Discover the Best Features of the Chevrolet Trailblazer

Photo Source/Copyright: Chevrolet

Subcompact crossovers all promise the same thing: SUV shape on a hatchback budget. Sorting the real contenders from the badge-engineered filler takes ten minutes with a spec sheet. The Chevrolet Trailblazer earns a longer look than most, mostly on what it hands you without asking extra. Two turbocharged three-cylinders, five seats, and a screen that doesn’t shrink when you shop the cheap trim make it worth unpacking.

Engine Output and Real-World Miles Per Gallon (MPG)

The standard 1.2-liter ECOTEC turbo makes 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. Step up to the 1.3-liter, and you get 155 horsepower and 174 pound-feet. Neither number will start a bar fight, and neither needs to. The bigger engine pulls hard enough through the midrange that merging onto a busy interstate stops being an event during a Tuesday commute.

Front-drive (FWD) versions run a Continuously Variable Transmission (CVT) that keeps revs parked where torque lives. Order all-wheel drive (AWD), and you get a conventional nine-speed automatic instead. That combination costs a bit at the pump: 27 MPG combined against 31 MPG for the front-driver, but traction in a slushy January parking lot is worth a few tenths.

• 1.2L ECOTEC Turbo I3: 137 hp; 162 lb.-ft. torque; CVT; FWD; 30/31/30 EPA MPG.
• 1.3L ECOTEC Turbo I3: 155 hp; 174 lb.-ft. torque; CVT / nine-speed automatic; FWD / AWD; 29/33/31 FWD or 26/29/27 AWD EPA MPG.

Room to Work With

Cargo behind the second row measures 25.3 cubic feet. Drop the split-folding bench, and that opens to 54.4 cubic feet. Useful numbers, but the specification that separates this from its rivals is 8.5 feet: the load length when the front passenger seat folds flat. Lumber, a ladder, a rolled rug, or a paddleboard all fit inside with the hatch shut.

That passenger seatback wears hard plastic by design, because a seat doubling as a load floor takes abuse that soft trim paneling wouldn’t survive. Rear legroom sits at 39.4 inches, which accommodates adults in a way the segment rarely guarantees. The front row gets 40.9 inches of legroom, and headroom holds at 40.0 inches up front.

• Cargo behind rear row: 25.3 cu. ft.
• Maximum cargo volume: 54.4 cu. ft.
• Max cargo length: 8.5 ft.
• Legroom (front/rear): 40.9 / 39.4 in.
• Max towing capacity: 1,000 lbs.

Screens and Safety Tech

Here’s where the value case gets loud. The 11-inch HD touchscreen is standard on every trim, not dangled two rungs up the ladder. Same with wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto, the 8-inch driver information center, and push-button start. Bose audio and wireless charging cost extra, but the baseline still beats several rivals asking more.

Chevy Safety Assist comes standard too, packing six driver-assistance features, plus ten airbags, Teen Driver, and Rear Seat Reminder on every build. Towing tops out at 1,000 pounds, enough for a small utility trailer or a jet ski, stated plainly instead of buried in a footnote.

Which Trim to Buy

The LS trim starts at $23,300 MSRP (excluding destination fee) and already carries the big screen, fold-flat seat, and full safety suite. The LT adds $1,200 for keyless entry, remote start, roof rails, and tinted rear glass.

The ACTIV and RS variants both land at $27,900 MSRP (excluding destination fee). ACTIV brings off-road suspension tuning and a functional skid plate; RS counters with 19-inch black wheels and a heated flat-bottom wheel. LS and LT buyers can add the 1.3-liter engine for a few hundred dollars, providing an extra 18 horsepower. Loaded to the ceiling, the price barely clears $35,000 MSRP (excluding destination fee).

• LS: $23,300 starting MSRP (excluding destination fee)
• LT: $24,500 starting MSRP (excluding destination fee)
• ACTIV: $27,900 starting MSRP (excluding destination fee)
• RS: $27,900 starting MSRP (excluding destination fee)

Schedule a Test Drive

Specs only get you so far. The seating position, the way the CVT behaves in stop-and-go traffic, and whether the ACTIV suspension fits local roads are test-drive questions. Our inventory covers all four trims, making it easy to test-fit gear and evaluate the 8.5-foot load length in person. Schedule a test drive today to experience it firsthand.