DRIVEN: 2019 Chevrolet Blazer LT AWD 3.6

[ccap41]

1 minute ago, Drew Dowdell said:

that jeep! 

That green is amazing! ?

[Robert Hall]

3 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

that jeep! 

Oh, man..love that green..must be new for '19, didn't realize the GC was available in green...for a 10 yr old design, still looks great, IMO.    Great proportions and lines..I still find myself turning around and looking at mine in parking lots (even though there are a lot of them around). 

Edited February 19, 2019 by Robert Hall

[ykX]

22 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

Oh, man..love that green..must be new for '19, didn't realize the GC was available in green...for a 10 yr old design, still looks great, IMO.    Great proportions and lines..I still find myself turning around and looking at mine in parking lots (even though there are a lot of them around). 

I think that green only available on 2019 Trailhawk but it does look amazing.

If we didn't need occasionally third row, I think I would convince my wife to go with Grand Cherokee. 

Edited February 19, 2019 by ykX

[Robert Hall]

Sounds like the next generation will have a 3rd row version, but it's still a couple years out... 

[G. David Felt]

13 minutes ago, ykX said:

I think that green only available on 2019 Trailhawk but it does look amazing.

If we didn't need occasionally third row, I think I would convince my wife to go with Grand Cherokee. 

Just searched in 150 mile range of my house and only 2 Green Jeep GC.

First is a TrackHawk and second is a TrailHawk. Just tried the build tool and I see it only comes up on those two so far.

Trail or Track????? Decisions, decisions, decisions!!!! ?

Trackhawk

Trailhawk

[ykX]

1 minute ago, dfelt said:

Trail or Track????? Decisions, decisions, decisions!!!! ?

Jeeps are for trails, not track

For $92k for Trackhawk you can have Trailhawk for $45 and still have $47k for V8 Mustang or Camaro to use on the track

[Robert Hall]

Cool... if I get another CPO one in the next few years, I'm thinking of a Summit.  I like that brown it's available in.   Really the only features of the newer, higher trims I'd like to have are folding mirrors, Apple Car Play, pano roof and ventilated seats.  I have the heated seats and regular sunroof on my Limited.  The leather dash covering of the Overland and Summit looks neat but I've read they often go lumpy. 

Edited February 19, 2019 by Robert Hall

[G. David Felt]

4 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

Cool... if I get another CPO one in the next few years, I'm thinking of a Summit.  I like that brown it's available in.   Really the only features of the newer, higher trims I'd like to have is Apple Car Play, pano roof and ventilated seats.  I have the heated seats and regular sunroof on my Limited.  The leather dash covering of the Overland and Summit looks neat but I've read they often go lumpy. 

My daughters best friend has an Overland and the leather dash is half off and the rest lumpy and they blame her detailing by a 3rd party as to why it is coming off and as such refuse to fix it under warranty. Not happy at all, yet the regular dash in my Son's Altitude is fine going on 3yrs now. Go figure, probably a piss poor glue job by Jeep.

[Robert Hall]

1 minute ago, dfelt said:

My daughters best friend has an Overland and the leather dash is half off and the rest lumpy and they blame her detailing by a 3rd party as to why it is coming off and as such refuse to fix it under warranty. Not happy at all, yet the regular dash in my Son's Altitude is fine going on 3yrs now. Go figure, probably a piss poor glue job by Jeep.

Yeah, my Limited is 5 years old now and the regular dash still looks new.  

[frogger]

Have yet to talk to my neighbour about what happened but I saw their 2018 GC Limited get towed away this morning :(.

 

[Guest Potluck]

Probably one of the millions of American behind on their car payments. bubble is gonna pop soon.

[riviera74]

53K huh? I can get a brand-new Cadillac XT5 Luxury for about $53K.  Why spend it on a new Blazer again?

[balthazar]

I like how we're griping about the $53K sticker on the Blazer, but completely glossed over the $92K sticker on the Trackhawk.

