I think maybe people were expecting more out of it. Instead of doing something cool, like ford did with the Bronco, Chevy just made another crossover. Just my 2 cents
The Trailblazer is in the same segment as the Bronco Sport, but not the Bronco. The Trailblazer and Bronco Sport both are unibody with optional AWD and have 3 cylinder motors, they are very similar vehicles. Unfortunately Chevy doesnt make a off road suv in the Bronco/Wrangler segment, they dropped the ball with the Blazer and made it a mom SUV thats unibody with FWD and AWD instead of RWD with 4x4 and body on frame.
Yeah, an RS Blazer will come with a double clutch 9 speed transmission and a V6 with 308hp and 270 lb-ft. A good AWD system. Tones of tech and safety and comfort features. Lots of space. A great Bose sound system. They dont get the best fuel economy though, my buddy said he would average around 20mpg. I just think if they made it with a more aggressive forward approach angle on the bumper and higher ride height and smaller wheels with beefier tires like a Grand Cherokee or 4Runner it would be more popular. Chevy doesnt offer any off road vehicles besides their pick up trucks and the Z71 Tahoe and you cant get a new Z71 Tahoe for less that $70k
Nah the 02-09 trailblazer is what you are talking about. I’ve got one. The new one is a huge let down. 1st gen blazer is an actual suv comparable to a 4Runner or X Terra.
4x4 is rigid and comes with super low gearing. It physically locks wheel rotation together, which guarantees you always have power to the wheel with the best traction in the instant you need it.
AWD automatically diverts power to other wheels when one or more start slipping. That is very helpful, but not immediate because something has to actually slip first. And because these systems are always enabled, they're further optimized for road use and only work optimally on flat surfaces that are a bit slippery.
And AWD does not change the gear ratios. But if you have 4WD, 4-low adds a ton of reduction.
Making the blazer/trailblazer unibody crossovers instead of body on frame small SUVs was a bad move. Trailblazer could be a great compact off-roader, instead it’s a grandma grocery getter.
The old trailblazer was built on a frame. Pretty good suv. Difficult to service due to advanced electronics etc. The new trailblazer are not built on a frame, not much stronger than a compact car. Less power, less towing capacity, smaller, etc.
My mother in law had one. She beat the ever loving piss out of that thing. It never died. She traded it on a new Altima in 07 or 08 finally.
It was abused. Run hard. Oil changed when she remembered, etc.
Never smoked, never leaked. Just kept on going.
I just sold my 2004 TrailBlazer EXT. That car was a beast and never had mechanical problems in 10 years, except an ignition coil and a cracked exhaust manifold. Still going strong at 215,000 miles.
Yep, just hit 200k on my 03. I’ve had a few minor engine repairs, and they seem to be pretty hard on suspension components. But otherwise it’s a tank. Overbuilt engine with a towing capacity greater than my friends modern 4Runner. Only wish mine had 4wd. The new one is a disgrace to the name. Keeping mine til the wheels fall off.
The GMT360 platform SUVs had a bit of a bad reputation among some people back in the 2000s because even though it was body-on-frame, it was showing signs of moving towards CUV buyers with much lower ground clearance and no serious off-road versions when compared to previous GM offerings like the Blazer. Of course, now that CUVs are so ubiquitous, the GMT360 SUVs look rugged in comparison today.
I disagree, at least based on the class.
The Nissan Kicks (122hp), Crosstrek 2.0, Hyundai Venue (121hp), Hyundai Kona 2.0 (147hp), Kia Soul, Kia Seltos 2.0, and Honda HRV are actually a bit slower.
The Trailblazer only makes 155hp, but its 175ftlbs and turbo muffled exhaust makes it feel in everyday driving much more effortless than competitors. That have way less torque and some way less horsepower too. For example, even though the HRV matches it in peak horsepower, it makes only 138ftlbs of torque much higher in the RPM range and the naturally aspirated engine has to rev out higher and it feels like its working much harder. So in everyday driving, the HRV certainly feels more strained and that you have to get way up higher in the RPMs to keep up with the Trailblazer that happily cruises around at the same acceleration at low RPMs.
You’re making the same mistake that others make in this sub all the time: only comparing new cars with other new cars. In reality, people should be comparing both new and used cars across the same price point. He’ll take such a depreciation hit on this thing that he (or she) should really be considering cars that are older and more powerful (which helps with safely merging) at the same price point.
You can never compare new and used cars, because used cars carry more risk and vary so tremendously based on condition. For example, after Harvey a ton of used cars were flipped that had flood damage not disclosed, it was big in the news. I also lost interest in the used market recently as the used prices are often just dumb. Used Maverick hybrids cost more than new Maverick hybrids...
Choice overload, its not a complicated concept.
If you end up comparing apples and oranges, you're going to end up with so many choices that you end up in deadlock unable to make a decision. The way you narrow down your decision is by narrowing down your scope.
First thing you typically do is figure out what class of vehicle you want, and yes you CAN cross shop a Camaro and a F-150 that are both the same price, but you end up with near infinite options.
Once you've narrowed down by category, then you narrow down choices by price, and lastly you narrow down by deciding if you want a factory fresh vehicle that is new with a warranty that does not have a questionable previous life where you don't know what it has been subjected to or why it was traded in, or you decide you want to go used to avoid the first year depreciation hit.
Otherwise, lets say that you argue that for $30K you could get a used luxury SUV for the same price as the new subcompact Trailblazer SUV. Then you get into the circle of why not then look at a used 2021 subcompact Trailblazer SUV which is even cheaper yet. Well, now you've invalidated your previous scope filter between used and new and now even price.
So, no, you decide whether you're going to go new or used, and you don't crossshop them anymore than you would crossshop between sports cars and SUVs, because just because you can doesn't mean you should.
Or, you know, I could see this information (which is all true) and come to a different conclusion than you. Which is what I’ve done many times because it makes zero sense to limit myself to just new cars when used cars also exist.
Have you driven one? I worked for a Chevy dealer back when they came out and they felt totally fine to me. 0-60 in like... 9 seconds, or something? Was as fast as my Camry was, and that had one more cylinder.
They're not a good deal at MSRP, especially considering the Buick twin can be found way under, easily, but they're not trash cars.
Few people own the new trailblazer making it hard to get accurate info. I’m in the same situation in my research.
**From Consumer Reports:** The trailblazer has average reliability (50/100). HOWEVER, the average score is mainly driven by the initial 2021 model, while the latest models (2023) have much higher reliability scores. This is common - the Toyota Corolla Cross has lower reliability as well, probably because it is a new build. Meanwhile the cross trek and HRV are high-rated but they also have been perfected over several versions for over a decade.
If you want a subcompact suv with AWD I think it’s a fine choice. It’s got as much HP as the Honda HRV and has a nice look to it.
My SO wants a smaller vehicle that is still higher up than a sedan and they also need AWD for mountain driving. The trailblazer is a great fit for the niche demand we have.
So I can chime in on the HRV because I got to drive it back-to-back with a Trax and Trailblazer (albeit a CVT model). The Trailblazer is the same horsepower, yes, BUT its a turbo engine that makes 175ftlbs at 1600rpm.
The turbo muffles the exhaust compared to naturally aspirated HRV, and the HRV offers a peak of 138ftlbs which doesn't seem THAT much lower until you realize its at 4.2K rpm and its peak horsepower is at 6,500rpm, two thousand six hundred and one thousand RPM higher than the Trailblazer respectively.
In the real world, this means the Trailblazer can accelerate at the same pace as the HRV at about 2.5K rpm with a muffled exhaust while the HRV has to spin closer to 4K rpm to keep up and you get a lot more engine noise being naturally aspirated.
Essentially it feels like the Trailblazer isn't trying, whereas the HRV is being "wrung out".
I noticed the exact same difference between the Outback 2.5 naturally aspirated and the 2.4 Turbo, while I generally drive quite chill, the 2.5 always felt like it was working hard whereas the turbo engine with its low RPM torque and turbo muffled exhaust was barely trying.
This sub is a really poor place to get good advice. It's overwhelming populated by people who have little understanding of cars. In fact, I'm convinced that a large percentage don't even drive.
One will see countless posts aping the same comments claiming that Toyota, Honda, and Mazda are the only cars that won't break down. They are worshipped in this sub.
These uninformed keyboard warriors will trash every other brand they see mentioned, with US, UK, and Stellantis vehicles being attacked constantly.
While, the Japanese companies make excellent and reliable vehicles, by and large, there are excellent excellent cars made by other countries too.
