Was not aware the last one was a Bravada and the date! .

After the '97 the fam picked up a 2000 Bravada with a vastly improved interior but I didn't like it as much as the older '97. Can't really explain why other than I really liked the looks of the first second gen before the facelift. I personally thought it was the best looking in the segment. It wasn't a jiggly rattle trap like the previous Jimmy chassis, either. This is exactly what ours looked like but it had the gold trim on the rims which was in style then. It was a sharp little truck. Typical GM -- it had a strong powertrain.

 

I believe the Olds was the only model of these that came with full time 4WD or all wheel drive.

 

They are not necessarily reliable, its just that they are primitive, very easy to repair, with abundance of cheap aftermarket and used parts. You could keep them on the road indefinitely without breaking the bank.

 

Yes....that is a good point. Thanks, Jill...I had forgotten that, despite the many comments I made back then to industry-reps at the D.C. show. It took far too long, IMO, for manufacturers to toss the part-time 4WD system, with its lack of a center differential, for the more useful and flexible full-time and On-Demand systems with the center-diff. Mitsubishi, for example, put the nice full-time system in the regular Montero (Pajero) but, for years, refused to put a similiar system in the smaller Montero-Sport....the Sport was stuck with the part-time system and a manual transfer-case lever instead of push-buttons. Jeep did the same thing..for years, it would not put the full-time Quadra-trac system into the the (former) Cherokee or Wrangler, but only sold the sophisticated Quadra-Trac on the Grand Cherokee. The Cherokee and Wrangler were stuck with the part-time Command-Trac or slightly more sophisticated Select-Track as an option. In fact, on the Wrangler, you could opt even get the Select-Trac, much less the Quadra-Trac....you were stuck with the El Cheapo part-time system. In fact, even today, only the upper-line Wranglers get the Select-Trac....base Wranglers still have the part-time Command-Trac, which, IMO, should have been tossed years ago.

 

Exactly, like keeping a skateboard running

 

Let's return to the topic of bof SUVs STILL on the market.

 

One of the most interesting designs on the market today is the Honda Ridgeline, a sort of cross between a truck and SUV, which features both a ladder-type frame and a unibody system on top of it, combining some the best of both designs. I think that is one of the reasons why it drives so comfortably...the structure, because of that combo-design, is so rigid that the engineers could tune the suspensions and underpinnings for comfort, since the suspension does not have to compromise for frame-twisting with a rigidity of its own.

 

I suspect we will see BOF full-sizers from Ford and GM for some time yet....my (Gentleman's) bet is that, despite CAFE laws, they aren't disappearing anytime soon. First, they are popular, and, second, both Ford and GM make a ton of money on each one sold. Each one out the door means money in the shareholders' pockets.

 

The Ridge line has its unibody welded to the ladder frame, skipping the bushings and bolts, virtually making it a part of it unibody. As I posted earlier, I once owned a Suzuki Grand Vitara that did the same thing.

 

People like part time 4WD. It is scattered throughout the truck market. You get better fuel economy. And you have slightly less vibration in the driving experience. Just happy Toyota offers both so consumers have choice.

 

Ridgeline is the perfect vehicle for those who don't prefer BOF trucks.

 

Part-time 4WD and full-time 4WD(aka, AWD) both have their respective places. I agree that for most CUV's(if not all), full-time AWD makes more sense. These vehicles spend the majority of their life on pavement where a differential is much better if you need to turn all 4 wheels.

For a BOF SUV or a full-size truck, part-time 4WD makes much more sense, particularly with a 2-speed transfer case(hi and low-range). Although the Big 3 have over time introduced electronic workarounds that allow the truck to run in a sort of simulated AWD on the highway. These modes(usually designated as 4A) operate by running in 4WD when there is slippage and disengaging when there isn't, preserving the drivetrain.


Just want to add, 4LO is very handy for those who need it. I use it for crawling up out of washes, pulling tree stumps out of the ground, keeping my speed low as I climb down a rough area, backing a trailer up a hill, etc.

 

Your average user will not encounter offroad conditions, so they certainly don't need all the complexity of traditional part time systems, or even full time systems with switches for locking diffs, low/high gear mode, or worse yet manual hubs. Most people don't even know how these systems work, and how to use them properly. In fact, someone who is not familiar with how this hardware works can cause transmission damage or even worse cause a crash by leaving diffs locked at highway speeds if the car doesn't automatically disengage them.

Most CUVs offer fully automatic AWD systems, that require no knowledge or input from the driver, and they are in fact superior for driving on slick snow covered roads - which is probably the most "offroad" condition majority of drivers will ever encounter. More and more CUVs now have torque vectoring, which is ideal for driving on slick surfaces - far, far better than traditional systems. More premium systems even have fancy crawl and descent control, and settings for different types of surface. Mercedes new system even uses its air springs to "bump" the car up and down and raise each wheel up and down to get itself unstuck. This is ideal for average drivers who might occasionally need to get unstuck from snow.


That said, Lexus only has a primitive AWD systems on its CUVs, which do not have torque vectoring like CUVs from Audi, MB, BMW and Acura.

 

I still leave mine in 2Hi, always have, you? In Auto in my truck the axle is engaged but there's no power sent to it unless the rears slip, and on dry pavement you can sense a slight drag. If it's pouring down rain I might put it on Auto.

Yes, I put my boat in the water early in the season sometimes where there's hardly a ramp because of low water. One time the whole trailer and boat got stuck after falling off the ramp. It absolutely would not budge until I put it in 4LO. That saved me a probably $400 tow.

 

Well, I guess Smart for two cars aren't for everyone.