[G. David Felt]

4 minutes ago, balthazar said:

I like how we're griping about the $53K sticker on the Blazer, but completely glossed over the $92K sticker on the Trackhawk.

Yup, I think the Trackhawk is a bit overpriced too, but then most of us have talked about the V8 powered Jeep Grand Cherokee Trailhawk at $45K compared to this Blazer.

[Robert Hall]

54 minutes ago, riviera74 said:

53K huh? I can get a brand-new Cadillac XT5 Luxury for about $53K.  Why spend it on a new Blazer again?

To get the Camaro styling and Chevy badging?  The XT5, Blazer, and Acadia are basically the same thing mechanically...same meat, different toppings...makes sense that they would priced similarly...GM gives the customer a choice in what badge and styling inside and out for their midsize lease appliance CUV. (maybe an exaggeration, but at least the bodywork and interior are different, unlike some past GM multi brand appliance lines).

Edited February 19, 2019 by Robert Hall

[Drew Dowdell]

1 hour ago, balthazar said:

I like how we're griping about the $53K sticker on the Blazer, but completely glossed over the $92K sticker on the Trackhawk.

The Trackhawk is a specialty halo vehicle with a 700hp engine. It's basically Jeep's Corvette. 

[smk4565]

I sat in a Blazer, it didn't seem roomy at all, it was like a Rav4 size interior and the Rav4 is a class smaller.  The Blazer took the Camaro's cramped interior to the SUV world it seems.  Also the version I sat in was $51,000 and they are dreaming, maybe $41,000 but not $51,000.

[G. David Felt]

16 minutes ago, smk4565 said:

I sat in a Blazer, it didn't seem roomy at all, it was like a Rav4 size interior and the Rav4 is a class smaller.  The Blazer took the Camaro's cramped interior to the SUV world it seems.  Also the version I sat in was $51,000 and they are dreaming, maybe $41,000 but not $51,000.

Agree, from what I have seen the Blazer is pretty much like all other over priced low end CUVs from all vendors.

My gut tells me the Blazer is NOT going to do as well as they think due to the WRONG pricing.

[Cmicasa the Great]

47 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

The Trackhawk is a specialty halo vehicle with a 700hp engine. It's basically Jeep's Corvette. 

Its not worth no damn $92K. I don't give a damn 700hp or not. Get out of here. 

[ocnblu]

Yeah when clinging to hope that a Blazer can do the trick, I choose Kinetic Blue as it is the only color with life in it at the build & price.  But I refuse to spend more money on a damn paint color, so I switch to Graphite as it doesn't cost extra, but then my fake smile goes even faker when I look at it in CGI on my monitor and I give up.  Blazer just has no fire.

I think it has a wider track than its sister vehicles, from what I've read.  Supposed to aid handling and stability (WIDETRACK PONTIAC!)  I have not looked up hard numbers though, prolly like .1" wider or something.  Blah.

[A Horse With No Name]

16 hours ago, Guest Potluck said:

Probably one of the millions of American behind on their car payments. bubble is gonna pop soon.

Ohhhhhh absolutely. And when it does, it is going to be painful.

[caddycruiser]

Even we went Jeep Grand Cherokee this last year...after repeated GM crossovers, there was not a single thing in their lineup that made any sense.

The 2016 Traverse was awesome, and loaded to the hilt, but too big and drove like the Titanic. Envision? Meh. Acadia? Cheap interior, and higher priced than the loaded Traverse was in 2016 for more stuff, plus a 3rd row not wanted. Drove every competitor too, from Mazda to Subaru to Kia to Toyota. 

Ended up turning in the Traverse, for a 2018 Grand Cherokee Limited with every single feature possible (as, unlike GM, even with "no options" everything is there, and then some), get better mileage than any of the last 5 cars or crossovers in the house, it rips through the RWD 8-speed, is silent and powerful has full 4wd capability, and just drives so well. I put 5500 miles on a rental 2017 at the end of the year, and could not stop driving it. Perfect, in tune, right size, great power, handles and rides better than many cars, and is massively more functional. After an update NY to western PA to NYC roadtrip of 549 miles on 1 tank of regular...it also is just daily easy efficient.

