The Chevy Trailblazer is a competent compact SUV that’s built to take your everyday life with ease. This pint-sized off-roader isn’t ready to take on the toughest trails or win any drag races, but it strikes a perfect middle ground as a great daily driver with style. Thanks to its practical SUV shape, fuel-efficient engine, and expressive styling; the affordable Trail Blazer proves that you don’t need a lot of money to own a well-rounded SUV.

Our test vehicle is the Chevy Trailblazer Active, which is the most off-road-focused Trailblazer trim level available. In The Active trim, you received more off-road focused tires, more ground clearance, smaller 17-inch wheels, and a skid plate. Our tester also came with the optional all-wheel-drive system that includes a nine-speed automatic transmission; front-wheel-drive Trailblazers come standard with a CVT transmission.

The Trailblazer Active proved to be a great daily companion with a peppy driving style thanks to its low curb weight and quick-to-rev 1.3-liter Ecotec inline-three that produces 155 horsepower and 174pound-feet of torque. The optional nine-speed automatic and all-wheel-drive combo in our test vehicle proved to be an exciting combination that allows you to extract all of the performance for this feisty little three-cylinder engine.

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2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer

8.50 / 10
Key Features
  • All-Wheel-Drive
  • Turbocharged Inline-Three Cylinder Engine
  • Spacious Interior With Latest Technology
  • Increased Ride Height And Off-Road Capable Tires
  • Comfortable Suspension Setup
  • Heated Front Seats And Single-Zone Climate Control
Specifications
  • Model: Trailblazer ACTIV
  • Engine: 1.3-liter Turbocharged inline-three
  • Power Output: 155 HP
  • Torque: 174 LB-FT
  • Transmission: 9-Speed Automatic
  • Driveline: All-Wheel-Drive
  • MSRP: $27,400
  • MSRP (As Tested): $31,925
Pros
  • Comfortable Ride And Supple Suspension
  • Switchable All-Wheel-Drive System To Improve Fuel Economy
  • Peppy Turbocharged Inline-Three Cylinder Engine
Cons
  • Unimpressive Fuel Economy
  • Cost Cutting On Interior Space With Materials
  • Slow Acceleration

Plenty Of Options To Choose From

2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer ACTIV - Front
Chris Okula/TopSpeed

With a wide variety of options to choose from, it’s easy to find a Trailblazer that fits your life. The Chevy Trailblazer can be had in either front-wheel-drive or all-wheel-drive and you can choose from four different trim levels. This diverse offering of different trims means that you can get the most out of Chevy’s latest CUV.

Trailblazer trims include the base LS, the more luxurious LT, the off-road-focused ACTIV, or the sporty RS. Every single trim comes standard with front-wheel-drive with optional all-wheel-drive. If you opt for front-wheel-drive, the LS and LT come standard with a smaller 1.2-liter turbocharged inline-three-cylinder engine mated to a CVT transmission. This smaller 1.2-liter engine produces 137 horsepower and 162 pound-feet of torque.

The Trailblazer LT allows you to choose the optional 1.3-liter turbocharged inline-three while the larger engine comes standard on both the ACTIV and RS. If you choose the optional all-wheel-drive every trim comes standard with the 1.3-liter Ecotec inline-three that produced 155 horsepower and. 174 pound-feet of torque. All-wheel-drive Trailblazers also enjoy the inclusion of a nine-speed automatic transmission as opposed to the CVT found on front-wheel-drive Trailblazers. Models with the larger 1.3-liter engine and all-wheel-drive can sprint from 0 to 60mph in 9.4 seconds.

Our tester was the all-wheel-drive Trailblazer ACTIV which is the most adventure-ready Trailblazer in the lineup. We found this particular combination to be the sweet spot of both values for money and driving excitement.

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A Peppy Drivetrain That Could Use A Bit More Refinement

2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer ACTIV - Engine
Chris Okula/TopSpeed

Open the hood of the Trailblazer and the spacious engine bay will amaze you. Although the Trailblazer looks like a miniature Blazer SUV, the shrink ray really hit the engine’s displacement the most. In fact, instead of fitting into the crowd of inline-four-cylinder engines found in almost every car on sale today, Chevrolet chose to get rid of one cylinder and give the Trailblazer a turbocharged inline-three.

