I had to go to Dallas, Texas again and went to the usual rental car place.
The only SUV-ish thing they had was a Chevy Uplander. I drove it home 25 miles
and took it back to the rental place the next morning - traded it in on a Saturn
VUE they just got back. I have absolutely nothing good to say about the Uplander.

"=?x-user-defined?Q?=AB?= Paul =?x-user-defined?Q?=BB?=" <"
=?x-user-defined?Q?=AB?= Paul =?x-user-defined?Q?=BB?="@houston.rr.com>
wrote in news:44F13CC5.FD862709@houston.rr.com:

> I had to go to Dallas, Texas again and went to the usual rental car
> place. The only SUV-ish thing they had was a Chevy Uplander. I drove
> it home 25 miles and took it back to the rental place the next morning
> - traded it in on a Saturn VUE they just got back. I have absolutely
> nothing good to say about the Uplander.
>

Yeah, all the Uplander is is an old Chevy Venture (10 year old German
Opel design) with an ugly, ugly, ugly SUV-like front end. The Uplander
is the most hideous vehicle Detroit has put out in a long while. I
can't see why anyone would buy one. I'd rather buy a
Caravan/Windstar/Sienna, etc. before an Uplander. The 1997-2005 Pontiac
Montana/Chevy Ventures were one of the most stylish and beautiful
minivans ever. GM can't leave perfect styling alone. They gotta muck
it up, even if the result is a steaming pile of turds. If they wanted
to change the front of the Montana/Venture, they should have made it
similar to the front of the Equinox.

A lot of these new cars are hideous. A friend of ours just bought a
brand new Buick Rendezvous (same platform/engine as the
Montana/Venture/Equionx). I told him he should have bought a Chevy
Equinox. It's the same vehicle but the Equinox looks much better and is
a lot cheaper. To each his own.

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"grappletech" wrote

> Yeah, all the Uplander is is an old Chevy Venture (10 year old German
> Opel design)

Where do you come up with the assertion that the Chevy
Venture is an Opel design? I'd appreciate it if you would
provide some links to that effect....I need to learn something
new.

> A lot of these new cars are hideous. A friend of ours just bought a
> brand new Buick Rendezvous (same platform/engine as the
> Montana/Venture/Equionx). I told him he should have bought a Chevy
> Equinox. It's the same vehicle but the Equinox looks much better and is
> a lot cheaper. To each his own.

Again.....can you provide some links or actual factual information that
tells us that the Equinox and Rendezvous are the same vehicle (hint: they
are NOT the same vehicle.)

Ian

"shiden_kai" <V-L-M@hotma1l.com> wrote in news:tMsIg.484427$IK3.384899
@pd7tw1no:

>
> "grappletech" wrote
>
>> Yeah, all the Uplander is is an old Chevy Venture (10 year old German
>> Opel design)
>
> Where do you come up with the assertion that the Chevy
> Venture is an Opel design? I'd appreciate it if you would
> provide some links to that effect....I need to learn something
> new.
>
>> A lot of these new cars are hideous. A friend of ours just bought a
>> brand new Buick Rendezvous (same platform/engine as the
>> Montana/Venture/Equionx). I told him he should have bought a Chevy
>> Equinox. It's the same vehicle but the Equinox looks much better and
is
>> a lot cheaper. To each his own.
>
> Again.....can you provide some links or actual factual information
that
> tells us that the Equinox and Rendezvous are the same vehicle (hint:
they
> are NOT the same vehicle.)
>
> Ian
>
>
>


Same platform. The Rendezvous and Equinox and the now defunct Pontiac
Aztec all share the same basic platform which was derived from the 1997
to 2004 Venture/Montana/Silhouette/Opel Sintra platform. The Uplander
and the Buick and Saturn equivalent share this basic platform as well.
But I did check and the Equinox does use the old 3.4 V6 whereas the
Rendezvous and Uplander have the newer 3.5 which is the new GM V6
standard bearer. But the original Chevy Venture/Pontiac Montana/Olds
Silhouette minivans that came out in 1997 was the same van as an Opel
Sintra. I'm not sure if GM or Opel designed it. Maybe a joint project.
According to Wikipedia, GM produced the minivan here and it was sold in
Europe as an Opel Sintra or a Vauxhall Sintra. Opel is a division of
GM, so I guess you can say that the Venture/Montana is not based on an
Opel design but rather the Opel Sintra is BASED on a GM design, or it
could have been a joint design venture. The European version, the
Sintra, didn't use the 3400 V6 but instead used the 2.2 Ecotec engine
with a manual or auto tranny or an Opel designed 3.0 liter DOHC V6.
Europeans like smaller, more fuel effiecient engines due to the pricey
European gasoline.

