2021 Chevrolet Blazer Pros vs Cons. Should You Buy?

The 2021 Chevrolet Blazer is a mid-sized SUV that can accommodate up to five people. What sets this SUV apart from the crowd is its powerful performance and agile handling. With the right engine, it's one of the fastest mid-sized SUVs on the market. The Blazer actually takes a number of cues from another Chevrolet vehicle, the Camaro. This is a practical vehicle that is also stylish and fun to drive.

What's New for 2021?

The biggest change for 2021 comes from the addition of driver-assist technology as standard equipment. There are a number of features now available for every trim level. Some of these include Emergency Braking, Lane-Keep Assist and Forward-Collision Alert. The 2021 Blazer also gets a new towing package for front-wheel-drive models equipped with a V6 engine.

 

Top 10 Reasons to Buy a 2021 Chevrolet Blazer – The Pros

1. A Powerful V6 Engine

The latest Chevrolet Blazer gives buyers the option of three different engines. There's a 2.5-liter 4-cylinder. There's also a 2.0-liter, turbocharged 4-cylinder. The most impressive option, however, is the big Chevy 3.6-liter V6. This power plant cranks out an amazing 308 horsepower and 270 pound-feet of torque. The V6 makes the Blazer one of the fastest vehicles in its class. It can get you from 0 to 60 miles-per-hour in just 6.3 seconds.

2. Excellent Steering and Handling

To compliment the athletic performance and brisk acceleration, the Blazer also offers stellar handling. The steering dynamics are fantastic and feel more like those of a sports coupe than a mid-sized SUV. The Blazer is built more from a car platform than an SUV base and it shows here. The excellent steering and handling really set the Blazer apart from its competition.

3. The Refined Ride Quality

The Chevrolet Blazer features a fully independent suspension system. The suspension is tuned for a smooth ride and superb handling. It soaks up pretty much everything that the road throws at it. The seats up front are nice and comfortable too. The engineers also did a fine job of sound proofing the Blazer. You will hear very little road or engine noise during commutes.

4. Plenty of Cargo Space

The available cargo space is one of the best reasons to own a mid-sized SUV. Even with a carload of passengers, the Blazer still offers 30.5 cubic feet of storage space in back. By folding the rear seats down flat, this can be greatly expanded. The Blazer has a maximum cargo capacity of 64.2 cubic feet of space. The hands-free liftgate and low cargo floor make loading and unloading easy.

5. Room for Your Family and Friends

Extra passenger seats is another good reason to choose an SUV over a standard sedan or a truck. The 2021 Chevrolet Blazer can accommodate up to five people. There are two seats up front and a rear folding-bench seat that can handle another three passengers. This makes the Blazer perfect for a family or for a driver who likes to take their entourage along for the ride.

6. A Modern and Easy-To-Use Infotainment System

Chevrolet has packed a lot of modern technology into their 2021 Blazer. One of the top features is the infotainment system. The audio setup is either a 6-speaker system or an 8-speaker system by Bose, depending on the trim level. The Chevrolet Infotainment 3 Plus System offers an 8-inch HD touchscreen, voice command pass-through for hands-free phone calls and a full navigation system.

The infotainment system is compatible with both Apple CarPlay and Android Auto. There are numerous ways to connect devices for streaming your favorite media. The system has USB ports, an auxiliary jack and Bluetooth technology. It's also 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot capable.

7. Available All-Wheel Drive

The 2021 Chevrolet Blazer is available in six different trim levels. The first two trim levels are only available with front-wheel drive. The remaining four trim packages also offer an all-wheel drive version of this SUV. Having all-wheel drive means even better steering and handling, something that the Blazer already excels at. It also gives the Blazer some modest off-road capabilities.

8. The Ability To Tow

One of the best things about owning an SUV is how great they are for long road trips and vacations. There's plenty of room for luggage, equipment and all of your family members or friends. Sometimes, you just need to bring along a trailer or a boat to make the trip that much better. If that's the case, the 2021 Chevrolet Blazer will have you covered. When properly equipped, the Blazer can tow up to 4,500 pounds.

9. Great Safety Scores From the NHTSA

Safety is one of the most important factors to consider when selecting a new vehicle. Everyone wants to make sure that they and their loved ones will be adequately protected. The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does a number of different crash tests on vehicles to see how they hold up during a collision.

