first, and oldest, demands functionality above all else. Customers in this

group routinely fill their vehicles with people and/or cargo, make regular

use of the inherent strengths of the breed, and will head for the great

outdoors as often as possible.

A second--and much larger--cadre of buyers are most interested in some

of the features shared by the majority of sport-utes. They consider a high

seating position and extra-strong construction as safety benefits for daily

use and are attracted to the rugged aura these machines exude. But they

also insist on big helpings of comfort and style. And they aren't likely

to exercise off-road capabilities.

There are innumerable sub-groups within this market, of course, each

with its own special needs. And there are fleet buyers who use sport-utilities

for farm labor, forest patrols and a thousand other workaday tasks.

The demands are many and diverse. Nevertheless, the trio of mid-size

sport-utilities from General Motors--Chevrolet Blazer, GMC Jimmy, and Oldsmobile

Bravada--are designed to appeal to everyone. Properly equipped, they can

be as rugged as you'd want, or can be given a veneer of civilization that

makes them suitable for everything from camping to an evening at the opera.

To meet competition from such stalwarts as the Ford Explorer, Jeep Cherokee

and Grand Cherokee, Mitsubishi Montero Sport, Isuzu Rodeo, Nissan Pathfinder

and Toyota 4Runner, the three siblings from GM need to be very, very good.

And aside from a few rough edges, which may or may not matter to you, they

are.

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.

swathed in leather or trimmed in more basic cloth, the result is a space

that is occupant and cargo friendly. The seats are excellent, providing

better than average support and adjustability in our four-door Blazer tester.

Stretch-out room is ample, though rear-seat passengers in two-door models

will find their space a bit of a stretch to reach. Once in place, they

will also find their outward vision blocked by that large, slanted rear

roof pillar. Neither problem is an issue in the four-door.

Interior design remains more truck-based than car-like. The dashboard

is big and blocky, holding the usual gauges and controls, plus--when ordered--pushbuttons

for the optional electrically-controlled 4wd transfer case. Everything

is placed for good access, though the actual quality of both the switches

and the plastic panels that surround them is a notch below what you'd find

in a Ford Explorer.

A more serious shortcoming is the omission of a passenger airbag. All

other major players in the class have long since gone to dual airbags.

Aside from the occasional squeak from interior plastic--usually when

driving off-road--the Blazer is remarkably quiet inside. 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 both obtrusive during hard acceleration.

By and large, the Blazer/ Jimmy/Bravada cabin makes a good impression.

With a materials upgrade and a second airbag, we'd rate it as excellent.

it is all too easy to look upon it as essentially a tall station wagon.

Whether or not it actually feels like that to the driver depends on where

and how it is being driven.

In an urban setting, the Blazer is quiet and composed, easy to drive

with its automatic transmission and power-assisted steering. Good visibility

and exterior dimensions smaller than those of a Chevy Malibu make it easy

to maneuver.

Take the Blazer on the highway, and the picture changes slightly. Even

in "touring" form, the suspension is firm, and reacts noticeably

to pavement imperfections. It is still relatively effortless to drive,

but a mushy brake pedal--common to every GM truck and sport-utility we've

driven--can be disconcerting when panic stops are necessary.

Performance from the V6 engine is good, particularly in the lower rpm

ranges, and there is plenty of grunt in reserve for pulling a trailer or

carrying a full load. The automatic transmission is especially nice, changing

gears quickly and without noticeable hesitation.

For most customers, the base and "touring" suspensions will

do just fine. Even off-road, our Blazer was sure-footed and controllable,

whether asked to follow an existing trail or make a new one. Serious mountain

goats or desert rats may want to investigate the off-road suspension packages,

but you have to work the standard Blazer very hard to get beyond its innate

rock-climbing ability. The optional power-operated transfer case makes

switching from 2- to 4WD drive a snap.

will set you back the better part of $30,000. That's a serious sum of money.

In most cases, that price will bring with it all the expected power assists

and a good audio system in a well-trimmed interior, plus 4WD and a top-level

powertrain.

In this respect, the Blazer LS does not disappoint. All expected amenities

are included--in fact, more than you might expect--encased in a well-built

and solid structure that will breeze through normal use and absorb a lot

of off-road punishment.

Compared to most of its rivals, the Blazer represents good value. Its

road manners make it competitive, as do the options that allow customers

to personalize it.