2021 Chevy Blazer

ALISTAIR WEAVER: So I see aluminum, space frame chassis, real leather-- direct from the cow. Hand stitched, of course. Adjustable driving position, optional cup holder. Beautiful. JONATHAN ELFALAN: Very nice. [MUSIC PLAYING] ALISTAIR WEAVER: Jonathan and I both love cars that are fun to drive. But, as you might have noticed, sports cars are kind of off the menu for the next, well, 20 years? JONATHAN ELFALAN: 'Fraid so. Things like cargo space, safety, comfort, convenience are now more important than ever. But since we're driving enthusiasts, we don't want our vehicles to be boring either. ALISTAIR WEAVER: Which brings us neatly to the new Chevy Blazer and the Honda Passport. Both promise lots of real world practicality with something a little extra-- a bit of flair. JONATHAN ELFALAN: But which one's better? To find that out, we're doing a proper family test. We're bolting in car seats. We're loading them up with cargo in the back. And seeing how much comfort they provide out on the open road. ALISTAIR WEAVER: Then we're going to take them to the Edmunds test track and find out how much fun we can have when the kids aren't in tow. JONATHAN ELFALAN: But, before we get started, be sure to click Subscribe if you want to see more videos like this or if you just like babies. ALISTAIR WEAVER: And head to edmunds.com for the best prices on both these vehicles. Yeah. Sure. You can let your kids develop their own personality. You don't want to influence them too much. That would be wrong. SPEAKER 1: Is that a Porsche race suit? ALISTAIR WEAVER: Yeah. Of. Course check this out. Look at that. [BABY FUSSING] So when you've got a screaming kid, I think every parent knows that speed is of the essence. So we're going to have a good old fashioned race-- who can fit their child seat faster? JONATHAN ELFALAN: I'm down for that. [DING, DING, DING] [MUSIC PLAYING] Done! ALISTAIR WEAVER: Victoire! JONATHAN ELFALAN: So how the seat install go? ALISTAIR WEAVER: To be honest, it is pretty easy. This has got a latch system. But it only has two-- one at either side. So if you're a middle passenger, you have a really bum deal. JONATHAN ELFALAN: And that's the thing I kind of like about the Passport. There are actually three sets of anchors back there. So if you want, you can have the middle car seat installed in the center, and you can have two adults on either side, which is actually kind of rare for this class. ALISTAIR WEAVER: And even if you're traveling alone, it's kind of nice just to be able to turn around and tag the little one. I like that. JONATHAN ELFALAN: Yeah. Me, too. ALISTAIR WEAVER: The other thing I find in all these cars, I'm 6'4", and you got to be really careful. It's almost like the smaller your baby, the bigger the car seat. In a lot of vehicles, I really struggle to drive with the seat behind me. The Blazer's actually not too bad for that. I'd have to compromise a little bit. So I'm a little bit cramped. But it's generally OK. The Passport has perhaps marginally more room. But to be honest, there's not much in it. And that a sensible consumer advice. [MUSIC PLAYING] JONATHAN ELFALAN: The Passport's essentially a shortened version of Honda's three-row SUV, the Pilot, but it has more space and more than double the towing capacity of the popular compact CRV. It sports a more rugged design with added ground clearance for improved driving when you're off the beaten path. Under the hood is a smooth revving V6 engine, which makes a healthy 280 horsepower. There's also a pretty sophisticated all-wheel drive system available, which our test car happens to have. To some, the Passport may not have the most striking exterior design, but that also poses a lower risk of polarizing shoppers. ALISTAIR WEAVER: The Blazer sits between the Equinox and the Traverse in Chevy's lineup, but it's much more ambitious than its sensible siblings. Chevy's tried to infuse the Blazer with the style and the spirit of the Camaro coupe in order to appeal to a different kind of customer. Now, normally, bolting sports car styling onto the body of an SUV is a recipe for disaster. Just ask Porsche. But I think Chevy's has done a fantastic job. The Blazer has real presence, particularly around this nose, and particularly if you choose the RS trim that we have here. To be honest, I think it makes the Honda look a bit dull. Nor is it all bark with no bite. Under the hood is a V6 with 308 horsepower and a sophisticated all-wheel drive system. The only caveat for me is the price. Although the Blazer starts at just under $29,000, the one you see here is just north of 50. Now, that's six grand more than the Honda and as much as many luxury alternatives. At this price, it better be good. [MUSIC PLAYING] Before my daughter Elya was born, I actually went to buy a stroller and realized that the one that I wanted wouldn't