'96 Oldsmobile Bravada - Long-Term Wrap-Up

In this business, not many vehicles get a second chance to make a first impression. One of the lucky few is the Oldsmobile Bravada. Olds resurrected the Bravada for '96 after stopping production on the first generation of its upscale compact sport/utility at the end of '94. That hiatus resulted from softer-than-expected sales coupled with the fact that the division's top brass were working on a deal that would've seen a revised/rebadged Isuzu Trooper serve as donor platform for a successor vehicle. When that program fell through, Olds opted to base its Gen II Bravada on the new and vastly improved Blazer/Jimmy platform introduced for '95. In addition to benefiting from all of the structural and powertrain upgrades found in its Chevrolet and GMC counterparts, the Bravada received numerous other Oldsmobile-specific changes befitting its premium character. Shortly after its reappearance, we opted to put one of these elegant on/off-roaders into our Motor Trend long-term test fleet.

Complementing its 4.3-liter/190-horsepower V-6 engine, four-speed automatic transmission, and sophisticated SmartTrak all-wheel-drive hardware, this all-terrain Olds boasts a massive roster of standard equipment that includes leather upholstery; cast-aluminum wheels mounting 235/70SR15 all-season tires; a power driver's seat; air conditioning; power windows/door locks/mirrors; keyless remote entry; tilt steering column; cruise control; overhead console with trip computer, compass, and outside air temperature readout; an external luggage rack; and lots more.

For '96, the Bravada carried a base price of $29,505. Sole option on our long-termer was the upgraded sound system, which replaces the standard AM/FM/cassette headpiece with an AM/FM/single-slot CD unit. That $124 extra plus $490 in destination fees brought its sticker to $30,119. Our survey respondents paid slightly less: $29,562, if you exclude the group of GM employees who qualified for corporate discounts that trimmed their bottom-line costs by an additional $1500.

As might be expected, Olds aimed the Bravada at mature, well-educated, and relatively affluent buyers. The majority of owners we heard from definitely fell into that category. Average buyer age was 51, 54 percent were 50 or over, and 38.8 percent claimed an annual household income in the six-figure category.

A number of considerations were cited in response to the question about general purchase motivations, including performance, looks/style, comfort, and luxury. But far and away, the two primary specific buying rationales given were prior ownership of a Bravada and its all-wheel-drive configuration. Fully 35.2 percent of our respondents had owned an original Bravada, which sold just under 45,000 total units from its introduction in mid-'91 to the end of production buildout.

So how did this new Bravada meet up with owner expectations? Pretty well, overall, although quite a few respondents found specific functional areas in need of improvement. Our staff evaluators viewed it in a similar light, and there too, the plusses generally outweighed the minuses.

First, the upside: No less than 90 percent of our survey group awarded the Bravada excellent or good marks in the performance, handling, ride comfort, build quality, and fun-to-drive categories. There was no shortage of sentiments like those of a 55-year-old retiree from Michigan who praised his Bravada for "never failing to take me wherever I needed to go with absolute security." Sales and service practices also earned kudos from most owners, with a notably high percentage bestowing excellent ratings on their dealers in both categories.

On the downside, a number of owners echoed our own logbook entries regarding the modest level of lateral and lumbar support in the front buckets and the rather grim "knees-to-chin" seating position in the aft quarters, the result of the lower cushion of the rear bench being located too close to the floor. Several complained of difficulty in seeing transmission quadrant markings in the center console display and of the rather large protrusions on either side of the console, which diminished useable space in the footwells. Along with that latter beef, our staff drivers also panned the Bravada's interior for a bit of "design schizophrenia," symptomized by leather seat coverings and decent faux wood trim standing in stark contrast to a dash that, while offering legible instrumentation, nonetheless screams with cheap plastic (a welcome interior makeover arrives for '98).

During our year in the Bravada, we logged more than 24,000 evaluation miles, nearly triple the odometer figure reported by the owners. Its multiple commuter stints were punctuated by several extended vacation trips, the longest being a 3500-mile sojourn through Nevada, Utah, Colorado, and Northern California. Logbook notes from that two-week trek were overwhelmingly upbeat, specifically praising the Bravada for its capable climate control and sound system, as well as the ability of its workhorse V-6 engine, which possessed sufficient grunt to propel this upline sport/ute though the highest mountain passes with relative ease.

Even when engaged in more mundane duties, the Bravada's powertrain merited high marks for performance. Requiring only 9.5 seconds to run 0-60 mph, this versatile Olds can easily dispatch most of its V-6 competitors. There's also a lot to like about the Bravada's well-mannered automatic transmission and the SmartTrak system, which imparts a sense of sure-footed confidence regardless of weather or pavement conditions. Although hardly a gas miser, Bravada's 16/21-mpg city/highway EPA numbers are equal to or better than any of its six-cylinder contemporaries. Vehicles in the survey fleet returned 17.8 mpg, while our more aggressively pressed long-termer averaged 17.4 mpg. In lieu of its empirical capabilities, we were somewhat surprised to find a relatively large number of our owner group who still longed for more power, specifically, in the form of a V-8 engine.

The Bravada proved relatively trouble-free. Only 15.5 percent of respondents reported any mechanical ills befalling their vehicles, with non-specific brake problems topping the list. Our Bravada fared even better, requiring nothing more than routine maintenance. The more telling information came from the owners' complaints and suggestions for changes. Along with the desire for V-8 power, their single biggest gripe involved the absence of rain guards on the side glass that allowed water to run into the passenger compartment when they cracked the windows open during inclement weather. Other lamentations centered on the Bravada's somewhat unwieldy 39.5-foot turning radius, no power assist for the passenger seat, lack of a sunroof option (remedied for '97), lack of a passenger airbag, the inability to get a sound system with both a cassette and CD player (those latter two fixed for '98), and the absence of a power antenna.

Regardless of any perceived minor shortcomings, the latest-generation Bravada still managed to earn and/or retain the loyalty of the overwhelming majority of owners we heard from. An exceptional 98.1 percent said they'd recommend the Bravada to others, and an equally impressive 98 percent indicated they'd buy another Oldsmobile product. The Bravada continues to win new friends, as well, as '97 sales to date have nearly quadrupled from the '96 figure. All things considered, that's a pretty fair accounting for what may well be the ultimate comeback kid.

MT Thumbs UpStrong V-6 powertrainSmartTrack all-wheel driveWell-appointed interiorComfortable ride

MT Thumbs DownNo passenger-side airbagUncomfortable rear seatGiant transmission humpLarge turning radius