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American Woman Motorscene
AMW ROAD TEST
Chevrolet Blazer (1995)
by Sue Elliott
The other day, I was hauling butt down into the bowels of a parking
garage in this pink truck, windows open, Joan Jett's "(I
Don't Give a Damn About My) Bad Reputation" cranking on the
CD player and a huge grin on my face. It was one of those rare,
memorable moments when all seems as it should be.
Needless to say, I have a very good feeling about any truck that
was in large part responsible for this sort of moment. But this
particular truck turned out to be more than just the setting for
a perfect memory. It actually is a great everyday vehicle. I have
to admit, I even like the black and raspberry color combo.
So, what is this pink thing? It's Chevrolet's redesigned baby
Blazer, formerly known in Chevy circles as the S-Blazer. That's
because it's based on the S-Series compact pickup and also because
Chevrolet's big sport utility vehicle, which is based on the full-size
C/K pickup, was also called the Blazer. Fortunately, the General
Motors Division saw fit to simplify matters for '95: The big Blazer
has been renamed the Tahoe, while the S-Blazer becomes, simply,
the Blazer. (If you find all this rather confusing, you can understand
the need for the name change. Suffice it to say this is the Blazer
from now on. Any other vehicle is not.)
The '95 Blazer looks quite different from the 1983-94 models.
They were more boxy outside and less car-like inside, while the
redesigned '95 is rounder, sleeker, more aerodynamic and much
more comfortable. I'm still not altogether keen on the sloping-nose
styling and the rear bumper end caps on the S-Series compact pickup,
but those same styling cues somehow manage to look right on the
Blazer. (Kinda makes you wonder if they designed the sport utility
version first, doesn't it?)
This compact sport utility vehicle is offered with either two
or four doors, and the four-door version has a slightly different
roofline than its sibling. Either body style can be equipped with
two- or four-wheel-drive, but the serious 4x4 suspension setup
is available only on two-door models, while the most comfy top-of-the-line
touring suspension is available only on four-wheel-drive four-doors.
(Obviously, restrictions like
these make things easier on the assembly line-and for dealers
to keep their lots stocked with the vehicles people would like.
And I'm sure a lot of market research went into these particular
restrictions, but it does seem as if Chevrolet expects two-door
drivers to head for the great outdoors and four-door drivers to
head for the mall. Since I know lots of people who don't fit those
molds, I expect there are going be some frustrated would-be Blazer
buyers out there.)
Whether you go for two or four doors, you can get either a base
Blazer (known simply as Blazer) or an up-level Blazer LS. If you're
the four-door plush type, there's also an optional Blazer LT luxury
package which is rather reminiscent of Ford's Eddie Bauer Explorer,
come to think of it). If you opt for the LT, you'll have one more
choice to make in mid-'95, since that model also will be offered
with all wheel-drive.
Reaction Time
A particular bonus of this job is getting a new vehicle before
it goes on sale to the general public. It's a great way to gauge
that car or truck's head-turning ability. The Toyota Supra, for
example, was a real necksnapper, the '94 Ford Mustang a near-accident
causer, and the Chevy Camaro and Pontiac Firebird could have broken
up a few marriages.
The new Blazer didn't garner that much attention. But a number
of people did walk over when I stopped at various venues. Most
of them commented on the color, and virtually all the comments
about it (surprisingly, all the comments from men) were positive.
I was relieved when a few people also asked about the Blazer itself-both
how it compared with its predecessors and how it stacked up against
the competition.
How did it stack up? Well, the baby Blazer pioneered the compact
sport utility market when it debuted back in '83, but the Ford
Explorer has dominated that market for some time. However, that
just may change. The folks at Ford had better get ready, finally,
for some real competition. (The Blazer's other serious domestic
competitors are the Jeep Cherokee and the V8-equipped Jeep Grand
Cherokee.)
The new Blazer is a really nice truck. It's very car-like in some
ways-maneuverable, with a nice ride, all the amenities and such-but
you still sit high enough to see a good ways down the road. Naturally,
it's also a lot more fun than a minivan, and as practical as a
wagon.
Even in tight parking lots, the truck is easy to maneuver-due
in large part to its new variablcratio power steering. This means
you need to expend less effort to turn the wheel when you re moving
slowly, so it s easier to parallel park. But it requires more
effort to steer the Blazer at higher speeds, so the truck feels
more stable on the highway, instead of twitchy. And, because this
is the small sport utility, clearance In parking garages is never
a problem.
As for ride, you have five suspension packages to choose from.
One is standard on the four-door and one on the _ two-door-both
of which are _ designed for a smooth ride and heavy-duty trailering.