actually fit in the trunk of the car. So this is more important consumer advice. So shall we try and fit this contraption into the Passport? JONATHAN ELFALAN: Let's give it a shot. ALISTAIR WEAVER: It's pretty cool. Look at that. How posh is that? JONATHAN ELFALAN: Right. There we go. Wow. Yeah. It looks pretty good. ALISTAIR WEAVER: Yeah. The nice thing is you can still get a sort of bag alongside it. JONATHAN ELFALAN: Yeah. One of the greatest strengths of the Passport is it has one of the largest cargo capacities in the class. I will say that the loading height is a little high, about 3 inches higher than the Blazer. But a little height makes a big difference, especially if you're loading something heavy. ALISTAIR WEAVER: Yeah. You look really look like you're going to struggle. What I also like about this is all this side here is lined. There's a lot of really nice attention to detail on the Passport. Should we try the Blazer? JONATHAN ELFALAN: Yeah. Let's do that. ALISTAIR WEAVER: See, actually, when you look at the Blazer, this is all plastic. You can see it's starting to scratch up straightaway. JONATHAN ELFALAN: Yeah. I can see that. Yeah. You know, with the stroller inside, you can definitely see the difference. You've got some intrusions on the inside. It's about 10 cubic feet smaller than the Passport. JONATHAN ELFALAN: Yeah, that's true. You wouldn't fit another big bag beside it like you could easily in the Passport. And day to day, that's going to make a big difference. With our daughters getting restless, it's time to hit the road. [MUSIC PLAYING] JONATHAN ELFALAN: I kind of feel like I'm in a Camaro right now. ALISTAIR WEAVER: I love the way that they've integrated little hints of the coupe into an SUV, particularly around these air vents which twist to adjust the temperature. The biggest problem, though, is I think it's style over substance. These air vents are great, but all they tend to do is either freeze your knuckles or freeze your knees, and that's about it. I end up shutting them down. Another pecker I'm talking of the climate control. You can't control the airflow in the back. And I had friends in over the weekend who were complaining for literally hours about the fact that they felt they were constantly getting cold air and couldn't do much about it. And there are lots of details in this vehicle which I think really let it down. JONATHAN ELFALAN: This car is really penny-pinching in all the wrong areas. Like you mentioned, the air vents is a big thing, especially if you have kids in the back. Luckily, it seems like these kids are asleep. ALISTAIR WEAVER: There's other little things. Like, the USBs in the center here drive me crazy. I know this is, like, a really pedantic point, but it's almost like Chevy did the focus group, and people say, we need more USB ports, and so they just-- JONATHAN ELFALAN: Here you go. ALISTAIR WEAVER: --stuffed them in this center the dashboard. There's no attempt to cover them. There's no reason as to why they're there. If you plug in any sort of cable, they look ridiculous. It drives me mad. JONATHAN ELFALAN: Right. You know, the integration of technology into this cabin is a bit of an issue. It's not that they don't have the features that you want-- they give you a USB-C outlet, they give you a USB, they have a wireless charger here. So everything's here, but it's kind of poorly thought out in terms of layout and how you would actually use it. ALISTAIR WEAVER: And you mentioned technology. There is lots of great tech in this vehicle, Android Auto, Apple CarPlay, wireless charging. But this is very nice. Spent many miles trying to adjust this screen. It's mounted vertically, which presumably is to avoid reflection. So it's only partially successful at that. But it always looks a bit odd. JONATHAN ELFALAN: Yeah, and it's really a shame, because their Infotainment 3 System is quite good. It's very responsive. Like you said, there's a ton of apps here. So everything is there. It has the right bones, just the execution is poor. One of the things I keep coming back to is the look and feel of the material that they use in here. This car is pushing over 50K, and it just doesn't feel like it. ALISTAIR WEAVER: It doesn't. And you say it doesn't feel like 50K, but even at $29,000, which is what a Blazer starts at, I'm not sure it's good enough. Quality standards have improved so much recently-- thinking about vehicles like the Mazda CX-5 for example-- Chevrolet really needs to pick up their game in this area. It really lets this vehicle down. JONATHAN ELFALAN: So we've spent a lot of time in this car, which has a sportier suspension, but I feel like the ride comfort is actually pretty good, surprisingly good. ALISTAIR WEAVER: It is. I think that's one of the best features about the Blazer. Even on the roads like these, which aren't super smooth, the