When we first drove the TrailBlazer at its launch in early 2002, we were impressed. We liked the sophisticated six-cylinder engine. We found the ride quality excellent, and we approved of the roomy, ergonomically pleasant interior.
These things still hold true for the 2003 model, which is essentially unchanged. For 2003, Chevrolet reports higher horsepower ratings for the 4.2-liter, inline six-cylinder engine from 270 to 275, but we suspect this is more a change in the way the engine was tested, rather than any real tweaking. Regardless, you are unlikely to notice the slight bump in power.
The inline six provides a seriously creamy dollop of boost throughout the power band. By placing all six cylinders in a line, Chevrolet has nearly eliminated the shake and roll normally created from an engine with a "V" configuration. At idle, you can barely tell the engine is running. This placidness continues when the truck is running at highway speeds. The only complaint we have is that when the engine is under stress (going uphill with a full load, for instance), it roars like a bear with a sore paw.
We had our EXT test vehicle charging up a mountain pass with a 5,000-pound trailer attached to the standard trailer hitch. Though this was 800 pounds shy of the TrailBlazer's maximum towing capacity, we thought it was a fair test. And the truck pulled through remarkably well, powering up the 10-percent grade with confidence. A stomp on the accelerator at 60 mph produced a surprising burst of speed.
For those who don't like their truck to sound like it's working so hard, Chevy will introduce a solution late in 2002: an optional 5.3-liter V8 with 290 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque. This power boost should be easily discernable, which we will confirm once the V8 engine becomes available.
Of course, another benefit of the six-cylinder power plant is its superior fuel economy. Chevy reports miles-per-gallon figures for the TrailBlazer EXT 4WD of 15 city, 20 highway and 17 combined. Decent. With the 25-gallon tank, that's theoretically a highway range of about 500 miles, so you can take all five of your kids to Grandma's without refinancing the house to fill the tank. If you're towing something, you can, of course, expect more fuel consumption, and more stops.
The major difference between this test truck and the TrailBlazers we've driven previously is size. The EXT is an extended-wheelbase model that is longer, taller and heavier than the regular TrailBlazer. In order to make room for a third-row seat, the EXT wheelbase is 129 inches, instead of 113, and is 75.5 inches tall instead of 71.9. Of course, cargo space drops, from 41 to 22.3 cubic feet if you're using the third-row seats, but it's still room enough for a few weekend bags or a cooler (with all seats folded down cargo capacity is a whopping 100.1 cubic feet).
The third-row seat is mostly spacious, even for a pair of six-foot adults. Head-, shoulder- and hiproom are great, but we wouldn't want to ride back there for much longer than 90 minutes because legroom and footroom are cramped. The seat is also less cushioned than the first- and second-row seats, but that's understandable because the seat folds down flat for extra cargo room. Ingress and egress to the third row are also easy due to Chevy's simple-as-Fisher-Price folding and tumbling mechanism for the second-row seats.
Speaking of the second row, those broad, well-cushioned and comfy chairs provide adequate room for anybody under 6 feet 2 inches tall. We found that people taller than that had limited leg- and footroom. Unless you're carting around a load of future NBA stars (they'd likely prefer a Cadillac Escalade anyway), the Trailblazer EXT will fit six adults quite comfortably. There are seatbelts enough for seven but, to be truly comfortable, five of them (those in the second and third row) should be little people.
The front row is where all the goodies are, including: eight-way power seats with memory and lumbar; dual-zone climate control; rain-sensing wipers; power heated mirrors with memory; an optional six-disc CD player; and steering wheel controls. We wish heated seats were standard, but they're only available with the optional leather seating.
We like the layout up front: everything is in easy reach of the driver and the gray-and-black color scheme is attractive though not particularly interesting. We also appreciate the fact that many of the interior surfaces are soft touch — good riddance to hard plastic — and the switchgear seems solid and less plasticky than in previous Chevy trucks. Yet a little too much of the hard, fake stuff still lingers around some secondary controls. Though fit and finish seemed mostly solid throughout, we were surprised to discover that the center console was so loosely attached that it wiggled under our hands like a third-grader's front tooth.
