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Show 2 The Salt Lake Tribune AUTOMOTIVE Friday, May21 1999 Two upscale trucks —— withoutthe attitude » BY WARREN BROWN (C) 1999, THE WASHINGTON Post By AL Haas KNIGHT RIDDER NEWSPAPERS I like the 1999 Chevrolet Trail- Blazer so muchthatI’ve put it on my Recently, I noticed the outside of the tread onthe left fronttire is wearing hard and unevenly. The OQ.For thepastfewyears, I have wearis sort ofin hills and valleys. own new-vehicle shopping list. The Teasons are many. Butthe biggest is that it is one of the fewsport-utility models I can drive without embar- been driving a 1988 Mercury The otherfront tire isfine. What's it. I'm convincedthere is a poltergeist floating aroundinit the way it whines and moans. done? the upscalerelatives ofthe Chevrolet ment alternators in it and both causing an imegular wear condi- | y: mechanic, however, thinks the noise is a belt or hose, not the have the front end realigned. If TrailBlazer nor the Envoy comes alternator. The other vexing problemis the wind noise. It’s as if the windows or doors aren't closing another tire. Q. I have about $13,000 to Topaz with under 75,000 miles on going on, and what has to be Fassment. Ditto the TrailBlazer’s cousin, the 1999 GMCEnvoy. The vehicles are Blazer and GMCJimmy, respective- 8 have been whiny But though they come from the better side ofthe tracks, neither the with a nouveauriche attitude. They are conservatively, pleasantly styled truck-wagons that are more wagon than truck — especially in the case of be resolved? Perhaps I need an exorcistinstead ofa mechanic. A, Steve Greg rvice managerat Philadelphia's WinnerLincoin Mercury,tells me the under- drive. The Envoy is sold in four- i Compared to the GMC Jimmy, the 1999 Envoy has an upscale designthat is refreshing and sensible. long-distance on-road dri sensible about this. Most sport-utility maybe Zebrano wood paneling and hauling, models on U.S. roads today are used a nice stereo and someg as a navigational system, to satisfy vin; in oneof those things without lots of General Motors Corp., which makes the TrailBlazer and Envoy, mud on the flaps, and without dents, dings andscrapes onthe body pan- wouldlike to arguethat those models els. the way station wagons were employed two decades ago, to haullots of stuff and aboutfive people. Yet many current sport-utes are over-engineered for typical use They are designed to 20off-road, climb mountains. Some come with steel brush-guards, perhapsto protect their bodies from scrapes with other vehicles in untamedparkinglots. It’s nutty stuff, and I don’t wantany part ofit. What I wantis a hauler and runner. “And because | like nice things, I want it to have certain amenities, such as leathér seats and my gizmocravin And I want it all in a package that does not look as if I have more also are a match for the Discovery money than commonsense. Being a Series II in off-road driving. But goofball is one thing, but signaling that’s baloney. The TrailBlazer and your goofiness to the rest of the Envoy do okay in modest off-road world is quite another, The Trail conditions. But Land Rover is king Blazer's elegantly simple exterior ¢ cleanlines and roundedcorners helps to keep such shortcomings private. Functionally, both the TrailBlazer andEnvoyare every bit as competent as, say, the Land Rover Discovery Series II in daily use commuting, in the rough, Stil, the point is that most people don’t buy sport-utes to go onsafari, preferably in the less-expensive two-wheel-drive mode. It might which meansthat the Discovery II not be much off-road. engineering are a and mud is just another version of But who te of money gigential, I mean better. If you don’t need a back tors youare putting inthat car. seat, you might wantto opt for the (c) 1999, Los ANGeLes Times The baby boomgeneration may worship youth, but the group is graying rapidly and beginningto feelthe ravagesof age. By 2005. about 66 million Americans — 2] percentof the population — will be more than 55 years old. So the auto industry is tumingits attention ing conferencein Detroit The TransG vehicle, a modified Dodge Caravan minivan, is loaded with features aimed at appealing to aging boomers swivel seats, movable instrument panels, flexible storage compartments while not tuming off younger buyers. increasingly to designing vehicles that will be would notice if wedidn’t tell you,” said Jim easier on those with less flexibility, stiff Masters, presidentof Lear's global technolo backs,deteriorating eyesight andother phys: gy division ical limitations. One exampleof this new area of research was displayed recently when auto supplier Lear Corp. showed its Transgenerationinteri- or concept vehicle at an automotive engineer« aan asckee Cina #7 Domestic | 900—Domestic Cars| The TransG offers front seats that swivel outward at a 45-d sree ang! to makeenter ing and exiting the vehicle easier. The seats have leather tnm, creating less friction so the occupant can slip in and out effortlessly. 