GM Reviving the Trailblazer. That didn't take long...

[Kompresshun]

So it looks as if GM is already bringing the Trailblazer back. I don't dislike the Traverse that replaced it, but i'm all for them bringing back a Truck-based mid-size SUV.

First introduced in 1999, the Chevy Trailblazer was originally nothing more than an upscale trim level for the Chevy Blazer. Then, in 2002, at the height of our free-spending, 0% financing and cheap gas days, it was upgraded to its very own platform. Seven years later, it was thought that in a world of four-buck-a-gallon gas, it was discontinued, and we thought it would never live again. We were all wrong. Because now GM's bringing it back.
Chris Perry, Chevy's Vice President of Global Marketing and Strategy, just confirmed to a group of assembled journalists that the Trailblazer is back — and unlike milquetoast mom-UVs like the new Ford Explorer, it'll be a real, live truck-UV. GM plans on building the Trailblazer off their new Colorado mid-size pickup and they'll unveil it later this year at the Dubai Motor Show.

Although Chevy officials have been cagey about more details, given the Colorado's coming stateside, it would seem to make sense this'll be hitting our shores as well.

Here's a teaser shot too:


Personally i'm excited about it, especially after Ford basing the new Explorer off of the Taurus of all things and Chrysler trying to pass the new Cherokee off as rugged. Right now there's not much in the domestic market that is still truck based and not full size like a Tahoe or Suburban. I won't be rushing to buy one, but I would like to see more of this and less lots filled with 25 different versions of a Ford Taurus made to look like an SUV

I'm fine with car-based SUVs and they seem to do fine in tough situations, but there are way too many of them IMHO. I know all the soccer moms love them, but I like rugged SUVs that I feel like can take a beating and go anywhere I need it to, not a "Mall Crawler". Top Gear tested the Land Rover Evoque recently and it did well off-road, but i'm still not completely sold on basing all SUV's off of cars. They can't convince me that a car platform can handle the things a truck platform can personally

[sx moneypit]

I hope the build quality is better than the POS that preceded this.

[Kompresshun]

Hopefully so. I actually didn't mind the previous Trailblazer either though, they weren't wonderful build quality, but they were decent trucks. I would much rather have one of them, than a Colorado.

Now, there are a lot better choices on the used SUV market than a Trailblazer. Hence why I drive a Heep

[Bubba1]

Hopefully so. I actually didn't mind the previous Trailblazer either though, they weren't wonderful build quality, but they were decent trucks. I would much rather have one of them, than a Colorado.

Now, there are a lot better choices on the used SUV market than a Trailblazer. Hence why I drive a Heep

I have low expectations for the new trailblazer, based on the poor build quality and reliability of its predecessor. Plus it's based on the Colorado, which has not been not one of GMs better offerings. We'll see.

[Jesda]

Trailblazer SS and 9-7 Aero were great trucks. Corvette power in a midsize box. This also means that GM finally got out of the habit of dropping well established nameplates in favor of new ones.

[TurboSauce]

. I would much rather have one of them, than a Colorado.

[MinisterofDOOM]

YES!!!!!

GOOD. Midsize SUVs are an endangered species and the Trailblazer was one of the best. If GM can make the 2nd gen (technically third gen) as good as the first, they'll have a winner on their hands. When I read the thread title I feared it was going to be some 5-seat variant of the Traverse or something like that. I'm extremely glad to see SOMEONE finding their brain and realizing that people still need/want midsize SUVs regardless of fuel prices.

Every one I know who owns a Trailblazer LOVES their truck. All of us were angry to see GM kill it off in favor of the Traverse/Acadia siblings.

I look forward to drooling over the LS3 powered Trailblazer SS in a couple years.

Right now there's not much in the domestic market that is still truck based and not full size like a Tahoe or Suburban.

The only people still making midsize trucks are Toyota and Nissan. That's it. EVERYONE ELSE kept names but went unibody. Durango's unibody now. Exploder is a Taurus. Kia's previously-quite-good Sorento is unibody now. And since Toyota is ruining the 4Runner more with every passing year, the ONLY real option is the Pathfinder or Xterra. I like them both a lot, but it's disgusting that fuel-economy-panic has gotten to the point where a type of vehicle with a legitimate place in the market has been shoved under the rug.

I hope the build quality is better than the POS that preceded this.

Where did you get the idea that Trailblazer build quality was bad? My dad's is a serious work truck that gets pushed HARD and it has never let him down, let alone showed any signs of weakness. I know a LOT of people who own Trailblazers and nearly all of them are truck guys, so they're demanding, but none of them have ever had anything bad to say about reliability or build quality. Yeah, the dash is cheap, but it's a farking truck. The only time I ever hear anything bad about these trucks is on the internet from people who don't actually own them.