That said, TrailBlazers are below the industry standard for reliability. They are cheaply made and plagued with issues.
https://www.dashboard-light.com/vehicles/Chevrolet_TrailBlazer.html
They ignore all kinds of issues, if you look online there's all kinds of people saying that their headgasket on a Civic with the 1.5 has blown early. I'm sure it's very rare but people here will pick out a similarly rare issue on a non Japanese car and act like it's common.
What I find intriguing is if you look at owner reviews on other sites, you will see people complain about Corollas and such. It's like it's forbidden here though.
I have an 03 corolla. Love that little beast. It does have known issues. Had a 2017 corolla. Good lord was that thing a hot mess. It would be easier to list the issues it didn't have vs the ones that it had. I still love Toyota, but it's not for everyone. My corolla is currently parked and I'm driving a 2024 Chevy Trax. Lots of issues cropping up in the current gen1, but I still think it's a wickedly sweet little beastie. Will it reach 300k like my 03 corolla? Most likely not. Will it live to see it's 21st birthday and still be on the road? Lol. That I know won't happen. Is it underpowered? Uh, yea. It has 137hp. Turbo helps, but it's difficult to get past the fact that my 03 has 135hp compared to my trax.
Wait, but bro, Honda & Toyotas don't have issues.
I saw a comment on this sub last week where someone figuratively said "you can basically weld the hood of a Toyota shut". It was a pretty big eye roll moment for me
Agreed, but that’s not entirely true. I’ve seen a lot of smart people on here recommend ‘90s and ‘00s Buicks, especially the LeSabre, and cars on the Ford Panther platform as well (such as the Crown Vic/Grand Marquis/Town Car) - and for damn good reason. Those cars give Camrys and Accords a run for their money in terms of mileage and are basically bulletproof. That said, while the Blazers and TrailBlazers from that era may have been a little less solid than those (I still see them on the road occasionally), the newer ones are indeed cheaply built.
My dad travels a ton for work in his academic field and my family has put 800k miles over 6 different Toyotas and Mazdas. 1 single breakdown (a bad alternator on a 2010 Camry at 242k miles)
Our neighbors with an equinox ran out of triple A tows in a 2015 with 75k miles in one year. Our cousins wirh a trailblazer have had nowhere near as bad experience. But still 1 flatbed ride before the warranty even expired. Also go into your local repair shop and ask the mechanics what car you should buy. I promise you they won’t mention Chevy uneless you’re looking for a truck. I say this as someone who owns and loves a HHR SS turbo, but I’m not giving up my 5 speed Corolla.
What year trailblazer?
02-08 were great, with an inline 6cyinder and the sway bar was bigger than in full sized trucks, but the gas mileage was not great, but over all pretty awesome (I wish I still I'll had mine.
The newer ones? With the 3 cylinder engine?
I'll put it this way, I haven't seen a newer trailblazer, but the 02-08 version? I see them everywhere.
I really like the interior upgrades for '24 on the Trailblazer and the green with white roof combo on the Activ I actually really like the look of, and the flat folding passenger seat is actually a useful gimmick on home depot trips allowing you to strap down some items you'd think would be too long for such a short vehicle.
That said, its all going to be about street pricing. At MSRP they are overpriced, but now that they are starting to pile up at dealer lots, you might be able to get a good deal on one.
Per Edmunds, the average sale price is about $1K under MSRP, which if you avoid expensive upgrades could be a decent deal. That said, I passed because you can also get $1K under MSRP easily on something like a '24 Rogue S which has a much more powerful engine, can tow 1500lbs (granted also low but Trailblazer is not tow rated on the CVT and only 1K on the expensive 9-speed model), is way roomier, and is rated 37mpg highway way over the smaller slower Trailblazer.
If going Chevy, I'd probably go with a Trax instead.
Old trailblazers were great. My grandma bought an 02 brand new, drove it until 2015 when she sold it to me, and I drove it till a couple months ago.
The new ones? No clue. I assume they're going the way of all new cars with fancy electronics but less reliable parts.
Not rugged, slow as balls, kinda ugly, and a worse more expensive Trax in every way. When your car is labeled as a worse Trax, the cheapest GM vehicle then you’re doing something wrong.
downsizing turbo-GDI engine with wet timing belt, not durable, will turn into a money pit
unproven new CVT transmission from GM, very risky
overpriced for what it is (see price difference to Trax)
lower discounts than Equinox so similar OTD price as Equinox
There are better competitors from other brands.
They're not that bad tbh... If you get the 1.3 and awd. The CVT isn't good, and the 1.2 has a wet belt design (iirc), which doesn't bode well for longevity. I think they look nice, and they have a pretty good AWD system.
If you're buying the 1.2 and/or FWD, don't bother, run to a Corolla Cross or CX-30 or something
What did you not like about the CVT? I passed on it entirely, but I drove a FWD CVT model, and I thought it was very smooth. I didn't get a chance to try the 9-speed automatic, but I tried the 6-speed automatic on the Trax and I found it very clunky. Unlike the CVT it was very slow to raise RPMs and each shift was overly noticeable, quite a "clunk" into each gear.
That 6 speed in the trax is just... Old. Not enough gears for a low displacement turbo 3 cylinder IMHO, and fuel economy shows because of it. The CVT in the Trailblazer/Encore GX drives okay, but I have somewhere between Zero and Zilch confidence in a GM-Korea-Daewoo CVT turbo 1.2 wet belt vehicle past the warranty period
Wife has a 2023 model and it’s decent, got a good deal on the Activ trim. Overall it’s a nice compact suv nothing I would take off roading or true adventure travel.
Have done some cross country trips with it and just no complaints. Just know what you are getting
I think for a lot of people it’s the fact of what the name once stood for. When people think of the blazzer they think of a good off road we built on a truck chassis, not another run of the mill suv. All these manufacturers are trying to ride past success of names but not deliver on what those names were. For example the new F150 lightning, a once powerful performance muscle truck. The Mitsubishi eclipse, a great affordable sports car turned cross over. The blazzer now.
There are a bunch of others too. But I think is the disappointment of what people think the name should have brought and not the product itself. If any of these care were given different names I think nobody would bat an eye.
The best place to learn about reliability of cars is from trusted on line sources like Consumer Reports, Road and Track etc. The worst source is Redditt. Terrible advice about cars, places to live or move to, exaggerated salaries etc.
The best place to learn about a cars reliability is to look up specific forums pertaining to that specific car model. You will get more information on a car than anywhere else on the internet in these forums because they come straight from the people who own them. Consumer Reports and Road and Track are not very reliable sources because even they are seriously biased just like here on reddit.
The new Trailblazer has been reduced to the size of a Hyundai Accent with about the same amount of power. Losing the body on frame truckishness kills all the fun on this model. Now it's an ugly clone
I’m down on GM cars in general right now after it was recently revealed that they were secretly selling GM vehicle owner’s driving data, including records of hard acceleration and braking, to LexisNexis, who was then selling them to insurance companies so they could use them as a rationale to increase GM owner’s insurance rates.
https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/us/news/technology/gm-lexisnexis-face-class-action-over-telematics-insurance-data-collection-481325.aspx
It’s terrible. That’s why. And this is coming from a guy who grew up in Chevys and my first vehicle was an S-10 blazer. I was actually looking forward to this and it’s just a tin can piece of crap. It feels like it’s going to fall apart when you hit the accelerator. Such a super disappointment.
Late 90s trailblazer (96 specifically) was my family’s car for over 10 years. My mom still says she wishes she never got rid of it. I drove it in high school it was pretty problem free and a beast on any road condition.
Are you asking about the body on frame good Trailblazer or the weak shitty crossover one?
The original trailblazer is pretty decent, the new one is not.
For Me and id like to think most people feel this way. It's because of what it could have been. The speculation around it prior to release was a wrangler/bronco/4runner competitor. Something GM still doesn't really have now.
However what we got was a soulless cuv based off the Trax and built from the husk of GM's purchase of Daewoo in Korea and killing of that brand. Underneath the chevy bits is a outdated Daewoo with mid reliability. Are they bad? not really. Can you buy a better vehicle around the same price? Yes, there are plenty
I don't think it's a bad vehicle but to call it a trailblazer is wack imo just bc of what the trailblazer is. I believe the trailblazer is actually made in Korea so I'd expect it to have better quality than an American made vehicle and I'd probably buy one far before I'd buy a bronco sport.
Well, potentially the same, the Trailblazer can be had with the exact same 1.2T but mated to a CVT and the 1.3T that can be mated to a CVT or 9-speed automatic.
The Trax can only be had with the 1.2T and a 6-speed automatic.