We already mentioned the two premium setups: Touring Premium and
Off-Road. Our test LS 4x4 four-door was set up with the final
optional choice, the Euro/Touring package. This package actually
provides a firmer ride than the base setup, but it too is designed
for heavy-duty trailering. If we hadn't read it with our own eyes,
we never would have guessed that this was a firm setup either.
Actually, it provided a very comfortable, though slightly sporty,
ride. There was some body roll through the corners, but I never
felt concerned about actually rolling the truck, and I was driving
it at my normal, not-exactly-slow pace, even on canyon roads.
One reason the new Blazer feels so stable is because its chassis
has been redesigned for '95. The new "closed-box" frame
design keeps the center of gravity nice and low, and it also makes
entry and exit easier, since the truck's step-in height is pretty
low. The 4x4 we tested sits higher than a 4x2, but I still didn't
feel the need for running boards or any other form of assistance
when getting in and out. (I was going to say "climbing in
and out," but the point is that I really didn't have to climb.)
This truck also has great braking abilities, and stopping requires
very little pedal effort. The Blazer comes with standard four-wheel
anti-lock brakes, too, so you can panic-stop and steer at the
same time.
Other key safety equipment on the new Blazer is a driver's side
airbag and child-security rear door locks on four-doors, both
of which are new for '95. In addition, you can get our favorite
personal-safety feature, remote keyless entry. Click the unlock
button on the remote and the driver's side door unlocks. Click
it again and the passenger doors unlock. There's a separate button
for the rear window/tailgate. Even if you don't spend the money
for remote keyless entry, you'll feel a bit safer knowing one
key fits all the doors and the ignition, plus there's no right
or wrong way to insert it, so you don't have to fumble around
in the dark. Another nice touch is the interior lamp-off delay
feature; the s on when you first get in the truck, so you can
get organized and get the key into the ignition easily.
The Power Supply
Chevrolet has picked up the Blazer's pace for '95 by making last
year's premium optional powertrain standard equipment. The Enhanced
4.3-liter V6 produces 195 hp, which is 30 more than last year's
base engine, the un-enhanced 4.3 V6. The enhanced engine provides
good acceleration, and it works and plays well with the now-standard
4L60E automatic transmission. However, I still would prefer a
Blazer powered by the LT1 V8 that's available in the Camaro and
Corvette, and that just so happens to fit very neatly under the
hood of this sport utility.
As for the 4L60E transmission, it is an electronically controlled
4speed automatic, so shifts are almost imperceptible when you're
cruising around town with the shift lever in Overdrive (fourth
gear). Put your foot in it and the transmission responds promptly,
as it should. Another big plus with this trans is minimized maintenance,
since you shouldn't need to change the new Dextron III transmission
fluid for 100,000 miles.
For those of you who prefer total control, a 5-speed manual transmission
will become available mid-year, but it will be offered only on
two-door models.
Where You Live
Of course, everything up to this point would be totally irrelevant
if you couldn't bear to be inside the Blazer's interior. Fortunately,
Chevrolet did a really impressive job in this regard. The company
says the new Blazer, like the S-Series pickup, was designed from
the inside out, and what they mean is the passenger space took
top priority. The result is a really nice, more spacious, remarkably
well-thought-out interior.
Reclining high-back bucket seats with adjustable lumbar support
are standard on two-door models and optional on four-doors. Standard
in four-door base and LS models is a 60/40 split bench with recliners.
Our test LS had the optional up-level seats, which are standard
on the LT and feature six-way power driver's seat adjustments
and power lumbar adjustments on both front seats. These seats
were very supportive and comfortable, and they could be adjusted
straight up and down, which I absolutely love. My only gripe is
that they lacked lateral support, which would come in handy for
off-roading or other "enthusiastic driving".
Other nice touches include a pair of 12-volt power outlets that
flank the lighter on up-level models, so you can plug in a cellular
phone and a radar detector at the same time, and a rear-seat air
duct to keep back-seat drivers cool. Plus, the horn works when
you press anywhere on the center of the steering wheel. I also
love the optional dual sun visors, which can be adjusted to block
the sun from the side and from straight ahead at the same time,
so you can stop doing the sun visor head-bob, even when you're
driving down a twisty road in the early morning or evening.
The standard analog gauges for fuel, oil pressure, coolant temperature,
battery and ground speed are nice and easy to read, and they aren't
blocked by the steering wheel. There's also an optional tachometer.
Two-door Blazers come with four cupholders, while four-doors come
with two (go figure), though you can get two more in a four-door.
Even better, all Blazers come with air conditioning, as well as
Solar Ray tinted glass to keep things cooler inside and reduce
fading.
It's also nice and quiet inside, thanks to the new aerodynamic
exterior-and attention paid to keeping engine and road noise out
of the passenger compartment. To keep the interior from being
too quiet, however, Chevrolet offers five sound systems, including
one with a CD player.
