mountain road to Rainier, the ice-capped cone in the state of Washington.

Although it's late in springtime, there's snow in fat and wet flakes falling so fast that any views of the peak, rising for 14,411 feet high in the Cascade Range, are hopelessly lost in the white stew of sky and snow.

The icy flakes melt on contact with a blacktop road, leaving a slick film of water that sometimes tricks tires into slipping and skidding -- but that's not the way this Rainier plays it.

It handles all kinks and curves of the two-lane route to Longmire with confidence-inspiring agility as a sophisticated and smart all-wheel-drive (AWD) system keeps the four tread patches planted firmly on pavement.

The suspension, tuned for smoothness with an electronically-controlled air suspension working on the rear wheels, isolates any pothole rough stuff and delivers a comfortable ride.

And within the five-place cabin, Rainier the wagon reveals an impressive quality of quietness in terms of reducing noise, vibration and harshness (NVH).

All external NVH is locked outside, the result of wrapping the compartment liberally with sound-deadening material, including thick layers of laminate applied to the windshield and front side windows.

The effort to control NVH inside Rainier is labeled by Buick marketeers as QuietTuning. It represents a sense of refinement more akin to a premium luxury car than a sport-utility vehicle riding on the chassis of a pickup truck.

Rainier is the second SUV for Buick following in the path of Rendezvous. It emerges as a 2004 model based on the mid-size GM SUV architecture that also underpins mid-size wagons like Chevrolet's Trailblazer and GMC Envoy.

The new wagon skews toward the luxury side of motoring with plush seats in a cabin and deluxe appointments including rich perforated leather upholstery.

It comes with a choice of V6 or V8 powertrain in either rear-wheel-drive (RWD) or available AWD traction for forays on slick pavement or graveled trails.

Rainier the SUV looks big but refined and decidedly like a Buick, due to a rounded prow that prominently displays the Buick signature of an oval grille in chrome inset with vertical bars and Buick's tri-shield insignia.

Headlamps protected behind clear lenses flank the oval grille and together form a bold horizontal band marking the face of the wagon, with a body-colored bumper running below and cradling round corner foglamps also in chrome.

Side panels flare in arched wheelwells between door panels and contain big 17-inch aluminum wheels, while at the rear there's a large liftgate hinged at the top.

Rainier's agile nature and smooth ride quality are the result of a rigid ladder-frame chassis with one-piece steel rails running the length of the wagon. The unusual rails -- each a single piece of seamless tubular steel -- produce a foundation that's strong and light in weight using fewer component pieces.

A welded steel superstructure rises from the rigid chassis bed with all body mounts tuned in all directions to enhance the frame's stiffness, absorb impacts from vertical movement and isolate noise.

Then the suspension, independent in front and with the air suspension in back, produces excellent handling control along with that smooth ride quality.

An uncommon component for a truck-based wagon is the quick rack and pinion steering mechanism coupled to hydraulic power assistance. It brings a good on-center feel for steering with precise movements, but also sets up Rainier's tight turning circle of 36.4 feet.

For stopping, four disc brakes connect to an intelligent four-wheel anti-lock brake system (ABS), with electronic traction control (ETC) at the rear.

Optional AWD utilizes a smart system to distribute engine torque between front and rear wheels. It operates automatically and requires no input from the driver.

For locomotion, Rainier presents more choices.

Standard engine is the in-line-six powerplant developed by General Motors to generate the high horsepower of a V8 engine but the fuel efficiency of a V6.

The 4.2-liter six, with dual overhead cams and four valves for every cylinder, delivers 275 hp at 6000 rpm and a flat band of torque running to 275 lb-ft at 3600 rpm.

A heavy-duty GM Hydra-Matic 4L60-E HD four-speed automatic transmission mates with the Vortec 4200 straight-six to handle all of the torque.

Optional power comes from a 5.3-liter V8 with an all-aluminum block.

It produces as much as 290 hp at 5200 hp and 325 lb-ft of torque.

Trailer towing capacity for a Rainier set with RWD traction mode climbs to 6300 pounds.

In the cabin, Rainier provides a luxurious environment in monochromatic hues with personal comfort as the theme.

A pair of form-fitting bucket seats in front stands beside a central console with multiple functions. It cradles the shift lever and a dash stack of gear for audio and climate systems, with twin air vents perched above.

Round analog gauges in the instruments cluster include a large tachometer to the left of the centered speedometer, with all dials displaying faces in white and needles prominent in a shade of aqua green.

Due to Rainier's long wheelbase, legroom for the rear three-person bench is ample. The seatback splits into sections and folds down to fashion a flat floor in the cargo bay with double the space at 85 cubic feet.

Rainier comes with a high content of standard equipment like power windows and locks and mirrors, dual-zone automatic climate system, OnStar telecommunications with a DVD-based navigation system, and the perforated leather upholstery with front seats adding armrests and power controls plus memory settings.

Options range from heated seats to adjustable floor pedals, a Bose audio system with CD changer and a DVD-based video entertainment system for backseat riders.

We expect Buick to cast Rainier in a range of prices reaching from around $36,000 to $44,000 or so.

Editors' Ratings

Pros: Comfortable ride, optional V-8 and Third Row Bench Seat

Cons: You can buy this truck under every brand GM makes, Trailblazer, Envoy, Isuzu Ascender

Ratings (1-10)

• Style:7
• Performance: 7
• Price: 7
• Handling: 7
• Ride: 8
• Comfort: 8
• Quality: 7
• Overall: 7.2

More Data

Where Built: Moraine Assembly Plant, Moraine, Ohio

Major Options: Not Available

Seating: 7

Number of Rows: 3

Crash Test Ratings:

• NHTSA Frontal Impact/Driver Crash Test Rating: Not Yet Tested
• NHTSA Frontal Impact/Passenger Crash Test Rating: Not Yet Tested
• NHTSA Side Impact/Front Seat Crash Test Rating: Not Yet Tested
• NHTSA Side Impact/Rear Seat Crash Test Rating: Not Yet Tested
• NHTSA Rollover Resistance Rating: Not Yet Tested


• IIHS Frontal Offset Crash Test: Not Yet Tested

Length in Inches: 193.4

Warranties: 3 years/36,000 miles bumper-to-bumper, 6 years/100,000 miles corrosion, 3 years/36,000 miles Roadside Assistance

Weight in Pounds: Not Available

Cargo Capacity in Pounds: Not Available

Gross Maximum Vehicle Weight in Pounds: 6cylinder 2WD 5550 AWD 5750, 8 cylinder 2WD 4442 AWD 6001

Towing Capacity in Pounds: 6700 Maximum

Gas Tank Capacity in Gallons: 22

Destination Charge: $650