Blazer was a thought "should I wait until new year?" and mom was okay with it, as it seemed the right size. Now that they're out, and $10k more than a GC if comparably equipped, no comparison at all. It would be $100+ more per month to get a BASE 2.5L Blazer right now than a JGC Limited...FYI.

But back to the Blazer...

Anyone else drive one yet?

[surreal1272]

On 2/19/2019 at 11:29 AM, dfelt said:

I like the Kinetic Blue, wish they had a Deep Forest Green for this, but having an RS configured the way I like it, is a $52,655 auto and I just have to question the value in this auto for that price.

$52K for a Blazer? That’s a hard pass from me. What it ends being priced at a dealership is 100% irrelevant in this internet shopping era. That is Cadillac money for a 2 row Chevy. Just no.

On 2/19/2019 at 6:18 PM, Cmicasa the Great said:

Its not worth no damn $92K. I don't give a damn 700hp or not. Get out of here. 

And a 300HP Blazer is not worth no damn $52K. Get that out of here too. Fact is that they are both priced too high (like pretty much every car out there).

[balthazar]

1 hour ago, surreal1272 said:

What it ends being priced at a dealership is 100% irrelevant in this internet shopping era.

All the dealer sites I've been frequenting (idly shopping locally) all list both the MSRP and their discounted price online. Of course, most will deal further, almost immediately.
That said, I agree that the $50K-neighborhood RS is too high. The non-RS models are in the mid 30s, and those will be the vast bulk of sales.

[ccap41]

1 hour ago, surreal1272 said:

And a 300HP Blazer is not worth no damn $52K. Get that out of here too. Fact is that they are both priced too high (like pretty much every car out there).

Agreed but people are willing to throw serious coin at 700hp vehicles.. I wouldn't doubt if it gets marked UP or is marked up. Insane to think at 92k it will sell(also 52k Blazers). 

Vehicles are just priced so outrageously these days. They're pricing things outside of the average family's prices. If you have 2 kids and want a 40k vehicle.. the household better be making around 100k. 

[regfootball]

On 2/19/2019 at 6:38 PM, smk4565 said:

I sat in a Blazer, it didn't seem roomy at all, it was like a Rav4 size interior and the Rav4 is a class smaller.  The Blazer took the Camaro's cramped interior to the SUV world it seems.  Also the version I sat in was $51,000 and they are dreaming, maybe $41,000 but not $51,000.

YES ALL OF THAT but still its larger inside, just barely enough, than the Equinox......

 

[regfootball]

On 2/19/2019 at 4:15 PM, riviera74 said:

53K huh? I can get a brand-new Cadillac XT5 Luxury for about $53K.  Why spend it on a new Blazer again?

I would get a lower spec Xt4 before I would get a blazer, that's after driving both, for about the same money.  A good CPO XT5 over the Blazer, absolutely!

[caddycruiser]

9 hours ago, regfootball said:

I would get a lower spec Xt4 before I would get a blazer, that's after driving both, for about the same money.  A good CPO XT5 over the Blazer, absolutely!

Another great point. The XT4/XT5 siblings aren't even wowzers, but for the same price...or less...than a "OMG it's a Blazer!" why would you not? No doubt, also, the lease on an XT5 right now is lower than a Blazer as well. This may be, one of the worst bizarrely overpriced products GM has intro'd. $42k max, for a V6 RS. Great. With an Equinox Premier 2.0T maxing at $36k...

Who'd think. They might even sell more vs. "but the transaction prices end up closer to there after random rebates, AARP and GM card..."

