Go figure. General Motors announces last December that it's going to put down the old gray mare called Oldsmobile, then promptly introduces the 2002 Bravada, a redesigned version of Oldsmobile's luxury sport-utility vehicle, and wouldn't you know it would turn out to be among the finest SUVs the General has ever brought to market.
That's called irony, folks, but it's also called a crying shame by the Oldsmobile faithful, many of whom contend that the revamped Olds stable of recent years includes some of GM's best products in the Aurora luxury car, Alero and Intrigue mid-sizers, Silhouette minivan and now the re-engineered Bravada, which probably should have received a new name to differentiate it from its predecessors.
But whoever said life was fair? Certainly no one in the auto industry. Oldsmobile has had a 103-year run, the longest of any current nameplate, but sales have been tanking ever since they started telling us "This is not your father's Oldsmobile." Let that be a lesson to marketing gurus everywhere: Don't insult Dad.
Still, the fact that Oldsmobile will join Hudson, Packard, Studebaker, DeSoto, Plymouth and many others in the U.S. motor mausoleum is no reason not to check out the new Bravada. Parts will be available for as long as they're likely to be needed, and the division is said to be offering a special 5-year, 60,000-mile warranty to assuage buyer concerns about service support.
But if buying a lame duck SUV is just too high a hurdle, buyers may opt for the Chevrolet TrailBlazer or GMC Envoy, each of which share the Bravada's underpinnings if not its focus on being the most luxurious of GM's midsize sport-utes.
I was impressed with the new "pewter-metallic" (silver gray) Bravada before I ever climbed inside. The styling is first rate, with thin horizontal headlights and air intakes in the nose set off by the zoomy Olds logo that has replaced the old '50s era rocket ship.
The side cladding is body colored, the wheels are six-spoke cast aluminum and the corner lights are prominent. The entire width of the rear bumper serves as a step up into the cargo area.
The Bravada has the attention to detail normally associated with pricier German marques, such as flip-down rear headrests (for better visibility), and they even installed a left-foot dead pedal — a response to my years of carping on this subject, I'm sure.
The '02 redo is not just a cosmetic job. The Bravada is 5 inches wider and 8 inches longer than its forebears, and a wide track (the distance between the left and right tires) lowers the vehicle's center of gravity, alleviating much of that "tippy" feeling SUVs have when going fast around corners or braving cross-winds on the freeway.
Of particular note is the all-aluminum 4.2-liter Vortec engine, which features six cylinders laid out in a straight line (as opposed to a V6), a system that has worked nicely for BMW and Lexus automobiles and does equally well for the Bravada SUV. It churns out an impressive 270 horsepower while still managing 15 mpg in city driving and 21 on the highway — decent if unspectacular mileage for a five-seater that weighs more than 2.5 tons and can tow more than 3 tons.
I assume Olds dealers will be amenable to serious price dickering as it phases out the line, but for the record, the base price for an all-wheel-drive Bravada is $34,167. My tester had a $360 convenience package that included memory driver's seat, oversize exterior mirrors, a cargo shade net and some other goodies. Heated front seats added $250 and destination charges $600. Bottom line: $35,377.
But even option-free — it comes with only a single trim level — the Bravada is well equipped with dual-zone auto climate control; leather upholstery; a tilting, leather-wrapped steering wheel with audio and temperature controls; 8-way power seats with lumbar control; four auxiliary power outlets with rear-seat fan controls; power windows, doors and mirrors; overhead console; universal garage door opener; cruise control; 4-speed automatic transmission; CD and cassette stereo . . . the list goes on and on.
The Bravada is truly a luxury SUV. The engine is so smooth and quiet at idle that GM had to add "intellistart" to prevent drivers from gnashing the starter by turning the ignition key when the vehicle was already running.
Knowing that few Bravada drivers will ever go off road, all-wheel-drive or not, electronically controlled air bladders have been fitted to the rear coil springs to keep the vehicle nice and level regardless of its load or the pavement.
Since the system uses a small air compressor, you get a 22-foot long hose that attaches to a valve in the cargo area to inflate tires, toys, rafts and such. Pretty nifty.
E-mail: max@desnews.com