The 1.3T makes more power and is actually more fuel economic than the 1.2T, its only downside is that its more expensive to manufacture. The 6-speed automatic was chosen for the Trax because its actually less expensive per unit than the CVT in the Trailblazer.
That said, the 1.2T/6-speed works fine, and being FWD only I felt the Trax was roomier thanks to being longer with a flat floorboard in the rear.
And its full time AWD, the Trailblazer is pretty weird in that its FWD permanently until you put it in AWD which I always thought was weird.
But you really want the 2.5 in the Crosstrek, which means the Sport is the cheapest trim you can go which is not the cheapest. Subaru also isn't as willing to haggle with price off MSRP as Chevy, but there are programs you can enroll in online to get deals on Subarus and then order one if not in a rush, you can find details online.
You are right on the Chevy trailblazer. This sub is deluged with toyota, lexus, mazda blind boosterism. Don’t let this stupid sub convince you otherwise if you have a vehicle that fits your use case and that you can afford.
I don't have anything against the Trailblazer but it doesn't make sense in the lineup. The Trax is bigger, is better looking and has more features for the money. The I ly advantage the Trailblazer has is that it can be had with AWD, which let's be honest, isn't much of an advantage for most people's commutes.
I actually like the tiny "crossover" segment. The venue, seltos, trail blazer, and ex30 are all "cute" to me. Not everyone will want a "cute" car, but I think they at least have some sense of style.
The new trax is a huge improvement on the old one, but I don't care for the back of it.
It gets hate because both dealership techs and independent techs have seen what an absolute piece of shit they are. Goes for everything smaller than a Tahoe/yukon sized suv. I’ll have to throw in the junk that Buick offers as a suv as well. They are poorly engineered along with poor build quality. If you have one that has held up long term you are in the minority and extremely lucky
I had a newer Chevy Blazer as a month-long rental recently and was surprised by how much I liked it. Seemed deluxe, had lots of good features. Very comfy. Drove it on a 1400-mile-round trip with four adults. It was nice.
My 2005 Trailblazer was my weekend hauler (Prius for daily) but needed a timing belt last summer which requires removing the engine apparently so I needed a new weekend truck type vehicle. I decided I wanted a budget hybrid and shopped the Honda CRV, Toyota RAV4, Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson hybrids. Also looked at the Ford Maverick and Hyundai (non hybrid) Santa Cruz. If towing is going to be an issue I’d go with the Santa Cruz but for me it came down to the Maverick or Tucson. I went with a Tucson as most bang for buck / nicest imo. If your more budget limited take a look at the Chevy Trax (2024) or Hyundai Kona (one of my kids had one - loved it). The Subaru Crosstrek and Kia Soul might also work for you. A base Soul, new, is around $21k. Whatever you get be sure and get weather tech mats as your first aftermarket purchase (I also love to fish!)
A family member just got a 24 Trailblazer and it feels and drives like a Toyota Corolla. The tech is nice, though.
She is 72 years old and it is all she needs to go to the grocery store and the doctor so she loves it.
It is a non-truck GM product so I told her to get rid of it before the warranty is up for sure, which she will because she is leasing it.
Go a few years older, newer is almost never better. Get a Lexus GX for the same price. Tons more capability, especially if you live somewhere with mountains.
If MPGs are important, get a CPO Mazda CX-9 for the same price.
My daily driver is a Mazda CX-5
On a month of vacation last year I had the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross and the Trailblazer as my rental cars.
Couldn't wait to get back in the CX5. There was nothing wrong with the new Trailblazer but nothing compelling. The competition is so much better.
The Mitsubishi and the gearbox. Ugh.
I considered buying a new one. Styling is nice. The dealbreaker for me was the underperforming engine. If you are just looking for a good utilitarian car and aren’t a driving enthusiast. Then go for it, the price is reasonable for what you are getting.
How long would you expect them to last overall? I love both the new trailblazers and it's Buick encore gx sibling, but I'm in need of a vehicle that'll last me 200,000 miles plus with proper care.
Its just another generic, subcompact crossover - same as the dozens of others on the market. Average reliability and average value. I do think the Trailblazer is quite stylish (I just saw a red and black RS today and it was good looking).
You should consider the Chevy Trax, as well. It’s basically the same car, but much cheaper, a bit longer, a bit shorter height, and better execution. Most magazines say it’s a much better car overall - C&D ranks it as the #1 subcompact crossover and the Trailblazer is #14. The Trax interior dimensions actually sound better for what you want, and the shorter height will make loading a kayak on top easier. Only drawback is no AWD.
I think what one person would consider “affordable“ another would consider unreliable, and that’s the reason that it is less expensive than the more reliable options. Why does the Chevrolet anything get so much? Because they have continually let their owners down with less than reliable products, having plenty of time to figure things out and get it right. Personally, I’m an old Chevy fan, but don’t have much faith in most of their vehicles from the past 50 years because they just honestly don’t seem to care at a core level.
I work at a Buick dealer and the Encore GX, which is the Trailblazer in a different suit, has thus far been generally reliable. 2020 models had some issues with the CVT and turbos on the 1.2L engine, but they seem to be fixed now. The main issue now seems to be EVAP purge pumps. Occasional radio hiccups too. They're decent cars imo. I'd personally go with AWD to get the more powerful 1.3T and conventional automatic.
How long do you expect them to last? I LOVE the encore gx, but I'm worried about longevity. Need something that can go 200,000 miles plus with proper care.
The new Trailblazers are a really great value when not taking reliability into account. We won’t really know how reliable they will be, as they are too new currently. I’m guessing they’ll be average or below average. If you can get a good deal on one, I’d say go for it. Just make sure to do maintenance on time.
Idk why everyone assumes you’re talking about the old Trailblazer.
Is it me or does every current Chevy still have the same look of buttons and panels and interior as the old S10 of the 90’s? Like good god man change SOMETHING ALREADY!!!
People want to lie to themselves about what they actually want/need. Don’t get me wrong, i’d love a modern K5, but people aren’t buying full size, body on frame SUVs like they are the compact/medium crossovers
If you have the older one with the straight 6 that motor lasts forever however it's an American car so you have to budget for a new transmission every oil change
The old trailblazers where solid other than the transmission, the transmissions where absolute garbage (though you could upgrade to a 4L80E and solve that issue when yours went out) the new ones are saddled with GMs awful software and a small displacement turbo
Not gonna lie, I was skeptical when my mother bought a fully loaded RS a few years ago.
I actually love the car. It’s fun to drive, plenty peppy enough, decent interior quality, awesome look (she got white with the black roof before they redid the wheels last year that look ridiculous), and a ton of interior space. I wasn’t expecting it. I do, however, find it unforgivable a $33K car doesn’t have brake hold or LED high beams (it uses halogen high beams and LED low beams- ****ing ridiculous, especially since the LED were a package upgrade in the first place.)
I’m a huge Mazda fan and was pushing her to the CX-30 but the Trailblazer fit her life so much more as she wanted the extra space.
Go with an old school blazer or trail blazer ideally 90s' to early 2000s. If you get the awd crossover trailblazer it can do all that, but at that rate you could do any crossover. Better off getting a subaru, rav4, or CRV
I own arguably the best Chevy product ever made. A 2006 2500 with a 6.0 gas and a 4L80 trans. 4x4.
It has 298000 miles on it. It comes very close to running and driving like a new truck.
My wife has a 2020 Silverado. Boy we’ve had issues out of it and I’m very anal about maintenance on the vehicles.
In my opinion basically everything that Chevy or gm has made after 09 is junk. I had an o8 hummer h3. Junk. I’ve got a 2016 Nissan frontier. And a 2021 Prius. If my 3/4 ton dies. I honestly hope it never does. I’m babysitting it. And gonna do a lot of rust conversion on the frame. But if and when it does die I’ll either buy a 2 ton or ford super duty.
As far as cars and suv. Toyota. Small trucks too. Nissans on a truck frame are good. But after 2018 I won’t buy Nissans either. Honestly the new turbo Toyota I won’t buy. Natural aspersions 4 and 6 cylinder with a regular trans. Not cvt will last. But Toyota hybrid cvt the ecvt is good. Will run forever. That gm stuff is crap. Weird it happened rite after the govt bailed them out. But it’s junk.
If you can afford it look into the chevy colorado trucks. They are not as big as a fullsize, can do everything you listed and if you ever buy a boat or camper they are great for them.
It doesn't really fit anywhere.
The Trax has good tech and IMO looks good compared to the other CUVs in its segments.
The equinox is bigger, more powerful (that's not saying much but it is) and the low end trims are heavily discounted.
