New Blazer

I don't out and out hate the new Blazer, I just don't get its purpose. Styling-wise, it's got a solid muscular aggressive look to it that's better than the muddled styling of the current generation of Equinox. The interior is much less drab than the Equinox and takes some cues from the Camaro in a good way. And I'd take a 3.6L over the 1.5Ts that keep blowing the tops off of pistons. I just think they'd have been better off putting the Equinox and Traverse out to pasture and replacing them entirely with the Blazer and Blazer XL. Neither the Equinox or the Traverse have any sort of equity, the Equinox has been eternally known as an underpowered E36 M3box and was plagued with the oil consumption and timing chains and the Traverse was the subject of a GM lawsuit over fuel economy claims and is known for timing chain issues and explodey transmissions

NickD said:

I don't out and out hate the new Blazer, I just don't get its purpose. Styling-wise, it's got a solid muscular aggressive look to it that's better than the muddled styling of the current generation of Equinox. The interior is much less drab than the Equinox and takes some cues from the Camaro in a good way. And I'd take a 3.6L over the 1.5Ts that keep blowing the tops off of pistons. I just think they'd have been better off putting the Equinox and Traverse out to pasture and replacing them entirely with the Blazer and Blazer XL. Neither the Equinox or the Traverse have any sort of equity, the Equinox has been eternally known as an underpowered E36 M3box and was plagued with the oil consumption and timing chains and the Traverse was the subject of a GM lawsuit over fuel economy claims and is known for timing chain issues and explodey transmissions

That sounds like the kind of insight GM would pay megabucks to consultants for.  Makes sense to me.

I cannot keep track of SUV models in general. Back when I was in high school, I spent enough time cruising around at night, that I was pretty good at identifying oncoming vehicles by their headlights, now I cannot recognize many vehicles in broad daylight sitting still in a parking lot. I just plain don't care about SUVs and look forward to the day when the craze is over.

Blazer sounds exciting. Blazer sounds like something from the 70's or 80's. Blazer sounds like it may be fun. Then I saw the picture of it. Ugh. It is none of those things.

Tyler H said:

And nostalgia for Blazers confuses me -- they were steaming piles of crap from my memories growing up riding around them.  

12 Bolt rear, Dana 44 front, GM small block and either an SM-465 or TH-350 on a ladder frame, NP 205 or 203 transfer case and a top that could be removed, Saginaw power steering.

You could just about bolt-in a one-ton drivetrain (need a conversion u-joint)

I guess steaming pile of crap is in the eye of the beholder.

ebonyandivory said:

Tyler H said:

And nostalgia for Blazers confuses me -- they were steaming piles of crap from my memories growing up riding around them.  

12 Bolt rear, Dana 44 front, GM small block and either an SM-465 or TH-350 on a ladder frame, NP 205 or 203 transfer case and a top that could be removed, Saginaw power steering.

You could just about bolt-in a one-ton drivetrain (need a conversion u-joint)

I guess steaming pile of crap is in the eye of the behold

The full size Blazers are cool. I believe the S10 Blazer quality was not great.

I should have filled up a barn back in the early 1980’s......

GMC $119,000. Chevrolet $49,000 on eBay.  

As a gear head teen of the 70's even I am over the use of the Blazer and Trail Blazer names on new CUV's. 

Wentzville Assembly is reported to get major investment (w/ a $B) by GM. GMT-700 (Colorado/ Canyon) would be perfect for a BOF new Bronco-fighter. Moar better w/ ZR2 architecture. Had heard unsubstantiated the name K5 batted around. Hope so. 

I've seen the new blazer in person. It's probably the best looking chevy suv by a mile, but I too was confused about where it was supposed to slot into the lineup. If everything sells it doesn't matter. 

I've owned lots of minivans and a fair number of SUVs. The only reason my one 'full time DD' (that doesn't get rotated in and out) is an SUV  and not a minivan is because noone has made a modern minivan that drives like a Porsche (Cayenne in this case).  Although, in an ironic twist I currently own a Chrysler Pacifica that I am attempting to put Konis on the back of. Not that I'm expecting to transform it into something amazing, but it's a comical coincidence to my Porsche statement. 

Datsun310Guy said:

I should have filled up a barn back in the early 1980’s......

GMC $119,000. Chevrolet $49,000 on eBay.  

You're telling me. I remember when they were super cheap rust buckets. Now they are worth their weight in gold. 

I'm hoping E36 M3s and S2000s do the same soon lol.

My friend had a new Blazer as a press car, about a month ago. There's a good bit to like about it, from the generic-crossover-y angle. The styling, love it or hate it, is at least something. His was bright red and turned a lot of heads. The interior was interesting, too. 

