Edmunds dealer partner, Bayway Leasing, is now offering transparent lease deals via these forums. Click here to see the latest vehicles!
Most popular vehicles
Popular New Cars
- New Acura MDX
- New Acura RDX
- New Audi Q5
- New BMW 3 Series
- New BMW X3
- New Buick Enclave
- New Cadillac Escalade
- New Chevrolet Equinox
- New Chrysler 300
- New Dodge Challenger
- New Ford Edge
- New Ford Escape
- New Ford Expedition
- New Ford Explorer
- New Ford F-150
- New Ford Focus
- New Ford Mustang
- New Honda Accord
- New Honda Civic
- New Honda CR-V
- New Honda Fit
- New Honda Odyssey
- New Honda Pilot
- New Hyundai Elantra
- New Hyundai Santa Fe
- New Hyundai Sonata
- New Hyundai Tucson
- New Jeep Compass
- New Jeep Grand Cherokee
- New Jeep Wrangler
- New Mazda 3
- New Mazda 6
- New Mazda CX-5
- New Nissan Altima
- New Nissan Maxima
- New Nissan Rogue
- New Porsche Cayenne
- New Ram 1500
- New Subaru Crosstrek
- New Subaru Forester
- New Subaru Impreza
- New Subaru Outback
- New Tesla Model S
- New Tesla Model X
- New Toyota 4Runner
- New Toyota Camry
- New Toyota Corolla
- New Toyota Highlander
- New Toyota Prius
- New Toyota RAV4
- New Toyota Sienna
- New Toyota Tacoma
- New Volkswagen Jetta
- New Volvo XC60
- New Volvo XC90
Popular Used Sedans
- Used BMW 5 Series
- Used Chevrolet Impala
- Used Chevrolet Malibu
- Used Chrysler 200
- Used Dodge Charger
- Used Ford Fusion
- Used Ford Taurus
- Used Honda Accord
- Used Honda Civic
- Used Hyundai Elantra
- Used Hyundai Sonata
- Used Tesla Model S
- Used Toyota Camry
- Used Toyota Corolla
- Used Volkswagen Jetta
Popular Used SUVs
- Used Acura MDX
- Used Acura RDX
- Used Ford Edge
- Used Ford Explorer
- Used Honda CR-V
- Used Honda Pilot
- Used Hyundai Santa Fe
- Used Jeep Compass
- Used Lincoln Navigator
- Used Mazda CX-5
- Used Nissan Rogue
- Used Subaru Crosstrek
- Used Subaru Forester
- Used Tesla Model X
- Used Volvo XC90
Popular Used Pickup Trucks
Popular Used Hatchbacks
Popular Used Minivans
Popular Used Coupes
Popular Used Wagons
Comments
http://y42.photos.yahoo.com/bc/jrftr/lst?&.dir=/Trailblazer&.src=ph&.view=t&.last=1
Hopefully I set the page up correctly.
Fletch
JMNJM: I think the TAN interior is due out as they say, (mid 2001). I'm waiting for that & the sandalwood exterior.
The running boards are factory installed. They fit great, and probably didn't cost any more than aftermarket ones.
fletch
Did you give them the #2 keyfob when you took your car in?
fletch
The '02 Explorer seems much better finished to me. It shows that somebody tried to make it look refined and unlike a pickup, which the Trail Blazer reminded me of. The Trail Blazer may have great engine technology on paper, but we'll have to wait and see how it does on the road after some time goes by.
I don't think the Trail Blazer is in the same league as the Explorer. With the V8, the Explorer is comparable on power and tows more, looks better, and just seems better thought out. I think I'll get a blue one!
Are you serious?? The Trailblazer has been beating Explorer in most head to head competitions I have read in the past 3 months. It's way better looking and the V6 has almost as much power as a Ford V8.
'02 Explorer also had 2 recalls so it's no icon of quality either. They just slapped 3.9% financing on the new Explorers as it's not selling that well. Wouldn't be surprised if GM out sells Ford midsize SUVs this year.
Closing the doors on the Explorer reminded me of closing the doors on a Focus. That loud "tinny" sound was just way too cheap. I enjoy the comforting "thud" I get when closing the doors on the Bravada.
The "tilt" steering column is a joke. It is my biggest peeve about most import cars that you have to reach under, pull down a lever, move the wheel, reach under, push up a lever - all just to use it. I'm one of those who uses his tilt steering every time I use the car - Up to get out, Down to drive. The GM trio has that great GM lever that is almost as easy as blinking your eyes. The Explorer was just way too bothersome.