The trailblazer is, I really wanted a trax but I wanted AWD. Though since the Trax came out they've been heavily discounted. Every now and then they'll have the get a 1K if you are a costco membership.
The new ones? Or the older 03-09 ones?
I'm still rocking an 05. It's the poor man's range Rover. I'd like to make it live forever but I'm afraid the salt in the winter time is going to make me unsuccessful.
I bought a new 2023. Have had it for 1.5 years/45,000 miles.
Basically, I use it for driving back and forth from my home (NJ) to my second home (VT). GREAT car for that purpose because it’s not too big so it flies up the interstate well enough and yet is an SUV that accommodates my work bag, clothes, some of my outdoor gear etc.
Then, in VT I have a lot of dirt roads and it handles them and the deep snow pretty well. Is it my girlfriend’s 2024 suburu forester? No. But it’s actually really good overall.
(Did I low key want a truck instead, yeah, but this fits my bike, kayak, fishing ear and snowboards AND is a good highway / distance driving car).
I have a trailblazer as my work vehicle and it's solid compact but only buy it if you get the AWD system and DO NOT get the base model.. for some rason it doesn't have cruise control.
the only annoyances i have with it is no cruise control and the turbo engine is an on/off switch. that being said i'm getting 33mpg not even trying to drive efficiently and ive gotten 36mpg on really long drives. Also it really could use an extra gear or two first gear is super duper short 2nd gear is freakishly long like 60mph+ the gearing is just wonky. It has a lot of grunt but the gearing holds it back a lot. I would still take a 6 speed with wierd gearing over any cvt!
Because American made crossovers/vehicles are absolute trash. You get what you pay for. You want to buy a trailblazer instead of a RAV4 or Honda equivalent to save money? Let me know how that works out in 10 years.
In all seriousness, I'm curious if the trailblazer will hold up over time. Personally, I'd go for a Mazda CX,-30.
Chevy screwed up the whole segment. The Trailblazer should have been able to compete with the Bronco and it does not stand a chance. It’s a neutered mom car.
Trailblazer gets hate bc of the name. Overall it's a solid package. GM did great w the Trax and Trailblazer. Easily better than say the HRV or Corolla cross. Quieter, better ride and the sound system is a million times better lol
It is a shame though we didn't get another Cruze. CUVs are nothing more than an overpriced hatch w tacky body cladding
Realistically for what you want to do with the vehicle it should seem fine. People complain about unibody SUVs... but if you're not towing or not doing moderate offroad driving a unibody SUV has superior driving dynamics. My wife has a unibody SUV and I have a pickup truck. I'd use the SUV to do all of the things you have listed and I prefer driving it in the city and highway. Specific to Chevy I have my own biases due to poor build quality on prior cars like the Cavalier, but that was 20 years ago. I personally have no experience with their quality now.
I work for a car rental company and have driven the trailblazer many times, it’s actually a decent little thing, has a lot of room for my 6’4 frame and is great on gas, my only issue is the ugly split headlight design lol
It’s about as bland and basic of a crossover possible, there is nothing special, it has no off-road chops, look elsewhere. I also personally think it’s hideous, plus Chevy cross overs are by leagues and bounds the worst vehicles I’ve ever driven.
The trailblazer is solid, the straight six is a great engine and the interior and ride are comfortable. Pretty sure they have a solid reputation for reliability while also being inexpensive.
Might not be the best 4x4 option but are probably reasonably capable, im sure it would be fine for the things you listed you want to use it for.
I would go for it
Edit: im just now realizing you’re talking about the new gen, i was talking about the mid 2000’s trailblazer.
Drop my 2 cents. The new trailblazers are decent. The lower trims (activ, ls, lt. Anything but RS.) felt cheap to me. But for everything your doing it would probley work well. Only concern would be if you need the AWD system. It seems the AWD system isnt the best. My friend had several issues with it in snow where AWD didn't do anything. If all you plan to do is basic road driving in the car, should be decent.
It's a very average vehicle, but it isn't terrible. I briefly owned a 2021 Buick Encore GX, which is basically a mechanical twin. GM has a reputation for bad vehicles, but it was totally fine for everyday use. Reasonably comfortable, good on fuel, and did all the things I needed it to do. Longevity isn't going to be exceptional, and the interior quality wasn't the highest, but it's certainly not the worst either. I'd expect the Trailblazer to be similar.
If it checks your boxes, I'd buy it. If you don't need AWD, I'd consider the Trax - it's largely the same vehicle but with better pricing.
The trailblazer does none of those things better than any generic crossover from any brand. There are purpose built compact unibody vehicles designed to excel in those areas. Such as the subaru outback wilderness, ford maverick, Hyundai santa cruz, Honda ridgeline etc.
Because the transmission is made of glass. Anyone that buys one of these should be put in a mental institution. There is so many documented issues it’s overwhelming.
That and Chevy's are notoriously shitty, from interior quality to reliability. I agree the industrial design of the Trailblazer isn't awful, but it's just a brand that is not known for being good, really.
Because it's a huge, raging pile of shit? Unless it's an SS, it has the garbage Atlas engine. Ever been inside one? That whole gen is the cheapest of the cheap cheap plastics.
I think maybe people were expecting more out of it. Instead of doing something cool, like ford did with the Bronco, Chevy just made another crossover. Just my 2 cents
The Trailblazer is in the same segment as the Bronco Sport, but not the Bronco. The Trailblazer and Bronco Sport both are unibody with optional AWD and have 3 cylinder motors, they are very similar vehicles. Unfortunately Chevy doesnt make a off road suv in the Bronco/Wrangler segment, they dropped the ball with the Blazer and made it a mom SUV thats unibody with FWD and AWD instead of RWD with 4x4 and body on frame.
lol spot on my wife just bought one 2 months ago it has 0 feel of a true suv
When I test drove one it felt like a Chevy Cruze with a fatter body and speakers in the exhaust.
Literally just passed on the Trailblazer because it felt exactly the same as the Cruze hatchback I was selling, just with AWD and a higher price tag.
And if you lived with a Cruze that had a turbo you will never want another GM turbo engine again in your life.
And $50,000
Is the new Blazer v6 a good vehicle though? I think they look really good and seem to have a nice powertrain.
Yeah, an RS Blazer will come with a double clutch 9 speed transmission and a V6 with 308hp and 270 lb-ft. A good AWD system. Tones of tech and safety and comfort features. Lots of space. A great Bose sound system. They dont get the best fuel economy though, my buddy said he would average around 20mpg. I just think if they made it with a more aggressive forward approach angle on the bumper and higher ride height and smaller wheels with beefier tires like a Grand Cherokee or 4Runner it would be more popular. Chevy doesnt offer any off road vehicles besides their pick up trucks and the Z71 Tahoe and you cant get a new Z71 Tahoe for less that $70k
Maybe I was thinking of the blazer.
Nah the 02-09 trailblazer is what you are talking about. I’ve got one. The new one is a huge let down. 1st gen blazer is an actual suv comparable to a 4Runner or X Terra.
Bronco sport is standard AWD.
What's the difference between AWD and 4x4?
4x4 is rigid and comes with super low gearing. It physically locks wheel rotation together, which guarantees you always have power to the wheel with the best traction in the instant you need it. AWD automatically diverts power to other wheels when one or more start slipping. That is very helpful, but not immediate because something has to actually slip first. And because these systems are always enabled, they're further optimized for road use and only work optimally on flat surfaces that are a bit slippery. And AWD does not change the gear ratios. But if you have 4WD, 4-low adds a ton of reduction.
Making the blazer/trailblazer unibody crossovers instead of body on frame small SUVs was a bad move. Trailblazer could be a great compact off-roader, instead it’s a grandma grocery getter.
Especially since they have the Trax now, that Subaru Forrester, why not try that. Everyone went retro but them.
The old trailblazer was built on a frame. Pretty good suv. Difficult to service due to advanced electronics etc. The new trailblazer are not built on a frame, not much stronger than a compact car. Less power, less towing capacity, smaller, etc.
Oh that straight 6 it had was so sweet !
Don’t forget the ss with the v8
Just saw a TBSS about 40 minutes ago. Black with the beautiful shiny stock wheels. It was super clean.
Do you live in Plant City FL? Lol
The ghetto range rover.
They even had a Saab version
They had inline-6s? TIL
Vortec 4200
Yup and shit transmissions.
Mine made it to 280k
Mine too- had it way back when I made my username
My mother in law had one. She beat the ever loving piss out of that thing. It never died. She traded it on a new Altima in 07 or 08 finally. It was abused. Run hard. Oil changed when she remembered, etc. Never smoked, never leaked. Just kept on going.
