USED & NEW CARS AUTO PARTS INFORMATION 2007 2008 ONLINE - FIND CHEAP AUTO PARTS

The Oldsmobile Bravada is the most luxurious of three new midsize SUVs from General Motors. As the Oldsmobile marketers like to say, if there's an Aurora in your garage, a Bravada would make a perfect stablemate. Two dinosaurs. Each may be technically innovative, handsome, and a truly fine vehicle (the Bravada is more than that), but that doesn't guarantee survival. Two days after the press introduction of the Bravada, GM announced that it would be putting Oldsmobile down, after a 103-year run. To assuage any concerns about service, Oldsmobile is, for a limited time, offering a 5-year/60,000-mile warranty on its new vehicles.

Redesigned from the ground up, the Bravada is an engineering knockout. By its progressive design, this vehicle has already made GM history. Dinosaur indeed. The Bravada makes the Jeep Grand Cherokee look like the dinosaur.

Only one trim level of the Bravada is available, although it comes either with Oldsmobile's SmartTrak all-wheel-drive system or with (standard) two-wheel drive.

It's a four-door and seats five passengers. (A longer wheelbase version seating seven passengers will come later in the year.) It uses GM's powerful new Vortec 4200 inline six-cylinder engine with a tried-and-true four-speed electronic transmission, and comes standard with an air-bladder rear suspension system for a more luxurious ride and improved towing.

Standard equipment includes plush perforated leather seats, abundant interior wood with polished nickel trim, rear seat climate and audio controls (with wireless headphones), and the OnStar security and information system, which allows hands-free cellphone communication to advisors on a 24-hour basis.

Options include a six-disc in-dash CD changer or premium Bose sound system, heated memory seats, mirror-mounted turn signals, a cargo cover and net, rain-sensing wipers, sunroof, and a small tape recorder called Travel Note, which allows you to record phone numbers if you're taking them over your own cellphone. Also available is a rear-seat DVD entertainment system, with a seven-inch flip-down screen and wireless headphones.

The styling is clearly Oldsmobile, with thin horizontal headlamps and dual air intake apertures in the nose, separated by the swoopy logo in chrome. Wide sleek headlights are attached to the apertures, two halogen beams integrated with an amber turn signal that wraps around the fender. Below this grille are two long horizontal slots incorporated into the bumper, and at the very bottom are two more slots with small round foglamps.

Side cladding is body-colored, side glass is tinted, and the wheels are six-spoke cast aluminum with polished aluminum optional. Corner marker lights, which shine at right angles with the turn signals, are prominent. The rear end and tailgate are quite clean, with the entire width of the rear bumper being a step, which is convenient because the cargo floor is a bit high.

Attention to detail is evident throughout the vehicle, from a box that helps air-cool the battery, to remarkably sanitary wiring under the hood, to a seven-pin receptacle for towing trailers with brakes, to rear-seat headrests that conveniently flip down for better rearward driver visibility.

Overall, the 2002 Bravada is eight inches longer and more than five inches wider than the previous model. The track is 63.1 inches front and 62.1 inches rear, exceeded in its class only by the super-wide Acura MDX. (The track is the distance between the left and right tires.) A wide track means a lower center of gravity and thus better stability. With any SUV's tendency to roll more than a sedan, this is an important feature. In addition, the Michelin all-season touring tires were specially developed for the AWD Bravada, measuring P255/60R17. These are a slightly lower profile than available on the GMC Envoy SLT with optional air-bladder suspension, which is mechanically very similar to the Bravada.

All five Bravada passengers get three-point seatbelts. (Many SUVs, including the 2002 Mercury Mountaineer, use a lap belt for the rear center seat.) It's a roomy vehicle with 44.6 inches of front legroom. Rear-seat passengers get 37.1 inches of legroom and a roomy 58.1 inches of hip room.

The front bucket seats are soft and full, eight-way power adjustable with four-way lumbar support and four-way adjustable head restraint. Memory (including mirrors) and heating are optional.

The instrumentation layout is very organized and high-rent feeling. A big tachometer is on the left, speedometer in center, and on the right are smaller gauges for water, battery, gas, and oil. The wood is ample. Four big round registers for heating and air conditioning look stylish and purposeful with polished nickel trim. The four-spoke leather-wrapped steering wheel includes controls for climate, sound, cruise control, and driver information center (in eight languages).

The console includes an open storage bin, an enclosed compartment and two cupholders forward of the gear lever, with two more for the rear passengers. The emergency brake lever is also located there. There are pockets in the front doors and behind the front seats, though none in the rear doors. Standard behind the rear seat is a small hidden compartment under the floor and a power outlet, with a cargo net and scrolling tonneau cover optional.