[Drew Dowdell]

On 2/24/2019 at 8:08 AM, caddycruiser said:

This may be, one of the worst bizarrely overpriced products GM has intro'd. $42k max, for a V6 RS. Great. With an Equinox Premier 2.0T maxing at $36k...

And the lease rates on it aren't pretty either... I can't get into the build and price site at the moment, but last I looked it was something like 6.5% when the XT5 is like 0.75%

[G. David Felt]

@Drew Dowdell @caddycruiser @regfootball @Robert Hall

So I decided to compare the XT5 AWD to the Blazer RS AWD and in getting as close as possible in matching vehicles. The XT5 comes out cheaper in both total cost and leasing. This just DOES NOT make sense for GM.

[regfootball]

It’s the GM cycle. New model comes out. Priced way too high can’t lease or buy but room for incentives later in time. Cycle the new model intros so they don’t overlap each other. Buyer has to choose between newest thing at full price or older model in the other brand that’s about the same price with discounts. 

I’ve been hard on the XT5 but in real world price comparo to Blazer I have a lot more appreciation for XT5. 

Edited February 25, 2019 by regfootball

[balthazar]

26 minutes ago, regfootball said:

It’s the GM cycle.

Hmmm, there's this Blazer RS... what else comes to mind?

[Robert Hall]

Though I don't see consumers cross shopping Chevy and Cadillac, the Blazer gives the Chevy dealer something to compete w/ the Acadia and XT5 at dealers across or down the street...

[Drew Dowdell]

14 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

The Blazer gives the Chevy dealer something to compete w/ the Acadia and XT5 at dealers across or down the street...

Chevy isn't supposed to be competing directly with Cadillac on the same class of model for the same price.

[Robert Hall]

3 minutes ago, Drew Dowdell said:

Chevy isn't supposed to be competing directly with Cadillac on the same class of model for the same price.

True, but this is GM...they always seem to compete with themselves..

[Suaviloquent]

Well I mean the Blazer is basically a Camaro body on an Acadia. I am sure that GM had plenty of Camaro bodies sitting around that needed a chassis. Voila!

I would bring back rebadging. And then I would bring back something a helluva lot worse than rebadging.

[Cmicasa the Great]

The Blazer being used a top of the line RS fully loaded versus a base XT5 with a few add ons..

 The Blazer starts at $29K. The Cadillac XT5 that starts at $43K. So what I'm seeing is that the BLAZER can be optioned out to the same price as a base XT5 . Which makes all the sense in the world. Betcha y'all didn't know but a 3Series can be optioned out to the same price as a 5Series?

The lease payment be damned.. because that is a true variable in the payment process with Chevy apparently offering a 6.1% and Cadillac offering a .02%.

But the larger question is why lease this vehicle at that rate when financing it would be the cheaper route? Do people in 2019 LEASE Chevys that are not over $60K? 

Edited February 26, 2019 by Cmicasa the Great

[riviera74]

Leasing is always worse than financing.  Yet there are a lot of people that will lease because they want the next big thing in 24-36 months.

[G. David Felt]

11 hours ago, Cmicasa the Great said:

The Blazer being used a top of the line RS fully loaded versus a base XT5 with a few add ons..

 The Blazer starts at $29K. The Cadillac XT5 that starts at $43K. So what I'm seeing is that the BLAZER can be optioned out to the same price as a base XT5 . Which makes all the sense in the world. Betcha y'all didn't know but a 3Series can be optioned out to the same price as a 5Series?

The lease payment be damned.. because that is a true variable in the payment process with Chevy apparently offering a 6.1% and Cadillac offering a .02%.

But the larger question is why lease this vehicle at that rate when financing it would be the cheaper route? Do people in 2019 LEASE Chevys that are not over $60K? 

Yes a loaded RS towards the top equaling a base XT5. The point being is many of us see no value in that Blazer at that price point when you can get an AWD XT5 loaded almost identically that has a nicer interior / exterior package for less coin.

That is the only reason of bringing this up.