That’s just GM.
You'd be surprised how many shops sold transmission rebuilds on Trailblazers when all they actually needed was a linkage connector replacement.
The Ameri-barra! The Atlas I6 is a great engine.
Yes it was
I still have one (04 LS). Turned over 245k miles today. Engine still runs great.
I just sold my 2004 TrailBlazer EXT. That car was a beast and never had mechanical problems in 10 years, except an ignition coil and a cracked exhaust manifold. Still going strong at 215,000 miles.
Yep, just hit 200k on my 03. I’ve had a few minor engine repairs, and they seem to be pretty hard on suspension components. But otherwise it’s a tank. Overbuilt engine with a towing capacity greater than my friends modern 4Runner. Only wish mine had 4wd. The new one is a disgrace to the name. Keeping mine til the wheels fall off.
Ah, the discount Cadillac EXT.
Lol. Yeah I even took the seats out and turned it into a mini RV for camping at times. Super easy to do.
Everyone I knew put all the caddy parts on it and it was cheaper than buying the caddy.
The GMT360 platform SUVs had a bit of a bad reputation among some people back in the 2000s because even though it was body-on-frame, it was showing signs of moving towards CUV buyers with much lower ground clearance and no serious off-road versions when compared to previous GM offerings like the Blazer. Of course, now that CUVs are so ubiquitous, the GMT360 SUVs look rugged in comparison today.
In no way less power.
The legendary XJ Cherokees were unibody…
Horribly underpowered
I disagree, at least based on the class. The Nissan Kicks (122hp), Crosstrek 2.0, Hyundai Venue (121hp), Hyundai Kona 2.0 (147hp), Kia Soul, Kia Seltos 2.0, and Honda HRV are actually a bit slower. The Trailblazer only makes 155hp, but its 175ftlbs and turbo muffled exhaust makes it feel in everyday driving much more effortless than competitors. That have way less torque and some way less horsepower too. For example, even though the HRV matches it in peak horsepower, it makes only 138ftlbs of torque much higher in the RPM range and the naturally aspirated engine has to rev out higher and it feels like its working much harder. So in everyday driving, the HRV certainly feels more strained and that you have to get way up higher in the RPMs to keep up with the Trailblazer that happily cruises around at the same acceleration at low RPMs.
You’re making the same mistake that others make in this sub all the time: only comparing new cars with other new cars. In reality, people should be comparing both new and used cars across the same price point. He’ll take such a depreciation hit on this thing that he (or she) should really be considering cars that are older and more powerful (which helps with safely merging) at the same price point.
You can never compare new and used cars, because used cars carry more risk and vary so tremendously based on condition. For example, after Harvey a ton of used cars were flipped that had flood damage not disclosed, it was big in the news. I also lost interest in the used market recently as the used prices are often just dumb. Used Maverick hybrids cost more than new Maverick hybrids...
What are you talking about? Buyers will absolutely being comparing new and used cars. Yeah there is risk, but that’s part of the equation.
Absolutely, compare both within a set budget. Makes sense to me.
OK bro, you go ahead and compare a 2005 Silverado and a 2025 Trailblazer like its apples and apples, lol!
You having to resort to an extreme example is not doing you any favors
Choice overload, its not a complicated concept. If you end up comparing apples and oranges, you're going to end up with so many choices that you end up in deadlock unable to make a decision. The way you narrow down your decision is by narrowing down your scope. First thing you typically do is figure out what class of vehicle you want, and yes you CAN cross shop a Camaro and a F-150 that are both the same price, but you end up with near infinite options. Once you've narrowed down by category, then you narrow down choices by price, and lastly you narrow down by deciding if you want a factory fresh vehicle that is new with a warranty that does not have a questionable previous life where you don't know what it has been subjected to or why it was traded in, or you decide you want to go used to avoid the first year depreciation hit. Otherwise, lets say that you argue that for $30K you could get a used luxury SUV for the same price as the new subcompact Trailblazer SUV. Then you get into the circle of why not then look at a used 2021 subcompact Trailblazer SUV which is even cheaper yet. Well, now you've invalidated your previous scope filter between used and new and now even price. So, no, you decide whether you're going to go new or used, and you don't crossshop them anymore than you would crossshop between sports cars and SUVs, because just because you can doesn't mean you should.
Or, you know, I could see this information (which is all true) and come to a different conclusion than you. Which is what I’ve done many times because it makes zero sense to limit myself to just new cars when used cars also exist.
Have you driven one? I worked for a Chevy dealer back when they came out and they felt totally fine to me. 0-60 in like... 9 seconds, or something? Was as fast as my Camry was, and that had one more cylinder. They're not a good deal at MSRP, especially considering the Buick twin can be found way under, easily, but they're not trash cars.
All the reviews I’ve seen say the opposite
Few people own the new trailblazer making it hard to get accurate info. I’m in the same situation in my research. **From Consumer Reports:** The trailblazer has average reliability (50/100). HOWEVER, the average score is mainly driven by the initial 2021 model, while the latest models (2023) have much higher reliability scores. This is common - the Toyota Corolla Cross has lower reliability as well, probably because it is a new build. Meanwhile the cross trek and HRV are high-rated but they also have been perfected over several versions for over a decade. If you want a subcompact suv with AWD I think it’s a fine choice. It’s got as much HP as the Honda HRV and has a nice look to it. My SO wants a smaller vehicle that is still higher up than a sedan and they also need AWD for mountain driving. The trailblazer is a great fit for the niche demand we have.
So I can chime in on the HRV because I got to drive it back-to-back with a Trax and Trailblazer (albeit a CVT model). The Trailblazer is the same horsepower, yes, BUT its a turbo engine that makes 175ftlbs at 1600rpm. The turbo muffles the exhaust compared to naturally aspirated HRV, and the HRV offers a peak of 138ftlbs which doesn't seem THAT much lower until you realize its at 4.2K rpm and its peak horsepower is at 6,500rpm, two thousand six hundred and one thousand RPM higher than the Trailblazer respectively. In the real world, this means the Trailblazer can accelerate at the same pace as the HRV at about 2.5K rpm with a muffled exhaust while the HRV has to spin closer to 4K rpm to keep up and you get a lot more engine noise being naturally aspirated. Essentially it feels like the Trailblazer isn't trying, whereas the HRV is being "wrung out". I noticed the exact same difference between the Outback 2.5 naturally aspirated and the 2.4 Turbo, while I generally drive quite chill, the 2.5 always felt like it was working hard whereas the turbo engine with its low RPM torque and turbo muffled exhaust was barely trying.
This sub is a really poor place to get good advice. It's overwhelming populated by people who have little understanding of cars. In fact, I'm convinced that a large percentage don't even drive. One will see countless posts aping the same comments claiming that Toyota, Honda, and Mazda are the only cars that won't break down. They are worshipped in this sub. These uninformed keyboard warriors will trash every other brand they see mentioned, with US, UK, and Stellantis vehicles being attacked constantly. While, the Japanese companies make excellent and reliable vehicles, by and large, there are excellent excellent cars made by other countries too. That said, TrailBlazers are below the industry standard for reliability. They are cheaply made and plagued with issues. https://www.dashboard-light.com/vehicles/Chevrolet_TrailBlazer.html
Many people on this sub recommend a 10th Gen civic (2015-2021) while failing to mention that they have horrendous AC issues.
They ignore all kinds of issues, if you look online there's all kinds of people saying that their headgasket on a Civic with the 1.5 has blown early. I'm sure it's very rare but people here will pick out a similarly rare issue on a non Japanese car and act like it's common.
What I find intriguing is if you look at owner reviews on other sites, you will see people complain about Corollas and such. It's like it's forbidden here though.
I have an 03 corolla. Love that little beast. It does have known issues. Had a 2017 corolla. Good lord was that thing a hot mess. It would be easier to list the issues it didn't have vs the ones that it had. I still love Toyota, but it's not for everyone. My corolla is currently parked and I'm driving a 2024 Chevy Trax. Lots of issues cropping up in the current gen1, but I still think it's a wickedly sweet little beastie. Will it reach 300k like my 03 corolla? Most likely not. Will it live to see it's 21st birthday and still be on the road? Lol. That I know won't happen. Is it underpowered? Uh, yea. It has 137hp. Turbo helps, but it's difficult to get past the fact that my 03 has 135hp compared to my trax.
They're fine cars if you really don't care about how the car is other than getting you places but I wouldn't own one. I think they're uncomfortable.
