If the Bravada's interior looks to have been pulled intact out of a luxury sedan, that's what the stylists intended. Much effort has been expended to that end, with mixed results. The dashboard is big and blocky and reflects its truck origins. Everything is placed for good access, with easy-to-use rotary knobs for headlights and climate control functions. A new, smaller airbag reduces the size of the steering wheel hub, though the space taken up by the passenger-side airbag remains the same.
Comfort was a top priority as well. The result of considerable design effort is a space that is friendly to passengers and cargo alike. The well-padded seats are excellent, providing better than average support and adjustability. The driver's seat offers a six-way power adjustment. Stretch-out room is ample. Leather is of the same soft grade applied to the Aurora and comes standard; cloth is offered as a no-cost option for people who prefer it.
Wood adorns the door panels and center console, while attractive deep-pile carpet covers the floor. Overall, the Bravada interior looks handsome and has an appropriate high-dollar air about it, though the quality of both the various switches and the plastic panels that surround them is a notch below that of a Ford Explorer.
Triple door seals keep wind noise and dust at bay, insulation masks most tire noise, and the engine makes only a soft hum at highway speeds, though induction and fan noise are noticeable during hard acceleration.
Bravada's rear step bumper is deep enough to ease the effort of loading mountain bikes and other cargo onto the roof rack.
Driving the Bravada in an urban setting is quite similar to piloting an Oldsmobile sedan, such as the Intrigue. The seating position is higher, of course, which is beneficial in terms of seeing what's going on around you, but steering and braking require no more effort than their sedan counterparts. A turning circle only slightly larger than that of most passenger cars aids maneuverability.
The Bravada is equally at home on the open highway. It is still relatively effortless to drive and has a softer than normal ride, at least when judged by SUV standards. It doesn't ride quite as smoothly as a car, however, and cannot because it is essentially a truck.
The brake pedal feels a bit mushy, but with four-wheel disc brakes, the Bravada offers good stopping performance. Repeated stops from higher speeds do not seem to cause brake fade, or loss of braking performance. An anti-lock braking system comes standard, which allows the driver to brake and steer at the same time in an emergency situation.
Performance from the V6 engine is up to class standards, and there is adequate power in reserve for carrying a full load. In a few instances during our test, we wished for a the extra urge a V8 would deliver, which would be helpful when ascending steep grades with a heavy load. But more power would increase fuel consumption, and that's one of the negatives of SUV ownership. Our test gas mileage was slightly below expectations at 17 mpg, but included more off-pavement driving than most Bravadas would face. When equipped with the towing package as our test vehicle was, the Bravada can pull a loaded trailer weighing up to 5000 pounds.
Always bearing Oldsmobile's admonition that the Bravada is not meant to be a true off-road vehicle in mind, we tried some gentle excursions in the deserts of New Mexico and California. The SmartTrak system, which engages all-wheel drive instantaneously and unobtrusively when needed, performed as advertised, and there was plenty of traction available for crossing rocky ground and sand washes. Shallow stream-fording was no problem either. Attempts to bog the Bravada down were unsuccessful, though we caution against trying this away from sources of aid; the absence of a low-range gear set in the transfer case makes wading through deep sand, snow or mud an exercise in caution.