In December 1996, I wanted a nice Sport Utility Vehicle that was comfortable and roomy for my 5'-10" frame. I checked out the Ford Explorer (too boxy) and Japanese imports (too small). GMC won, why? See below:

THE GOOD: I purchased my 1997 Jimmy SLT with leather seats, Luxury-ride suspension (there are five different types of suspension you can choose from), Delco radio/CD player, upgraded wheels, running boards and luggage rack. It has a V-6 Vortec engine that has plenty of power to climb steep grades and to navigate shallow waters not more than 2 feet deep. The suspension was an important factor in my choice because I spend so much time in my car. The air-conditioning works really fast and cools down in minutes. Heater works very well in the winter. Driving for long periods can cause back pain on long trips. I drive many times through the Mojave Desert to Las Vegas and always feel great after 4-5 hours of driving. The luggage rack can carry quite a load as well. I have put a 300 pound storage container up on my racks with no problem whatsoever. Try to even out the weight distribution to make handling a little easier.

THE BAD: I have only several complaints about my Jimmy. First, the brake wear tremendously fast. Perhaps I may have been hard on my brakes but they had to be replaced at 30,000 miles. The ABS system kicks in too fast. Sometimes it kicks in when I make a gradual stop. General Motors say this is normal. If you get a flat tire, you must remove the spare which is sitting just under the rear end of the truck. There is a manual crank to lower the tire. I'd prefer to have the the spare located inside the truck. The fuel gauge doesn't really give you an accurate reading of the fuel level. I tend to fill up when the gas needle hits the "E" mark. But the gas gauge reads empty when in fact there is at least 1/4 fuel left in the gas tank. Again, General Motors says this is normal. Additionally, there is no locking gas tank cover like you see on most vehicles. I bought a locking device this is inserted into the mouth of the gas funnel.

THE UGLY: My parking brake broke on me and would not let me release the brake so I had to call GMC Roadside Assistance for help. They came out within 2 minutes! Turns out the coupling on this brake is a "J" hook design. It came apart again so I used a crimping took and crimped the "J" hook completely closed. GMC techs said it works and GMC designers should have thought of that! DON'T stick your fingers behind the foot brake. The metal parts back there have sharp edges. I cut my fingers so bad poking around back there. Use a glove to do this work!

Addendum 12/30/99 - I forgot to mention my CD player broke on me and was replaced by GMC at no charge. The radio played fine but the CD player wouldn't play a CD. There was a defective chip inside the player. A GMC friend of mine told me this was a known problem but GMC won't advise owners of this problem unless they bring the problem to a GMC dealer . . . then it would be fixed/replaced at NO CHARGE!

Consumer Reports gave this sport utility a really bad review. At 45,000 miles, I have yet to experience any major problem(s). When it comes time for me to buy a new truck, I won't hesitate to purchase another GMC truck.