Drive Notes: 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer AWD RS

by Tim Healey

Published: February 7th, 2024

drive notes 2024 chevrolet trailblazer awd rs

Today we have another bit of basic transport from Chevy, though this one is a step up in terms of price and size from the Trax I recently reviewed.

I dug the Trax's combination of utility, sport, and affordable price. Would I feel the same about the 2024 Chevrolet Trailblazer AWD RS?

Not quite.

That's not to say the Trailblazer is bad. I wouldn't kick it out of the garage. But it never charmed me the way the Trax did.

Pros

The handling is sporty-ish. Engaging relative to vehicle type, though not really all that fun. You can generate a few grins on an on-ramp, but not much beyond that.
Low-end grunt is fine.
The infotainment system is easy to learn.
The gauges are simple and easy to use, as are the HVAC controls.
I like the customization ability for the gauges, and except for one thing (see below), it's easy to do.
I like how Chevy sweeps the center screen into the dash.

Cons

The ride is a tad too stiff.
The 1.3-liter turbo engine is quiet at low RPMs but loud and thrashy when you summon the beans.
Low-end grunt may be fine, but there's not much verve beyond that.
While some interior materials are nice, there's too much hard plastic.
Rear headroom is a bit chopped for those over six-foot-one, though legroom is fine.
I somehow changed the main gauge graphic and couldn't change it back. That sort of thing shouldn't be puzzling.
The price is...well I don't think it's too expensive, given where the market is. But the as-tested price of $34K (or less) can get you a better vehicle -- including Chevy's own Trax, if you can live with something smaller. To be fair, this one was option laden, and the base price was a more reasonable $28,700.

That's it for this edition.

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Tim Healey

Tim Healey grew up around the auto-parts business and has always had a love for cars — his parents joke his first word was “‘Vette”. Despite this, he wanted to pursue a career in sports writing but he ended up falling semi-accidentally into the automotive-journalism industry, first at Consumer Guide Automotive and later at Web2Carz.com. He also worked as an industry analyst at Mintel Group and freelanced for About.com, CarFax, Vehix.com, High Gear Media, Torque News, FutureCar.com, Cars.com, among others, and of course Vertical Scope sites such as AutoGuide.com, Off-Road.com, and HybridCars.com. He’s an urbanite and as such, doesn’t need a daily driver, but if he had one, it would be compact, sporty, and have a manual transmission.

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Comments

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2 of 39 comments

Wjtinfwb on Feb 08, 2024

34k and Chevy build quality and resale value? Pass. I'll take a CR-V EX.

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Akear on Feb 20, 2024

I say just update the Malibu and be done with it.

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