ride course calm, it's relaxed. It's quite an easy car to drive. The only thing that I would say is that you do pay a price for that styling. When you look over your shoulder, there is quite a big-- JONATHAN ELFALAN: Oh, yeah. ALISTAIR WEAVER: --blind spot there. JONATHAN ELFALAN: Yeah, it is. ALISTAIR WEAVER: But it does counter that with lots of cameras which help you park and maneuver around. And to be honest, I would sacrifice that for the styling. JONATHAN ELFALAN: [LAUGHS] So I think that's where you and I differ, because I prefer the natural visibility in the Passport, where you don't need the 360-degree camera system. You can naturally look over your shoulder and see anything that's in your blind spot. [MUSIC PLAYING] So as far as storage goes for knickknacks and everything else that your kids bring along with them, we have a few options here that are pretty decent, but I don't think it's quite packaged as nicely as the Passport. ALISTAIR WEAVER: No, there's probably not as much space overall. But one feature I do love in this vehicle is in this little door pocket here, there's a space designed for an umbrella. JONATHAN ELFALAN: Ah. Ah, wonderful. ALISTAIR WEAVER: And as a guy who originally hails from the UK, I love that. JONATHAN ELFALAN: [LAUGHS] But now you live in California. So-- ALISTAIR WEAVER: It's useless. JONATHAN ELFALAN: Useless. ALISTAIR WEAVER: No! JONATHAN ELFALAN: No. ALISTAIR WEAVER: This is really annoying. Again, this is-- JONATHAN ELFALAN: That is. ALISTAIR WEAVER: --something else that's really grating on me. My knee keeps catching the little temperature control thing, turning on the air conditioning, and blowing. JONATHAN ELFALAN: I thought it was actually-- ALISTAIR WEAVER: I find it really annoying. JONATHAN ELFALAN: --it automatically was cinching the temperature-- ALISTAIR WEAVER: No. This is-- JONATHAN ELFALAN: --with its advanced system. ALISTAIR WEAVER: --really annoying. JONATHAN ELFALAN: No. It's just your knee. ALISTAIR WEAVER: It's just my knee. [MUSIC PLAYING] JONATHAN ELFALAN: All right. So now we're in the Honda Passport after jumping out of the Blazer. And right off the bat, I think the material quality in this car just seems a level up from the Blazer. What do you think? ALISTAIR WEAVER: Yeah, I think that's right. You still got a few hard plastic, but the key thing is they don't look sort of cheap and shiny. And although it's not quite at luxury car standards, it's pretty good. JONATHAN ELFALAN: Everything from the infotainment screen, just having this kind of glossy finish to it, from the controls that they look pretty classy when they're backlit at night. ALISTAIR WEAVER: Everything just feels very considered in this car. It's just that the sort of level of detail, the attention is great, and it just works well. We've come to expect this from Honda. But everything is kind of where you expect it to be. It's nice that you got air vents that actually-- JONATHAN ELFALAN: Doesn't just blow consistently cold air on your hands. ALISTAIR WEAVER: What I also like about this Passport is the sort of technology feels like it works for you. It's great to have wireless charging for your phone. There's Apple CarPlay, or Android Auto if that's what you prefer. And Honda's own system is pretty easy to use. And everything feels pretty quick and responsive. JONATHAN ELFALAN: They have the technology. But I think what Honda does differently from the Blazer is that it's just better integrated. Like, you have little flaps here that cover the power outlets when you're not using it. And they're in a good convenient spot here. ALISTAIR WEAVER: Yeah. The level of thinking, it feels like there's a sort of extra layer of thought that's gone into it. JONATHAN ELFALAN: One thing I will have to nitpick about the Passport is the adaptive driving aids. They're generally pretty good, but the adaptive cruise control doesn't work below 20 miles per hour, whereas in the Blazer, it does. So if you're just crawling along in traffic, that is one of the aids that kind of takes the stress out of it. Both our test cars are fitted with a range of electronic gadgets, such as blind spot monitoring, that help you avoid an accident. ALISTAIR WEAVER: The other thing about this, which is hugely important when you've got young kids in the car, is the ride quality is good. Nobody's being thrown around too much. JONATHAN ELFALAN: Right. Yeah. I'd say it's probably a tick better than the Blazer. But the Blazer also has slightly larger wheels. That said, yeah, the ride quality is really quite nice in here. ALISTAIR WEAVER: Gearbox is nice. The steering is light. It's certainly not an intimidating car. You can also get great visibility out of it. It feels to me-- I mean, it is a wide car. You feel like you've set a little way away from me. JONATHAN ELFALAN: Yeah. I can't elbow you. ALISTAIR WEAVER: But once you get used to the bulk, it is an easy car to place on the road. JONATHAN ELFALAN: Like you said, the visibility, the natural visibility, without having to rely on all the camera systems here is really quite good. All the windows are squared off. I can look over my shoulder and see everything. So you're not really having to rely on this super comprehensive 360-degree camera to see everything around you. ALISTAIR WEAVER: But unlike the Blazer, Honda's very much set the Passport up as a vehicle that you can take off-road. I mean, all the TV ads have it sort of blasting down dirt tracks. And while it's no Jeep Wrangler, it has got a reasonable amount of off-road ability. JONATHAN ELFALAN: Yeah. That added ground clearance is going to give you slightly better off-road ability, as you say, but it's not a rock crawler. That said, we have a button here that is able to switch between modes. So if you're in the snow, if you're in the mud, it's going to calibrate everything to help you drive through those situations without any issue. ALISTAIR WEAVER: Sounds really geeky, but this is about technology working with you to actually make driving easier and safer. I think both of us recognize that as soon as you have a kid, no matter how old they are, you end up with loads of detritus. JONATHAN ELFALAN: [LAUGHS] That's a good word for it. ALISTAIR WEAVER: It's a very good word. And what Honda's done is build into these vehicle huge amounts of storage space. There's a big bin here in the center. There's all sorts of gubbins. JONATHAN ELFALAN: Yeah, everything about this car is about smart packaging. ALISTAIR WEAVER: It feels like it's built for a purpose, and that purpose is taking a family in as much comfort and convenience as possible. I think we like this car. JONATHAN ELFALAN: Yeah. I think so. ALISTAIR WEAVER: Well, the kids seem to be pretty quiet, which I think is a good tribute to the Passport's ride quality. And it is pretty refined in here. JONATHAN ELFALAN: It is. Or my smooth driving ability might have just put them to sleep. ALISTAIR WEAVER: That could be it. Or maybe just our droning on about-- [BABY FUSSING] --ride comfort and gearboxes. With our daughters sleeping soundly-- well, for once-- Jonathan and I take to the Edmunds test track. So in case you're wondering why we bother to bring vehicles like the Blazer and particularly the Passport to the track like this, well, this a key part of the Edmunds testing process, which you hear every Monday. What it allows us to do is to really experience the full repertoire of a car's dynamic ability. So if you all are in an extreme situation on the road, we can tell you how we expect it to behave, and we can pick up any vices in the ride or the handling. We think it's an important part of the integrity and authority of the process. JONATHAN ELFALAN: I couldn't agree more. Another interesting aspect that I found with this pairing of cars is that they both offer torque vectoring all-wheel drive. Now, what that does is it allows them to send power to individual wheels, which helps steer them through the corner. ALISTAIR WEAVER: Now, if that sounds a bit geeky and engineeringy, well, what it effectively does is mean that the car feels more agile and nimble out there in the real world. And that's a good thing. JONATHAN ELFALAN: Yeah. Absolutely. ALISTAIR WEAVER: OK, we're not running lap times today, because it could all end in tears. But what do you reckon would be fast? What would you feel that would be faster in? JONATHAN ELFALAN: I'd definitely say the Blazer, just because it does have the horsepower advantage, and we know that it generates more grip. That said, I'd much rather drive the Passport around here. What about you? ALISTAIR WEAVER: Me, too. I think that the Passport just feels like a more consistent car to drive. And yeah, it might ultimately be a gnat slower, but it gives you a bit more confidence for me than the Blazer. I can kind of start to feel what's going on better. JONATHAN ELFALAN: Yeah. [MUSIC PLAYING] ALISTAIR WEAVER: So the first thing we have to think in the Blazer is actually putting it into fun mode. If you drive around normally, it's in front-wheel drive. And I think you and I have both done a couple of laps in front-wheel drive. And this vehicle really doesn't work around there. JONATHAN ELFALAN: Not great. I mean, it affects not only your traction kind of coming out of a corner, but also when you get on the gas, the steering sort of goes wherever it pleases. ALISTAIR WEAVER: Yeah, it's constantly scrambling for grip. So there's a little knob down here in the center. So you go from two-wheel drive to all-wheel drive. Then you have to change it again into sport mode. Now, that affects the gearbox. It affects the steering. There's a little bit more resistance. The steering wakes up a little bit more. And in theory, this