[Bubba1]

Where did you get the idea that Trailblazer build quality was bad? My dad's is a serious work truck that gets pushed HARD and it has never let him down, let alone showed any signs of weakness. I know a LOT of people who own Trailblazers and nearly all of them are truck guys, so they're demanding, but none of them have ever had anything bad to say about reliability or build quality. Yeah, the dash is cheap, but it's a farking truck.

he might be referring to the Consumer Reports annual owner reliability surveys where the last generation trailblazer was among the less reliable SUV's in it's class. I believe GM's full sized line fared better.

[Kompresshun]

GOOD. Midsize SUVs are an endangered species and the Trailblazer was one of the best. If GM can make the 2nd gen (technically third gen) as good as the first, they'll have a winner on their hands. When I read the thread title I feared it was going to be some 5-seat variant of the Traverse or something like that. I'm extremely glad to see SOMEONE finding their brain and realizing that people still need/want midsize SUVs regardless of fuel prices.

Every one I know who owns a Trailblazer LOVES their truck. All of us were angry to see GM kill it off in favor of the Traverse/Acadia siblings.

I look forward to drooling over the LS3 powered Trailblazer SS in a couple years.

^This

I hope the build quality is better than the POS that preceded this.

Where did you get the idea that Trailblazer build quality was bad? My dad's is a serious work truck that gets pushed HARD and it has never let him down, let alone showed any signs of weakness. I know a LOT of people who own Trailblazers and nearly all of them are truck guys, so they're demanding, but none of them have ever had anything bad to say about reliability or build quality. Yeah, the dash is cheap, but it's a farking truck. The only time I ever hear anything bad about these trucks is on the internet from people who don't actually own them.

^And this.

I don't care what consumer reports says, because everyone I know that has owned a Trailblazer has loved theirs as well. My neighbor has owned one for 3 years now with zero issues and I had two friends back home that owned them and loved them as well. I really don't get why all the hate is out there for them, because I don't hear about or see any issues with them personally.

Heck, it was on my list when we bought the Jeep, but the EXT models are proportioned oddly and we wanted third row seating.

[Jesda]

he might be referring to the Consumer Reports annual owner reliability surveys

Saw that coming

[Bubba1]

he might be referring to the Consumer Reports annual owner reliability surveys

Saw that coming

^ Saw that coming too...

I don't care what consumer reports says, because everyone I know that has owned a Trailblazer has loved theirs as well. My neighbor has owned one for 3 years now with zero issues and I had two friends back home that owned them and loved them as well. I really don't get why all the hate is out there for them, because I don't hear about or see any issues with them personally.

I assume most of the negativity is because most of the major news outlets quote CU's data and of the many Trailblazer owners that participate in their annual surveys, more of them reported more problems per captia each year as compared to other SUV's.

[sx moneypit]

Where did you get the idea that Trailblazer build quality was bad? My dad's is a serious work truck that gets pushed HARD and it has never let him down, let alone showed any signs of weakness. I know a LOT of people who own Trailblazers and nearly all of them are truck guys, so they're demanding, but none of them have ever had anything bad to say about reliability or build quality. Yeah, the dash is cheap, but it's a farking truck.

he might be referring to the Consumer Reports annual owner reliability surveys where the last generation trailblazer was among the less reliable SUV's in it's class. I believe GM's full sized line fared better.

I am basing my statement on the fact that most of the people i know that own (or did own) said that they spent more time in the dealership than on the road when they were new getting s*** fixed that should have been taken care of at the factory.

[Looneybomber]

And since Toyota is ruining the 4Runner more with every passing year, the ONLY real option is the Pathfinder or Xterra.

You forget about the FJ Cruiser. Live axle with lockers FTW!

Just a heads up, the tahoe, a live axle, lift-able vehicle will likely become IRS and be bases on a new chassis or even turn into a unibody design...according to internet rumint

[MinisterofDOOM]

And since Toyota is ruining the 4Runner more with every passing year, the ONLY real option is the Pathfinder or Xterra.

You forget about the FJ Cruiser. Live axle with lockers FTW!

I can't believe I forgot the FJ Cruiser. I love those trucks.

Just a heads up, the tahoe, a live axle, lift-able vehicle will likely become IRS and be bases on a new chassis or even turn into a unibody design...

That's alright. The Expedition went independent suspension and remained offroad- and truck-capable. But I don't think the loss of the SWB full-sizer is much to fret over as long as the Suburban keeps its ladder frame. The Tahoe has become a status purchase anyway. You can't even get a 3/4 or 1 ton Tahoe anymore. And I'd always thought that the Tahoe and LWB Trailblazer stepped on each-other's toes too much in the first place, so if we get the long TB back there's no need for the Tahoe.

