The TrailBlazer's strong point is its comfortable, roomy and relatively well-equipped cabin, but that can't make up for sub-par handling and cheap interior materials. The 2009 Trailblazer continues to fall short of top competitors in reliability, interior materials and -- unless you're talking about the powerful SS model -- performance. The 2009 Chevrolet TrailBlazer is available in two main trims: the base LT and the performance-driven SS. The SS is broken down into two sub-trims: the 1SS and the top of the line 3SS.
Affordable and generally competent, the latest TrailBlazer has been around since 2002 as Chevy's midsize truck-based SUV offering. An example of the traditional SUV genre, the midsize 2009 Chevy TrailBlazer has rugged truck-based underpinnings that provide a beefy towing capacity and a decent level of off-road capability. The TrailBlazer, as well as its GMC Envoy twin, should be avoided.
Body Styles, Trim Levels, and Options
The 2009 Chevrolet TrailBlazer is a midsize SUV available in four distinct trim levels: LT, 2LT, 3LT and SS. The 2LT upgrade adds automatic climate control, rear air-conditioning and audio controls, leather seating, a power driver seat, Bluetooth, heated outside mirrors and an auto-dimming rearview mirror. Stepping up to the premium TrailBlazer 3LT nets you 18-inch wheels, driver-seat memory, a power passenger seat, heated front seats, power-adjustable pedals and a Bose sound system.
The high-performance TrailBlazer SS has been streamlined into a single top-of-the-line model this year and is equipped similarly to the premium 3LT package in terms of standard and available features.
Powertrains and Performance
TrailBlazer LTs come equipped with a 4.2-liter inline-6 that generates 285 horsepower and 276 pound-feet of torque. The TrailBlazer SS boasts a 6.0-liter V8 cranking out 390 hp and 400 lb-ft of torque. For the SS, one may choose standard rear drive or an available full-time AWD system that maximizes street performance instead of off-road ability. Maximum towing capacity when properly equipped is 6,800 pounds. A 4WD TrailBlazer with the six-cylinder engine delivers an estimated 14 mpg city/20 mpg highway and 17 mpg in combined driving. An AWD TrailBlazer SS, not surprisingly, checks in considerably lower with a 12/16/13 mpg rating.
Safety
The 2009 Chevrolet TrailBlazer includes standard antilock disc brakes, stability control, OnStar and side curtain airbags. In frontal offset crash testing by the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety, however, the TrailBlazer received an "Acceptable" rating (the second-highest ranking on a four-point scale) for frontal offset tests but just a second-lowest "Marginal" score during side impact tests.
Driving Impressions
The 2009 Chevy TrailBlazer's standard suspension elicits mixed reviews.
The styling of the 2009 Chevrolet TrailBlazer leaves most reviewers unimpressed.
Edmunds continues on the "aging design" theme: "another major drawback is the TrailBlazer's cabin design...it looked out of date soon after this midsize SUV's debut."