Buick Terraza: which version to buy (2005–2007)
The Buick Terraza existed as one generation of Minivan from 2005-01-01 to 2007-12-31, with three versions: 3.5 AT FWD (203 hp), 3.5 AT AWD (203 hp), and 3.9 AT FWD (237 hp). All three share the same production window, the same Automatic 4-speed gearbox, the same 1850 kg kerb weight, the same 95 L tank, and the same 165 mm ground clearance.
Buick Terraza: which version to buy (2005–2007)
The Buick Terraza existed as one generation of Minivan from 2005-01-01 to 2007-12-31, with three versions: 3.5 AT FWD (203 hp), 3.5 AT AWD (203 hp), and 3.9 AT FWD (237 hp). All three share the same production window, the same Automatic 4-speed gearbox, the same 1850 kg kerb weight, the same 95 L tank, and the same 165 mm ground clearance. The buying choice is therefore not “which generation,” but which of those three drivetrain packages you need: extra traction, extra power, or the lowest measured fuel use.
Buick Terraza versions compared (2005, 2006, 2007)
There is only 1 generation. A 2005 Buick Terraza, a 2006 Buick Terraza, and a 2007 Buick Terraza sit in the same generation and the same Minivan body. Year of build does not change the spec sheet in this data: every listed version starts 2005-01-01 and stops 2007-12-31. Searching “2005 Buick Terraza specs,” “2006 Buick Terraza specs,” or “2007 Buick Terraza specs” points at the same three rows.
What does change between those rows is engine size, drive, 0–100, top speed, fuel figures, and gross weight.
Engine: 3.5 AT vs 3.9 AT
Both 3.5 AT rows use the same Gasoline V-shaped 6-cylinder, 2 valves per cylinder, no boost, front transverse, distributed injection (multi-point), 3498 cm³, 203 hp / 149 kW at 5200 rpm, 298 Nm at 4400 rpm, compression 9.8, bore and stroke 94 × 84, fuel 92.
The 3.9 AT is also Gasoline, V-shaped 6, 2 valves per cylinder, no boost, front transverse, distributed injection (multi-point), fuel 92, Automatic 4, FWD — but the engine is 3900 cm³, 237 hp / 174 kW at 6000 rpm, 324 Nm at 4800 rpm. Compression ratio: not measured. Bore and stroke: not measured.
Arithmetic on those engines:
- Displacement: 3.9 AT is 402 cm³ larger than 3.5 AT (3900 − 3498).
- Power: 3.9 AT is 34 hp and 25 kW stronger (237 − 203; 174 − 149).
- Torque: 3.9 AT is 26 Nm stronger (324 − 298).
- Power per litre: 3.5 AT is 203 / 3.498 ≈ 58.0 hp per litre; 3.9 AT is 237 / 3.900 ≈ 60.8 hp per litre — about 2.8 hp/L more specific output.
- Torque per litre: 3.5 AT is 298 / 3.498 ≈ 85.2 Nm/L; 3.9 AT is 324 / 3.900 ≈ 83.1 Nm/L — the smaller engine is slightly denser in torque per litre.
- Peak rpm: the 3.5 AT makes peak power 800 rpm earlier (5200 vs 6000) and peak torque 400 rpm earlier (4400 vs 4800).
If the search is “Buick Terraza engine,” “2005 Buick Terraza engine,” “2006 Buick Terraza engine,” or “2007 Buick Terraza engine,” the catalogue answer is: two displacements, one gearbox type, one cylinder layout, no boost on any row. Firing order and engine diagram are not measured in this data. Tire size is not measured.
Specs table (all versions)
| Version | Drive | hp | Nm | cm³ | Fuel | Cylinders / layout | Boost | Gearbox | 0–100 | Top speed |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| 3.5 AT | FWD | 203 | 298 | 3498 | Gasoline (92) | 6, V-shaped | No | Automatic 4 | 11 s | 180 |
| 3.5 AT | AWD | 203 | 298 | 3498 | Gasoline (92) | 6, V-shaped | No | Automatic 4 | 11 s | 180 |
| 3.9 AT | FWD | 237 | 324 | 3900 | Gasoline (92) | 6, V-shaped | No | Automatic 4 | 9.3 s | 175 |
CO₂: not measured on all three. Eco class: not measured on all three.
Performance: what the extra 34 hp actually buys
3.5 AT FWD and 3.5 AT AWD both reach 100 km/h in 11 s and 180 km/h top speed. Drive type does not change those two numbers in this data.
3.9 AT reaches 100 km/h in 9.3 s — 1.7 s faster than either 3.5 AT (11 − 9.3). That is the only measured acceleration gain in the catalogue.
Top speed goes the other way: 3.9 AT is limited to 175 versus 180 on both 3.5 AT rows (5 km/h less). Buying the larger engine buys a shorter 0–100, not a higher listed maximum.
