Buick Terraza

Buick Terraza
Overview
Manufacturer	General Motors
Production	June 2004 – June 2007
Model years	2005–2007
Assembly	United States: Doraville, Georgia (Doraville Assembly)
Body and chassis
Class	Minivan
Body style	4-door minivan
Layout	Transverse front-engine, front-wheel drive / all-wheel drive
Platform	GM U platform/GMT201
Related	Buick GL8 Chevrolet Uplander Pontiac Montana SV6 Saturn Relay
Powertrain
Engine	3.5 L LX9 V6 3.9 L LZ9 V6 3.9 L LGD V6
Transmission	4-speed automatic
Dimensions
Wheelbase	121.1 in (3,076 mm)
Length	205.0 in (5,207 mm)
Width	72.0 in (1,829 mm)
Height	72.1 in (1,831 mm)
Curb weight	4,426 lb (2,008 kg)

The Buick Terraza is a four-door minivan marketed by Buick from the 2005 to 2007 model years as a luxury crossover sport van. As Buick's first minivan for the North American market, it was a badge-engineered variant of the Chevrolet, Pontiac, and Saturn minivans sharing the U platform (Uplander, Montana SV6, and Relay respectively), all manufactured in Doraville, Georgia.

Buick Terraza rear

Design

The Terraza retailed at US$28,110 in 2005 (equivalent to $45,257in 2024), ^[1] and debuted with one engine, a 3.5  L High Value V6 generating 200  hp (149  kW) and 220 lb·ft (298 N·m) of torque. For 2006, a 3.9 L LZ9 V6, with 240 hp (179 kW) and 240 lb·ft (332 Nm) torque became available; the 3.5 L engine was discontinued a year later. The Terraza offered leather seats and faux wood trim on the steering wheel, instrument panel, and gear shift knob.

Borrowing a design feature from the Rendezvous, all 2005–2006 Terraza models featured an independent short-and-long-arm rear suspension with aluminum crossmember and control arms, regardless of drivetrain. The independent rear suspension was replaced with a beam axle for 2007.

The 2007 Terraza equipped with side airbags scored a "good" in the frontal offset and an "acceptable" in the side impact Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) crash tests. ^[2]

Year-by-year changes

• 2005: Buick introduces the Terraza, its first minivan for the North American market. The Terraza was available in two trim lines: entry-level CX and top-of-the-line CXL; both trims were available in front-wheel drive or all-wheel drive.
• 2006: The 3.5 L V6 could also be upgraded to a 3.9 L (in FWD only) LZ9 V6 engine. Second-row seat-mounted side airbags became an option, and the wheels featured six lug nuts instead of five.
• 2007: The Terraza's last year, and all-wheel-drive models were dropped. The 3.9 L V6 was the only engine offered; however, it was available with a flex-fuel option. More standard features were offered on the new CX Plus model, which slotted between the CX and CXL. The independent rear suspension was replaced with a beam axle. The last Terraza was assembled in June 2007, ^[3] and the Terraza was removed from Buick's website in early fall 2007.

Sales

Calendar year	U.S. sales
2004	2,137 [4]
2005	20,288
2006	11,948
2007	5,569
2008	544
Total	45,385

See also

• Buick GL8 – A Chinese-exclusive minivan, whose first generation served as the basis for the Terraza.

References

1. 1634–1699: McCusker, J. J. (1997). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States: Addenda et Corrigenda (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1700–1799: McCusker, J. J. (1992). How Much Is That in Real Money? A Historical Price Index for Use as a Deflator of Money Values in the Economy of the United States (PDF). American Antiquarian Society. 1800–present: Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis. "Consumer Price Index (estimate) 1800–" . Retrieved February 29, 2024.
2. "Buick Terraza IIHS Crash Tests". Archived from the original on September 27, 2011. Retrieved March 8, 2008.
3. "Velite Coming for Buick - Velite Name Could Stand". Car & Driver. Archived from the original on 2007-06-02. Retrieved 2007-05-31.
4. GM US Data book Auto Intell 2005

External links

• "Buick Terraza: 2007 Buick Terraza Luxury Minivan: CX, CXL". Archived from the original on 2007-08-11. Retrieved 2008-01-17.