2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer Reviews, Pricing & Specs

When the Chevrolet Trailblazer returned in 2021 after a 12-year hiatus, it represented a significant shift away from its predecessor. First off, it's a full 18 inches shorter nose-to-tail, though in fairness, the Chevy Traverse was a more direct precursor to the all-new Trailblazer.

The current Trailblazer stood out from other subcompact SUVs with its aggressive styling and sharp body creases. In some ways, it reminded us of the sporty Camaro. It also was a big departure from its rather generic predecessor which looked more like a small truck conversion than a vehicle that was designed as an SUV from the start.

For the 2024 model year, that sporty theme is further accentuated with a minor styling refresh. The top accent lights are thinner for a more purposeful and focused look, while the grille has been reshaped to suggest that it needs more air to breathe. Also, the lower headlights are now smaller and set deeper in some faceted cutouts. Together, they make the Trailblazer appear a bit more athletic and serious.

On the inside, the dashboard receives a more thorough makeover, with the new digital instrument panel and infotainment touchscreen blending cohesively together for a more modern look. The larger 11-inch touchscreen is certainly more impactful than last year's 7- or 8-inch displays. At night, however, we noticed the digital instrument panel doesn't occupy the entire trapezoidal enclosure, with an irksome amount of space to the sides that makes it seem a bit downmarket. It's an easily forgivable misstep, though.

The materials on the doors and dash look decent enough with convincing graining, but upon closer inspection, you'll notice that they're made from a harder plastic. That's fairly common among non-luxury subcompact crossover SUVs in this class. Thankfully, your usual armrest touchpoints are adequately padded. We especially like the available fabric inserts in the door panels that make the space a little more inviting than the typical drab black plastic.

The Trailblazer's interior styling and layout is eerily similar to the Volkswagen Taos, with a similarly angled infotainment touchscreen and conventional climate controls. The Hyundai Kona's cockpit is more modern and chic looking, but it's not quite as cohesive or graceful with its tablet-like instrument panel and touchscreen. Meanwhile, the Mazda CX-30 adds an entry-level luxury flavor with its graceful dashboard, minimal design, and more upmarket materials.

The 2024 Trailblazer is available with the choice of two powertrains. The base is a turbocharged 1.2-liter three-cylinder engine that produces a rather anemic 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque. It's mated to a continuously variable transmission (CVT) that powers the front wheels. It tends to further degrade performance with slow responses, and under sustained acceleration, the droning engine does little to instill confidence.

Our Activ-trim test vehicle had some off-road capabilities and came equipped with a more powerful turbocharged 1.3-liter three-cylinder that increases output to 155 hp and 174 lb-ft of torque. It's paired with a slightly more responsive nine-speed automatic transmission that sends power to all four wheels.

The 1.3-liter engine is adequate, but not what we'd consider impressive. We felt the need to floor the pedal when accelerating to highway speeds as well as when passing slower traffic. It's best to plan ahead when you know that you'll need some oomph. Part of this is due to the slow transmission response when downshifting. With a zero to 60 mph acceleration time in excess of nine seconds, the Trailblazer is one of the slower SUVs in its class.

Braking is fairly straightforward and predictable. Despite the sporty appearance, the Trailblazer is only average when it comes to handling. It corners confidently enough, but it doesn't encourage spirited drivers to explore its performance potential. That's fairly common in this class, as most shoppers are more interested in comfort. In that manner, the Chevy does well as it smooths over most small and moderate road imperfections. You'll feel the bumps and ruts, but they're kept from being harsh or intrusive. Road noise is also pleasantly muted and wind noise is mostly absent at highway speeds.

The Volkswagen Taos produces a similar amount of power and its slow transmission reactions make it feel comparable to the Trailblazer. It does gain a slight advantage in regard to handling, and thankfully the ride quality doesn't suffer as a result. The Hyundai Kona makes less power and its CVT makes it feel even weaker. There are some higher-performing Hyundai N-Line models that increase output to 190 hp, but they're quite a bit more expensive. In keeping with Mazda's reputation, the CX-30 is the relative athlete in the class, with ample power and sharper handling. Fuel economy takes a slight hit, but it remains the choice for spirited drivers.

Up front, there is plenty of space and the sensation of roominess is enhanced by the good outward visibility. You get a largely unobstructed view out the front and sides for better situational awareness and the rearward view is wider than most rival SUVs. Just in front of the gear selector is an available wireless charging pad that does an excellent job of keeping your phone in place; it's large enough to easily accommodate a Max-sized iPhone. Further aft are two medium-sized cupholders and another handy pocket. Under the armrest is a deep bin with a convenient and removable organizer tray. Combined with the large door pockets, you should have more than enough space for your personal items. A panoramic power sunroof is available on most trims.