They are really expensive for what they are, though. His stickered over $50k from what I recall, and didn't have a sunroof optioned.

ebonyandivory said:

Tyler H said:

And nostalgia for Blazers confuses me -- they were steaming piles of crap from my memories growing up riding around them.  

12 Bolt rear, Dana 44 front, GM small block and either an SM-465 or TH-350 on a ladder frame, NP 205 or 203 transfer case and a top that could be removed, Saginaw power steering.

You could just about bolt-in a one-ton drivetrain (need a conversion u-joint)

I guess steaming pile of crap is in the eye of the beholder.

 

Those aren't the Blazers I'm thinking of.

Think this:

In reply to Tyler H :

Yeah, the S10 chassis was a steaming pile in every iteration IMO.  

It looks like a perfectly nice SUV. If you slipped a Mazda or Ford badge on it, I wouldn't blink an eye - which is a bug AND a feature. Jeep and Mercedes have made their SUVs stand out. This is a good, generic looking SUV. (yawn)

In reply to TJL :

I saw a bunch of new Souls heading to a dealer on the back of a truck a couple of days ago. For whatever reason I really like the ass redesign they gave it.



I'm not even sure why, since in pictures it looks crappy but in person my brain enjoyed.

DirtyBird222 said:

You mean like the "new" Honda Passport? 

- Same V6 found in the Odyssey, Pilot, Ridgeline, TLX, and MDX. 

- Same chassis as the Pilot but with one less row of seats. 

- Gauge cluster from the Odyssey, Dashboard from the Pilot/Ridgeline

- Similar size to the CR-V but advertised as a man's CUV with "off-roading and overlanding" capabilities. 

- Priced like the other Honda vehicles it shares a platform with. 

I didn't even realize that Honda had a new Passport, until last weekend,.

However, after last weekend, I'll give it some props. Basically a stock Passport with revalved shocks, spring spacers, gutted, and caged finished (IIRC) in the top 10 or 12 at Southern Ohio Forest Rally (out of like 80 entries). It was only seconds behind the e30 we were crewing for (driven by a rally instructor). It still had the infotainment center and the A/C (everyone else was jealous) and looked really fast (and didn't break, when many other purpose-built rally cars did). SOFR is a super-tight rally as well and somehow that big thing wheeled through it quickly, which says a lot for its handling. Granted, the driver is a very experienced rally driver, so there's always that....

One of three cars at the rally built by Honda's R&D team - also had a Fit and a CR-Z (neither of which was all that fast)

Also, while typing the previous, I saw an ad (yeah, Matthew McConahey again...) for another new SUV/CUV - Lincoln Nautilus. Which I guess is someplace between the MK-C and MK-Z (or is it MK-X?) On the upside, at least they're getting rid of the dumb revived MK naming thing. I constantly forget which is what. 

The REAL Honda Pilot and Odyssey:

In reply to irish44j :

Nautilus is the stylized Ford Explorer 

The Nautilus replaces the Lincoln MkT which was a stylized Ford Flex. 

rslifkin said:

In reply to Tyler H :

Yeah, the S10 chassis was a steaming pile in every iteration IMO.  

Syclone disagrees with you 

In reply to irish44j :

I day dream about giving my Crosstrek the same suspension treatment... so cool

John Welsh said:

In reply to irish44j :

Nautilus is the stylized Ford Explorer 

The Nautilus replaces the Lincoln MkT which was a stylized Ford Flex. 

Just to be a stickler for details, Nautilus is the new name for the MkX, which is Lincoln's version of the Ford Edge. The Aviator will be their version of the next Explorer (not on sale yet). Flex/MkT/Taurus platform are being canceled.

So from smallest to largest it will be:

MKC ----> Escape

Nautilus ----> Edge

Aviator ----> Explorer (next generation RWD platform)

Navigator ----> Expedition

Actual names will help keep them straight instead of everything being an MkSomethingOrOther

They honestly should have just gone all with the Camaro idea, and built it off the Alpha platform

Perhaps it wouldn't be questioned for purpose - you now have a crossover that can fight the Edge/competitors and be an actual performance SUV with a possible V8 option. Would be so badass to see an American Macan/Cayenne hauling ass with a 6.2

Dootz said:

Perhaps it wouldn't be questioned for purpose - you now have a crossover that can fight the Edge/competitors and be an actual performance SUV with a possible V8 option. Would be so badass to see an American Macan/Cayenne hauling ass with a 6.2

The Durango and Cherokee SRT's are already flying that banner pretty well:

In reply to STM317 :

You are correct.  And, the MkC will be Corsair

Mazdax605 said:

rslifkin said:

In reply to Tyler H :

Yeah, the S10 chassis was a steaming pile in every iteration IMO.  

Syclone disagrees with you 

As do most of the people who rebody old trucks.