Oldsmobile Bravada

Price Paid:  $30000.00 from White Allen

Summary:
Bought new now has 28,000 miles No major problems. Mine is all wheel drive not 4 wheel drive.

Strengths:
engine peppy - looks good

Weaknesses:
none

Similar Products Used:
blazer - tahoe

Price Paid:  $0.00

Year / Model Reviewed:
2002 Oldsmobile bravada

Summary:
I bought the vehicle used with 47K on it. I owned it for 8 months before it started going downhill. First, changed transfer case fluid ($280), replace several lights, fuel pump(which left me stranded on I-80, $115), replaced something with the suspension $250), have had problems putting it in gear from park, clicking in my dash, which we don't know what it is, now..I am replacing the transfer case fluid for the second time after 8 months. It seems to me like this bravada is a money pit.

Strengths:
Looks nice, rides great, has everything you want in a vehicle as far a features. Love the heated seats.

Weaknesses:
Doesn't shift all that great, don't trust the AWD.

Similar Products Used:
Ford Explorer

Price Paid:  $32000.00

Year / Model Reviewed:
2002 Bravada

Summary:
So far it's a great truck. I love the space and the utility of it. I can't wait for the weather to get warmer so I can go camping and biking. I drive 70 miles a day round trip to work. This truck is always calm cool and collected. So far I am happy with my Bravada. The price hike was kind of greedy on GM's part since the Infiniti QX4 is a few hundred less. But the Bravada has more standard features. I just can't put Olds and Infiniti in the same class. I'd recommend it.

Strengths:
This SUV is LOADED and its all standard! Standards include leather interior, CD/Tape deck, steering wheel touch controls for the stereo, climate control, and driver information center. Few options include heated seats, sunroof, rain-sensing wipers... The SmartTrak All-Wheel-Drive system is convenient in that it works automatically without buttons or levers. It's way classier than the new TrailBlazer. It is a beautiful SUV with a car-like cushy ride.

Weaknesses:
The climate control fan: when its on high, it sounds like my old 83 Cutlass Ciera 4 cyl when there was a hole in the muffler. Fuel economy: they claimed it was a great improvement over the old Bravada, but it's really 1 mpg better (16/21 vs last year's 15/20). I am afraid of how it will handle off-road. I'll find out this summer when I go camping. The performance is not phenomenal, but maybe thats just because I'm just used to my Alero.

Similar Products Used:
2001 Bravda: oh my god can you say improvement?!?! If you thought the 2001 had a cushy ride, check out the 2002 with the new rear air suspension. The handling is far greater and the whole thing seems more structurally sound. This is much better quality than the old Bravada.

Price Paid:  $32000.00

Summary:
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!!

Strengths:
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.

Weaknesses:
None yet.

Similar Products Used:
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.

Price Paid:  $36000.00

Summary:
This is a great smooth riding product with plenty of interior room for 5 adults plus a rather large rear storage trunk area. It compares very favorably to the products listed above in terms of quality, performance, ride, and interior space.

Strengths:
Most everything is standard ... the 2002 has a new frame, a straight 6cyl. vortec engine with 270 horsepower, leather interior, moon roof, 6 stack premium Bose stereo system, Smart Track, towing package, rain sensing wipers, etc. The vehicle has great accerleration, but the best ever is the ride. It's like floating on clouds.

Weaknesses:
Driver cup holders, rear a/c fan noise, maybe too many bells & whistles.

Similar Products Used:
Toyota Seq. & Highlander, Dodge Grand Caravan EX & Durango, GMC Envoy & Tahoe.