The Explorer is just WAY TOO TRUCKLIKE. Compared to my Bravada I felt just like I was in a Ranger pickup - Oh yea, I was.
I still cannot believe it when I go pass Ford dealers and see row upon row of Explorer. I guess most people feel the same way I do.
I haven't had any problems with alignment of doors/hatch/hood, etc. and the only problem I have had is with a door handle escutcheon that was loose. I DID HAVE A PROBLEM with the Explorer that I drove however. Imagine the horror of the salesman as I, literally, ripped off the cover to the center console trying to open it.
Most of all, you cannot even get a lot of the creature comforts you can get in the GM trio. I love the rear seat controls, the fantastic memory package, the lighting, etc.
Plus, the Bravada looks much more upscale than the Explorer.
Comments about mine: 15 mpg city, about 20 hwy. Only complaint so far is air expulsion about every 5 minutes. I wonder if that's normal. Paint is terrific. Better than my Lincoln. I have the jewel coat Red. Paid $100 extra for it. Fit of panels, not too good.
I've been getting about 16 around town. This weekend I got 19.8 on a mix of highway and mountain driving.
Defective front shock...suspension is messed up.
Loose wire in headliner bangs against roof
Rear passenger doors not aligned properly
Steering out of alignment
Cover over third brake light is lifting up off glass.
Low fuel light comes on at 1/4 full.
With all that said, it's a great vehicle. Hopefully it will all be fixed.
Re: punch list.
I too have a rattle in my headliner, seems to be over the left rear door.
Allen
BTW...The aftermarket prices I got at dealers were outrageous ($595). I just went straight to the parts department and bought the kit for $299. A no-brainer installation. Twenty minute job on a lift, or an hour laying on your back. Twelve screws each side into predrilled & tapped holes. If you don't have any screws left over at the end, you know you did it right.
Russ
Headliner--I have noticed that the headliner in my Envoy is loose towards the center passenger side. When I press, rattle goes away and then it loosens with an "adhesive letting go sound" in about 2 seconds. Sounds like a common problem.
dindak--just for clarification it is a straight 6 in the GM Trio, not a V6. I keep making that mistake too when I talk to my friends and they keep reminding me, "no way man, it's a straight 6 dude, don't you know your own car?" I guess it is easy to get in that V6 habit and hard to break.
MY QUESTION---> Has anyone noticed a clicking seemingly coming from the left rear wheel area when driving? What is that?
Also, has anyone noticed a really high pitched noise inside the cabin? Barely audible, no radio on, with dash lights on or off. Anyone? Anyone? Bueller?
Thanks,
Kirk
You were abrasive to Gregb5...but yet very tactful...good job!
I'm not going to solve the GM/Ford battle in one post, but each vehicle has its merits. Neither one is without their own issues. The bottom line is that we all buy what we think meets our needs/wants. My wife and I will be buying an 02 Mountaineer later in the year. We like the styling and the third row of seats. We were open to all of the mid-size SUVs, but the Mountaineer met the vast majority of items on our checklist. I sincerely hope that everyone enjoys their GM triplets. Cheers.
When I brought it back to the dealer, I found that the problem was the roof rack on the passenger side was loose, and the plastic base was flapping in the wind and causing the noise in the headliner.
In my opinion, this board is for sharing ideas, experiences and resolutions... And I thought this board was the GM trio problems board too. I don't think anyone bought a GM SUV thinking it was going to be trouble-free.
I test drove a Trailblazer LT today. It sure does have lots of 'toys'. The one I drove had sunroof and leather (very nice). I was pretty much sold on buying a H-6 Subaru Outback so gas mileage is an issue with me.
Can anyone who has a few miles on their TB, Envoy, Bravada, give me an idea as to what the real world gas mileage is? I apologize if this has been discussed before but I didn't care to read all 1400+ messages.
Thanks!
Paul in MN.
I totally agree with you that the GM triplets and the Ford products are in the same league. Thus, my wife and I looked at them all. After researching all of them, following several topics on TH, and test driving multiple models, we decided on the Mountaineer. The GM triplets have some enticing features that the Mountaineer does not, and vice versa. For our own needs, the Mountaineer fit the bill just about perfectly. I have no allegiance to any particular car manufacturer, only to the one that builds what I want. Cheers.
