2003 Chevrolet TrailBlazer
by Cordell Koland

There are two good reasons to buy at truck-based sport-utility vehicle. You
need its hauling capacity or you¹re really going to go off-road. If you¹ve
got to have a truck-based sport-utility vehicle, then the Chevrolet
TrailBlazer is at the top of that category.

The TrailBlazer is one of several essentially cloned vehicles SUVs that came
out in 2002 and have been so successful that by 2004 there will be four
versions available. So you can get a similar SUV from Chevy, GMC, Izusu and
in 2004 from Buick.

There are scant reasons to pick among the four. Differences between the
vehicles are driven by the various marketing functions of the GM divisions.
The Chevy probably has the widest range of options and offers the ubiquity
of the Chevrolet sales dealership network, so you can find somebody who will
be happy to service your TrailBlazer in the remotest reaches of North
American. And in this era of diminishing returns, its no shame, maybe even a
virtue, to drive a Chevy.

There are two reason that the TrailBlazer and its kin stand out from the
competition. One, is its outstanding inline six-cylinder engine.  The other
is that trucks build by General Motors usually handle better than most of
the competition. 

First let¹s look at the General Motors¹ engine. Just when it seemed that the
automotive world had completely converted to the popular V-6 engine
architecture, General Motors reintroduced a straight six, a form considered
by most everyone except BMW to be an automotive anachronism the equivalent of the buggy whip. But GM gets the last word its inline engine and SUVs are winning major industry awards.

The inline engine configuration‹putting all six cylinders in a row‹is the
classic form extending back into the mists of auto history. The inline or
straight six is more inherently balanced and develops less internal
vibration than the ³V² design. There are a lot of problems with excessive
vibration in terms of engine efficiency, longevity, not to mention that
people don¹t want to drive vehicles that buzz.

The new straight six racks up a near perfect score. According to GM, the new
motor provides the performance of an eight-cylinder engine with the gasoline
mileage of a six. Power is a very respectable 275 horsepower and the power
deliver is exceptionally smooth.  The engine is particularly impressive when
pulling at high engine speeds up a mountain grade. In this application, it
remained almost vibration-free, something that cannot be said about the vast
array of truck engines. A four-speed automatic transmission performs
admirably, providing smooth confident gear transitions.

Trucks and SUVs from General Motors often seem to have an edge in handling and the new platform is no exception.  The TrailBlazer delivers acceptable feedback and responds to steering input with reasonable accuracy. The ride also is satisfactory by contemporary standards.

In terms of value pricing, you can order just about as much vehicle as you
want. GM has a huge parts bin and it is up to the individual to construct a
SUV that will meet the intended use. The price range extends from about
$27,000 for the base Chevy to more than $35,000 for a loaded, luxury GMC
Envoy. 

Our test rear-wheel-drive TrailBlazer is on the lower end of the pricing
spectrum at $28,000. As equipped it seems to provide about everything one
needs, except a rear window washer and wiper. As manufacturers attempt to
maintain or even lower list prices, content disappears. After all, you can¹t
have a low price and high content.

The TrailBlazer¹s design is classic SUV. The interior is relatively well
defined with center controls laid out where you can see them, although the
choice of materials used throughout does not always seem top drawer.
However, these are mass-market vehicles, not European ego machines.
 
 

 
Vehicle: Chevrolet TrailBlazer

Price as tested: $28,272

Engine:

         Type: 4.2-liter inline six

         Horsepower: 275 @ 6,000 rpm

         Torque: 275-ft. lbs. @ 3,600 rpm

Fuel economy, automatic transmission

         City - 16 mpg

         Highway - 22 mpg

Curb Weight: lbs. 4,432