[OriginalWheelman]

Truck based SUVs are like base models with manual transmissions. To the purist, they are better. To people who buy it for a commuter, they're annoying.

Car makers stopped making truck based SUVs in the late 90s for a reason. They just don't sell as well as cushy car based SUVs that drive like cars.

[Looneybomber]

It's just sad to see capable, tough SUV's going away. The explorer was my biggest let down, finding out it was turning into a large body Taurus. I had a long random conversation about that with Ford/Lincoln dealership owner while at a sushi restaurant...and the demise of the LS.

[MinisterofDOOM]

Yeah, I'm very disappointed in the new Exploder. The thing that makes it doubly stupid to me is that Ford already has the Flex. Why do they need two Taurus-based crossovers? The two vehicles are almost identical. Except that the Explorer is an ugly mess (the Flex is arguably ugly, too--though I like it--but at least it isn't a mess). It seems like more of Ford's failure to understand that nameplates don't make cars, CARS make cars. Like bringing back the Taurus name.

My favorite thing about the new Explorer is Ford's "it's just as capable as before" advertising which is competely transparent in its dishonesty. The fact that Ford feels the need to say it proves it isn't true.

As great as the Fusion, Focus, and Fiesta are these days, I'd happily trade all 3 for an MKS with the right cylinder count and the right wheels getting power, and Explorer with a boxed ladder frame, a Taurus that doesn't weigh 4500 lb, and the damn Mod motor back instead of the gigantic joke that is the Ecoboost V6.

[Jesda]

I think Ford is following Nissan's formula of building nothing but crossovers of every size and shape.

[MinisterofDOOM]

I think Ford is following Nissan's formula of building nothing but crossovers of every size and shape.

Ford isn't building every size, though. They're building the same size. First it was the Freestyle/Taurus X and Flex stepping on each other's toes, now it's the Flex and Explorer. Then there's the Escape. That's it. Nissan's 3 crossovers (5 if you count Infiniti) are all clearly distinct. You don't have a Murano and an Altima wagon and a unibody Pathfinder wannabe. Even the closely-related EX and FX are very different cars.

[Jesda]

Nissan's 3 crossovers (5 if you count Infiniti) are all clearly distinct.

About as clear as picking out a perp from a lineup of chinamen.

[Looneybomber]

As great as the Fusion, Focus, and Fiesta are these days, I'd happily trade all 3 for an MKS with the right cylinder count and the right wheels getting power, and Explorer with a boxed ladder frame, a Taurus that doesn't weigh 4500 lb, and the damn Mod motor back instead of the gigantic joke that is the Ecoboost V6.

I'm with you on everything except the Ecoboost. It has potential and so far is doing well in the F-150 from what reviews I've read and from one person I know with it. I would like to have one in my explorer sport...with a 5spd.

[IBCoupe]

I think Ford is following Nissan's formula of building nothing but crossovers of every size and shape.

Ford isn't building every size, though. They're building the same size. First it was the Freestyle/Taurus X and Flex stepping on each other's toes, now it's the Flex and Explorer. Then there's the Escape. That's it. Nissan's 3 crossovers (5 if you count Infiniti) are all clearly distinct. You don't have a Murano and an Altima wagon and a unibody Pathfinder wannabe. Even the closely-related EX and FX are very different cars.

Edge fits where?

[BusyBadger]

Nice truck discussion thread here! We should keep it going.

Edge fits where?

Next to the Ford Freestar, parked next to the soccer field waiting for the kids to finish up with practice. When it came time to update our old Explorer Holli wanted another Ford and everything on paper said the Edge was it. After the test drive she looked at the me and said, "It drives like a minivan, I want a truck", which is why there's an Xterra in the garage.

I've seen a review of the Xterra somewhere (that I can't find right now) that talks about how refreshing it is to see an old school, uncompromising SUV throwback that is almost single-minded in its purpose built design that doesn't try to be the jack-of-all-trades that so many crossies try to be, instead content to be the master of one. It even went on to say how the Xterra is the SUV/off-road equivalent of a BMW M3 or Porsche 911 - the best example of what it is supposed to be.

Sadly, as much as I love the passenger and cargo capacity it's far more off-road than we really need anymore - it's like having the Secret Service pulling protection duties for the president of the junior high student council, great to have in "just in case" but how much do you really need it. We're exploring the idea of picking up a Juke and I've already predicted one last trip in the mountains with the Xterra to get off the highway, away from civilization and get back to nature. At which point we'll remember what we liked so much about it and decide to keep it.