As has been pointed out my friend, many will not cross shop Chevrolet and Cadillac, but a few will and with that, there are better options out there than this Blazer.

End result is there are Baked Potatoes and there are Twice Baked Potatoes. It is all about choice and those of us car nuts see better option with the Twice Baked Potato even when it is the entry level than the regular baked potato. 

[caddycruiser]

11 hours ago, Cmicasa the Great said:

The Blazer being used a top of the line RS fully loaded versus a base XT5 with a few add ons..

 The Blazer starts at $29K. The Cadillac XT5 that starts at $43K. So what I'm seeing is that the BLAZER can be optioned out to the same price as a base XT5 . Which makes all the sense in the world. Betcha y'all didn't know but a 3Series can be optioned out to the same price as a 5Series?

The lease payment be damned.. because that is a true variable in the payment process with Chevy apparently offering a 6.1% and Cadillac offering a .02%.

But the larger question is why lease this vehicle at that rate when financing it would be the cheaper route? Do people in 2019 LEASE Chevys that are not over $60K? 

If you were to BUY any of these, you would need to be committed to an asylum. Real world transaction prices and method is key. The point the "higher end" Cadillac ends up costing less, no matter what way you cut it, is key.

No one buys the base. And, being GM, even when you're at Cadillac level...you're still not getting features standard on a Corolla. Safety stuff? Blind spot? "Our focus groups say people don't want that stuff".

The base FWD cloth 2.5L Blazer is not going to be the seller. There's so many options on the market right now, unless you get a $10k GM Card bonus randomly...and have to have a squat Chevy crossover, keep shopping.

This will be an interesting one. Every time any new product comes out it's almost always expensive, YES. But for this combo of vehicle...does anyone even care about it in the first place...

[Cmicasa the Great]

17 minutes ago, dfelt said:

Yes a loaded RS towards the top equaling a base XT5. The point being is many of us see no value in that Blazer at that price point when you can get an AWD XT5 loaded almost identically that has a nicer interior / exterior package for less coin.

That is the only reason of bringing this up.

As has been pointed out my friend, many will not cross shop Chevrolet and Cadillac, but a few will and with that, there are better options out there than this Blazer.

End result is there are Baked Potatoes and there are Twice Baked Potatoes. It is all about choice and those of us car nuts see better option with the Twice Baked Potato even when it is the entry level than the regular baked potato. 

I understood that but the the marketing is plain and simple. Sporty vs Luxury. U guy's point of view can be pushed towards any manufacture, and GM is not unique in offering same size offerings from two different divisions with crisscrossing prices at some point in the trims availability. Lexus RX vs Highlander. VW Toura vs Audi Q or even Cayenne. Acura MDX and Pilot. Go do those charts. BMW and Benz benefit not having to do this because they have no other divisions. 

It really doesn't even have to come to a Chevy buyer isn't going to cross shop a Caddy and vice versa.. How many times do U folks have to hear.. THE PRICE OF THE BLAZER IS INFLATED FOR THE SAKE OF DISCOUNTING! It is what it is. Sales 101. Make the customer feel like they are getting a discount. It works particularly well on mainstream products. Ask Kohls, Walmart.. 

[caddycruiser]

The $29,995 "L" with clear back glass and a 2.5L...?

https://www.cars.com/vehicledetail/detail/761059683/overview/

[Robert Hall]

Damn that gray plastic interior is ugly...and what is up w/ the center vents so low on the dash....better inside than a 2005 Equinox, I suppose, but still ugly gray and cheap. 

Edited February 26, 2019 by Robert Hall

[G. David Felt]

@caddycruiser WOW, that silver Blazer is really ugly! Pathetic. The more I look at it, the more I feel Chevrolet just created their own damn ugly Juke version.

2 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

Damn that gray plastic interior is ugly...and what is up w/ the center vents so low on the dash..

