Should You Buy a 2019 Chevrolet Blazer?

The new 2019 Chevrolet Blazer has blindsided the midsize SUV segment. Chevy has tapped into styling and capabilities and it’s going to work.

Twice now I’ve spent time with the new 2019 Chevrolet Blazer and as I think back to both driving experiences, I can’t believe how it seemed so easy for GM to bring this truck to market.

The new 2019 Chevrolet Blazer faces what should have been stiff competition but with only an exception or two, the Blazer dominates in most regards but obviously, not all is perfect.

In its segment, the Blazer goes toe-to-toe with the new Hyundai Santa Fe, Ford Edge, Nissan Murano and Jeep Grand Cherokee. Up until I got to drive the Chevy, I was convinced that the new 2019 Honda Passport was the one to beat. I’m not so sure anymore.

In barely a few short months, what I thought was an established hierarchy has been shaken. Should you still consider the Passport or is the Blazer the one for you? Let’s break down the reasons why you should and shouldn’t select the 2019 Chevrolet Blazer.

Why you should buy a 2019 Chevrolet Blazer:

• Styling, The new Blazer looks like no other SUV and even when they’ll be all over the road, it will never be confused for anything else than what it is.
• GM’s well-established 3.6-litre V6 has never felt more at home than beneath the Blazer’s bonnet. It is smooth and responsive.
• Speaking of smooth, the Blazer is composed, quiet and comfortable. In fact, it’s downright refined for what it is.
• Chevrolet’s new Infotainment 3 Premium system includes superb graphic, fluid menus and includes 4G LTE WIFI, Apple CarPlay, Android Auto and much more.
• The cabin and trunk are huge and well-appointed. The booth can hold nearly 900 liters of gear while the rear bench can slide fore and aft and reclines.
• The True North Edition strikes a perfect balance between features and pricing at $43,300.

Why you should not buy a 2019 Chevrolet Blazer:

• The Blazer suffers from poor fuel economy when compared to the majority of its V6-equipped competitors. Expect at least 12L/1000 km in real-world conditions.
• Don’t plan on spending only $35,000 on your Blazer. The 2.5-litre 4-cylinder will hurt performance, resale value and fuel-economy will scarcely be better. A real base Blazer retails for at least $40k.
• You might be tempted by the RS version for its physical attributes. In order to get the one you see in the adds, you’ll need to spend over $50k.
• This same RS features “sport-tuned” dampers that are not always best suited for our rough roads.
• GM’s traction mode select system is dumb. If you want access to AWD in your badass Blazer SUV, you have to turn it on. Other than Mitsubishi’s All-Wheel-Control, there are no other on-demand AWD systems that require human input.

Conclusion:

Again, it’s amazing how quickly and effortlessly the new 2019 Chevrolet Blazer has positioned itself at or near the top of its segment.

About the traction mode select system, I enquired repeatedly as to what prompted GM to create such a seemingly backwards setup. Other than fuel economy and giving the driver more options, I was unable to get a satisfactory answer – heck even the GM reps did not seem convinced that this was a good idea.

Of course, you can engage AWD at all times but from what I was told and my understanding, there will be a fuel penalty to pay. Here again, I could not get a clear response or explanation. It wasn’t for a lack cooperation from GM, they simply once more did not have an answer.

Besides this annoyance, the 2019 Chevy Blazer is a superb SUV. The Honda Passport has slipped into 2^nd position if mostly for its less engaging driving experience. It has a larger trunk, will be easier on fuel and its Intelligent Variable Torque Management (i-VTM4) AWD system is no-brainer when it comes to delivering forward momentum.

While I very much love the Jeep Grand Cherokee, it’s now quite old but like a fine wine or cheese, it has aged nicely. As well, Jeep is heavily discounting it at the moment.

Bottom line however, the new Chevy Blazer is to be seriously considered.

2019 Chevrolet Blazer images gallery

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