The Trailblazer is part of the growing subcompact SUV category, positioned below the larger Chevrolet Equinox. It’s roomy despite its small footprint, gets good fuel economy, and packs an impressive level of standard advanced safety features. However, the loud cabin and limited rear three-quarter visibility should give buyers pause.
With its upright stance, tall roof, and big, squared-off door openings, the Trailblazer is easy to get in and out—front or rear. Unlike in most sub-compact SUVs, it requires very little ducking or twisting to hop into the Trailblazer’s cabin. This upright styling also contributes to the SUVs roomy rear seat and cargo area.
We were impressed by the responsive 155-hp, 1.3-liter turbocharged three-cylinder engine and nine-speed automatic transmission. This combination provides a healthy midrange shove, which is well-suited for both suburban and urban driving. We got a commendable 27 mpg overall, which is on par with its competitors.
Tiny SUVs in this class typically tend to serve up a rough ride, but in most situations the Chevy’s suspension effectively muted the impact from rough streets. However, the ride becomes unsettled on undulating and poor-quality roads. Overall, the Trailblazer does a decent job absorbing bumps.
Handling is unremarkable and there’s notable body lean, which makes the Trailblazer feel rather dull and a bit clumsy in corners. That said, it remained secure and controlled around the track as well as during our avoidance maneuver runs.
The Trailblazer is rather loud. Occupants will feel a pronounced rumble from coarse pavement, and even when cruising on the highway drivers might find themselves raising the radio volume to overcome the noise. There’s also an underlying vibration when the engine is lugging at around 1,500 rpm. This happens rather frequently during city and suburban driving, such as when using light pressure on the gas pedal.
Most switches and knobs are easy to find, and the controls are straightforward, with a few minor exceptions. For instance, there isn’t a dedicated phone button on the steering wheel, so drivers have to go through the touch screen to interact with paired phones. That adds a distracting step or two.
Chevy gave the SUV a lot of storage space between the front seats. Folding the rear seats flat expands the large cargo area, and the front passenger seat can fold flat to carry even longer items.
We found the front seat to be overly squishy, and the bottom cushion tended to sag under the driver’s hip when taking corners. At least the LT comes with a power driver’s seat and two-way lumbar support that helps.
Arguably, the biggest knock against the Trailblazer is its hampered rear and side visibility. With no third side window and excessively chunky rear roof pillars, backing in or out of a parking spot or merging can be a guessing game.
To its credit, even the base trim comes with standard forward collision warning (FCW), city-speed automatic emergency braking (AEB) with pedestrian detection, and lane keeping assistance (LKA). Buyers can add blind spot warning (BSW) and rear cross traffic warning (RCTW) for a modest premium—which is especially worth it considering the Trailblazer’s rear visibility issues.