The Outback and the TrailBlazer certainly are very different vehicles..meant to do different things. I also am considering the Envoy or TrailBlazer, (as well as the Jeep Grand Cherokee) The only reason I am considering vehicles of this type is for their towing potential. I have a trailer that is almost 4,000 lbs, otherwise, I too would be considering an Outback. The gas mileage difference must be significant, especially if you get the Outback with a 4-cyl. Anyway, for my money, if I did not have to tow, I would not be considering anything but a smaller SUV. If you need a mid-sized SUV like I do, any of these three from GM certainly seem worthy of consideration.
Things to remember are: 1. The boards are a $325 option on all 3 sisters, and 2. The standard installation time on the GM computer system is 30 minutes. How they have the gall to price them as they do is incomprehensible to me. I finally ignored the Chevy dealership aftermarket folks, and called my dealership parts department direct and asked for the OEM running board kit only. They charged me $299, which seemed reasonable given the $325 option cost (but I still had to put them on myself). The receipt showed a list price of $408, and a selling price of $299. All that means is they probably cost them a little over $200. Dealerships always show you a big list price to make you feel like you got a good deal. None of the three brands should be priced any differently for the black plastic (steel frame) OEM boards. They are essentially the same, or they wouldn't all be the same $325 option.
I think you're only hope in getting a decent price is to make them tell you why a $325 option can cost so much. Especially since you now know they can be bought for $299, the list price is $408, and it only takes 30 minutes to put them on. That ought to be enough information to browbeat the dealer you bought the truck from into being more cooperative. Heck, go straight to the General Manager, but don't let them rip you off.
Good Luck,
Russ
Well, I realize that these are two very different vehicles. We have a tent-travel trailer and have discussed on several occaisions trading for a larger hard-side travel trailer. Obviously, the Outback could not tow anything like that. (It will tow my tent-trailer just fine). So I am looking at my alternatives. About the onlything that mildly interests me is the GM trio. I may be too much of a fuel miser to take the plunge into SUV territory. We did own an '87 Pathfinder new for 5-years. (that was a long time ago) when we had shorter commutes.
Any comments on documented gas mileage would be appreciated.
Oh, also the TB that I test-drove (probably too short of a drive) seemed to have somewhat spongy brakes. It only had a few miles on it so I assume they will develop a firmer feel(?) Comments?
Paul in MN.
My experience with American-made autos is that the brakes do seem "spongier" than the brakes on imports. The brakes on the Envoy I test drove are much better than the brakes on my present 88 Jimmy. I also have driven a Grand Cherokee owned by a friend, and those brakes also seem soft, softer than the Envoy.
One interesting thing you mentioned was the separate pricing for each board & the individual bolts. What I bought for my TB for $299 was the OEM running board "kit". It was priced as one part number, and came packaged in one box like a kit (i.e 2 boards, a bag of 24 bolts, and a installation diagram). The box was also clearly marked with only one part number, as well as the packing list. I may be reaching here, but perhaps your dealer stuck you with individual pricing for the pieces. Farfetched maybe, but possible?
I'm beginning to think the parts dept. guy may have just messed up when he quoted me the $299 price. He probably didn't know he was supposed to screw customers on aftermarket pricing, and just gave me the normal parts markup. In any event, I'm beginning to think I just got lucky.
Russ
Thanks
Do you still have the one part number of the OEM running board kit? I would like to have my mechanic friend order it that way and get whatever discount he gets if we can't get the $299 price.
Thanks again, George
Part Number: 12497885
Description: Step
List Price: $408.14
Price Paid: $299.00 plus tax
They were manufactured in Canada and are definitely the Trailblazer OEM running boards. The installation sketch that was included looked like a 100th generation photocopy, and it had part number 12491193 printed on it. I'm guessing they were using a generic installation sketch, and the 12491193 number is probably the number for either the Envoy or the Bravada. I can't swear to this without seeing all three vehicles in person, but I would almost bet the only difference is the molded in pattern on the step portion itself. Check them out, and if I am right, just get the one you like the best (or can get the cheapest).
Russ
They give a nice discount on all GM parts, under dealer wholesale
Allen
I ordered a bug deflector directly from the parts dept. . . suprisingly it's only $52.
Mileage is 16 city, 20 hwy. with a light foot during the break-in period.