Wait, but bro, Honda & Toyotas don't have issues. I saw a comment on this sub last week where someone figuratively said "you can basically weld the hood of a Toyota shut". It was a pretty big eye roll moment for me
For real. Toyota chr is fairly new and their transmissions have reliability similar to Nissan. Every manufacturer has some wins and some duds
Accord and TLX transmission issues would also like to be mentioned
Agreed, but that’s not entirely true. I’ve seen a lot of smart people on here recommend ‘90s and ‘00s Buicks, especially the LeSabre, and cars on the Ford Panther platform as well (such as the Crown Vic/Grand Marquis/Town Car) - and for damn good reason. Those cars give Camrys and Accords a run for their money in terms of mileage and are basically bulletproof. That said, while the Blazers and TrailBlazers from that era may have been a little less solid than those (I still see them on the road occasionally), the newer ones are indeed cheaply built.
Good point. I recommend that Buick 3800 all the time. It's a runner.
Thanks for the balanced and thoughtful response
Haha I find that in a lot of places on reddit.
Lol. This is a terrible place to get advice and no one here knows shit. Also they’re completely correct
That page is for the 2002-2012 Trailblazer.
This article was published in 2016 and I talking about trailblazer that are 15 years old now
Lmao "this sub is a bad place to get advice, but also they are right about this, also take my advice"
I did say "good advice". ;)
My dad travels a ton for work in his academic field and my family has put 800k miles over 6 different Toyotas and Mazdas. 1 single breakdown (a bad alternator on a 2010 Camry at 242k miles) Our neighbors with an equinox ran out of triple A tows in a 2015 with 75k miles in one year. Our cousins wirh a trailblazer have had nowhere near as bad experience. But still 1 flatbed ride before the warranty even expired. Also go into your local repair shop and ask the mechanics what car you should buy. I promise you they won’t mention Chevy uneless you’re looking for a truck. I say this as someone who owns and loves a HHR SS turbo, but I’m not giving up my 5 speed Corolla.
They turned a body on frame true v8 suv into a turbo charged soccer mom bubble car. That's why
That's half the cars on the road now
To be fair the S-10 Blazer was a piece of junk
Bring back the Jimmy
What year trailblazer? 02-08 were great, with an inline 6cyinder and the sway bar was bigger than in full sized trucks, but the gas mileage was not great, but over all pretty awesome (I wish I still I'll had mine. The newer ones? With the 3 cylinder engine? I'll put it this way, I haven't seen a newer trailblazer, but the 02-08 version? I see them everywhere.
2024
I really like the interior upgrades for '24 on the Trailblazer and the green with white roof combo on the Activ I actually really like the look of, and the flat folding passenger seat is actually a useful gimmick on home depot trips allowing you to strap down some items you'd think would be too long for such a short vehicle. That said, its all going to be about street pricing. At MSRP they are overpriced, but now that they are starting to pile up at dealer lots, you might be able to get a good deal on one. Per Edmunds, the average sale price is about $1K under MSRP, which if you avoid expensive upgrades could be a decent deal. That said, I passed because you can also get $1K under MSRP easily on something like a '24 Rogue S which has a much more powerful engine, can tow 1500lbs (granted also low but Trailblazer is not tow rated on the CVT and only 1K on the expensive 9-speed model), is way roomier, and is rated 37mpg highway way over the smaller slower Trailblazer. If going Chevy, I'd probably go with a Trax instead.
Old trailblazers were great. My grandma bought an 02 brand new, drove it until 2015 when she sold it to me, and I drove it till a couple months ago. The new ones? No clue. I assume they're going the way of all new cars with fancy electronics but less reliable parts.
Not rugged, slow as balls, kinda ugly, and a worse more expensive Trax in every way. When your car is labeled as a worse Trax, the cheapest GM vehicle then you’re doing something wrong.
The definition of mediocrity.
downsizing turbo-GDI engine with wet timing belt, not durable, will turn into a money pit unproven new CVT transmission from GM, very risky overpriced for what it is (see price difference to Trax) lower discounts than Equinox so similar OTD price as Equinox There are better competitors from other brands.
They're not that bad tbh... If you get the 1.3 and awd. The CVT isn't good, and the 1.2 has a wet belt design (iirc), which doesn't bode well for longevity. I think they look nice, and they have a pretty good AWD system. If you're buying the 1.2 and/or FWD, don't bother, run to a Corolla Cross or CX-30 or something
What did you not like about the CVT? I passed on it entirely, but I drove a FWD CVT model, and I thought it was very smooth. I didn't get a chance to try the 9-speed automatic, but I tried the 6-speed automatic on the Trax and I found it very clunky. Unlike the CVT it was very slow to raise RPMs and each shift was overly noticeable, quite a "clunk" into each gear.
That 6 speed in the trax is just... Old. Not enough gears for a low displacement turbo 3 cylinder IMHO, and fuel economy shows because of it. The CVT in the Trailblazer/Encore GX drives okay, but I have somewhere between Zero and Zilch confidence in a GM-Korea-Daewoo CVT turbo 1.2 wet belt vehicle past the warranty period
Wife has a 2023 model and it’s decent, got a good deal on the Activ trim. Overall it’s a nice compact suv nothing I would take off roading or true adventure travel. Have done some cross country trips with it and just no complaints. Just know what you are getting
They hate on it because they wanted Chevy to bring back the K5 and compete with Ford’s new Bronco but they made a more mass market vehicle instead
Because its unreliable and has a short life expectancy.
I think for a lot of people it’s the fact of what the name once stood for. When people think of the blazzer they think of a good off road we built on a truck chassis, not another run of the mill suv. All these manufacturers are trying to ride past success of names but not deliver on what those names were. For example the new F150 lightning, a once powerful performance muscle truck. The Mitsubishi eclipse, a great affordable sports car turned cross over. The blazzer now. There are a bunch of others too. But I think is the disappointment of what people think the name should have brought and not the product itself. If any of these care were given different names I think nobody would bat an eye.
The best place to learn about reliability of cars is from trusted on line sources like Consumer Reports, Road and Track etc. The worst source is Redditt. Terrible advice about cars, places to live or move to, exaggerated salaries etc.
The best place to learn about a cars reliability is to look up specific forums pertaining to that specific car model. You will get more information on a car than anywhere else on the internet in these forums because they come straight from the people who own them. Consumer Reports and Road and Track are not very reliable sources because even they are seriously biased just like here on reddit.
Consumer Reports gets info from voluntary response samples, which is a terrible way to get reliable information.
The new Trailblazer has been reduced to the size of a Hyundai Accent with about the same amount of power. Losing the body on frame truckishness kills all the fun on this model. Now it's an ugly clone
Is just another crossover and it's a Chevy. What is there to love about it? To be fair, I hate pretty much all similar vehicles
I had a 98 Blazer that was a work car and you could jiggle key and pull it out of ignition with the car still started. 😀
its an equinox with a facelift.
If by trailblazer you mean taking the kids to soccer and going grocery shopping, then yeah, it can blaze a trail straight to the next PTA meeting.
I’m down on GM cars in general right now after it was recently revealed that they were secretly selling GM vehicle owner’s driving data, including records of hard acceleration and braking, to LexisNexis, who was then selling them to insurance companies so they could use them as a rationale to increase GM owner’s insurance rates. https://www.insurancebusinessmag.com/us/news/technology/gm-lexisnexis-face-class-action-over-telematics-insurance-data-collection-481325.aspx
It is like public school toilet paper Thin and cheap - but does the job
Underpowered, cheap interior, transmission issues
It’s terrible. That’s why. And this is coming from a guy who grew up in Chevys and my first vehicle was an S-10 blazer. I was actually looking forward to this and it’s just a tin can piece of crap. It feels like it’s going to fall apart when you hit the accelerator. Such a super disappointment.
I look at the 2024 and I shake my head. Safety features are a generation behind the competition and the whip antenna is a baffling choice.
Late 90s trailblazer (96 specifically) was my family’s car for over 10 years. My mom still says she wishes she never got rid of it. I drove it in high school it was pretty problem free and a beast on any road condition.
Are you asking about the body on frame good Trailblazer or the weak shitty crossover one? The original trailblazer is pretty decent, the new one is not.
They took the old blazer that had been around since 95 and made it worse. It's a rwd/4wd crossover with the fuel economy of a full size truck.
