Introduction: The Chevrolet Trailblazer is GM's mid sized SUV marketed as an upscale version of the S-10 Blazer. Like the S-10 Blazer the Trailblazer is a truck based SUV and thus is more rugged for off roading than a crossover. The EXT trim version of the Trailblazer had a 3rd row of seats, it was also longer than the standard Trailblazer. The Trailblazer would remain in production until 2008 and continued to sell model year 2009s while the S-10 Blazer would retire in 2005.
The Trailblazer was never a noteworthy vehicle in my mind. I didn't see these nearly as often as the S-10 Blazers or Ford Explorers. I didn't really know what to expect from this vehicle...oh boy did I find something unique.
Performance: The Trailblazer has a 4.2L straight-6 engine which outputs 275 hp and 275 lb.ft of torque. It seems like a lot, but I can't help but think GM could have gotten more out of such a large I6. Anyways this engine moves the Trailblazer rather well, its a smooth unit as expected and accelerates the SUV from 0-100 km/h in 7.7 seconds. I don't really have much issues with this engine.
My Score: 9/10 - Its a good engine, not the most memorable one but it does do its job well.
Handling: The Trailblazer's handling is mediocre at best, for an SUV. With the very large wheel and its heavy weight it doesn't handle all that well. Steering doesn't feel all that attached possibly just by how large the steering wheel is. I may be rugged, but its not agile on the streets.
My Score: 5/10 - I know its an SUV, but there are SUVs that do a better job.
Interior: The Trailblazer has an interior that is completely composed of plastic. Much of the items are actually used in the Colorado pickup truck, so you don't get much in the sense of luxuries. Its not a depressing interior by any means but being so full of plastic its not very attractive. Spacing in the Trailblazer is pretty good in my mind. The biggest let down of the Trailblazer however is the build quality. I've never come across a vehicle where every single one I encountered had several build quality problems. These are the worst built vehicles I've encountered. A lot of the plastic covers are loose, lots of interior gaps and even the exterior wasn't put together properly. These are built in the United States, I do understand why there's anger at the UAW since a vehicle built like this should be deemed unacceptable by all companies. There are only two possible culprits, the parts people building parts that don't fit or the worker who didn't put them on properly.
My Score: 1/10 - Not a good looking interior to begin with, ruined by the worst build quality in the world.
Styling: The Trailblazer is a pretty standard looking SUV all things granted. In some colours it does look somewhat better than normal. Aside from the panels being put on wrong, the plastic on the bumpers does look very cheap and does not look good for its image.
My Score: 6/10 - Decent SUV style, cheap plastic bits however cheapen its image
Value for the money: The Trailblazer is not a cheap SUV, like the Endeavor its also in the $30,000 range. Unlike that SUV, this does not act like a car and has some serious flaws. Considering how much money is spent, the build quality is unacceptable and other off road SUVs are better equipped for off roading making the Trailblazer not necessarily good at the road or off road. It should be much cheaper than Chevrolet is asking for due to some of these flaws.
My Score: 3/10 - Not the worst SUV, but the awful interior quality and the lack of some off road equipment should have slashed the price.
Overall: 24/50 - A ho hum SUV that was killed for a few reasons, the interior is horrible and specialized SUVs are more versatile.
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