Buick's all-new Rendezvous crosses over all the lines that used to separate sedans, minivans, and sport-utility vehicles. The word "crossover" is now becoming a word, as manufacturers are no longer putting quotation marks around it. No matter what you decide to call it, the Buick Rendezvous is well-priced and easy to like.

The 2002 Buick Rendezvous is versatile, seating five to seven passengers. It's nicely styled. It has fine manners on the highway, a benefit of its unibody construction normally associated with sedans. At the same time, the four-wheel-drive version can cope with gnarly weather and marginal off-highway tracks with dignity. The three-row interior compares favorably with costlier vehicles.

There is much to like here in terms of engineering, flexibility, and appearance.