To Rendezvous or not to Rendezvous??

I'm brand new to these forums and I'm hoping to be able to take advantage of the experience that's here.

I'm considering the purchase of a used Rendezvous...nothing earlier than an '04. I like the looks of this vehicle and I think for the $$ it's an appealing vehicle.

I'm a big believer in Consumer Reports, although I believe they have a decided bias toward foreign vehicles. That may be justified because their quality is better, but I have a hard time buying non-American (I have a '93 Saturn with 250000+ mi. and a 94 Caprice with 125000+ mi.)

Anyway, in CR they don't say the Rendezvous is terrible, but they don't exactly give it a ringing endorsement either. One thing CR mentions is that the 3.4L engine is underpowered for this vehicle...but it's almost impossible to find a used one with the 3.6L engine. Is the 3.6L that much better?

I've read all the posts in this forum and I see lots of dissatisfaction with this vehicle. Everything from wheel bearing failure, to oil consumption to hissing noises (?).

So, if you own a Rendezvous would you buy another one and would you encourage me to purchase one or should I just run away?

Also, I live in Western NY (in the snow belt). Is the AWD *that* much better or can one get by without it?

Thanks in advance for any advice and counsel.

C'mon folks! How about a little help here?

Nobody has an opinion on the quality / reliability / value of the Rendezvous?

I'd very much appreciate some input on my questions above.

Thanks.

i have the 3.4l and it dose fine for me. but i wished i had the 3.6l becase that would mean i would have the allwheel drive model. he 3.4l liter is only fwd. while the 3.6l is awd. you can also post on the aztek post it is the same thing only with a diffrent body.

I'm brand new to these forums and I'm hoping to be able to take advantage of the experience that's here.

I'm considering the purchase of a used Rendezvous...nothing earlier than an '04. I like the looks of this vehicle and I think for the $$ it's an appealing vehicle.

I'm a big believer in Consumer Reports, although I believe they have a decided bias toward foreign vehicles. That may be justified because their quality is better, but I have a hard time buying non-American (I have a '93 Saturn with 250000+ mi. and a 94 Caprice with 125000+ mi.)

Anyway, in CR they don't say the Rendezvous is terrible, but they don't exactly give it a ringing endorsement either. One thing CR mentions is that the 3.4L engine is underpowered for this vehicle...but it's almost impossible to find a used one with the 3.6L engine. Is the 3.6L that much better?

I've read all the posts in this forum and I see lots of dissatisfaction with this vehicle. Everything from wheel bearing failure, to oil consumption to hissing noises (?).

So, if you own a Rendezvous would you buy another one and would you encourage me to purchase one or should I just run away?

Also, I live in Western NY (in the snow belt). Is the AWD *that* much better or can one get by without it?

Thanks in advance for any advice and counsel.


I bought my 04 rendevous in June of this year with 23k miles on it, thus far I'm satisfied, there are a few minor concerns that i will be taking in to the dealer for;;;; slight roaring noise coming from the rear end when turning corners, a little thud in the front wheel when i take off... Other than that it is a good vehicle, I would buy another one ... Mine is a 3.4 and is AWD, not sure what the other poster meant by having awd with a 3.6, it has a nice ride, great mileage on the highway, kinda sucks in the city but then that's the price u pay for an suv....

good luck.

Well....I decided to bite the bullet. Bought an '05 FWD with 10000 miles. Hope I'm not sorry!

I bought my 04 rendevous in June of this year with 23k miles on it, thus far I'm satisfied, there are a few minor concerns that i will be taking in to the dealer for;;;; slight roaring noise coming from the rear end when turning corners, a little thud in the front wheel when i take off... Other than that it is a good vehicle, I would buy another one ... Mine is a 3.4 and is AWD, not sure what the other poster meant by having awd with a 3.6, it has a nice ride, great mileage on the highway, kinda sucks in the city but then that's the price u pay for an suv....

good luck.


Well I took mine into the dealer to get it checked out and turns out the rear differntial unit' xfer case is gone bad....$3000 part on GM....Praise God!!!

it seems the fwd don`t have any problems. unlike the awd. i`m happy with mine. good luck on yours.

Well I took mine into the dealer to get it checked out and turns out the rear differntial unit' xfer case is gone bad....$3000 part on GM....Praise God!!!


I'm pretty happy with the service at the dealership thus far, they thought it was the differential fluid because it was low, they changed it and it didn't pass the quality inspection, and they found the problem after more research. Plus they gave me a free rental car.

My wife has an '03 FWD with about 30K on it. I think it's a great vehicle. I own a '99 Tahoe with 108K. The 'Vous gets 20MPG around town, constantly, and gets nearly 28MPG on the highway. The fit and finish on ours is very good, especially the paint job. The seats are not as comfortable as the Hoe seats. It turns on a dime, rides well, is not as quiet as the Hoe, but actually seems to have more usuable rear space with the rear seats down than the Hoe. Actually it's only slightly shorter than my Hoe. The 3.4L engine seems to be plenty of power for this vehicle. The outside rear view mirrors are her biggest complaint because she has a hard time seeing around those big mothers. Oil changes are a pain in the rear because of the location of the filter. It's a mess. It's difficult to see well while you're backing. Overall we'd buy another without hesitation, unless we didn't have the Hoe to use when towing a boat or trailer. Because of the tight turning radius of this vehicle I enjoy occasionally driving it and putting it into tight parking spaces.