@@fleuger99 In the 80's and 90's gauges were the prize you get for paying premium cash in the automotive industy. Sometimes manufactures would chase your cash with a few extra gauges, and we the consumers would be tantilized by it all. Always think within context, in this time within the time frame. : )
It may be inconceiveable for many but some time ago, we used to love buttons and switches. The more there was the more money we wanted to hand out. lol
@@fleuger99 I mean, they are incredibly useful gauges if you're having a problem. That the average person doesn't know what to do with the information doesn't make them irrelevant.
I daily drive a 2005 base 4x4 with a 2020 higher trim level 1/2 ton in the driveway. I love my pickup but man there is something to be said for the simplicity of my Blazer
These small SUVs were really popular and decent driving in their time. The 90s models were the most reliable of the generation, by the 00's, they added way more computer tech and with it came lots of shop visits. The biggest problem though was rust. The rest of the truck worked great!
Rust? You must be up north where everything rusts, because I own an S-series Blazer 4x4 and ZR2 4x4 and both are rust free 20+ yr old Virginia vehicles.
Yup, Western PA here. Salt is the name of the game, only thing that killed these guys. 98 Blazer and 03 S10 ZR2, both eaten by rust without much you can do about it except patch it up until it eats something critical.
Those 4.3s were pretty punchy back then. They have tons of torque, so they felt quicker than they really were. A regular cab S-10 with the 4.3 Vortec were surprisingly quick back in the day because they barely weighed anything.
My grandad had this gen blazer I think it was an ‘04 model. He put some rims on it and a sound system it was such a comfy car to be in. I remember the smell of gm in that era . He’d pick me up everyday after school in the first grade 😊
👍🏿# 75! A lot of people saying these are garbage but I see more of these trucks still on the road than any other '90's suvs. Even my rusty but trusty blazer still gets compliments.
I had a 2000 Blazer and within 60k miles it leaked oil, had radiator issues, the passenger seat recliner latch broke off, the fuel gauge stopped working, the ball joints had to be replaced, and the 4x4 switches didn’t work. Biggest POS I ever owned.
I remember my mom bought a 2001 GMC Jimmy, but we had the Envoy which I think was a luxurious trim to the Jimmy rather than an actual model . We loved it, and remember everyone always complimenting the truck.
Those Envoys were really nice. They were basically the same thing as a Bravada but badged as GMC. I think the Envoys back then looked a lot better than the Bravadas.
One of the most dependable vehicles I've ever owned. A 4WD LT, it was a great road-tripper, the only real issue I had in 220K miles was the infamous GM ignition switch. Alas, once the heater core started to go, it was no longer financially viable for me. I fondly remember the days when you could have a solid, comfortable ride without $20,000 worth of "electronic nannies" that you don't need or want to pay for.
I had one exactly like the one in this video. If you dropped the tailgate to load anything you had to hurry because all of the windshield wiper fluid started siphoning out of the tank. There was a big hump in the middle of the passenger floorboard that prevented you from placing your feet flat on the floor. We have come a long ways for sure.
Had a Strawberry Metallic 95 model. It was in the shop a lot. Most troubling was when the brake pedal would go to the floor without warning, and then operate correctly. Leased for three years. Got a 97 Tahoe after.
Thank you for posting this video. It is always good to see the older GM roadtests especially from Motorweek. The Oldsmobile Bravada showed up a year later. It is interesting the many versions globally GM had in this generaton and later. The instrumentation was used in the Holden Suburban. The new Blazer is a hit in 2023.
I had a 2000 blazer for a while. It was super slow and sucked way more gas than this test indicated. I had a friend with one of these and he removed the viscous clutch fan for an electric one and it made a world of difference.
I loved my Jimmy it had a lot of little issues and the suspension always needed something expensive. But it was just the right size not to big or small, parallel park in the city. Fit a bunch of stuff in the back.
Nothing had really decent gas mileage back then, especially the truck segment. Most full size trucks were lucky to hit 14mpg if you babied them on the highway.
Pretty much all SUVs back in the early to mid 90s were truck based, so they got pretty crap gas mileage. But, gas was also really cheap back then, so nobody really cared that much.
I had a 93 Blazer. 2 coworkers bought the new body style 95 based on my glowing review of my Blazer (which I kept for over 200,000 trouble free miles). They had so much trouble out of both of them they traded after just a few years. They truly were bad SUVs. Miss my 93.
In 95, I bought a new S-10 extended cab pickup, and loved it. A buddy liked my truck, so he bought a new loaded Blazer 4-door. Beautiful vehicle, but he couldn't stand the plastic interior panels squeaking and rattling. Drove him nuts. He got rid of it rather quickly.
Not surprised they mentioned the brakes. My old man had a '95 blazer that we used as a tow vehicle. The only thing I didn't like about the truck when I towed with it was the brakes. Great truck overall.
Had owned a '96 GMC Sonoma truck with the Highrider option same as the Bowtie's twin the ZR2. Extended cab with the 3rd door option on the driver's side. Loved the 4.3's power & the shift on the fly 4x4 system. Color was Purple exterior Grey cloth interior. Ordered the truck brand new at the time.
One of my elementary school principals drove a red 95-97 Blazer. It was probably around 2010 or so when she upgraded to a current Suburban of the time.
