1997 GMC Jimmy 5 Doors 4.3L V6 4AT (194 HP)

Vehicle Overview

GMC introduced the Jimmy with five doors as a badge-engineered vehicle for the Chevrolet Blazer, but with slightly different options and trim levels.

The market warmly welcomed the Jimmy. Despite being a good off-road vehicle, it didn’t look scary or boxy whatsoever. Moreover, the five-door version proved to be better for city use than most mid-size station wagons on the market. Its comfortable suspension and big trunk made it worthy at the Walmart and Home Depot as well.

In the five-door version, the compact SUV was longer than its five-door sibling. Its profile resembled the one offered by Opel in Europe with the Frontera lineup. A nice design feature was at the rear, where the D-pillars were blackened and made the car looks like it had a continuous glass area wrapped around the trunk. Unlike its three-door sibling, the five-door sported the spare wheel under the trunk, not on the tailgate.

Inside, Jimmy featured cloth seats with an option for velour. The 1995 model featured a steering-column mounted gear selector and a knob for the 4×4 system: 2WD, 4WD auto, and 4×4 lock. The vehicles fitted with manual transmission featured floor-mounted gear-sticks and transfer-box selector. Unlike the Blazer, the Jimmy featured different seats, with wider headrests for the front passengers.

Under the hood, GM installed the same 4.3-liter V6 engine, but with lower power than the 1995 model. The decrease came from the new pollution control system, which included a different catalytic converter.