Chevrolet's party line on the 2005 Uplander: Its innovative styling combines the best attributes of vans with the bold look of a sport-utility vehicle.'' This is accomplished, according to Chevy, with a long hood and a large, chromed-ringed grille sporting a big Chevy bow tie. In profile, wide roof pillars, 17-inch wheels and tires wider than the typical minivan's are supposed to reinforce the SUV look. Gray molding covers the rocker panels and connects the lower bumper plastic front and rear, "creating an SUV-like skid-plate."

We're not sure about any of this SUV stuff, because to us Uplander just looks like a minivan with a prominent, slightly awkward snout. It won't fool many people. In virtually every respect Uplander is a minivan, with all the many advantages minivans offer, including a low step-in and load lift heights compared to the typical SUV.

One thing that impresses during an Uplander walkaround is the overall quality of its assembly and finish. The seams on our test vehicle matched precisely and consistently, and the paint had a thick, deep luster with very little orange-peel effect. It was among the best we've seen from Chevrolet and as good as any other minivan currently offered, including those known for their build quality.

Few owners absolutely must have power-operated rear sliding doors, but they're something we like and handy in a number of situations. GM actually invented power rear doors years ago, so it's a bit perplexing that those on the Uplander seem a little slow to open, close and lock (as are Nissan's). Perhaps Chevy engineers designed the operating mechanism with safety foremost in their thinking. More likely, they were responding to cautionary intervention from corporate liability attorneys. We were also struck by the lack of any power liftgate assist, despite Uplander's overall high level of standard equipment.

It should be known that the 2005 Uplander is one of four new vans offered by GM's various brands. The Uplander shares its engine, transmission, chassis and general dimensions with the Buick Terraza, Pontiac Montana and Saturn Relay. There are slight styling differences, to be sure, and each division has its own rational as to why its minivan looks like it does and why it will appeal to a certain type of buyer. Whatever the thinking behind each might be, price differences between the four are negligible when comparably equipped.

Unless a buyer has a particular brand loyalty, or is taken by those minor styling differences on one of the minivans, the choice is probably best determined by the quality of the dealership selling the vehicle or the value in the deal cut."

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