2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer

The Chevrolet Trailblazer is one of those things. Built as a shrunken alternative to the compact Chevy Blazer, the Trailblazer, despite its moniker, is far better suited for concrete jungles than conquering the Rubicon Trail. Neatly wrapped under its bonnet is either a 137-hp turbocharged three-cylinder or a 155-hp turbo-three unit. These powertrains don't make it impossible to get a speeding ticket in a Trailblazer, but it is going to require a lot of effort and space. Front-wheel-drive models get a continuously variable automatic transmission, while all-wheel-drive Trailblazers use a smoother, traditional nine-speed automatic. Other subcompact crossovers, such as the Kia Soul and Nissan Kicks, beat the Trailblazer in terms of fuel economy and price, but the Chevy does have the largest infotainment screen of the three.

Engine

As with the Encore GX, the Trailblazer offers two different turbocharged three-cylinder engines, a 1.2-liter and a 1.3-liter. The former produces 137 horsepower and the latter generates 155 horses. The 1.2-liter engine comes only with front-wheel drive and is equipped with a continuously variable automatic transmission (CVT), while the 1.3-liter offers optional all-wheel drive. Opting for the all-wheel drive system also replaces the standard CVT with a well-coordinated nine-speed automatic. The acceleration of a 1.3-liter all-wheel drive Trailblazer failed to impress during testing, where it loped to 60 miles per hour in a leisurely 9.4 seconds. Around town at slower speeds, the Trailblazer feels peppier than its test results suggest, but merging onto the highway or executing high-speed passing maneuvers require planning.

Fuel

The 2023 front-wheel drive model with the larger 1.3-liter three-cylinder earned an official rating of 29 mpg city and 33 mpg highway. The all-wheel-drive Trailblazer reduces those numbers to 26 and 30, respectively. We tested an all-wheel drive model and it delivered 31 mpg on our 200-mile highway fuel economy test. We haven't run a Trailblazer with the smaller 1.2-liter engine and front-wheel drive on our highway test loop, but the EPA fuel economy estimates for that model are 29 mpg city and 31 highway.