There is a very good chance the return of the Chevrolet Trailblazer nameplate would have been a much bigger deal. Instead, we had to wait a year to finally test and evaluate it. Slotting in between the tiny Chevy Trax and the larger Equinox, the 2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer is one of the latest entrants in the burgeoning subcompact crossover SUV class.
We tested the Trailblazer in the Activ trim level, which has the upgraded 1.3-liter engine. With it the Trailblazer is surprisingly adept at getting around in day-to-day traffic, even if its as-tested 0-60 mph acceleration run of 9.4 seconds is well off the pace of rival SUVs with their upgraded engines. The nine-speed automatic transmission keeps the little engine in its sweet spot during acceleration, but we wish it was a bit quicker to downshift when you need to pass.
Though the Trailblazer can be had for under $25,000, it's not an extra-small SUV for the budget-minded. Our test vehicle was a well-optioned Activ model with all-wheel drive and sported a sticker price just north of $33,000. While that's considerably less than the mechanically similar Buick Encore GX, it's a bit more expensive than the upscale Mazda CX-30 (with the more powerful turbocharged engine) and considerably more expensive than other competitors such as the Hyundai Kona and Subaru Crosstrek. But the Trailblazer does deliver a lot of attractive features for that price and looks and feels well built, both inside and out. Warranty coverage is typical, though Chevrolet does offer five years/60,000 miles of roadside assistance and a year of free maintenance.
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