[jwrebholz]

I thought the 3500 had enough power to get the van motivated. It's no hot-rod but it moved OK. I didn't notice any jerkiness or an oversensitive throttle, either. (I suspect the author MAY have had a problem with his test car--is the Buick drive-by-wire?) The transmission is a good match for the engine and shifts smoothly most of the time. Wind noise wasn't a noticeable problem for me, but then again with the car I normally drive I've kinda learned to tune out wind and road noise to a degree. The interior though is a nice place to be, much better than it was in the past (I'm actually rather proud of GM for making such great progress in interior design. They've come a long way and it shows in every new model)

Other than that, I have to say I basically agree with the article. The CSVs are adequate for most people's needs, but they're certainly nothing special. There is one other issue the author failed to mention--that despite those mediocre designs, the GM minivans have still managed to sell rather briskly. I saw the Dustbusters all over the place when they were recent, I saw Ventures/Montanas all over when they were new (and still see plenty), and I'm sure in time I'll see plenty of Uplanders/etc. around.

(Note: I drove an Uplander, not a Buick)