New car Review: Chevrolet TrailBlazer EXT 4WD
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SEE ALSO: Chevrolet Buyer's Guide
By Annabelle Frankl
Party planning 101: Drinks, food, music, cups, plates and a huge truck to transport everything in. Without consciously having planned for the TrailBlazer to arrive in the week before my birthday party, I could not have hoped for a better, or more versatile, helper in the run-up to the big night. Little did I know beforehand that we would be hauling dining room tables, chairs, crates of liquid refreshments (well, that bit was on the list!), outdoor heaters, gas tanks, barbecues, sand, turntables and speakers, even using the truck as a ‘stepladder’ for some last minute tree-cutting, all in a bid for an evening of fun. The TrailBlazer swallowed up even the largest items, with rear seats that easily fold down to create a huge, flat stowage area – 100.2 cu ft. Bear in mind this is the EXT, which is 16” longer between the axles than the 5-passenger TrailBlazer, seats 7 in comfort and the 3rd seat comes as standard.
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Sitting atop P245/65R17 on/off road tires and 17” aluminium wheels, potholes are to be laughed at. The ride is extremely smooth, with independent, coil-over-shock, with upper and lower control arms, front suspension and five-link, coil spring rear suspension soaking up any and all road irregularities. If selected, the Autotrac 4-wheel drive system will automatically transfer power between front and rear wheels as soon as any wheel slippage is detected, but for LA’s mean streets, 2hi was fine.
Inside the TrailBlazer is very roomy and well equipped for multi-person travel;
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Rear passengers are not neglected either, with ample room, even in the 3rd row,
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Safety features include dual stage front airbags, front side-impact airbags, 4-wheel ABS, DRL, plus the OnStar 1 year Safe and Sound plan. As for entertainment, there’s either the AM/FM with CD, or the optional Bose premium system ($495) with 6-CD changer ($395), and auto tone control.
The TrailBlazer gives a reassuringly steady, and powerful, ride and given a tread width of over 62 inches, you can still drive and corner aggressively with little roll or pitch. Estimated MPG is 15/20, city/highway. Whenever a party looms in the future, I know who my plus one will be.
For more information: www.chevrolet.com/trailblazer