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2002 Oldsmobile Bravada
Date Published: 2/20/08

2002 Oldsmobile Bravada
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MSRP:
$32,660 - 34,745

Invoice:
$29,557 - 31,444

Class:
Midsize Sport-utility Vehicle
2002 Oldsmobile Bravada
Expert Rating Summary
Category Bravada AWD Rating (See All
Ratings)
Midsize Sport-utility Vehicle Average Rating
Acceleration 6 4.7
Fuel Economy 4 3.8
Ride Quality 6 4
Steering/Handling/Braking 4 3.5
Quietness 4 4
Controls 7 6
Room/Comfort/Driver Seating (front) 7 6.2
Room/Comfort (rear) 6 5.1
Cargo Room 8 7.7
Value within Class 4 4.5
Total Score: 56 49.5
Ratings: Maximum 10 points per category
2002 OLDSMOBILE BRAVADA BUYING RESOURCES
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2002 Oldsmobile Bravada Review
Oldsmobile's version of the redesigned General Motors midsize SUVs shares a new body-on-frame platform with the 2002 Chevrolet TrailBlazer and GMC Envoy. Each has its own styling inside and out and rides a 6-inch longer wheelbase than before, with a body longer, wider, and taller by five inches. Bravada seats five and unlike TrailBlazer and Envoy, does not offer a longer 7-passenger model. Note that GM confirms 2004 as the final model year for the Olds brand, though it has not specified when within the phaseout Bravada will be terminated. Bravada shares with its Chevy and GMC cousins a new inline 6-cyl engine with 80 hp more than the V6 it replaces. A 4-speed automatic is the only transmission. Bravada is available with 2WD and traction control, or with an all-wheel-drive system that does not include low-range gearing. Antilock 4-wheel disc brakes and 17-inch alloy wheels are standard. An optional DVD rear entertainment system was a midyear addition. GM's new SUVs do not have independent rear suspension, though Bravada uses rear air suspension in place of coil springs. Front side airbags are standard and include head protection for the driver.
Competition
This is by far the hottest market segment right now. Crowded with more than 20 vehicles, midsize SUVs vary in size and type but nearly all seat five adults and offer V6 or V8 engines. Our Best Buys are the Acura MDX and Toyota Highlander. Both offer competence, convenience, and attractive pricing and design. They lack serious off-road 4WD systems, however.

Our Recommended choices feature more-traditional SUVs: the Dodge Durango, which offers optional third-row seating; the top-selling Ford Explorer; the utilitarian Nissan Xterra; and the refined GMC Envoy. If you don't venture off-road too far take a look at the car-based Lexus RX 300 as well.
News
GM sounded Oldsmobile's death knell in December 2000, even as reporters were getting their first look at the redesigned 2002 Bravada. GM now plans to phase out the Olds brand entirely after the 2004 model year.

Because GM evidently wants to cut its losses, some Oldsmobiles will terminate before 2004. An execution date hasn't been set for Bravada, but it might come sooner rather than later. That's because, for a variety of reasons, Bravada sales are sinking fast, down 26.4 percent in the first nine months of 2001 vs the year-earlier period.

Regardless of its death as an Oldsmobile, Bravada could be reincarnated as a Cadillac at some point, or so say various Detroit insiders. Cadillac wants an entry-level SUV, and Bravada could be easily retooled as such, a cost-saving idea attractive to GM accountants. Whatever its ultimate fate, the 2002 Bravada will be remembered as Oldsmobile's last new model.
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