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"grappletech" wrote

> Same platform. The Rendezvous and Equinox and the now defunct Pontiac
> Aztec all share the same basic platform which was derived from the 1997
> to 2004 Venture/Montana/Silhouette/Opel Sintra platform

Ah....typical person who talks out of their ass instead of
out of their mouth. You are wrong!

The Equinox is neither the same vehicle...nor is it the same
platform. I doubt you have access to the GM online manuals,
but if you do...you can easily note that the platforms are
different. Of course, I know this because I stand underneath
these vehicles and work on them all day long.

> According to Wikipedia, GM produced the minivan here and it was sold in
> Europe as an Opel Sintra or a Vauxhall Sintra. Opel is a division of
> GM, so I guess you can say that the Venture/Montana is not based on an
> Opel design but rather the Opel Sintra is BASED on a GM design

Hey....look at that. You were wrong when you simply "asserted" that
those vans were Opel designs. Wouldn't it be better to simply know
what you are talking about....or just keep your mouth shut.

Sorry if this seems harsh....I just can't stand it when people make
assertions about things that are not correct.

Ian

grappletech wrote:

> Same platform. The Rendezvous and Equinox and the now defunct Pontiac
> Aztec all share the same basic platform which was derived from the 1997
> to 2004 Venture/Montana/Silhouette/Opel Sintra platform. The Uplander
> and the Buick and Saturn equivalent share this basic platform as well.

Yeah, the original were such a success that they changed the names with
the 2005 refresh. GM's minivans are now so far behind the competitive
curve as to be an embarrassment.

"shiden_kai" <V-L-M@hotma1l.com> wrote in news:x0uIg.471963$Mn5.266104
@pd7tw3no:

>
> "grappletech" wrote
>
>> Same platform. The Rendezvous and Equinox and the now defunct
Pontiac
>> Aztec all share the same basic platform which was derived from the
1997
>> to 2004 Venture/Montana/Silhouette/Opel Sintra platform
>
> Ah....typical person who talks out of their ass instead of
> out of their mouth. You are wrong!
>
> The Equinox is neither the same vehicle...nor is it the same
> platform. I doubt you have access to the GM online manuals,
> but if you do...you can easily note that the platforms are
> different. Of course, I know this because I stand underneath
> these vehicles and work on them all day long.
>
>> According to Wikipedia, GM produced the minivan here and it was sold
in
>> Europe as an Opel Sintra or a Vauxhall Sintra. Opel is a division of
>> GM, so I guess you can say that the Venture/Montana is not based on
an
>> Opel design but rather the Opel Sintra is BASED on a GM design
>
> Hey....look at that. You were wrong when you simply "asserted" that
> those vans were Opel designs. Wouldn't it be better to simply know
> what you are talking about....or just keep your mouth shut.
>
> Sorry if this seems harsh....I just can't stand it when people make
> assertions about things that are not correct.
>
> Ian
>
>
>

Ok, I was wrong. I admit it. But my overarching point still stands.
The Uplander is an ugly vehicle. I hope GM starts producing mostly
attractive cars for a change. Well, a lot of cars have been ugly
lately. all the new Toyotas are ugly.....ick...........I think Ford and
Chrysler has GM beat in the styling dept. these days. About the best
looking domestic cars produced now are the Windstar minivans, Chrysler
minivans, Malibu, G6 Pontiac, Dodge Stratus/Sebring, in my humble
opinion. Whatever happened to clean, nicely shaped cars? It seems that
they're constantly trying to come up with the most radical possible
design, even if it's ugly as sin.

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In article <1156719769_17871@sp6iad.superfeed.net>,
grappletech <noone@removenowhere.biz> wrote:

> A lot of these new cars are hideous. A friend of ours just bought a
> brand new Buick Rendezvous (same platform/engine as the
> Montana/Venture/Equionx). I told him he should have bought a Chevy
> Equinox. It's the same vehicle but the Equinox looks much better and is
> a lot cheaper. To each his own.
Look underneath from the rear first.
Very little ground clearance under the rear suspension.
I wouldn't take it on some dirt roads I've taken a std. mid sized car on.
SUV- TRASH!

In article <1156743883_22343@sp6iad.superfeed.net>,
grappletech <noone@removenowhere.biz> wrote:

> Whatever happened to clean, nicely shaped cars? It seems that
> they're constantly trying to come up with the most radical possible
> design, even if it's ugly as sin.
I agree with you on ugly vehicles.
I nominate the Chrysler 300 and Audi as near the top of the list.
Who told Chrysler we didn't like windows large enough to see the view?

Toyotas aren't too bad, the recent new models are slightly better.

Paulie wrote : I got nothing good to say about the Uplander.



Not even the issue about the arm out the window thing?



harryface
( Who rode in a Vue last week. Hard, cloth seats )