The NHTSA gave the 2021 Chevrolet Blazer a perfect score of 5-out-of-5 stars for their Overall Front-Crash Test and Overall Side-Crash Test categories. The Blazer also scored a respectable 4-out-of-5 stars in the Rollover category.

10. Safety Features and Driver-Assist Technology

In addition to being built safe to stand up to collisions, the Chevrolet Blazer also has a good amount of standard safety features. As previously mentioned, a lot of the driver-assist technology is now standard for all trim levels too. Every trim level is equipped with seven airbags, Emergency Braking and an HD Rear-Vision Camera.

Some of the other useful features include Forward-Collision Alert, Lane-Change Alert with Side Blind-Zone Alert and Lane-Keep Assist with Lane-Departure Warning. Chevrolet also equips every Blazer with Rear-Park Assist and a Tire-Pressure Monitor. All models of the Blazer come ready for OnStar and Chevrolet Connected services.

 

Reasons Not to Buy a 2021 Chevrolet Blazer – The Cons

1. An Under-Powered Base Engine

The V6 engine is one of the best on the market for this class of vehicle. Unfortunately, the same cannot be said for the base engine. If you're looking to save money by going with the base trim level, the Blazer may feel a bit under-powered. Its 193 horsepower just doesn't cut it. Stick with the V6 or even the turbocharged 4-cylinder that produces around 230 horsepower.

2. Lack of Headroom in the Back

Chevy designed the exterior of the 2021 Blazer to look sporty to match its performance. Sadly, this design may leave some rear-seat passengers a bit cramped. The headroom is somewhat lacking back there. This is unfortunate considering the overall size of the vehicle.

3. The Fuel Economy Could Be Better

Fuel efficiency is rarely a strong point for a mid-sized SUV. The 2021 Chevrolet Blazer is no different. The best you can hope for is a combined fuel-economy rating of around 23 miles-per-gallon with the 2.5-liter base engine. Choosing this engine for fuel efficiency means giving up a lot of power for no real benefits. The turbocharged engine fares no better, and the V6 gets around 21 miles-per-gallon. It's not the worst fuel economy in this class of vehicles, but it could be better.

How It Stacks Up to the Competition:

2021 Chevrolet Blazer vs 2021 Honda Passport

The Honda Passport is poised to become one of the Blazer's main rivals for 2021. Both vehicles are mid-sized SUVs that seat up to five people. Both offer the choice of a powerful V6 engine. The Honda engine produces around 280 horsepower, falling far short of what the Chevy engine can do. Acceleration, passing power and handling are all far superior in the Blazer.

One thing that the Honda has going for it is more cargo space. The rear seats have more headroom as well. The safety tech and infotainment systems are comparable for both vehicles. Honda upgraded a lot of the tech in the 2021 model to keep things current. The starting price for the Chevrolet Blazer is a lot lower than the Honda Passport's initial cost. The price differences, along with the better performance of the Blazer, make it the best choice here.

2021 Chevrolet Blazer vs 2021 Hyundai Santa Fe

Another contender for best mid-sized SUV of 2021 is the Hyundai Santa Fe. The Santa Fe is another five-seat SUV. It comes in at a price point that's almost identical to the Chevrolet Blazer's starting cost. Like the Blazer, the Santa Fe has a 4-cylinder base engine. Both vehicles have similar fuel-economy ratings. Both also offer all-wheel drive models.

Like the Honda, the Hyundai Santa Fe does offer a little more cargo space in back. The rear passenger space is comparable for both vehicles. The Chevrolet Blazer has a more upscale interior and a sportier exterior design. When equipped with a V6 engine, the Blazer's performance can't be matched by the Santa Fe. Steering and handling is better in the Blazer no matter which powertrain it's equipped with.

Conclusion

The 2021 Chevrolet Blazer is a great choice for anyone looking for a mid-sized SUV. If you value good performance and handling, it doesn't get much better than the new Blazer. The size offers more cargo and passenger room than the many small crossover SUVs on the market. The driving dynamics, however, offer something better than any mid-sized or large SUV on the market. The Blazer is a driving-enthusiast's dream. It's a practical vehicle to own that's also downright fun to drive.