2009 Chevrolet Trailblazer

Back in the day, we just called 'em blazers. Add a 2nd set of doors and I guess you get the longer name, eh? Anyways, recently I have been driving a new Trailblazer LT. Overall, as a standard sized suv, I like it. It has a nice ride, is a smooth runner, and gets a hair better mileage than most of the suv's this size. As you can see from the picture that I will soon post, for a regular ole' suv, it does have some style to it. This particular model, the LT, has the upscale wheels, running boards, and color-matched grill that, when all combined, make for a rather sporty looking soccer mom vehicle, I think. This one also has power leather seats and most every ammenity available on the interior with the exception of a sunroof. It's got one set of seats in the rear so, at the most, it could be considered a 5 seater. However, it has a good amount of storage space behind that seat so there is plenty of room for luggage or whatever else your group of 4 or 5 want to haul around. The rear seat does fold forward and create an even larger cargo area if need be. Still, I wish that the SUV makers would take the hint from the stow - n - go vans because that would be really awesome! I digress. As I said, the trailblazer has a smooth ride on the road and absorbs all but the largest bumps and potholes quite well. It's a quiet ride and while idling, you can't really feel the inline 6 cylinder at all. Yep, that's right, just like JD's old Chevelle, this thing has 6 cylinders all in a row. I find this to be unique in today's auto world and I have to say that I've been thoroughly impressed with the smoothness, quietness, and power this 6 offers up. As for economy, well, it is an suv so don't expect to be passing by too many fuel pumps. Nevertheless, compared to the others in this group that I have driven, it's actually pretty decent, especially on the road. Overall, I averaged about 18-19 mpg but on the highway I got 22-23mpg which is really pretty good when you figure the size, weight and towing ability that the trailblazer has. This model comes standard with a receiver hitch and plug-in for a trailer. It has ample power, weight, and braking to pull a regular-sized family pleasure boat to the lake or haul a moving trailer from house to house.

My only real complaints about this model are a couple of picky, interior issues. First of all, the gear shift is located at the center console, between the 2 front bucket seats. I have no problem with this except that when the vehicle is in park, the shift lever is so far up that if you have a large cup in the cupholder, it runs into it and forces you to move the cup or be faced with a soda bath! That leads me to my 2nd complaint of not enough cup holders. It has 2 small ones in front of the shift lever, one behind it and then a 2 cup holder for the rear seat passengers. I have grown accustomed to having either a holder on the side of the door, rear of the center console armrests, or sufficient room for both my daughter and I to have our huge fountain drink cups in the middle. I know, it's petty, but these are the things that frustrate me. Other than this, I'd like the front seats to fit me a little better but that's just a matter of my own personal preference and I guess it just depends on a person's shape what kind of seats they prefer.
Overall, the Chevrolet trailblazer seems to be a well-made, good running, comfortable suv that, for it's class, is fairly economical to operate and very easy to drive. I would recommend one to any family looking to downsize from the traditional larger suv's or looking for a replacement for a similar sized model.

My report card:

styling: B+
comfort: A-
Ride: A
Economy: C
Drivetrain: A

Overall: A-