Name Game

Do you want to know a secret?

The vehicles tested in Petoskey, MI, with two sliding doors, a roof rack, a snubbed nose and 7-passenger seating is really a minivan, not a “crossover sport van.” But don't tell General Motors Corp., or any potential buyer who might climb behind the wheel.

In an effort to shake off one of the auto industry's worst stereotypes, the updated '05 minivans from GM have been renamed crossover sport vans by the auto maker. The public likely won't buy into the new naming strategy, but will they purchase GM's minivans instead of an offering from competitors?

It's a tough sale for two reasons: There is no fold-into-the-floor third-row seat and not enough horsepower. Those features are key in the segment, and the SUV-like styling probably won't be enough to entice consumers.

There are four new crossover sport vans — aw, forget it, let's just call them minivans — from GM. The Uplander replaces the Venture at Chevy. Pontiac is dropping the Montana for the Montana SV6. And there are first-ever offerings by Buick and Saturn called the Terraza and Relay, respectively, which were recently reviewed in Petoskey.

Buick and Saturn should have offered minivans years ago. Now they are arriving late to a segment that has hit a plateau. Pricing for the Terraza starts high for the segment at $28,825 for the base CX model and goes up to $34,570 for the CXL with all-wheel drive.

The Saturn vans come in two trim levels, Relay 2 and Relay 3 (what happened to Relay 1?). They are overpriced, starting at $24,485 and topping out at $30,570 for Relay 3. All prices include destination charges.

The vans are powered by an outdated 200-hp 3.5L overhead-valve V-6 mated to a 4-speed automatic gearbox. There are solid competitors with excellent quality reputations that offer more contemporary overhead-cam engines with more horsepower and 5-speed transmissions, namely the Toyota Sienna and Honda Odyssey, for similar money. The base Relay costs $510 less than the entry-level Odyssey.

Despite the horsepower deficiency, the Terraza and Relay offer respectable low-end torque but quickly run out of breath.

While GM significantly updated the chassis, the undercarriage still is the auto maker's GMT190 platform, which debuted in 1997. From the A-pillar forward, however, the structure largely has been redesigned to accommodate the new front end. GM says it also improved crash worthiness.

The Terraza makes a better case of justifying its price tag than the Relay. The Buick is equipped with an independent rear suspension (IRS) with automatic load leveling for front-wheel-drive and AWD models. The Relay only employs the feature on its AWD offering. Without the IRS, the ride is less balanced, and there is noticeable body roll.

The Terraza's cabin benefits from chrome accents and attractive stitching on the door panels. Both minivans, however, feel cramped inside. The overall width of Terraza and Relay is roughly 5 ins. (12.7 cm) narrower than other key minivan competitors.

But the minivans use every nook and cranny for storage. There are 34 cargo spaces, as well as 12 cupholders.