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2008 Chevrolet TrailBlazer Safety Review

July 14, 2008

SAFETY | 7 out of 10

Expert Quotes:

Three stars, front impact--driver; four stars, front impact--passenger; five stars, side impact; four stars, rollover resistance
NHTSA

airbags deploy with varying force depending on crash severity
Cars.com

thick pillars can block over-the-shoulder and aft sightlines
ConsumerGuide

nearly-uninterrupted view through 360 degrees
Kelley Blue Book

The 2008 Chevrolet TrailBlazer also comes up short in terms of safety, from what TheCarConnection.com's experts are seeing.

Crash-test results for the Chevrolet 2008 TrailBlazer are decent but not inspiring, with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarding it three stars for front impact protection of the driver, four stars for rollover resistance in the four-wheel-drive version (but only three stars on the 2WD) and passenger protection in frontal impacts, and five stars only on the side impact tests. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) rates the TrailBlazer 2008 Chevrolet as "acceptable" on frontal crash tests and "marginal" on side impact crashes.

Car and Driver reports a plethora of safety equipment for this 2008 Chevrolet: "dual front and curtain airbags, seatbelt pretensioners, stability control, ABS, and tire-pressure monitoring are standard across the TrailBlazer lineup." In addition, "OnStar emergency service is standard on all TrailBlazers." Cars.com indicates that "side curtain airbags are now standard on all models," and that "dual-stage front airbags deploy with varying force depending on crash severity."

ConsumerGuide reports that visibility in the Chevrolet 2008 "is good to the front and sides, but the headrests and thick pillars can block over-the-shoulder and aft sightlines." Kelley Blue Book, on the other hand, says the Chevrolet 2008 model has "enough glass to give the driver a nearly-uninterrupted view through 360 degrees."

Conclusion

Many sport-utes and crossovers have better crash safety than the 2008 Chevrolet TrailBlazer.

SAFETY | 7 out of 10Expert Quotes:Three stars, front impact--driver; four stars, front impact--passenger; five stars, side impact; four stars, rollover resistanceNHTSAairbags deploy with varying force depending on crash severityCars.comthick pillars can block over-the-shoulder and aft sightlinesConsumerGuidenearly-uninterrupted view through 360 degreesKelley Blue Book The 2008 Chevrolet TrailBlazer also comes up short in terms of safety, from what TheCarConnection.com's experts are seeing. Crash-test results for the Chevrolet 2008 TrailBlazer are decent but not inspiring, with the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA) awarding it three stars for front impact protection of the driver, four stars for rollover resistance in the four-wheel-drive version (but only three stars on the 2WD) and passenger protection in frontal impacts, and five stars only on the side impact tests. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) rates the TrailBlazer 2008 Chevrolet as "acceptable" on frontal crash tests and "marginal" on side impact crashes. Car and Driver reports a plethora of safety equipment for this 2008 Chevrolet: "dual front and curtain airbags, seatbelt pretensioners, stability control, ABS, and tire-pressure monitoring are standard across the TrailBlazer lineup." In addition, "OnStar emergency service is standard on all TrailBlazers." Cars.com indicates that "side curtain airbags are now standard on all models," and that "dual-stage front airbags deploy with varying force depending on crash severity." ConsumerGuide reports that visibility in the Chevrolet 2008 "is good to the front and sides, but the headrests and thick pillars can block over-the-shoulder and aft sightlines." Kelley Blue Book, on the other hand, says the Chevrolet 2008 model has "enough glass to give the driver a nearly-uninterrupted view through 360 degrees." ConclusionMany sport-utes and crossovers have better crash safety than the 2008 Chevrolet TrailBlazer. 2008 CHEVROLET TRAILBLAZER STYLING | [6 out of 10] Cars.com: "similarities with Chevrolet's larger Tahoe and Suburban" Car and Driver: "one of the cheapest-looking interiors in the automotive world" ConsumerGuide: "generic fabrics and unappealing hard, molded plastics" Edmunds: "Aging ...

Read More of this Review:

  1. styling
  2. performance
  3. quality
  4. safety
  5. features

Other Choices:

The 2008 Chevrolet TrailBlazer is mechanically similar and nearly identical to the GMC Envoy, which sells at a similar price. Otherwise, the TrailBlazer is part of what once was the heart of the SUV market, but these best sellers are gradually being replaced by carlike crossovers. The TrailBlazer is one of the worst-handling and most trucklike of the lot. Only the Durango feels as cumbersome and uncomfortable, but it's a bit more of a workhorse. The Liberty, Pathfinder, and 4Runner all have better off-road ability--or off-road-worthy models--with which to redeem themselves. The Liberty is smaller and more maneuverable, and the Pathfinder especially stands out for having a good ride and more luxurious interior. Then there's the formerly best-selling Ford Explorer, which is still perhaps the most direct competitor to the TrailBlazer. Ford has done a much better job keeping the Explorer updated in recent years, and though it also has trucklike underpinnings, the Explorer rides and handles far better than the TrailBlazer.

Next Steps:

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See the Chevrolet TrailBlazer in Other Years:

2009 | 2008 | 2007 | 2006 | 2005 | 2004 | 2003 | 2002

Comments (1 total)

  1. By john #1, Posted: 8/3/2009

    Drives great, gets the job done. We test drove all brands before we settled on the Trailblazer. This is my wife's, she chose it for ride and room. This replaced a vw golf, we needed something bigger for kids and road trips. 285 hp, more power than needed, drives like a car, not like a truck, I drive a truck. We saved about $10k compared to like models of foreign brands.

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