Weight per horsepower (kerb 1850 kg on every version):
- 3.5 AT (either drive): 1850 / 203 ≈ 9.11 kg per hp
- 3.9 AT: 1850 / 237 ≈ 7.81 kg per hp — about 1.31 kg/hp lighter loading
If the question is “which Terraza feels less burdened by its own mass,” the numbers point at 3.9 AT. If the question is “which Terraza is listed as the fastest in a straight line at the limiter,” both 3.5 AT rows win by 5 km/h.
MPG / fuel use: FWD 3.5 AT vs AWD 3.5 AT vs 3.9 AT
Only the two 3.5 AT versions have measured consumption.
3.5 AT FWD: city 13.3, highway 8.8, mixed 11.3 L/100 km. 3.5 AT AWD: city 13.8, highway 9.5, mixed 11.9 L/100 km.
AWD costs, on this sheet:
- +0.5 L/100 km in the city (13.8 − 13.3)
- +0.7 L/100 km on the highway (9.5 − 8.8)
- +0.6 L/100 km mixed (11.9 − 11.3)
With the shared 95 L tank, mixed range is about 95 / 11.3 × 100 ≈ 841 km on 3.5 AT FWD versus 95 / 11.9 × 100 ≈ 798 km on 3.5 AT AWD — roughly 43 km less per tank for AWD. Highway-only range: 95 / 8.8 × 100 ≈ 1080 km FWD versus 95 / 9.5 × 100 ≈ 1000 km AWD.
3.9 AT: city, highway, and mixed consumption are not measured. Do not treat the 3.5 figures as if they applied to the 3.9. A 2005 / 2006 / 2007 Buick Terraza CXL mpg search cannot be answered from this data either: CXL is not a version name here, and mpg for 3.9 AT is not measured.
Fuel type is 92 on all three. There is no diesel and no hybrid in the list.
Weight, dimensions, tank
Kerb weight is 1850 kg on 3.5 AT FWD, 3.5 AT AWD, and 3.9 AT. A 2005 / 2006 / 2007 Buick Terraza curb-weight search returns the same number for every year and every version in this set.
Gross weight is not the same:
- 3.5 AT FWD: 2185 kg
- 3.5 AT AWD: 2170 kg (15 kg less than FWD 3.5)
- 3.9 AT: 2110 kg (75 kg less than FWD 3.5; 60 kg less than AWD 3.5)
Payload from kerb to gross:
- 3.5 AT FWD: 2185 − 1850 = 335 kg
- 3.5 AT AWD: 2170 − 1850 = 320 kg
- 3.9 AT: 2110 − 1850 = 260 kg
The strongest engine is listed with the smallest payload window. If the use case is maximum listed load, 3.5 AT FWD is the one with 335 kg; 3.9 AT is 75 kg behind it.
Ground clearance: 165 mm on all three. Tank: 95 L on all three. Wheel / tire size: not measured on all three. Independent spring front and rear, disc front and rear, on all three.
Which Buick Terraza version to choose
There is no second generation to “wait for.” The comparison is only among 3.5 AT FWD, 3.5 AT AWD, and 3.9 AT.
Choose 3.5 AT FWD (203 hp) if measured economy and listed payload matter more than traction or 0–100. It is the only version with mixed 11.3 L/100 km, highway 8.8, city 13.3, 180 km/h, 11 s to 100, and 335 kg from kerb to gross. It is the cheapest-to-run on the numbers we have, because AWD is thirstier and 3.9 AT consumption is not measured.
Choose 3.5 AT AWD (203 hp) if the extra drive is the point. Power, 0–100 (11 s), top speed (180), kerb (1850 kg), tank (95 L), and clearance (165 mm) match the FWD 3.5 AT. What you pay in figures is +0.6 L/100 km mixed, about 43 km less mixed range, and 15 kg less gross (2170 vs 2185), so 15 kg less payload (320 vs 335). Same engine, same Automatic 4, same years.
Choose 3.9 AT (237 hp) if 0–100 is the priority. It is 1.7 s quicker to 100 (9.3 vs 11), 34 hp and 26 Nm up, and about 1.31 kg/hp less mass per horsepower — but top speed is 5 km/h lower (175 vs 180), payload is the smallest (260 kg), and city / highway / mixed mpg are not measured. Drive is FWD only; there is no AWD 3.9 AT in this data.
Do not choose by model year (2005 vs 2006 vs 2007) on this sheet: start and stop dates are identical for all three versions. Do not choose by “CXL” here: the catalogue names are 3.5 AT and 3.9 AT only. Reliability, problems, interior layout, tire size, firing order, and a Buick Terraza vs Chevrolet Uplander comparison are not measured in this dataset; they are not implied by the spec rows.
Short rule from the arithmetic: FWD 3.5 AT for measured mpg and payload; AWD 3.5 AT for the same 203 hp engine with AWD and a known 0.6 L/100 km mixed penalty; 3.9 AT for 237 hp and 9.3 s — with consumption not measured and the smallest gross-weight margin.