The Blazer gets high marks overall for ergonomics, but I did have
a couple of complaints. For one thing, we often found ourselves
in a gear we did not set out to select, so the shifter feel could
use some tuning. And it seems as if Chevrolet designed this truck
with a floor shifter in mind, because the column shift lever gets
in the way of the stereo controls when you're driving.
Stowing Stuff
The Blazer clearly was designed to hold a whole lot of stuff.
Bench-seat models seat six adults, while bucket-seat Blazers seat
five. And, because the rear bench seat is a 60/40 split folding
design, you can fit three or four adults inside with their luggage
or a ladder or skis. Of course, if those adults just don't know
the meaning of the phrase "pack light," there's also
a standard roof-mounted luggage rack on LS and LT models.
To give you an idea just how much cargo space the Blazer offers,
GM engineers used a washing machine carton as a template when
they designed the wide rear opening. Plus, the spare tire is mounted
under the body on four-doors to provide even more space inside.
And, to thwart prying eyes, two- and four door LS models and four-door
LTs come with a rear cargo shade that shields objects from view
and can be opened and closed without climbing into the vehicle.
Of course, dark tinted windows also help hide what's inside, especially
in an indoor garage.
One of my favorite things about the new Blazer is how easy it
is to get into the cargo area. For starters, the window opens
up, while the tailgate opens down, like a pickup. This means you
can set heavy packages on the tailgate, then slide them in-and
you don't have to stand on tiptoe to pull down a huge chunk of
glass and metal to shut the thing. There are also four cargo hold-downs
to secure packages, so you won't send stuff sliding when you make
a quick move.
Color Commentary
In case this particular pink hue doesn't move you, the Blazer
also is available in Midnight Black, Khaki, Apple Red, Frost White,
Purple Metallic, Quicksilver Metallic, Teal Green Metallic, Brilliant
Blue Metallic and Dark Cherry Red Metallic. Inside, you can choose
from beige, blue, gray and graphite.
The two-ton truck comes with 15x7-inch steel argent wheels with
black center caps and trim rings-and 24-hour roadside assistance
for as long as you own it.
In the past, 68 percent of Blazer drivers have been male. But,
with all the improvements made to the Blazer for '95 and the growing
interest in sport utilities, we expect the Blazer's buyer demographics
to skew significantly female in the near future. After all, the
new user-friendly four door model certainly is one handy-dandy,
slightly elevated, bit-of-an-attitude daily driver.-
AWM Ratings
Ergonomics ****
Safety *****
Entry & exit ease *****
Grocery-getting potential *****
Sense of style ****
Head-turning ability **
Performance-to-dollar value ****
Fun factor ***
Legend
Excellent *****
Very good ****
good ***
fair **
poor *
Quick Specs
Base price:
Seating capacity: 5 or 6
Safety features: Driver's side airbag, four-wheel anti-lock
disc brakes, remote keyless entry, one two-sided key for everything.
child-security rear door locks on four-door models, interior lamp-off
delay feature
Wheelbase: 107.0 inches
Length: 181.2 inches
Width: 67.8 inches
Height: 67.0 inches
Weight: 4,170 lbs.
GVWR: 5,300 lbs.
Cargo volume: 74.1 cu. ft. (16.1 with the rear seat up)
Standard engine/trans: Enhanced 4.3-liter CPI V6, 4L60E
electronically controlled 4-speed automatic
Powertrain options: 5-speed manual available mid-year on
two-doors only
Peak horsepower: 195 hp @ 4500 rpm (as tested)
Peak torque: 260 lbs.-ft. @ 3400 rpm (as tested)
Fuel economy (as tested):
Warranty : 3-year/36,000-mile
Glossary
aerodynamic : having a shape that creates minimal wind
resistance, which reduces wind noise significantly and also can
improve fuel economy and acceleration.
all-wheel-drive : sending power to all four wheels all
the time; as opposed to four-wheel-drive, in which power is sent
only to the rear wheels on the street, to all four wheels when
driven in the back county.
analog gauges : gauges that show data in a continuous form,
often a dial, and could be considered the opposite of digital
gauges.
body roll : the tendency of a car to lean to one side when
turning a corner, which has been used to some avail when trying
to slide people in the back seat closer to one another.
lateral support : providing support on the sides, so you
don't feel that you are sliding out of the seat when driving hard
through turns.
overdrive : a transmission gear that reduces the power
output needed to maintain a driving speed, giving the engine a
break and improving fuel economy; has a gear ratio of less than
1: 1.
rear bumper end caps: the styling pieces that finish off either
end of the rear step bumper.
sport utility vehicle : a truck that is fully enclosed,
seats four or more and often can be equipped with four-wheel-drive;
the sort of vehicle that has been giving station wagons and minivans
a real run for their money.
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