When would be a good time for it's initial oil change? Should it be done earlier than the schedule indicates?
Has anyone ordered the service manual yet? Any thoughts? Is the $120 worth it?
UNTIL TODAY!!!!
I was on my way home from the office, in Atlanta's normal heavy traffic, when the normal "wshhh" that I had come accustomed to from the air suspension started and wouldn't stop. After a couple of minutes it did and I noticed that I was leaning back. I can only imagine how the vehicle looked on the road but I know how it felt to drive it. Pretty damned awful. And the horrible noises it was making were scarry. I pushed the Onstar butten and waited while an attendant "checked things out". Meanwhile, I pulled over to the side of the freeway, flashers activated, waiting.
After about 10-15 minutes the guy told me they couldn't diagnose it and had called my dealer who said it should be fine to drive in (about 12 miles). Luckily it was about 2:30 and they were still open. What a strange ride! Strange grinding noises, the air compressor going full boat, it was like a bad dream. And power. My goodness, I had to floor it just to get it to go.
Well, I got to the dealer and there were 8 techs. waiting as I pulled in. Their faces wincing at the noise. There was also a Regional Service Rep there who, I found out later, was nearby and they paged him to come in. When I got out of the car it was the craziest site. Not only was the rear end about 3 inches lower and the front end about 3 inches higher but I could see "arms" hanging below, one touching the ground.
Two hours and many cups of coffee later, the Service Manager, 3 techs, and the Service Rep called me into the General Managers office. They had a lot to say. The point of it being this:
My left rear air bladder had ruptured. Because of the rapid air loss the right rear bladder seals had failed. As all of that happened I must have been either torquing the engine or going over rough pavement because two of the rear links (of 5) had snapped at their connections. The air compressor had overheated and blown it's fuse and, what they say is worse of all, the weight of the vehicle had been resting on the rear differential and had actually bent the rear axle. Worse yet, from all of this happening, in whatever sequence, it had bent a part of the frame.
They also told me that the AWD system was malfuntioning (the SERVICE AWD light had come on about 6 miles away from the dealership). During the time they were checking it they had pulled three others in the bay and looked at the bladders. They also had called over to their GMC store and looked at all of the Envoys they had with the air suspension. I could not believe what they told me. The bladders on all of the others were perfect BUT the bladder that failed on mine looked as if it had been PATCHED!!!! (I think they only told me all of this because they realized when they "came to get me" that I had been standing right by the service door for the previous hour and had heard all that they were saying)
Well, as an end to the evening I came home in the owners son's demo car - a 2001 BMW X5 4.0 and was told, in no uncertain terms that I would probably be getting a NEW BRAVADA on Monday. I guess it helps that I negotiated with the dealer from March 26 - May 9 and had met the Service Rep a couple of times before. I've also talked to them about this board several times and they know I post here.
So, thats my story. I'll make it through the weekend in the BMW and see what happens on Monday. From what they were saying my Bravada is essentially "totalled" as far as ever being back to normal. Since the bladder was "patched" I doubt this is anything anyone else needs to worry about. 2 of the Bravadas that they checked were built on the same day as mine and one was only 2 numbers off on the VIN than mine yet they were all fine. I'll let everyone know what happens.
$209 for those running boards is more realistic.
At least this will help the other guys trying to find a reasonable price on the boards, which is a great example of this forum working at it's best. Great job!
Actually, I may have still paid the $299, which when I net out the tax & shipping is about $65 more than the gmpartsdirect site. I only say this because $65 probably isn't worth the hassle to me to arrange to be available for a freight delivery. I'm pretty sure the box they come in is too big for for UPS or FedEx. It is a little over 6' long, and weighs close to a 100#. However, if I were looking at a $680 bill as noted on this site earlier, it would be a no-brainer. I would make myself available for the shipment.
Once again, great job! This should help a lot of us in the future.
Russ
You also said they had vehicles on the lot that were built the same day as yours, and that you have had yours for a month and a half. Wow...what does that say about the sales of these vehicles? I would think there are a lot of people back at GM central pacing the floor.
Come to think of it, I bought my TB back on 3/26, and I have yet to see another TB/Envoy/Bravada on the road.
Russ
You state you are in Atlanta, so am I. I should be receiving my TB in mid July that I ordered from Jim Ellis Chevrolet. Where did you buy your Olds? I don't even know where an Olds dealership is here...Jim Ellis pulled out of selling them.