is the fun button. JONATHAN ELFALAN: Yes. Yes. It also takes about 10 seconds to do all of that. ALISTAIR WEAVER: It does. Slightly irritating. JONATHAN ELFALAN: This is obviously, at least from the outside, trying to convey a much more-- ALISTAIR WEAVER: Want some mosh bumps? JONATHAN ELFALAN: Whoa! There we go. OK. ALISTAIR WEAVER: It does not take that bump as well as the Honda, does it? JONATHAN ELFALAN: Not quite as well. But we're also, arguably, in a slightly sportier vehicle than the Passport. But based off of the exterior design, one might think that this thing is an absolute riot on the handling track. ALISTAIR WEAVER: So I don't think it's being billed as a car that you would necessarily take to a race circuit for a track day. But I think the exterior styling and certainly all of Chevy's marketing points to a car that is going to be fun to drive on a twisting road. To me, it just doesn't-- once again, it just doesn't quite deliver. The steering just feels a little bit artificial. The seats don't give you nearly enough support. So I think both of us feel like we're being thrown around a little bit too much. And although it's pretty quick and it's marginally faster than the Honda in a straight line, it never really feels like it. JONATHAN ELFALAN: I will say that because we're sitting a little lower and the steering does have a little bit more heft, the Blazer kind of conveys a little bit more confidence on the road that's going to coax somebody to maybe take a turn a little quicker. It's not a ton more, but it's enough, I think, for the average person to say that this does feel like a slightly sportier car than the Passport. ALISTAIR WEAVER: So I think both of us are agreed that instantly on a track like this, the Blazer does feel more sporty than the Passport. But let's not kid ourselves that this is some sort of Camaro in SUV form. It's just not. JONATHAN ELFALAN: It kind of looks the part. But I think if you're going into it thinking that you're going to get a sporty vehicle, that this is going to be as fun to drive as something like the Camaro on a winding road, then I think you're going to be disappointed. ALISTAIR WEAVER: And before everybody writes in the YouTube comments that, of course, it is an SUV, it's not a coupe, well, in today's world, there are SUVs that are genuinely fun to drive. I mean, the luxury market, Porsche Macan, Jaguar F-PACE, but even something like a Mazda CX-5 is, frankly, just better to drive than this Blazer. JONATHAN ELFALAN: Couldn't agree more. ALISTAIR WEAVER: And for a car with such sporting pretensions, there are a few details that really grate on me. Where, for example, are the paddle shifters to complement the V6? And these seats really lack support. How I'd love a couple of bucket seats from the Camaro. It's like the chassis engineers and the engineering people were in a different briefing to the designers. JONATHAN ELFALAN: Yeah. I kind of feel that way, too. And I think to your point about the sporting pretensions, the fact that you have to activate the all-wheel drive system, whereas with the Pilot, it just works automatically, you shouldn't have to select it. ALISTAIR WEAVER: So I think both of us are agreed that if we got the stopwatches out, the Blazer would probably be marginally faster than the Passport. But which would you rather drive? JONATHAN ELFALAN: I'm going to have to, shockingly, go with the Passport. It's just a much more cohesive package and it's more satisfying to drive. What about you? ALISTAIR WEAVER: Do you know what? I agree with you. And that's not only a big surprise, but a pretty big disappointment as well. I really had really high hopes for this car. JONATHAN ELFALAN: I did, too. ALISTAIR WEAVER: To be honest, there's few vehicles that I've driven in recent times that have frustrated me more than the Blazer. I love the way it looks. And on paper, it promises so much. But the execution is poor. In many ways, it's less than the sum of its parts. And over $50,000, it's also way too expensive. I know lots of people will buy it for its looks alone. And that's absolutely fine. But there are better family options out there. And that's why we're placing it seventh in our rankings for midsize SUVs. JONATHAN ELFALAN: The Passport really is the more well-rounded car across the board. And at this price point, it feels like a real deal. ALISTAIR WEAVER: It does. In many ways, it's more than the sum of its parts. JONATHAN ELFALAN: Yeah. It isn't perfect, but it doesn't try to oversell itself either. In fact, we like it so much, it's now our number one-ranked midsize SUV. ALISTAIR WEAVER: And I think we're agreed it's the one that you and I would both buy. JONATHAN ELFALAN: I absolutely would. LAUREL: Did you buy your own shirt, Alistair? ALISTAIR WEAVER: No, Laurel. If you buy your own Cool Dad T-shirt, it's distinctly uncool.