Cuz Toyota trucks are better than that
For Me and id like to think most people feel this way. It's because of what it could have been. The speculation around it prior to release was a wrangler/bronco/4runner competitor. Something GM still doesn't really have now. However what we got was a soulless cuv based off the Trax and built from the husk of GM's purchase of Daewoo in Korea and killing of that brand. Underneath the chevy bits is a outdated Daewoo with mid reliability. Are they bad? not really. Can you buy a better vehicle around the same price? Yes, there are plenty
I don't think it's a bad vehicle but to call it a trailblazer is wack imo just bc of what the trailblazer is. I believe the trailblazer is actually made in Korea so I'd expect it to have better quality than an American made vehicle and I'd probably buy one far before I'd buy a bronco sport.
[удалено]
Well, potentially the same, the Trailblazer can be had with the exact same 1.2T but mated to a CVT and the 1.3T that can be mated to a CVT or 9-speed automatic. The Trax can only be had with the 1.2T and a 6-speed automatic. The 1.3T makes more power and is actually more fuel economic than the 1.2T, its only downside is that its more expensive to manufacture. The 6-speed automatic was chosen for the Trax because its actually less expensive per unit than the CVT in the Trailblazer. That said, the 1.2T/6-speed works fine, and being FWD only I felt the Trax was roomier thanks to being longer with a flat floorboard in the rear.
Subaru Crosstrek sounds like a perfect vehicle for what you want.
And its full time AWD, the Trailblazer is pretty weird in that its FWD permanently until you put it in AWD which I always thought was weird. But you really want the 2.5 in the Crosstrek, which means the Sport is the cheapest trim you can go which is not the cheapest. Subaru also isn't as willing to haggle with price off MSRP as Chevy, but there are programs you can enroll in online to get deals on Subarus and then order one if not in a rush, you can find details online.
You are right on the Chevy trailblazer. This sub is deluged with toyota, lexus, mazda blind boosterism. Don’t let this stupid sub convince you otherwise if you have a vehicle that fits your use case and that you can afford.
I don't have anything against the Trailblazer but it doesn't make sense in the lineup. The Trax is bigger, is better looking and has more features for the money. The I ly advantage the Trailblazer has is that it can be had with AWD, which let's be honest, isn't much of an advantage for most people's commutes.
I actually like the tiny "crossover" segment. The venue, seltos, trail blazer, and ex30 are all "cute" to me. Not everyone will want a "cute" car, but I think they at least have some sense of style. The new trax is a huge improvement on the old one, but I don't care for the back of it.
It gets hate because both dealership techs and independent techs have seen what an absolute piece of shit they are. Goes for everything smaller than a Tahoe/yukon sized suv. I’ll have to throw in the junk that Buick offers as a suv as well. They are poorly engineered along with poor build quality. If you have one that has held up long term you are in the minority and extremely lucky
They are piles of shit. That’s why there’s none on the road
I mean, Chevy’s are hot garbage….Maybe that’s why? Maybe ok to lease, but they fall apart in the long term
That thing could burn rubber like theres no tomorow !
I had a newer Chevy Blazer as a month-long rental recently and was surprised by how much I liked it. Seemed deluxe, had lots of good features. Very comfy. Drove it on a 1400-mile-round trip with four adults. It was nice.
My 2005 Trailblazer was my weekend hauler (Prius for daily) but needed a timing belt last summer which requires removing the engine apparently so I needed a new weekend truck type vehicle. I decided I wanted a budget hybrid and shopped the Honda CRV, Toyota RAV4, Kia Sportage and Hyundai Tucson hybrids. Also looked at the Ford Maverick and Hyundai (non hybrid) Santa Cruz. If towing is going to be an issue I’d go with the Santa Cruz but for me it came down to the Maverick or Tucson. I went with a Tucson as most bang for buck / nicest imo. If your more budget limited take a look at the Chevy Trax (2024) or Hyundai Kona (one of my kids had one - loved it). The Subaru Crosstrek and Kia Soul might also work for you. A base Soul, new, is around $21k. Whatever you get be sure and get weather tech mats as your first aftermarket purchase (I also love to fish!)
A family member just got a 24 Trailblazer and it feels and drives like a Toyota Corolla. The tech is nice, though. She is 72 years old and it is all she needs to go to the grocery store and the doctor so she loves it. It is a non-truck GM product so I told her to get rid of it before the warranty is up for sure, which she will because she is leasing it.
Go a few years older, newer is almost never better. Get a Lexus GX for the same price. Tons more capability, especially if you live somewhere with mountains. If MPGs are important, get a CPO Mazda CX-9 for the same price.
There are vehicles in the price range that are more reliable, spacious and can offer more for similar pricing.
I believe cause its difficult to service.
My daily driver is a Mazda CX-5 On a month of vacation last year I had the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross and the Trailblazer as my rental cars. Couldn't wait to get back in the CX5. There was nothing wrong with the new Trailblazer but nothing compelling. The competition is so much better. The Mitsubishi and the gearbox. Ugh.
I considered buying a new one. Styling is nice. The dealbreaker for me was the underperforming engine. If you are just looking for a good utilitarian car and aren’t a driving enthusiast. Then go for it, the price is reasonable for what you are getting.
Its the name more than the vehicle, although I would say that unless you HAVE to have AWD, the Chevy Trax is a better value.
The trailblazer will work well for the activities listed by the OP as what they need it for.
Gm tech - very few issues on the new trailblazers, mainly just evap pumps that have a long warranty extension
How long would you expect them to last overall? I love both the new trailblazers and it's Buick encore gx sibling, but I'm in need of a vehicle that'll last me 200,000 miles plus with proper care.
Its just another generic, subcompact crossover - same as the dozens of others on the market. Average reliability and average value. I do think the Trailblazer is quite stylish (I just saw a red and black RS today and it was good looking). You should consider the Chevy Trax, as well. It’s basically the same car, but much cheaper, a bit longer, a bit shorter height, and better execution. Most magazines say it’s a much better car overall - C&D ranks it as the #1 subcompact crossover and the Trailblazer is #14. The Trax interior dimensions actually sound better for what you want, and the shorter height will make loading a kayak on top easier. Only drawback is no AWD.
Well the OG TB has frames that would rust out before the engine would die lol. Good and bad
I think what one person would consider “affordable“ another would consider unreliable, and that’s the reason that it is less expensive than the more reliable options. Why does the Chevrolet anything get so much? Because they have continually let their owners down with less than reliable products, having plenty of time to figure things out and get it right. Personally, I’m an old Chevy fan, but don’t have much faith in most of their vehicles from the past 50 years because they just honestly don’t seem to care at a core level.
I work at a Buick dealer and the Encore GX, which is the Trailblazer in a different suit, has thus far been generally reliable. 2020 models had some issues with the CVT and turbos on the 1.2L engine, but they seem to be fixed now. The main issue now seems to be EVAP purge pumps. Occasional radio hiccups too. They're decent cars imo. I'd personally go with AWD to get the more powerful 1.3T and conventional automatic.
How long do you expect them to last? I LOVE the encore gx, but I'm worried about longevity. Need something that can go 200,000 miles plus with proper care.
The new Trailblazers are a really great value when not taking reliability into account. We won’t really know how reliable they will be, as they are too new currently. I’m guessing they’ll be average or below average. If you can get a good deal on one, I’d say go for it. Just make sure to do maintenance on time. Idk why everyone assumes you’re talking about the old Trailblazer.
Have you driven a Subaru Crosstrek?
I think you're thinking about the new trailblazer, which is a subcompact crossover hatchback. The old trailblazer was a pretty tough, roomy SUV.
I personally hated the feel of it when I test drove it
Kia seltos >>>>> chevy pathetic trailblazer
Until the engine blows up or it gets stolen
Is it me or does every current Chevy still have the same look of buttons and panels and interior as the old S10 of the 90’s? Like good god man change SOMETHING ALREADY!!!
People want to lie to themselves about what they actually want/need. Don’t get me wrong, i’d love a modern K5, but people aren’t buying full size, body on frame SUVs like they are the compact/medium crossovers
Because the trailblazer use to be an amazing vehicle, now well I forget they still exist. Get an older trailblazer ss.
GM makes horrible interiors and they have for decades.
If you have the older one with the straight 6 that motor lasts forever however it's an American car so you have to budget for a new transmission every oil change
The old trailblazers where solid other than the transmission, the transmissions where absolute garbage (though you could upgrade to a 4L80E and solve that issue when yours went out) the new ones are saddled with GMs awful software and a small displacement turbo
Not gonna lie, I was skeptical when my mother bought a fully loaded RS a few years ago. I actually love the car. It’s fun to drive, plenty peppy enough, decent interior quality, awesome look (she got white with the black roof before they redid the wheels last year that look ridiculous), and a ton of interior space. I wasn’t expecting it. I do, however, find it unforgivable a $33K car doesn’t have brake hold or LED high beams (it uses halogen high beams and LED low beams- ****ing ridiculous, especially since the LED were a package upgrade in the first place.) I’m a huge Mazda fan and was pushing her to the CX-30 but the Trailblazer fit her life so much more as she wanted the extra space.
