In a parallel universe where O.J Simpson fled from the LAPD in a Blazer instead of a Ford Bronco, perhaps we would've been kinder to the newest in the Blazer family. Ridiculous hypothetical alternate timelines aside, the newest generation Blazer is not receiving the high praise that its designers desperately wanted, and their rivals at Land Rover and Ford happily gobbled up instead.
But is this bias against the new Blazer any more than confirmation bias and brand loyalty pushed to the extreme? Well, it's probably important we find this out. As we speak, there are thousands of people across the country queuing up in spite of a worldwide pandemic to get their hands on the latest and flashiest crossover SUVs. Much to the dismay of station wagon and sedan fans around the world over.
Today, let's bring into focus an SUV that's trying its best to stand out among the competition at the top of its game. Is it enough to make the cut? Let's find out together.
Competition On Home Turf
Jokes about O.J. Simpson running from the law aside. The new Ford Bronco promises to be the off-road enthusiast car of the people. One that's both affordable and capable to boot. Compared to the Bronco, the Blazer just isn't in the same league as the big bad Ford.
In fact, the Blazers all-wheel-drive system is the same as you'd find on the average family hatchback. A far cry from the beefy and bespoke four-wheel-drive system on the Bronco. Safe to say the Bronco would run rut rings around the Blazer on an off-road course.
Completely Outclassed In Refinement
Take what we just said about the Bronco and apply it doubly so for the US-spec Land Rover Defender. Not only will the Defender leave the Blazer in its dust on anything resembling an off-road environment. It will do so in the utmost comfort and refinement.
If you think the comparison of a Land Rover to a Chevrolet is ridiculous, let us remind you that fully loaded with all the bells and whistles, the Blazer is within a stone's throw of the price of the base Discovery.
In the real world, there are people today who are making the choice between this fully loaded Blazer and a base Defender. Believe us when we say that the jump up in refinement even on the base Defender makes it the far better choice over the Chevrolet.
Don't Forget Honda And Toyota
If it's practicality you're looking for, you'd be a fool to take the Chevy over a Honda Pilot or a Toyota Highlander. Both of these SUVs from the biggest automotive titans in Japan are routinely ranked above American and even European vehicles in reliability and long term maintenance costs.
When you remember that Chevrolet 3.6 liter V6 engines were known in the past to puke their guts up if you aren't militant with oil changes. That would make buying a Blazer equipped with one an unwise investment, to say the least.
Unless General Motors did some profound redesign when they put this V6 in the Blazer, chances are this a disaster waiting to happen. If not, you'll probably end up totaling the car in repairs long before the Toyota or Honda even break a sweat.
Cadillac Does It Better
Say what you will about Chevrolet and their dodgy reliability in the last 20 years. But when it comes to its sister company Cadillac, safe to say they've made one heck of a comeback. Cadillac also has a crossover SUV similar in size to the Blazer and based loosely on the Chevy Equinox platform.
The jump in refinement from Chevy to Cadillac is just as dramatic now as it was back in the 60s when people gawked at Coupe Devilles in their Chevy Novas and classic Chevy 210 sedans. As we said, a fully loaded blazer will cost you a hefty 50 thousand dollars. Our recommendation if you want that level of luxury is to jump ship to the more refined and much better looking (at least in our opinion) Cadillac.
Lincoln Blows It Out Of The Water
For everything Cadillac's done to rid themselves of the grandpa's car image, Ford's luxury division's matched General Motors move for the last decade or so. The twin-turbocharged Ecoboost V6 variant of the Lincoln Nautilus only places the car a few thousand dollars or so give or take from the top of the line Blazer. All alongside a spacious and comfortable cabin with all the luxuries the Blazer has as options standard on all trims.
With this in mind, we can't in any good faith write off the crossover revival of the Chevy Blazer as a sound investment at this moment in time. Especially when a purchase of this magnitude is bound to put more stress on the average working family than normally thanks to a global pandemic. So if you're in the market for a seven-seater SUV that'll last, safe to look at places other than Chevrolet.
Sources: Motor Authority, Autoguide.com, autocar.co.uk