Practical Chevy Trailblazer ACTIV goes to head of class
The Chevy Trailblazer fits like a glove.
You want a car that is intuitive to operate, and Trailblazer complies. It is one of the few vehicles with a fold-flat front passenger seat. That means you can load long items through its cabin with first and second-row seats flattened — or just sit in the second-row seats and use the front seat as an ottoman for when you’re on the road and need to get some work done. It’s a hidden gem.
No one does ergonomics better than General Motors. The perfect compact SUV recipe? Mix Chevy ergonomics, the performance of a Mazda CX-30 and minimalist Hyundai Kona design and you’d have a tasty dish.
But the Trailblazer makes a pretty good meal all by itself. When did Chevrolet get so good at compacts?
This is a brand that went through compact cars like socks. In recent decades, the Cavalier, Cobalt and Cruze came and went as competitors to perennial segment best-sellers Corolla and Civic. But with its switch to an all-suv lineup, Chevrolet seems to have settled on a compelling formula: start with the terrific, affordable $21,000 Chevy Trax (a 2023 Detroit News Vehicle of the Year finalist), then offer a more rugged, all-wheel-drive Trailblazer at $28,000.
So good is the Trax with its longer wheelbase that the base front-wheel-drive Trailblazer makes little sense from $24,000 to $27,000 (unless you prefer the styling and need that fold-down front passenger seat). But when Trax models top out at $27,000, that’s where the Trailblazer ACTIV becomes relevant with its AWD (not
offered in Trax), bigger 1.3-liter, 155-horse engine, 2-inch-higher seating position, underbody skid plate and all-terrain tires.
My Trailblazer ACTIV tester has much more than an easy-to-use cockpit. The rear seat is palatial, with 39 inches of legroom — a knee-breathing 7 inches more than a Toyota Corolla Cross, and 3 inches more than my favorite CX-30.
I like to carve corners in the Mazda, but the Trailblazer ACTIV plays to Chevy’s strength, which is off-asphalt. To this end, the Trailblazer’s all-terrains complement its AWD.
The Trailblazer’s Hankook tires have a nice, tall sidewall and grippy tread. With an additional 1-inch lift over the standard Trailblazer, my ACTIV charged through slippery
conditions with aplomb.
Back on clean asphalt, it likes to play. Credit a ninespeed automatic transmission that shifted gears smoothly. Under the hood is a measly turbocharged three to serve GM’S regulatory masters. But at least Chevy engineers have tuned it to bring on the 174 pound-feet of torque right away, complete with a growly exhaust note.
The ACTIV model sums up Trailblazer’s approach to the segment. It brings a more rugged personality channeling the brand’s reputation for making great trucks.
Chevy has lagged its Japanese competitors in standard features, and the Trailblazer continues that trend. Neither blind-spot assist nor adaptive cruise control comes standard on the base or the upscale models. Meanwhile, the $26,370 the Mazda CX-30 comes with both safety systems standard.
My tester was loaded with all the goodies for $33,175. But I wish Chevy would complement its Trailblazer’s superb ergonomics with a generous standard tech package. Still, it’s great to have Chevy back in the compact game.