Reasonably good handling in-town and on highway. Adequate power, even when pulling my Ranger bassboat. InstaTrac 4WD a real asset on slippery boat ramps, as well as on icy or wet surfaces. Most comfortable seats (front) of any SUV I've owned, and this is my seventh. Pretty good value because of the many standard "options". Very reliable, so far. Fairly good mileage for an SUV. Mine has 31K on it now.

Turning radius is noticeably longer than some of my previous SUV's. Limited comfort for rear seat passengers, also limited luggage space, as compared to the full-size competition.

I believe I paid about $26k + change when I got it new. I think it offers a taste of luxury and smooth ride not found in other SUV's under $30k. I do recommend it.

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'95 Bravada was a little smaller, but also was reliable. I've had a Jeep Grand Cherokee and three K-5 Blazers (full-size), and I like the Bravada better than any of those.

None

Within two weeks of purchasing new, transmission problems started. Took to the dealership only to hear "we've had problems with that". They replaced something and it seemed fine. A few months later while traveling down the freeway, the front drivers side tire exploded due to a defect. Dealership replaced tire and alum. rim at no charge. Shortly after, the car is leaning to the passenger side at approx. 2-3 inches low, and the trim on the rear wheel well is loose. They then repaired the torsion bar in the front end because the screw had backed out. On the way home from the dealership, the car vibrates at 70 mph. Now, at 20,000 miles, the car has been at the dealership for the last 4 days because "they've had a problem with that, too" and the transfer case is being replaced. I am tired of wasting my time at the dealer to repair defects that GM knew existed. I would never complain about little things like "lack of storage" or "cup holders" because such issues are evident when you select a vehicle. I am now concerned about the lack of reliability and unsafe conditions that this car has exposed me to. What happened to ISO/QS900???It appears to be nothing but a mob-like quality training group blessed by GM, Ford and Chrysler. They have been extremely profitable strongarming automotive suppliers to subscribe to their methods or else! (with a very high pricetag). So far, I have seen nothing but deteriorating quality at a greater expense to the consumer.

List 34k, paid 28k with a discount. I am 47 years old, and have always taken very good care of my vehicles. No off road, no hard driving, all regular maintenance. I have purchased GM products for the past 30 years (all brands) and have clearly seen a decline in quality that is dangerous and unforgiveable. This is the last GM product I will purchase, regardless of my discount. I am now looking at BMW, Audi and other comparable models in search of quality, reliability and service policies. I would not recommend any GM product again without several years of favorable consumer testimonials. GM's cost cutting manufacturing methods have clearly produced inferior products, sacrificing quality and customer satisfaction for increased revenue. This lack of ethics within a powerful company has set a standard that America is emulating: "pay more, expect less". This obvious misuse of power is forcing their most loyal customers to seek out a more trustworthy competitor. How soon they forget the lessons of the past.

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Had a 96 Tahoe, sold it to an employee that is trying to sell it now. I replaced the transmission at 30,000 miles, he has put an additional 30,000 miles on it and has replaced the transmission two more times! He's also replaced exhaust from the manifold back at 50,000. How does it compare? Very similar in major defects.

Looks...The way it handles and rides.

Hump in right front floor...

A very good looking SUV with a lot of extra standard..

Also not bad gas mpg.

In three years only one problem and the dealer took care of it.

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Best front seats in any SUV. Nice interior. Fairly uncommon on the East coast. Comes loaded for the price. Excellent gas milege for SUV. Handles like a good car, not like a truck. Pretty darn reliable.

Engine lacks "oomph". Still looks a lot like a Blazer (new paint schemes alleviate this somewhat). Not much in the way of towing power. Mushy brakes. Not the greatest for off road even with skid plate package.

I picked mine up December 1997 for a little over 30k with some dickering, in Fairfax, Virginia. In June of 1998 I drove it across country to Denver, Colorado, and I've been here ever since. I've put quite a few miles on it - 47k in just 2 years - and I have to say, I'm pretty impressed with how reliable it is. The worst problem I've had was when I bottomed out on a rock (yes, a "luxury" SUV driver who takes his off-road!:) and blew out the electronic transfer case. It still ran, but stayed in 2 wheel drive mode. Even though it was totally my fault, I was a little dissapointed in Olds - the Bravada has a skid plate package that would have prevented the damage, except the skid plates don't cover the x-fer case for some bizzare reason. Maybe this is fixed in the newer models.
That said, it's never broken down or required a lot of expensive maintenance. I drive it a lot and take it off road a fair bit and it always performs well. Granted, off road it isn't a Hummer, but then it wasn't intended to be. I've yet to get it stuck camping in the rocky mountains. On pavement it is very car-like in terms of handling and road noise - this is meant in a good way. The Bravada comes with tons of little options, like heated leather seats, trip computer, leather trim, power sunroof, etc, that make it feel like a much more expensive vehicle inside. The front seats are in my opinion the BEST seats in any SUV - heck, it beats most cars! The stock CD stereo is pretty decent too, although I ended up replacing mine.

On the bad side, the V6, while competent, feels sluggish, especially at Denver's high altitude. This is somewhat mitigated by the fact that my average total gas mileage after 2 years is 19mpg - that is a hell of a lot better than I got with the Ford Explorer V8.
Rear seating and storage space is only average - having the split window/lift gate is a real convienance getting stuff in the back though. Then again, it is only supposed to be a midsize. Also, after two years some of the interior is starting to get a little "loose", such as the interior door trim, etc. I've had it detailed 3 or 4 times, and the people that do it usually fix it, but it always returns.

