With primary season upon us, Buick enters the SUV race with a candidate not unlike General Wesley Clark. General Clark, you’ll remember, led NATO forces in Kosovo. In his delayed bid for the Democratic presidential nomination, he’s been a credible critic of the Bush Administration and its entrance into Iraq. In short, he enters the race (late) with a multitude of credentials, but without a lot of swagger.

The same might be said for Buick’s newest SUV, dubbed Rainier (and isn’t that a sweet, off-in-the-distance image?). While everyone from Acura to Volvo was firmly established in the SUV genre, the folks at Buick had been flailing around with a minivan-based wannabe, the Rendezvous. The good news: Buick’s Rainier appears to be worth the wait. It’s built atop the well-received TrailBlazer/Envoy platform, and Buick’s design team has somewhat morphed the now-defunct Olds Bravada sheet metal into a reasonable rendition of a Buick offspring. Buick’ s trademark ovoid grill is added in front, flared lips over the wheel wells seem more pronounced, and the rear hatch looks as Buick-like as something called a rear hatch can. In combination with eight-spoke alloys, the overall effect is upscale without falling into the trap we call "overdone."

Inside, the Buick team has done a nice job for its intended audience. The instrument panel incorporates an optional nav/audio system, and the overall look is several notches above the layout gracing (if that’s the word) Chevy’s TrailBlazer. Interestingly, we find the gauge treatment on GMC’s Envoy a trifle more upscale, but Buick’s more discreet treatment probably works better for Buick loyalists. Seats, covered in perforated leather, have all the lateral support of your mother’s sofa, but then, we’re not buying the Rainier for autocrossing, are we?

Behind the wheel there are few surprises, and in this segment, there shouldn’t be surprises. Steering is reasonably quick but ultimately benign. Turn the wheel, turn your head, and soon enough the Rainier will follow. Again, we didn’t attempt to establish its lateral limits, but handling is composed for the midsize segment, while the ride is exceptional among other domestic, truck-based competitors. Credit the Bilstein shocks (with "luxury ride") and a load-leveling rear air suspension.

Under the hood, you’ve got your choice: a 4.2-liter inline six is standard, delivering 275 horsepower and 275 lb-ft of torque. In our experience, this is one very competent powerplant, combining electric-like operation with enough power and torque to do most things required of an SUV. If, however, you’ve just got to spend more money, check the V8 box and benefit from GM’s 5.3-liter V8. Although the horsepower increase is negligible (up to 290), the torque figure jumps to 325. In combination with a 3.73 rear axle ratio, 2WD Rainiers can tow up to 6,700 pounds without wilting, more than enough for the big boat, big trailer and big husband.

With our V8-equipped test vehicle, the Rainier demonstrated all the comfort one could hope for in a truck-based, five-passenger SUV. Riding atop its 113-inch wheel base, the Rainier seems right-sized for parking situations, while large enough to avoid giving much away to the full-size segment. Finished in platinum metallic with medium pewter interior, it’s not too much of a stretch to imagine Tiger Woods buying one for himself.