BILL OWNEY | LEGACY LUXURY: Great to drive between gas stations

Typical for Chevy, the Blazer comes with three sturdy powertrain choices. Standard is a 193-hp, 2.5L four-cylinder with variable valve timing and direct fuel injection mated to a six-speed automatic. The other two engines come with a 9-speed automatic: A 227-hp, turbocharged 2.0-L four-cylinder and a 308-hp, 3.6-L V-6. (Photo courtesy Chevrolet)
Typical for Chevy, the Blazer comes with three sturdy powertrain choices. Standard is a 193-hp, 2.5L four-cylinder with variable valve timing and direct fuel injection mated to a six-speed automatic. The other two engines come with a 9-speed automatic: A 227-hp, turbocharged 2.0-L four-cylinder and a 308-hp, 3.6-L V-6. (Photo courtesy Chevrolet)

If this were baseball, one would suggest to Chevrolet's third-base coach that there are signs to give other than "take" and "bunt."

Case in point, the Blazer. No, not the blue sportscoat but a nameplate that gained fame on the lovable and beloved, truck-based sport utility that roamed streets and backwoods from 1969 to 1991. Come to think of it, quite a few C/K Blazers are still out there.

That evolved to the also revered Tahoe while Chevy took the Blazer name and gave it the take sign, resulting in the regrettable, S-10-based Blazer, which hung around until GM shuttered its plant in Shreveport in 2005.

Two years ago, Chevy rolled out an all-new, midsize crossover Blazer, but rather than swing for the fences, GM took the GMC Acadia platform it builds in Spring Hill, Tenn., to a plant in Ramos Arizpe, Mexico, where it gave it a bunt sign. It put in a Camaro dash, slapped a bowtie on the front and, voil - or should we say, ¡Aqu est! - a Blazer.

None of that is necessarily bad. A lot of solid German, Japanese and American cars are assembled in Mexico. We have said plenty of nice things about the Acadia in this space, and there is a lot to like about the Blazer.

In the end, though, the Blazer is one more end-of-cycle vehicle from General Motors, whose CEO, Mary Barra, is furiously funneling talent and capital into becoming an electric-vehicle manufacturer. During the transition, GM is putting lipstick on existing models and counting on consumer loyalty to maintain cash flow. (Google "Cadillac Lyriq" if you want to see where this is going).

Did you see last week where GM redesigned its logo to reflect its green future? A day later, Kia Motors announced it would be henceforth known as Kia. Both GM and Ford are racing to get an electric pickup to market. In the meantime, Dodge is figuring out how to bolt a Hellcat engine into a golf cart.

Back to the task at hand. There are some things we love about the Blazer and a couple we hate.

photo

Craig S. Lair

The good

Typical for Chevy, the Blazer comes with three sturdy powertrain choices. Standard is a 193-hp, 2.5L four-cylinder with variable valve timing and direct fuel injection mated to a six-speed automatic. The other two engines come with a 9-speed automatic: A 227-hp, turbocharged 2.0-L four-cylinder and a 308-hp, 3.6-L V-6.

From what we have gleaned from other reviewers, the base engine is sufficient for city and highway traffic. It's what you get on the base Blazer L, starting at $28,800.

The turbo 2.0 is an option in both the mid-range LT ($32,300) and top-of-line Premier ($42,500). The spirited RS ($40,800), like our torque-vectoring AWD version ($43,700) requires the 3.6-L V6.

With 270 ft.-lb. of torque, our RS was a hoot to drive. Whether from a dead stop or punching it through a hole on the interstate, acceleration was instantaneous, head-snapping, and accompanied by an altogether pleasant exhaust note.

Well, almost instantaneous. The nine-speed at times seemed to hesitate when downshifting, a problem we worked around with paddle shifters. Other than that, the engine and transmission seemed well sorted.

Handling is also superb on the Blazer. The vehicle feels planted and composed and absorbs road imperfections like, well, a Buick. Pushed on a backroad, the torque-vectoring AWD system is a marvel, giving the SUV the handling characteristics of a GT sedan. At speed, the steering is precise; in parking lots, it is fluid and light.

On balance, the Blazer RS's performance and handling are well above average for the class and seem more in line with 5-seat SUVs costing much more. We would have to drive a Blazer RS and Mazda CX-9 back-to-back on a road course before saying which is better.

We've always liked the Camaro's sporty but sophisticated interior, and the motif transfers well to the blazer. A big feature is a pair of large air vents below the center stack, which can be individually aimed for airflow and twisted for temperature.

Switches and gauges are laid out intuitively. Our tester had other desirable features, such as ambient lighting, heated and cooled front seats and heated rear seats.

Interior volume is ample, with 31 cubic feet behind the rear seats and 64 with everything folded flat. That's good for the class. Still, materials and interior craftsmanship are no match for class leaders like the Kia Telluride, Subaru Outback, and Toyota Highlander.

photo

Courtesy of the Arkansas Arts Center

John Salvest’s Cage A is a sculpture made from used crutches and hardware. Salvest, who teaches at Arkansas State University at Jonesboro, won an Honorable Mention at the Delta Exhibition at the Arkansas Arts Center.

The bad

The Blazer RS fails to earn a buy recommendation for two major reasons: Fuel economy and safety.

Our V-6 tester was a gas hog, barely attaining 13 mpg in town and a little more than 20 on the highway, despite factoring a fair number of "Oreo miles" into the mixture. Oreo miles occur below 50 mph when I lower the passenger window and let the big dog - with two black ears and a white face - sniff the night air.

Overall, we averaged 16.8 mpg, not the 19 mpg that the EPA estimates for the vehicle. In 2021, that is abysmal. The Subaru Outback, by way of comparison, gets 29 mpg combined, the Ford Explorer Hybrid gets 28, and the CX-9 gets 24.

Clearly, the torquey (258 ft.-lb.) turbo-4 is the better choice. The EPA estimates it will return 23 mpg. It will also save the buyer roughly $500

The Blazer gets low marks in safety because Chevy chooses to play the pay-for-safety game in driver-assist technology. While other companies, like Toyota, Honda, Kia and Hyundai, offer these things standard or at low cost, Chevy makes buyers climb the model tree for features that are proven to avoid accidents and save lives.

Things like automatic emergency braking, dynamic cruise control, and lane-keep assist are not available on lower trims but are - as of 2021 - standard on upper trims.

Bottom line: The sweet spot in this lineup is a 3LT with the 2.0-L engine. Delivered, that model will start at $38,195. To get it to second base, Chevy is offering $4,250 in cash allowances. Get a dealer to kick in a little more and a base hit brings the deal home.

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