One last thing I will say about the Olds - it originally did not come with a rear seat light if you had a power sunroof installed. This may seem like a small thing, but at night you couldn't see anything at all in the back. Olds, to their everlasting credit, sent every Bravada owner mail allowing them to bring the vehicle into any Olds dealer and have a light kit installed free of charge. Now that was a classy move, one I'd like to see other automakers follow.

Over all, I think the Bravada is a sweet deal. If you can pick one up for under 30k, I'd do it - I tried every vehicle in its class, even the Durango.

Ix

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Ford Explorer.

-Comfortable seats
-looks nice
-rides good for a 4wd
-comes with nice options that you usually have to pay for

-hump in passenger side floor

I love this vehicle, it handles great in snow and ice. When I lived in Iowa it got around great, and the heated seats really helped with the sub-zero temperatures. I haven't had any problems with it at all. We drove it from Iowa to Texas with no problems and we were very comfortable the whole way.

I would recommend this vehicle to anyone. It looks good inside and out. It is fun to drive and has alot of room for hauling.

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This vehicle is so quiet inside that when the latch on my purse rattles, it sounds like a cannon. Gas mileage so far has been very good ~18MPG (Cdn Gallon) which is great considering we drive almost exclusively in city rush hour traffic. I find this vehicle very easy to drive thanks to the tight turning radius, the height of the vehicle, and the large side mirrors. I also like the fact that this SUV is longer and wider than your standard mid-size SUV. This makes it easier for those trips to the lumberyard or hardware store where you need to pick up large items. The back seats are also very easy to fold down.

None yet.

This vehicle has it all- great performance, superior looks, quality, comfort and handling. The 270HP really shows when you need to accelerate past those other SUVs during rush hour. The standard features included in this vehicle are endless and we find them very useful. We purchased our Bravada with the optional Bose sound system and the sunroof. This sound system is awesome and we're enjoying the sunroof too. The air conditioning system cools the vehicle very quickly. We love driving this vehicle!!

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We test drove the Mercedes ML320 and the Jeep Grand Cherokee Ltd. The handling and comfort level of the Bravada is very similar to the Mercedes, but we liked the looks of the Bravada better. We liked the appearance of the Jeep but the handling, performance and comfort weren't as good as the Bravada.

Comfort, extras, leather interior

Front end problem

I bought my car three months ago and last month I started noticing that there was a popping noise while I turned the wheel to the left at low speeds. I have read several other reviews of this veheicle that there is a lot of people having problems with the ball joints going bad. I took it back to the dealership and they replaced the ball joints free eventhough my warranty had expired. The mech. at the dealership informed me that this is a problem with these vehicles that GMC is aware of and they should not go bad on a three year old truck. I hope they don't go bad again after my two year extended warranty expires because thats $600 worth of repair.

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GMC Envoy

Ride and handling on and off road. Heated seats, great stereo, good power and not bad fuel economy on the highway(20-25mpg). Auto four wheel drive that actually works. Dependabilty!

In town fuel economy- 12 miles to the gallon-tops, and most often around 9.
Stay out of mud, it sinks like a rock, probably tires (OEM Uniroyals).
Maintenance can be excessive, (5000 mile differential drain and fill? You got to be nuts!, but it gives me something to do on saturdays).

I like this truck, it's dependable, comfortable and maintainable. I have had no troubles and it's only been to the dealer for scheduled services since I've owned it. Gas mileage could be improved, but it isn't the worst I have seen. Oldsmobile is to be commended for their quality control and attention to creature comforts on this vehicle. This vehicle does very well in deep snow (over the bumper drifts) and not badly in axle deep water. I highly recommend this vehicle and, if they are still being made when I feel it time for a new one I will certainly puchase another.

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I had a 96 chevy S-10, Have driven lots of 4x4's,jeeps, hummers, fords, dodges. There is no comparison, the Bravada is King for all around comfort with acceptable performance. As a note for GM, I WILL NEVER BUY ANOTHER CHEVY!!! Oldsmobile cares about quality, and it shows. The reverse also showed and quickly. If you want a very good vehicle, the Bravada is worth your time and money.

Solid and smooth ride, leather, very comfortable.

SQUEAKS and RATTLES! If there is any reason I don't buy another GM, it will be because of the cheap plastics that GM uses... I hope they get better. Poor city gas milage. Did I mention squeaks and rattles?

I bought this car with 11,000 miles on it after it was a GM program car. I don't even like SUVs, but I saw it one the lot and got it for a great deal. The thing was squeaky clean, but had the front bumper touched up before I got it - tons of overspray; must have just needed to get it out on the lot... Anyway, I guess I enjoy the truck. I miss my leased Pontiac Grand Prix GT, but that's why I bought the truck - to get out of my lease. The gas mileage stinks, especially in the city. You're a VERY lucky person if you hit 15MPG in city driving - more like 12 or so with a feather foot. On the highway, I have gotten as much as 24.5 or so which isn't too bad for an SUV. I have had an AC problem, but it was resolved by the dealer in a satisfactory timeframe.

If I bought a truck again, I'd do it, especially with the deal that I got. I have determined, though, that I enjoy cars too much, so this will be my last SUV.

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Chevy S-10 ZR-2