Despite the commodious front seating, the second- and third-row seats were definitely the place to be in our test truck, which was equipped with the optional video screen and DVD player. The wireless headphones don't work in the front seats, so the driver and front passenger were tortured by our cries of glee during the car chase scene in "Ronin."
At 4,968 pounds, the EXT is also 352 pounds heavier than its smaller siblings. The longer wheelbase and extra weight don't compromise the TrailBlazer's excellent ride quality. The superstiff body-on-frame construction and compliant suspension combine to provide a wonderfully serene ride. It is not floaty, however, but feels firmly attached to the road.
We even pounded down a bumpy dirt track and the TrailBlazer maintained its cool, never bottoming out or bouncing us in our seats. Chevy did a truly fine job on the suspension. We just wish the steering was as sophisticated. We found it overboosted, a little numb and soft at center. Although it allowed one-finger control in the drive-thru, we'd like it a little tighter and more communicative.
On the last day of our test, the EXT's left rear tire sprung a leak and the 17-inch alloy wheel descended quickly to the pavement. Now, we could have pushed the OnStar emergency button and ordered up a tow truck without ever leaving the cabin, but we wanted to see how easy it would be to change a tire.
The jack kit was stowed neatly behind a plastic hatch in the side of the cargo area and the full-size spare was suspended underneath the truck. Retrieving the wheel required us to assemble a three-piece rod and then feed it through a hole over the bumper, and lock onto a bolt which, when turned, would lower the wheel to the ground. We had a little difficulty locating the bolt in the hole because it required us to insert the rod without having any idea where we should be. But, by poking around like a two-dollar brain surgeon, we finally hit pay dirt.
The rod then morphed into the crank for the jack and we had the tire up and off in about 10 minutes. It only took another 10 to get the fresh wheel on and stow the flat and the jack, and we were on our way in less than half an hour, total. We probably would have waited at least an hour for a tow truck.
So, after a week of living with the TrailBlazer EXT and using it the way it was advertised, would we buy it? Yup. We like its ride, its creamy power plant and its roomy and comfortable interior. We didn't even mind changing the flat.
These things still hold true for the 2003 model, which is essentially unchanged. For 2003, Chevrolet reports higher horsepower ratings for the 4.2-liter, inline six-cylinder engine from 270 to 275, but we suspect this is more a change in the way the engine was tested, rather than any real tweaking. Regardless, you are unlikely to notice the slight bump in power.
The inline six provides a seriously creamy dollop of boost throughout the power band. By placing all six cylinders in a line, Chevrolet has nearly eliminated the shake and roll normally created from an engine with a "V" configuration. At idle, you can barely tell the engine is running. This placidness continues when the truck is running at highway speeds. The only complaint we have is that when the engine is under stress (going uphill with a full load, for instance), it roars like a bear with a sore paw.
We had our EXT test vehicle charging up a mountain pass with a 5,000-pound trailer attached to the standard trailer hitch. Though this was 800 pounds shy of the TrailBlazer's maximum towing capacity, we thought it was a fair test. And the truck pulled through remarkably well, powering up the 10-percent grade with confidence. A stomp on the accelerator at 60 mph produced a surprising burst of speed.
For those who don't like their truck to sound like it's working so hard, Chevy will introduce a solution late in 2002: an optional 5.3-liter V8 with 290 horsepower and 325 pound-feet of torque. This power boost should be easily discernable, which we will confirm once the V8 engine becomes available.
Of course, another benefit of the six-cylinder power plant is its superior fuel economy. Chevy reports miles-per-gallon figures for the TrailBlazer EXT 4WD of 15 city, 20 highway and 17 combined. Decent. With the 25-gallon tank, that's theoretically a highway range of about 500 miles, so you can take all five of your kids to Grandma's without refinancing the house to fill the tank. If you're towing something, you can, of course, expect more fuel consumption, and more stops.