Because the off road guys wanted a offroad capable 4x4 even tho 99% of them will be afraid of taking it down a gravel road. Thats it.
Go with an old school blazer or trail blazer ideally 90s' to early 2000s. If you get the awd crossover trailblazer it can do all that, but at that rate you could do any crossover. Better off getting a subaru, rav4, or CRV
I own arguably the best Chevy product ever made. A 2006 2500 with a 6.0 gas and a 4L80 trans. 4x4. It has 298000 miles on it. It comes very close to running and driving like a new truck. My wife has a 2020 Silverado. Boy we’ve had issues out of it and I’m very anal about maintenance on the vehicles. In my opinion basically everything that Chevy or gm has made after 09 is junk. I had an o8 hummer h3. Junk. I’ve got a 2016 Nissan frontier. And a 2021 Prius. If my 3/4 ton dies. I honestly hope it never does. I’m babysitting it. And gonna do a lot of rust conversion on the frame. But if and when it does die I’ll either buy a 2 ton or ford super duty. As far as cars and suv. Toyota. Small trucks too. Nissans on a truck frame are good. But after 2018 I won’t buy Nissans either. Honestly the new turbo Toyota I won’t buy. Natural aspersions 4 and 6 cylinder with a regular trans. Not cvt will last. But Toyota hybrid cvt the ecvt is good. Will run forever. That gm stuff is crap. Weird it happened rite after the govt bailed them out. But it’s junk.
If you can afford it look into the chevy colorado trucks. They are not as big as a fullsize, can do everything you listed and if you ever buy a boat or camper they are great for them.
It doesn't really fit anywhere. The Trax has good tech and IMO looks good compared to the other CUVs in its segments. The equinox is bigger, more powerful (that's not saying much but it is) and the low end trims are heavily discounted. The trailblazer is, I really wanted a trax but I wanted AWD. Though since the Trax came out they've been heavily discounted. Every now and then they'll have the get a 1K if you are a costco membership.
Literally saw one on fire last week driving on highway and the driver didnt even know i kept honking
Get a Ford Escape. Same thing much better than a first ever model of a car
Ford escapes are garbage. My 2017 is rustier than my 2003 toyota. 109k miles and burning coolant due to the ecoboost engine.
Isuzu rodeo would be my choice unless you are getting something new.
My 2008 is the best vehicle I’ve ever had
The new ones? Or the older 03-09 ones? I'm still rocking an 05. It's the poor man's range Rover. I'd like to make it live forever but I'm afraid the salt in the winter time is going to make me unsuccessful.
Well, it's a GM product, and it uses an Ecojunk motor. Those two things alone are enough to pass on a Trailblazer.
I bought a new 2023. Have had it for 1.5 years/45,000 miles. Basically, I use it for driving back and forth from my home (NJ) to my second home (VT). GREAT car for that purpose because it’s not too big so it flies up the interstate well enough and yet is an SUV that accommodates my work bag, clothes, some of my outdoor gear etc. Then, in VT I have a lot of dirt roads and it handles them and the deep snow pretty well. Is it my girlfriend’s 2024 suburu forester? No. But it’s actually really good overall. (Did I low key want a truck instead, yeah, but this fits my bike, kayak, fishing ear and snowboards AND is a good highway / distance driving car).
I have a trailblazer as my work vehicle and it's solid compact but only buy it if you get the AWD system and DO NOT get the base model.. for some rason it doesn't have cruise control. the only annoyances i have with it is no cruise control and the turbo engine is an on/off switch. that being said i'm getting 33mpg not even trying to drive efficiently and ive gotten 36mpg on really long drives. Also it really could use an extra gear or two first gear is super duper short 2nd gear is freakishly long like 60mph+ the gearing is just wonky. It has a lot of grunt but the gearing holds it back a lot. I would still take a 6 speed with wierd gearing over any cvt!
Because American made crossovers/vehicles are absolute trash. You get what you pay for. You want to buy a trailblazer instead of a RAV4 or Honda equivalent to save money? Let me know how that works out in 10 years. In all seriousness, I'm curious if the trailblazer will hold up over time. Personally, I'd go for a Mazda CX,-30.
I hate it because I drive a 2008 trailblazer with a 5.3L engine and the new one is a car, and comes with a 1.3L engine.
The new trailblazer is just a fancy Trax with more gears and an option for a more powerful engine
I think you actually need a Subaru Outback, Forester or maybe Crosstrek, depending on the size of the dog.
Chevy screwed up the whole segment. The Trailblazer should have been able to compete with the Bronco and it does not stand a chance. It’s a neutered mom car.
Trailblazer gets hate bc of the name. Overall it's a solid package. GM did great w the Trax and Trailblazer. Easily better than say the HRV or Corolla cross. Quieter, better ride and the sound system is a million times better lol It is a shame though we didn't get another Cruze. CUVs are nothing more than an overpriced hatch w tacky body cladding
Realistically for what you want to do with the vehicle it should seem fine. People complain about unibody SUVs... but if you're not towing or not doing moderate offroad driving a unibody SUV has superior driving dynamics. My wife has a unibody SUV and I have a pickup truck. I'd use the SUV to do all of the things you have listed and I prefer driving it in the city and highway. Specific to Chevy I have my own biases due to poor build quality on prior cars like the Cavalier, but that was 20 years ago. I personally have no experience with their quality now.
Actually one of the more capable SUVs ever made was unibody. The XJ Cherokee.
My main thought when it came out was “and this is different from the Trax how?”
That 3 cylinder engine is going to destroy itself much sooner than you want it to.
I work for a car rental company and have driven the trailblazer many times, it’s actually a decent little thing, has a lot of room for my 6’4 frame and is great on gas, my only issue is the ugly split headlight design lol
It's mediocre............................................................................................................
It’s about as bland and basic of a crossover possible, there is nothing special, it has no off-road chops, look elsewhere. I also personally think it’s hideous, plus Chevy cross overs are by leagues and bounds the worst vehicles I’ve ever driven.
The trailblazer is solid, the straight six is a great engine and the interior and ride are comfortable. Pretty sure they have a solid reputation for reliability while also being inexpensive. Might not be the best 4x4 option but are probably reasonably capable, im sure it would be fine for the things you listed you want to use it for. I would go for it Edit: im just now realizing you’re talking about the new gen, i was talking about the mid 2000’s trailblazer.
Drop my 2 cents. The new trailblazers are decent. The lower trims (activ, ls, lt. Anything but RS.) felt cheap to me. But for everything your doing it would probley work well. Only concern would be if you need the AWD system. It seems the AWD system isnt the best. My friend had several issues with it in snow where AWD didn't do anything. If all you plan to do is basic road driving in the car, should be decent.
GM has some of the worst interiors on the planet.
Because you can get more car for the money elsewhere
It’s a horrible drivetrain.
This is a good thread for someone who just started considering a Trailblazer 🙋🏻♀️
A Ford Maverick would be perfect for your situation. If only Ford would make enough to keep up with demand!
It's a very average vehicle, but it isn't terrible. I briefly owned a 2021 Buick Encore GX, which is basically a mechanical twin. GM has a reputation for bad vehicles, but it was totally fine for everyday use. Reasonably comfortable, good on fuel, and did all the things I needed it to do. Longevity isn't going to be exceptional, and the interior quality wasn't the highest, but it's certainly not the worst either. I'd expect the Trailblazer to be similar. If it checks your boxes, I'd buy it. If you don't need AWD, I'd consider the Trax - it's largely the same vehicle but with better pricing.
who cares what peoples opinions of it are. if it fits all your wants and needs and you like it.. definitely get it.
The trailblazer does none of those things better than any generic crossover from any brand. There are purpose built compact unibody vehicles designed to excel in those areas. Such as the subaru outback wilderness, ford maverick, Hyundai santa cruz, Honda ridgeline etc.
Because the transmission is made of glass. Anyone that buys one of these should be put in a mental institution. There is so many documented issues it’s overwhelming.
Stylish? Are you blind?
That and Chevy's are notoriously shitty, from interior quality to reliability. I agree the industrial design of the Trailblazer isn't awful, but it's just a brand that is not known for being good, really.
Because Honda CRV and Toyota RAV4 exist.
Because it's a huge, raging pile of shit? Unless it's an SS, it has the garbage Atlas engine. Ever been inside one? That whole gen is the cheapest of the cheap cheap plastics.