900—Domestic Cars_| 900—Domestic Cars What's the difference | | | | | could be emanating from a bear- urn and the 124-horsepower ing in one of several belt-driven model? Both ofthemare 1.9 liters. engine accessories, including the altemator, idler pulley or water pump. A. The 124-horse engine has two camshafts instead of one, and aslightly higher compression ratio Gregory feels the wind noises are probably caused by weatherstripping damage. @.Ihave a 1993Toyota Camry. (9.5:1 instead of 9.3:1). Send your automotive questions to Al Haas, The Inquirer, Box 8263, Philadelphia 19101. yard work need to twist the body to find, extend and lock the belt into place The steering Egress and ingress arefurther facilitated by a wheel is U-shaped, with the The company took someinspiration from Oxo Intemational, the companythat created the fat-handled Good Gripskitchen utensils. rear compartment, the TransG has abuilt in loading floorthat pulls out. It also has a built-in Lazy Susan for storage and a ‘The Oxotools were originally designed for removable utility cart On the vehicle's outside, Lear has includ- people with arthntic hands, but other consumers have found themeasierto use too. ed two small storage adjustable Onthesafety side, the concept vehicle is equipped with advancedseat belts andfive air-bag systems. Thefrontseats are equipped worked with a consumer panel whose members were on average 65 years old and For ease in loading and unloading the Unlike the way it is with current vehicles the seat does not move forward for adjust ment with the steering wheel. Rather. the instrument pod moves fore and aft to fit the comfort range of the driver. The accelerator consumer research project. The company included 82-year-old Lloyd Way, father of Lear Chairman Ken Way. bility for shorter drivers. lowered step-in height. “The goal here is to produce a car that has and brake pedals are also movable and the benefits for the aging driver that no one . He adds, though, that the noise between the 100-horsepower Sat- upper portion cut away for improved visi By DONALD W. NAuss upfor someonelike me? what quality replacementalternathe noise is froman engine belt. andvehicles of similar rock-crawling cares? To me, driving in the dust and performance frompoint A to point B. Do you recommend a small car or a pick- Like your mechanic, he suspects pickup’sutility and resale. absenceof surface body damageto that vehicle. So, make mine the TrailBlazer, want something that will get me mon Topaz ailments. He wonders and bad alternators, are not com- Put another way, the amountof waste on a rough-toughsport-uteis inversely proportional to the Automotive designsease the ravages of age Car: 92 FORD cot excel conaten | Sanma. $3'500(435)6978608 | spend on a newcar. I'mnotinter- ested in high performance. I just , the small ear would be a bit more comfortable, quieter and better handling. The compact pickup would be tougher, more useful and hold its resale value hood whine, like the wind noise it’s embarrassingto be rolling around tion called “scalloping.” I would you don’t, you'll quickly ruin monwith the Topaz, and can they expensive siblings, continues to be offeredin two-wheel and four-wheel There is something refreshingly and noisy, The tightly, Are these problems com- the TrailBlazer, which, like its less wheel-drive only, A. I think you hit a pothole with theleft front wheel and knocked it The car has had two replace- outof line. The misalignment is areas on the side pan els just in front of therear lights. The user can open the compartments — seen as. Lear said thekey to future design success is to appeal to aging baby boomers while not turning off younger buyers who might shun what they view as an “old fogies" ideal for storing flashlights, ice scrapers and the like without stooping car.” with four-point seat belts, which are easier to Masters expects that many ofthese fea “We haveto have accommodations that slip into than traditional three-pointones. The tures will find their way into new vehicles are transparent,” said Marilyn Vala, manbelts, similar to those used by pilots and race next threeto five years. ager of product analysis for Lear. “Anycar drivers. are seat and buckle attached to both sides of the ur. the leading the middle, eliminating the 900—Domestic Cars 900—Domestic Cars vie Black moun =a | 900—Domestic Cars 900—Domestic Cars thing that looks like an old people's car is not goingtosell.” 900—Domestic Cars 900—Domestic Cars | 7 Se Pree pa eevey TD ese ve ow srtoneal aS Sibou 7 0 AS11 8cord SOSAR | Satoy 8 Buc rtaarchay SALT LAKE 3600 Ve St ese cel tects ALLEY GMC ee ohep U.S. maker of auto inte developedtheideas in athree-year ARTAN Sots486Te WA. 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