Chevrolet Blazer reviews

1997 Chevrolet Blazer Walkaround

Now in their third year since a major redesign, the Blazer, Jimmy and Bravada are familiar sights on and off the road. In any form they share a fashionable, aerodynamic front end teatment that harmonizes nicely with either the two-door's jaunty rear half, with its sharply-raked roof pillars, or the rather more formal four-door design.

Keeping the various permutations separate is best done with a wall chart or a stack of brochures but here's how they break down in a nutshell: Chevy's version comes in base, LS or LT trim;, Jimmy is available in SL, SLS, SLE or SLT; and Bravada offers a single model roughly equivalent to LT or SLT. It's also four-door-only.

Beyond differing plastic exterior panels, use of plain or plated trim, cloth or leather upholstery, two doors or four, and the absence or presence of convenience features, all members of the family are much the same. All are powered by a 4.3-liter V6 engine and ride on a stiff ladder frame inherited from GM's midsize pickup truck line.

All have standard four-wheel ABS and air conditioning, and the Chevy and GMC versions can be ordered with one of two four-wheel drive systems, one part-time, the other full-time. Bravadas have standard full-time all-wheel drive. All two-door versions have five-speed manual transmissions as standard dequipment, while four-doors are automatic only.

The Blazer and Jimmy offer numerous shock absorber/spring/antiroll bar packages to tailor them to intended use. Two are basic, all-around configurations that provide a smooth highway ride; four others address the needs of those who intend to use their vehicles off-road or for trailer-towing. Ride quality suffers with the latter setups, but they are useful for specific purposes. Picking the package most suitable to your needs is up to you, but we'd advise a long test run before you opt for the heavy-duty options.

A wide range of wheel/tire, trim and comfort and convenience items are available, as well. A power sunroof is new for 1997, joining various seats, sound systems and other amenities among the extra-cost goodies. Most of the high-line extras are standard on the Bravada.