The understated Rainier gives Buick a true sport ute

It’s hard not to think of Buick as General Motors Corp.’s forgotten division. Despite being the company upon which GM was founded and its core through most of the 20th century, management ignored it while trying to prop up other divisions during the 1990s.

That is why Buick lacked a sport utility vehicle for much of the last decade, while even brands as unlikely as Porsche came out with SUVs.

For 2001, Buick launched the Rendezvous, a minivan-based crossover vehicle that helped fill the lineup until a true, body-on-frame SUV arrived.

And now, for 2004, Buick finally has one in the Rainier.

Still, it’s hard not to assume that the Rainier is almost an afterthought. Keep in mind that Buick got the Rainier only because the Oldsmobile division folded. That means that Olds’ SUV manufacturing capacity was available.

So Buick went in and revised the Bravada, massaging the details to make it feel the way a Buick SUV should feel and not like the warmed-over Oldsmobile it could be perceived as being.

For the most part, Buick has succeeded.

The 2004 Buick Rainier is based on GM’s mid-size SUV platform. The black test vehicle I drove was stylishly clad with Buick’s signature chrome grille up front and chrome accents out back. It seemed quite upscale without outclassing Cadillac’s SUV, the more expensive SRX.

What makes this Buick stand apart from its Chevrolet and GMC brethren is the optional 5.3-liter, 290-horsepower V-8. Otherwise, the powertrain is standard-issue GM stuff, with a base 4.2-liter, 275-horsepower inline-6 engine and four-speed transmission. The Rainier is available in rear-drive or all-wheel-drive configurations. Buick doesn’t offer low-range gearing, so this is more of a foul-weather SUV than a true off-roader.

That feeling is backed up by the vehicle’s handling, which tends to be on the softer side. Being truck-based, the Rainier does suffer from some of the swaying and body lean that come with the breed, although it’s fairly well controlled. The ride is extremely comfortable, in the best Buick tradition, despite the lack of an independent rear suspension found in competitors such as the Lexus RX 330 and the Lincoln Aviator. The Buick compensates with a standard rear air suspension.

The Rainier is extremely quiet, with some of the credit going to the tires, which Buick has dubbed “quiet tires.” They are indeed. But they give up some traction ability in return for the silence, even in wet weather.

Power from the V-8 is effortless and fits the size and style of Buick’s first true SUV.

The interior is a subtle upgrade of the standard GM truck interior with wood-toned accents and lots of leather, which comes standard. But the conservative design lacks the sophisticated, upscale touches found in competitors like the Aviator. The result is an interior that feels more like that of a truck than a Buick.

Upscale features include OnStar, XM Satellite Radio, GPS navigation system, rear-seat DVD system, steering-wheel-mounted radio controls, automatic dual climate control and heated front seats.

The instrument panel is not particularly memorable but is easy to understand and operate. The exception is the screen for operating the navigation system and radio -- it’s too low on the dash for quick viewing.

Surprisingly, Buick will not offer an extended-wheelbase version, which would allow for third-row seating. The Rainier seats only five.

Comfortably appointed, confidently powered and extremely conservative in style, the Rainier brings an understated eloquence to the ranks of the SUV market. Yet compared with the competition, it may be a little too conservative for its price.

Prices start at $35,945 for a rear-wheel-drive CXL with V-6 engine. All-wheel-drive models start at $37,895 for the CXL, topping out at $38,945 for the CXL Plus. For my test drive, Buick supplied an all-wheel-drive CXL Plus, which included a $1,750 navigation system, $1,500 V-8 engine, $1,435 rear-seat entertainment option, $350 side-impact air bag option and $275 heated front seats. The bottom line was $44,705, about the same as with a Lincoln Aviator.

But before deciding whether you’d really rather have a Buick, drive the Aviator, which seems to be its prime competitor. The Lincoln offers similar power at the same price with a more stylish interior.

Although not as regal as the royal family in Monaco, the Rainier has the strength of its mountain namesake, and for Buick fans, that may be enough.