To help cool your ass from being screwed over I guess. ?‍♂️

[Cmicasa the Great]

10 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

Damn that gray plastic interior is ugly...and what is up w/ the center vents so low on the dash....better inside than a 2005 Equinox, I suppose, but still ugly gray and cheap. 

Love the silver, but I'd do it with Black wheels.. No car should have gray interior tho.. None.. But the vents actually do a sensational job in the Camaro of heating and cooling. Seating positions are similar. Heat rises. And they also serve as controls. Either way..  Why is Chevy wrong and Ford OK wth the Edge St? 

My only issue, in fact, with the Blazer's exterior really lies in the chrome in the front.. Which I'd black out as soon as I got it home 

[oldshurst442]

How I see the price situation with the Blazer vis-a-vis the Cadillac XT5

Cadillac is trying to go downmarket to sell higher volumes.  The ATS...the base price of an ATS is lower than the highest trim Malibu...has the same 2.0T engine...OK, one is FWD and the other is RWD.   Does that really make that much of a difference when most folk either dont care or dont even know what the difference is? 

Chevrolet, more like GM, is trying to fill a void in the mid level of price for the lower end brands, ie Chevrolet, when Pontiac and Oldsmobile are no longer in existence. 

This Blazer could have been a G-Body equivalent back in the day. I see the Blazer as it being a G-Body equivalent.  Back in the day there was a Malibu, and Monte Carlo and the Monte Carlo came in "luxury" LS trim or "muscle car" SS trim. The Malibu was a coupe or 4 door family haluer that had a V8 option making it a "muscle car" on the cheap.

Then there was Pontiac with their Lemans coupe and 4 door Bonneville and the Grand Prix. At a higher price than the Chevys. 

Then there was Oldsmobile and the Cutlass and Buick with their Regal...

Cadillac did not even play in this market. 

Well...The XT5 is what the Cutlass and Regal was and the Blazer is what the Monte Carlo SS  and the Grand Prix were.  And this is why there is an overlap in price with a Chevy and Cadillac.

Ive complained about this before, but not on Chevy. But on Cadillac. 

For me, its fine that Chevy is aiming high in that price range. For me, I do not want Cadillac to be aiming that low. 

I have a problem for Cadillac playing in the 40 000-55 000 dollar price range. I want Cadillac ONLY to be at the 60 000 dollar price range and up. 

Edited February 26, 2019 by oldshurst442

[Robert Hall]

3 minutes ago, oldshurst442 said:

 

Chevrolet, more like GM, is trying to fill a void in the mid level of price for the lower end brands, ie Chevrolet, when Pontiac and Oldsmobile are no longer in existence. 

 

They still have some filler brands, though...GMC and Buick.   At least the styling is differentiated..

[balthazar]

34 minutes ago, dfelt said:

To help cool your ass from being screwed over I guess. ?‍♂️

What do you want it to start at; $19K??

[Cmicasa the Great]

5 minutes ago, Robert Hall said:

They still have some filler brands, though...GMC and Buick.   At least the styling is differentiated..

The thing is that GM may be, and I said they should a while ago, finally allowing the divisions to have some autonomy from the rest. Like the old days. Chevy should be concerned with what Ford, Toyota, Honda etc do.. They shouldn't give a rats ass what Cadillac is doing. Each brand should in essence earn. And in truth.. If people buy it.  Let them

[oldshurst442]

1 minute ago, Robert Hall said:

They still have some filler brands, though...GMC and Buick.   At least the styling is differentiated..

Yeah!  

GMC Acadia and Buick Enclave.  It seems like the Cadillac XT5 and soon to be XT6 is the Pontiac Lemans, 4 door Bonneville and Grand Prix while the GMC Acadia would be the Oldsmobile Cutlass Supreme or something like that... 

The only cure for that would be to cut Buick loose.  GMC, as long as GMC is quite different in philosophy than Chevy and Cadillac, which they are, then it be fine. But it seems like Buick is lost in space somewhere. Chevy is encroaching its territory from below while Cadillac is encroaching its territory from above.