When discussing this little SUV with friends who enjoy cars, the unique inline-three dominated conversation because it's unique and full of personality. Under acceleration, the ECOTEC inline-three emits an endearing bark that sounds unique and invites you to do it again. Much like your favorite small dog, this engine is bursting with a personality far greater that its physical size.

Thrust from the ECOTEC 1.3-liter is strong at low speeds and feels punchy around town as you’d expect from a modern turbocharged engine. At highway speeds, the tiny engine has a much harder time providing meaningful motivation to the 4,400 pounds SUV.

During normal driving, you’d never know this engine is down a cylinder compared to most cars and the inline-three provides adequate levels of refinement. During idling, however, there are moments when you feel some harsh frequencies enter the cabin. This is easily remedied if you use Chevy’s auto stop-start feature, which will also lead to improved fuel economy.

The nine-speed automatic transmission shifts smoothly and blends into the background. It easily keeps the engine in its powerband and can handle the daily commute with ease.

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Switchable All-Wheel-Drive

2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer ACTIV - Side Profile
Chris Okula/TopSpeed

The Trailblazer offers optional all-wheel-drive, which isn’t unique among its CUV competitors, however, the Trailblazer allows for greater control. During normal driving, the Trailblazer starts out in front-wheel-drive mode. If you want more traction, you need to hit the all-wheel-drive button in front of the shift lever. This engages the all-wheel-drive system that will send power to the rear wheels for improve performance.

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The Pros And Con Of An SUV In A City Friendly Size

2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer ACTIV - Rear End
Chris Okula/TopSpeed

The diminutive Chevy Trailblazer gives owners a true SUV ownership experience in a small package that’s easy to park. The Trailblazer shines when you want the ride quality and capability of an SUV but you don’t have a lot of room to work.

Thanks to its supple suspension and tires with ample sidewall, the Trailblazer ACTIV exhibits impressive body control and ride quality. This was especially helpful when driving on the cratered roads of the Northeastern United States where we completed our testing. The taller ride height of the Trailblazer compared to a sedan or hatchback means you have a better field of vision on the road and also don’t have to worry about headlight blinding you at night.

2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer ACTIV - Open Hatch
Chris Okula/TopSpeed

In addition to the superb ride, the Trailblazer also proved to be a capable package thanks to a large rear hatch that opens to a sizeable trunk space. Fold down the rear seats, and the Trailblazer becomes a practical hauler for small furniture and other routinely shuffled large items.

Unfortunately, you cannot have your SUV without the drawbacks of this ever-popular body style. For starters, the Trailblaze ACTIV does not return impressive fuel economy despite its tiny engine. During our testing, we managed 25mpg during mixed driving which is in line with the EPA ratings of 26 mpg city and 30mpg highway for a combined rating of 28mpg. This lower fuel economy rating makes you wonder how efficient the Trailblazer ACTIV could be if it were a more aerodynamic hatchback rather than a CUV.

2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer ACTIV - Interior
Chris Okula/TopSpeed

In addition to the lower fuel economy numbers, our fully loaded Trailblazer ACTIV had some interesting signs of cost-cutting. The center armrest is a cavernous space, but to access this storage you must manually remove a plastic tray that sits on top, rather than featuring dual access armrest opening seen in most cars. There’s also copious use of hard-touch plastics on the center tunnel, but overall the interior of the Trailblazer is a nice place to be.

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A Tiny SUV Built For Daily Life

2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer ACTIV - Front Three Quarter
Chris Okula/TopSpeed

So, if you’re in the market for an SUV but you’re short of space, the Trailblazer is a great option for you. Thanks to its combination of mature ride quality, an interesting engine, and a practical interior, the Trailblazer is the perfect companion for everyday life. If you can afford the sticker price, we recommend ticking the box for the optional all-wheel-drive system which gets you the impressive nine-speed auto and added capability that justifies the Trailblazer’s SUV shape.

Although it isn’t perfect, the Trailblazer is a peppy compact SUV that draws you in with its exciting interior and exterior design and keeps you comfortable during daily use. Overall, the Trailblazer’s combination of practicality, performance, affordability, and personality makes it a great CUV.