The front seats are firmly padded, but not so much that you'd feel any hard points during a long road trip. Heated seats are standard on all but the base LS trim and a heated steering wheel comes with the Activ and RS trims. On a cold morning, we were impressed by how quickly the wheel got up to temperature.

The rear seats easily fit adult-sized passengers, with an abundance of legroom and space under the front seats for your feet. That also means a rear-facing infant seat should fit back there without having to slide the front seat forward. Headroom seems adequate for anyone shorter than six feet. For these reasons, the Trailblazer is an excellent choice for those who plan on regularly transporting two or three passengers at a time.

In terms of cargo space, the Trailblazer benefits from a wealth of volume. You can fit up to 25.3 cubic feet behind the rear seats, almost matching the Hyundai Kona's impressive 25.5 cubic feet of space. The Volkswagen Taos comes close with 24.9 cubic feet, while the Mazda CX-30 makes due with 20.2 cubic feet. Helping matters is the Trailblazer's available hands-free power liftgate that also features a selectable opening height so you won't dent it on short overhead parking spots.

The Trailblazer's new 11-inch infotainment touchscreen is considerably larger than last year's 7- or 8-inch choices and unlike some competitors, it's standard on all trim levels. The display is well-placed in the driver's sightline to reduce distraction, though the infotainment system's responses to inputs are met with a slight delay. Wireless Apple CarPlay and Android Auto are both standard and pair well with the optional wireless charging pad so you won't have to deal with the usual cables. Satellite radio is standard on all trim levels, but you'll be on the hook for the Sirius XM subscription fee. The digital instrument panel is easy to read at a quick glance and delivers sharp and modern graphics.

A native navigation system is not offered in any trim level, leaving you to rely on your smartphone connectivity. Voice control through your Apple or Android phone will likely be easier than Chevrolet's infotainment system, as they accept more natural speech. With the built-in infotainment, you'll have to use the older speech commands with specific prompts.

The base six-speaker audio system performs well and the optional Bose premium upgrade could be a good addition for those seeking more power and clarity. Otherwise, the Trailblazer is about average for the class when it comes to technology features. You won't be missing much, but you won't be all that impressed, either. More importantly, it's easy to use.

In crash tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA), the 2024 Trailblazer was awarded five-out-of-five stars in overall, frontal, and side crash evaluations, as well as four stars for rollover protection. Likewise, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) gave the Trailblazer its highest score of "good" in all crashworthiness tests.

All Trailblazers come standard with frontal collision warning with automatic emergency braking and lane-keep assist with lane-departure warning. The optional Driver Confidence package adds a blind-spot monitor with rear cross-traffic alert and rear parking proximity sensors. Adaptive cruise control is available as a standalone option. In our time with the Trailblazer, all of these driver assistance features functioned as they should, with no false alarms or other glitches. You do tend to get more standard safety features and driver assists with some rivals, though.

Considering how low the instrument panel sits in the driver's sightline, a head-up display would be a welcome addition. There is a series of red warning lights that reflect back in the windshield and will certainly get your attention when the frontal collision sensors are activated.

In its base LS trim, the Chevy Trailblazer has a manufacturer's suggested retail price (MSRP) of $24,395 (including $1,295 in destination fees). Stepping up to the more powerful 1.3-liter turbo engine will only set you back an additional $395 and we highly recommend this upgrade. Opting for all-wheel drive (AWD) includes this engine and costs $2,000. The Activ trim and the top Trailblazer RS model are both priced at $31,290 with the available AWD. These prices are comparable to the Volkswagen Taos, Mazda CX-30, and Hyundai Kona.

The Trailblazer is also right in line when it comes to fuel economy. The base engine with front-wheel drive (FWD) is estimated to return 29 mpg in the city, 31 mpg on the highway, and 30 mpg in combined driving. The upgraded turbo engine with AWD should achieve 26 mpg city, 29 mpg highway, and 27 mpg in combined miles. To its credit, you're not required to use premium fuel in the way some rivals do.

By comparison, the Volkswagen Taos is estimated at 31 mpg combined for the FWD model, and drops to 27 mpg with 4motion AWD. The front-drive Hyundai Kona should return 31 mpg combined and 28 or 27 mpg if you opt for AWD. The optional turbocharged 1.3-liter engine drops estimates to 28 mpg with FWD, or 26 mpg with AWD. Finally, the Mazda CX-30 is rated at 29 mpg combined for the base engine and 25 mpg for the 1.3-liter. All-wheel drive is standard on both.

Considering the 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer's price, efficiency, and interior space, it's a worthy rival to any of its subcompact SUV rivals. It's been a while since we've been able to say that about any small vehicle from Chevy and we're glad to see it back in a competitive stance.