[MinisterofDOOM]

If I had an Xterra, it would be offroad EVERY WEEKEND. And I don't just mean dirt roads. I mean OFF road.

Edge fits where?

Forgot about the Edge. It's Murano/Pilot/Highlander sized and Fusion based. A great car, actually. Ford's heirarchy is Escape on the small end, then Edge in the middle, then Flex/Exploder up top.

[Jesda]

Edge fits where?

Up here:

[Bubba1]

If I had an Xterra, it would be offroad EVERY WEEKEND. And I don't just mean dirt roads. I mean OFF road.

Edge fits where?

Off roading is fun. One of my son's friend's dad is an offroad instructor for Land Rover. they have a school not far from me. My son videotaped one of the schools awhile back for a school project. Way cool stuff.

[Kompresshun]

If I had an Xterra, it would be offroad EVERY WEEKEND. And I don't just mean dirt roads. I mean OFF road.

Same here. Which is why i'm throwing around the idea of picking up something solely for winter and offroad use.

Off roading is fun. One of my son's friend's dad is an offroad instructor for Land Rover. they have a school not far from me. My son videotaped one of the schools awhile back for a school project. Way cool stuff.

I used to do a lot of offroading between age 17-21 and enjoyed the heck out of it. Not just going and finding stuff either, i'd go for weekend long trail rides in North Carolina and beat the heck out of my CJ7, then drive it 8hrs back home. The amount of fun offroading that can be had for cheap is awesome.

I did slow down on my trips though after blowing a rear main seal, knocking off my muffler, and spinning an axle hub in one weekend. That was not a fun trip back home

There are some crossover and car based SUVs that I truly love driving. The Ford Edge/Lincoln MKX is one example, along with the Infiniti FX, Mazda CX7, and the Chevy Equinox. I honestly don't find myself having to intently leave the road very often, nor do I tow hardly anything at all, but on occasion I would put it to use.

The main reason we chose the Commander over an Edge or an Escape though is the price, the amount of space it had inside, and the way it drove. We could've went with something car based, but the difference in fuel savings was so minimal(unless we bought a 4cyl model), that it truly didn't make any sense to buy one. I'd rather have the ability to tow and the versatility that a truck based SUV offers, even if I may hardly ever use it, than to have a car based SUV that isn't capable if I needed it.

Now next time around, we may buy a car based SUV for the wife, because the worst obstacle she ever faces is snow and she doesn't really need all of that. We plan on keeping the Commander for a few years though, so by then, I will likely have a truck or SUV of my own(or I may just keep the Commander), so it won't really matter anyways.

[Jesda]

Speaking of SUVs, how's the second-gen Grand Cherokee? They look nice and seem to have soft, well-made interiors, but I'm unfamiliar with them.

I missed a smoking deal on a spotless rich-family-bought-it-new-and-kept-it QX4 this week because I was out of town when it was listed. I doubt I'll come across another that nice anytime soon.

[Kompresshun]

Speaking of SUVs, how's the second-gen Grand Cherokee? They look nice and seem to have soft, well-made interiors, but I'm unfamiliar with them.

I missed a smoking deal on a spotless rich-family-bought-it-new-and-kept-it QX4 this week because I was out of town when it was listed. I doubt I'll come across another that nice anytime soon.

I would say they're decent, but they have their issues. Honestly though, it would be no worse than what you've dealt with on the Cadillac or the Volvo you had. Transmissions were finicky in them at times and the power window switches were prone to failure are the main things that come to mind. I want to say that had water pump issues occasionally too, but overall it's not a horrible truck for how cheap they are. I'd look for a 4.0L I-6 model if you're going to get one, the V8 ones were hit or miss and the I-6 is dead nuts reliable.

A QX4 would be better than the Grand Cherokee probably, but the Cherokee is better if you plan on beating on it some too. Plus even if though it might break more, it's by far cheaper to repair, so it's also got that going for it as well. The few repairs i've had to do to the Commander so far have been DIRT cheap and parts are very plentiful for the Grand Cherokee, so if you've found a good deal on one then it's worth considering.

[BusyBadger]

If I had an Xterra, it would be offroad EVERY WEEKEND. And I don't just mean dirt roads. I mean OFF road.

Same here. Which is why i'm throwing around the idea of picking up something solely for winter and offroad use.

My Z is a year-round commuter that sees plenty of snow in the Blue Ridge Mountains, but there were a couple of days last year that I took the Xterra out when we were forecast for some heavier (6"+) snow and the X did not disappoint. In fact, I took it out on a couple on the weekend and found a couple of empty rest stops that let me explore some boundaries.