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The wipers work well and the lights, both interior and exterior, are great. Those Michelin tires are beauties and have good traction and mileage ratings (A and 420).
As for the Jeep GC, I liked the way it drove and it was quite comfortable. It is even a better fit in my garage. But I just didn't want to take a chance on the reliability. I also found that even with the incentives, the lease price was no better than the Envoy.
On the TB side, you choose your axle ratio despite the interior/exterior option package you choose. The only dependency on the TB side is with the locking diff (can only get certain ratio w/o the locking diff). I looked at 12 TB's (2WD and 4WD) on a lot today which all have either the 3.42 or 3.73 axle ratio...none with the 4.10. I have to believe though that most Envoys and Bravadas would have the 4.10 ratio since it is part of their option "packages". Is this a good or bad thing? It depends. Does anyone out there know why there is a difference in the way these triplets are sold? Does anyone have complaints with the 4.10 ratio (like high RPMs on the highway)? I am planning on getting a 3.73 ratio on a 2WD TB, but if the 4.10 is being pushed on most of the Envoys and Bravadas for some good technical reason, perhaps I should consider the 4.10.
Yeah, I know this is anal....
http://www.zainobros.com/index.shtml
This stuff is just amazing, and if it has the durability claimed, it will be phenomenal. I highly recommend anyone that might try it to do the full preparation before polishing, and you will be stunned. It is simple to apply, and even easier to remove. There is no (none, dada, zero) residue to fight with. It's a bit of work if you do it right the first time through, but well worth it. If anyone decides to give it a try, let me know, as I found a few tricks that should make things easier.
Steve
Host
Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
The "$30-40K SUV's to stay AWAY from? And why..... " topic is found by scrolling forward with the "more" topics button.
...it bugs me.
Thanks !
It may be irritating that folks refer to V-4's as V-6's or boxers as inlines, but them's the breaks.
Steve
Host
Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
The 1SD package is for heavy duty towing and I guess that's why they build in the 4.10 ratio. For regular towing, they use the lower ratio which is standard. I got the 1SB package which has no special towing elements. But there is a nice heavy duty hitch that comes standard and should suit most towing needs.
The model I drove actually had grease on this bracket that got all over my hands and clothes.
Did my dealer forget to install a cover of some type, or is this just the way it is? I would really appreciate if anyone with a Bravada could check this out and let me know if your's is the same or not. This small point has turned into a deal breaker for my wife!
Finally, I have to say that a $35k vehicle should not require a rag between the seats to DRESS UP the appearance!
Anybody have anymore ideas? I really like the vehicle but have a hard time with this small item.
It's a truck, not a limo, so it doesn't bother me.
Good luck with the TB, Hambone.
Steve
Host
Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
If your wife doesn't like the bracket in the back seat, then point out the cheap looking instruments on the Explorer...see if she could live with them....personally I couldn't stand to look at them.
jim f
I hope this helps others too.
Now, to help me afford it, if 15 people from this chat group could donate $2000 each to my new car fund, I could be driving one by next week!!!!
The dealer talked me into staying an extra 20 min so they could price out my 96-blazer trade-in and quote me a price on the Bravada. I wasn't really ready to start the pricing talk, but, just for laughs, I let them. They were having a "Big-Sale" and I had the time.
They came back with 11,500 or so for the trade, minus 1500 to fix it up. Then, they took that off of the price of the car, MSRP (what happened to the "Big Sale"???) to get the final price of 690-700 for 48 months (no extra money down).
They always came back with a leasing price of 279+tax, for 3 years. That was with my trade-in.
I said thank you and left.
I couldn't stand that place. I was working with a sales person that new nothing about the car, and she was talking out her [non-permissible content removed] the entire time. She normally worked on the used car side of the dealership, but because of the sale, she was working new cars. I don't know if it is just me, but when somebody is looking at a 35k+ car, they should have a knowledgeable, educated sales persons that has a any idea about what they are doing.. Totally turned me off!
Anyway, any Bravada owners out that that can help me get off the fence and plunk down the big $$, would be greatly appreciated!
On a different note, anybody that has used the Internet to buy or get a better deal, those stories would be great to hear.
