1996 Oldsmobile Bravada Review
1996 Oldsmobile Bravada Review
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Edmunds' Expert Review
by the Edmunds Experts
What’s new
Nice truck, but how many luxury SUVs do we really need? Only a few things about the Bravada differentiate it from the Chevy Blazer and GMC Jimmy: the seats, front styling, trim -- and the price tag.
Cost to DriveCost to drive estimates for the 1996 Oldsmobile Bravada 4dr SUV AWD and comparison vehicles are based on 15,000 miles per year (with a mix of 55% city and 45% highway driving) and energy estimates of $3.36 per gallon for regular unleaded in Ohio.
Monthly estimates based on costs in Ohio
$243/mo for Bravada Base
Bravada Base
vs
$196/mo
Avg. Midsize SUV
Vehicle overview
After a one-year hiatus, the Oldsmobile Bravada returns for the 1996 model year, based on the same platform that serves as the basis for the Chevrolet Blazer and the GMC Jimmy. The Bravada comes loaded with every conceivable luxury option; appropriate since this is Oldsmobile's entry into the quickly expanding luxury sport-ute arena. This market niche is quickly filling to capacity, with luxury SUV's due from Acura, Lexus, Mercury, Lincoln and even corporate sibling GMC during the next two years.
Is the Bravada worth the price of admission over the Blazer and the Jimmy? Well, the front seats are exclusive to Oldsmobile, and the Smart-Trak all-wheel drive system is standard on the Olds ( it's optional on the Chevy and GMC). In fact, most of the standard equipment on the Bravada is available on the Chevy or the GMC, with an end result that is less expensive than the Oldsmobile.
Just five options are available on the new Bravada. Buyers can order a heavy-duty 5000-pound towing package, an engine block heater, a CD player that replaces the cassette deck, white-letter tires, and a gold-trim package. Olds says the Bravada has a "two-fold mission: keep the driver moving in the face of adverse weather or road conditions and deliver all occupants in comfort and style to the destination of their choice."
Styling is pretty much identical to the Chevy Blazer and GMC Jimmy. The Bravada gets a unique grille and headlamp treatment, bumper trim, and body cladding. Inside, the same unhappy ergonomics found in its Chevy and GMC brethren greet Bravada passengers. A 4.3-liter Vortec V6 engine that makes 190 horsepower propels the Bravada's four wheels. A strange choice when the Jeep Grand Cherokee Limited and the Ford Explorer XLT can be equipped with a V8 engine. The Explorer-based 1997 Mercury Mountaineer will also have all-wheel drive, like the Bravada, along with standard V8 power.
Oldsmobile says they plan to produce 20,000 Bravadas annually, beginning in November of 1995. We think this is an optimistic figure. The old Bravada, which competed in a market with few luxury-oriented SUV's, never sold very well. We doubt this new one, introduced at a time when luxury sport utilities are all the rage, will find many takers. It's not that the 1996 Bravada is a bad truck. Oldsmobile has come up with quite an enticing package here. It's just that the luxury market is becoming saturated with very good trucks, which will inevitably push demand for any particular model down. We also think that aging, affluent Boomers are going to tire of climbing in and out of these things in time, depositing their aching legs and backs into the seats of the Cadillacs, BMWs and Acuras that they're currently trading in like baseball cards for the more rugged, outdoorsy, SUV image.
Consumer reviews
Read what other owners think about the Used 1996 Oldsmobile Bravada.
5 star(33%)
4 star(45%)
3 star(11%)
2 star(11%)
1 star(0%)
9 reviews
Trending topics in reviews
Most helpful consumer reviews
4.88 out of 5 stars
155k and still going
FATBOY-AZ, 04/18/2007
1996 Oldsmobile Bravada 4dr SUV AWD
I bought my 1996 Bravada in 2001 with 38000 miles on it. I've had the typical domestic car repairs, but overall this has been an incredible SUV. Plenty of power. I pull my 2k lb camper through the AZ mountains 4-5 times per year without concern. My Bravada currently has 155k miles, A/C blows ice cold, rides like glass at 75mph, and it is the most comfortable of all mid-size SUVs I've … ridden in. Overall, I believe this is one of the best built SUVs on the market for 1996. I will drive this until the wheels fall off, but at this rate that should be well over 300k.
3 out of 5 stars
Hello Problems
dale, 01/24/2007
1996 Oldsmobile Bravada 4dr SUV AWD
Hello new ball joints every two years, hello blown head gasket! Hello problems with the brake system. Good bye Oldsmobile.
4.25 out of 5 stars
96' Bravada
Cars4me89, 12/21/2002
1996 Oldsmobile Bravada 4dr SUV AWD
This is a nice car, but when the
odometer turns around 60,000 miles you
start taking it into the shop every
7,000 miles. This just happens to do
this right after the warranty expires.
3.88 out of 5 stars
Good SUV overall
andrew84003, 08/26/2013
1996 Oldsmobile Bravada 4dr SUV AWD
My family got this car back in 2002 when it had 60,000 miles on it. The biggest problem is the A/C kept breaking even after fixing it. It's good for towing things, we've towed 4-wheelers, a boat, and even a honda accord from Utah to Texas. Around 150,000 miles things started to fall apart little by little, and by 160,000 miles it became a money pit. Overall a very good car up until it … hits higher miles. Not the most fuel efficient, but it's powerful and fun to drive, especially off roading.
1996 Bravada Highlights
Engine Type | Gas |
---|---|
Combined MPG | 16 MPG |
Cost to Drive | $243/month |
Cargo Capacity All Seats In Place | 36.8 cu.ft. |
Drivetrain | all wheel drive |
Safety
NHTSA Overall Rating
The National Highway Transportation Safety Administration offers independent analysis.
- Frontal Barrier Crash RatingOverallNot RatedDriver3 / 5Passenger1 / 5
- Side Crash RatingOverallNot Rated
- Side Barrier RatingOverallNot RatedDriverNot RatedPassengerNot Rated
- Combined Side Barrier & Pole RatingsFront SeatNot RatedBack SeatNot Rated
- RolloverRolloverNot RatedDynamic Test ResultNo TipRisk Of RolloverNot Rated
IIHS Rating
The Insurance Institute of Highway Safety uses extensive crash tests to determine car safety.
- Small Overlap Front Driver-Side TestNot Tested
- Small Overlap Front Passenger-Side TestNot Tested
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – OriginalPoor
- Moderate Overlap Front Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – OriginalNot Tested
- Side Impact Test – UpdatedNot Tested
- Roof Strength TestNot Tested
- Rear Crash Protection / Head RestraintNot Tested
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