@@Commentleaver-c6x I’ve never had a principal drive a Subaru… Another one drove a red Beetle and later an Altima. Before the Beetle, she had a Sentra. Another principal drove a red Chevy Colorado and I think a Malibu before that. My middle/high school principal drove two different Muranos, while one assistant drove an Oldsmobile Aurora and later a Chevy Venture, while the other assistant drove a Suburban and later a Mazda6.
@@carexpertandy Subarus are the official automobile of educators all across the country. Also, how do you remember all those mundane vehicles? That’s impressive.
My mom had one in beige, 4 door, with a cloth interior I think... It was around the time I was just barely in preschool... I remember her having a handful of trailblazers after
That’s weird. My sister got into two wrecks with my blazer and it doesn’t even look like it was in a wreck.. the other person’s car though was absolutely trashed.
Mid 90's SUV's were the last generation when SUV's were SUV's, well actually probably the last generations proper cars were made. It's all down hill from there abouts. Yeah I know I know I'm no fun at a new car meet, but you got to see me at one with older cars. :P
I had a '96 Blazer which I really liked. My complaints would be the front ends ie tie rods, ball joints ect...were absolute junk. Had to get something done every time inspection came around. That and the abs system on these trucks is junk as well, got in an accident one time because of it. Guy pulled out in front of me and when I needed my brakes the most the modulator said nope. But I digress the 4.3 was solid and not problematic but the limited slip rear diff was all but useless. I'd own another one, probably some better aftermarket parts nowadays 😏
My dad had one of these. When I was 16. He went out of town and left me home. I found the keys and took it out driving pulling up on all my friends in Detroit. But I forgot the fuel gauge didn't work and ran out of gas getting on the freeway. It's the worst walking alongside the freeway in the middle of the night in the city because it's ultra dangerous. I hit the nearest gas station bought a gas can and 2 gallons worth of gas, spilled most of it on the side of the truck because gas can nozzles are trash! But it started right up then I took my dum as home 😂.
For 1995 these were all right. Unfortunately, GM didn't update them for a decade, so by 2005 when they were phased out, they were a joke. Still, even in 1995, there were several competitors that were better choices, like the Explorer, also freshly redesigned. One of the biggest downsides to these Blazers/Jimmys was the safety. While this generation is far safer than the first gen, especially the 1998 and later models with dual airbags, it was still behind its class. It got a Poor IIHS offset rating, which was fairly normal for an SUV in 1995 but badly outclassed in the new millennium. Also, in the NHTSA test, the front passenger crash test rating on the 1995-1997 Blazer was 1 star out of 5, the lowest possible. The driver got 3 stars, not great but passing. It baffles me why GM didn't put dual airbags in the 1996 Blazer after the 1995's terrible passenger score. I feel like that hurt them a lot more than the expense of putting in a second airbag. By the 1996 model year, the vast majority of SUVs had dual airbags anyway. Look, I hate most pre-1998 (first-generation) passenger airbags but in the Blazer's case it could have really helped. When they finally got off their lazy butts and put in the bag in 1998 the passenger crash test rating improved to 4 stars. June 15, 2023 7:26 am
My Subaru Forester got better crash scores, even in the base model. The only 2 reasons you bought one of these was you wanted an American brand and actual 4WD with a low range for actual off-roading.
The 4.3 VIN "W" CPI injection was a terrible design with the fuel pressure regulator INSIDE the intake! I'm sure many seized up from raw fuel wiping out the bearings 🙄
You must have had a strong wind at your back at all times. I have a well maintained '95 LT 4x4. Your mileage is unimaginable. Not in '95, not in '23. Much closer to the factory specs still.
Back in high school my best friend had one of these, he never did a damn thing to it (except abuse it) and it went to 290k miles before it needed a fuel pump and he junked it. I've never seen a vehicle so abused that just wouldn't quit going
Badged as Opel in my country. Ironically the Chevrolet brand was phased out at that time to make way for Opel until it's finally sold as Chevrolet in late 2002
I had a 2000 Blazer and within 60k miles it leaked oil, had radiator issues, the passenger seat recliner latch broke off, the fuel gauge stopped working, the ball joints had to be replaced, and the 4x4 switches didn’t work. Biggest POS I ever owned.
Ok so the other day the battery died in my classic. I boosted it and went for a drive and cursed the manufacturer for not putting a volt meter!!! Keep holding them accountable John!
Many are not nearly so fortunate. I was raised in Indiana where they heavily salt the roads, there are very few plying the roads there. I am currently in Iowa and they are also thin on the ground here.
My parents bought this exact Blazer brand new, they also purchased the 100,000 mile extended warranty which was a good thing because GM rebuilt it from stem to stern about 3 times under warranty. When the warranty expired they got rid of it and bought a Ford Escape as they were not to happy with the amount of time the Blazer spent in the dealership service department.
A rather simple, midsize, mid 20K range, 4 door, body on frame, 4x4 SUV has to be the most sought after vehicle out there. If one manufacturer built that they probably couldn’t make them fast enough. The Toyota 4 Runner meets this except way way too expensive for what it is.
@@austinfrazier7325 Yes, the 4 Runner - even though it's twice the size it used to be - is still hanging in there with an actual V6 and a traditional automatic transmission - helpful for its 4,700lb weight - but I expect that soon it will feature mandatory 1.0L 3-cyl hyperturbo with a CVT.