I like the style of the AS model (exterior) which has the color matched bumpers and black door handles. It's a shame a buyer cannot specify what type exterior molding he or she wants. The CT model looks fine, but I don't care for the charcoal molding when other parts of the truck are Black. I do like and plan to get the LTZ package but I do not care for the two-tone paint. It makes the tires & wheel well look too far apart. This simply means I will get the solid appearance exterior. (shame I can't get the black handles to offset the appearance). I have checked out the wheel wells and found those infamous holes. You could plug up the holes but the screw would have to be thick. I'll find a way to safely plug the holes & plastic wheel well together. I'm rather miffed at the construction of the TB also in the area of the back window & door. If you look at the back window glass, there is no molding around it. Its simply just rounded glass. Even my 12 year old S-10 has molding around it. Not that its stronger, but does dress it up. Another thing I observed is where the third brake light is located at the top. It is located under a soft type of plastic or fiberglass. This material seems to move very easily (hopefully doesn't wear out). My opinion, the back lights seem a bit oversized and the charcoal flap at the bottom is a little too much. All the TB's I checked out do NOT have poor alignment problems like those mentioned here for any of the three SUV's. I'm rather surprised about the 17" wheels because like the alder blazers, they came with black painted surfaces on the rims. This painted surfaces hid the dirt/grease and made the "spoke" like shine more when the wheel was spinning. This simply means, I spend more time cleaning inside my mag/wheel. With the LTZ, the front grill has the painted piece to match. Some colors (my opinion) do not look that cool as part of the front grill. Actually, I'm not to fond of the colors available right now (if I had to get one NOW, I may lean to the black or Pewter. I'm waiting for the Sandalwood to come out before I make a color decision. I think, this is my color, but I just have to wait. I'm not sure about the running boards, (means more work to keep them clean) and if that's worth the looks. Also with the sunroof , at this time I'm not sure. My wife has a '97 lamina and the sunroof is noisy when opened. This style may be different. I do like the style & look of the front (seems like all chevys - Malibu, Impala) have that mean look. Is it me (I thought maybe the gas tanks were low) or are these TB's so high in the back?. I have not test driven one of these beauty's yet, but I will shortly. As most of you, I'll know more about this TB than any dealer. Overall, Nothing (or nobody) is perfect, but I am impressed with this Trailblazer. Ironic, My '89 Blazer has a patch seen into the driver's seat labeled "Trailblazer". Even then, I guess I was prep'd for this SUB.
Thanks for the chat... I'll keep you posted..
Here's what we found:
• Fuel mileage (in U.S. gallons) 16.2 - 21.7 mpg cruising between 68 & 75 mph with an overall average of 19 mpg. We were dealing with a very strong NW wind the entire time and had a 30" x 82" table strapped to the roof during the headwind stage.
• With the 4.10 gears we were turning 2300 to 2500 rpm. The motor was extremely quiet and able to handle most grades without downshifting. Don't not get the gears because of noise.
• The Bose sound system and 6 disc changer is the best factory sound system I have experienced.
• The DIC displays "LOW FUEL WARNING" with about 3 gallons of fuel left and kills all other functions.
• The air suspension seems to have an initial "lean in" when cornering and then stiffens up. Someone has posted the explanation for this previously. It was not difficult to negotiate cloverleafs at twice the recommended speed posted without tire squeal.
• The hose, gauge and accessories that come with the air suspension are nice, quality pieces.
• The transmission/motor do get smoother with miles.
My enthusiasm for this vehicle is growing, not diminishing over time!!
About Zaino, I've been using it for 2 years, primarily on my Pewter Camaro SS. It is that experience that gave me the courage to get the Envoy in black, knowing that Zaino was a product that would make it possible to keep the look "stunning".
jim f
Such progressive rate coil springs are more expensive to manufacture because you can't just make a very long coil and cut them up into multiple units. Also winding the coil is harder to do because of the progressive diameter. This type of spring fits well with luxury cars which desire the ride characteristics and have higher profit margins to accomodate the higher cost. If you like the sporty feel (like a Trailblazer should be), go with the steel springs (or get a trailblazer).
You can email this person without having to identify yourself. I negotiated my deal that way. When we reached agreement, I stopped by the next day and picked up a vehicle.
I used the prices at southerngm.com as a starting point for the negotiations. I dealt with about 10 dealers. Most responses were quite sarcastic. I had two dealers that came close. I dealer matched the $200 under invoice price. I might add that I also got the GM Card and Olds Customer Loyalty rebates to get even more off.
This brought the price to almost the GMO price. To be honest, this transaction was a whole lot easier than when I was eligible for the GMO discount.
I also found the other Internet services to be a waist of time. Most local dealers here in Columbus are using them as lead finders, but aren't offering their best deals first.
There are dealers that understand the benefits of marketing on the Internet. If you search a little, you can find them.
And yes, the Fleet Manager will deal on single quanity vehicles.
Steve
Host
Vans, SUVs and Aftermarket & Accessories Message Boards
I sure would appreciate it if you can.
Thank You,
L Webb
lwebb@effingham.net
1700 miles and we love it more every day. 15.4 MPG in the city. Not a rattle inside, which I am very impressed with. My aurora dash jitters once and a while.
I'm looking to purchase a the new 2002 GMC ENVOY. To begin I was looking at the Mitsubishi Montero, but then I saw the ENVOY while watching the laker game and fell in love. Went to the dealer to see it and its unbelievable what this thing has. I need to know from previous envoy owners or just GMC owners what do they think. I'm keeping in mind that during the strike for the 98 and 99 models had alot of problems. So honest opinions will be greatly appreciated.
One point I failed to mention is that the turning radius is about 6 feet tighter than the previous generation Jimmy/Blazer 4 doors.
It's a great vehicle!!
The big highway test comes next week, when I go to the Keys for the week on my yearly fishing trip (375 miles each way to Islamorada). I am expecting outstanding mileage on the way down, but the return should be significantly lower with the weight of all the Dolphin (the fish, not Flipper) in the back. The extra room over my '95 Blazer should come in handy;>)
Just called my dealer. He went out and looked at 2 with leather. They both have cloth on the side. He was a bit embarased, but said GM says leather seating "area" not seats. Pretty tacky for a 35k SUV.