The major difference between this test truck and the TrailBlazers we've driven previously is size. The EXT is an extended-wheelbase model that is longer, taller and heavier than the regular TrailBlazer. In order to make room for a third-row seat, the EXT wheelbase is 129 inches, instead of 113, and is 75.5 inches tall instead of 71.9. Of course, cargo space drops, from 41 to 22.3 cubic feet if you're using the third-row seats, but it's still room enough for a few weekend bags or a cooler (with all seats folded down cargo capacity is a whopping 100.1 cubic feet).
The third-row seat is mostly spacious, even for a pair of six-foot adults. Head-, shoulder- and hiproom are great, but we wouldn't want to ride back there for much longer than 90 minutes because legroom and footroom are cramped. The seat is also less cushioned than the first- and second-row seats, but that's understandable because the seat folds down flat for extra cargo room. Ingress and egress to the third row are also easy due to Chevy's simple-as-Fisher-Price folding and tumbling mechanism for the second-row seats.
Speaking of the second row, those broad, well-cushioned and comfy chairs provide adequate room for anybody under 6 feet 2 inches tall. We found that people taller than that had limited leg- and footroom. Unless you're carting around a load of future NBA stars (they'd likely prefer a Cadillac Escalade anyway), the Trailblazer EXT will fit six adults quite comfortably. There are seatbelts enough for seven but, to be truly comfortable, five of them (those in the second and third row) should be little people.
The front row is where all the goodies are, including: eight-way power seats with memory and lumbar; dual-zone climate control; rain-sensing wipers; power heated mirrors with memory; an optional six-disc CD player; and steering wheel controls. We wish heated seats were standard, but they're only available with the optional leather seating.
We like the layout up front: everything is in easy reach of the driver and the gray-and-black color scheme is attractive though not particularly interesting. We also appreciate the fact that many of the interior surfaces are soft touch — good riddance to hard plastic — and the switchgear seems solid and less plasticky than in previous Chevy trucks. Yet a little too much of the hard, fake stuff still lingers around some secondary controls. Though fit and finish seemed mostly solid throughout, we were surprised to discover that the center console was so loosely attached that it wiggled under our hands like a third-grader's front tooth.
Despite the commodious front seating, the second- and third-row seats were definitely the place to be in our test truck, which was equipped with the optional video screen and DVD player. The wireless headphones don't work in the front seats, so the driver and front passenger were tortured by our cries of glee during the car chase scene in "Ronin."
At 4,968 pounds, the EXT is also 352 pounds heavier than its smaller siblings. The longer wheelbase and extra weight don't compromise the TrailBlazer's excellent ride quality. The superstiff body-on-frame construction and compliant suspension combine to provide a wonderfully serene ride. It is not floaty, however, but feels firmly attached to the road.
We even pounded down a bumpy dirt track and the TrailBlazer maintained its cool, never bottoming out or bouncing us in our seats. Chevy did a truly fine job on the suspension. We just wish the steering was as sophisticated. We found it overboosted, a little numb and soft at center. Although it allowed one-finger control in the drive-thru, we'd like it a little tighter and more communicative.
On the last day of our test, the EXT's left rear tire sprung a leak and the 17-inch alloy wheel descended quickly to the pavement. Now, we could have pushed the OnStar emergency button and ordered up a tow truck without ever leaving the cabin, but we wanted to see how easy it would be to change a tire.
The jack kit was stowed neatly behind a plastic hatch in the side of the cargo area and the full-size spare was suspended underneath the truck. Retrieving the wheel required us to assemble a three-piece rod and then feed it through a hole over the bumper, and lock onto a bolt which, when turned, would lower the wheel to the ground. We had a little difficulty locating the bolt in the hole because it required us to insert the rod without having any idea where we should be. But, by poking around like a two-dollar brain surgeon, we finally hit pay dirt.
The rod then morphed into the crank for the jack and we had the tire up and off in about 10 minutes. It only took another 10 to get the fresh wheel on and stow the flat and the jack, and we were on our way in less than half an hour, total. We probably would have waited at least an hour for a tow truck.
So, after a week of living with the TrailBlazer EXT and using it the way it was advertised, would we buy it? Yup. We like its ride, its creamy power plant and its roomy and comfortable interior. We didn't even mind changing the flat.
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