According to an automotive enthusiast and TikTok user named Thomas (@carsrme) Chevrolet produces the “worst SUV you can buy today.” And that dubious distinction, he says, belongs to the new Trailblazer.
Thomas points out two main reasons why this is the case in a recently posted TikTok. The first: The car packs a three-cylinder engine. Second: He says that the car is almost entirely made out of plastic.
Others users on the application who responded to his post were divided over the car’s quality.
Worst SUV/Crossover on the market now?
“This is the worst new SUV you can buy today,” Thomas says at the onset of his TikTok. From the get go, it’s evident that he’s sitting inside of a Chevrolet vehicle. Because the GM brand’s logo is emblazoned on the car’s steering wheel.
He goes on to explain what makes the car such a poor purchase. “It’s a three-cylinder SUV.” The video then cuts to him showing off the engine block under the hood of the car. “Three cylinders, look at that. Tiny, little engine,” he says, placing his hand over the “turbo” badging on the engine cover. “There’s my hand that’s literally almost the whole engine.”
Next, his clip then transitions to him showing off a sticker plastered under the hood of the car, proving his claim. “1.3 liter, I mean my God, you’re gonna buy an SUV with a 1.3 cylinder engine in it? Like what?”
Following this, he cuts to the back of the car, pointing out the AWD (all wheel drive) indicator. “Thank God it’s at least all wheel drive I guess? But, seriously, anyone who’s buying these Trailblazers, buying a three-cylinder.”
Not a fan of the interior
Afterwards, he cuts back to surveying the car’s inside, and he doesn’t have many positive things to say about it either. “It’s just your GM, typical, plastic everywhere. Fabric, cloth seats,” he says.
Next, he goes on to tap the bottom of the door’s interior material. “All plastic everywhere,” he notes. Although he does concede that there are some accent touches he appears to approve of. “At least you do get some fabric, nice, nice soft touch fabrics I guess,” he states. “I feel like everything on this car is literally plastic.”
Despite praise for GM including cloth on part of the door, he continues to rag on the car’s choice of materials on its outside. “Plastic, just cheap, cheap plastics everywhere. I mean would you spend $30,000 on an SUV like this?” he asks. “I guess the one saving grace is that it gets good fuel economy.”
He then crouches down to observe the car’s front driver’s side tire. “But $30,000? And you gotta drive a… Hmmm. I don’t think so,” he says, backing away from the vehicle and giving it a final once over. The video then closes out.
Mixed Trailblazer reviews
Car and Driver said in a review of the 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer that the car was “lots of show” but “not much go.” The latter portion of that review headline is directed towards the car’s three-cylinder engine that Thomas maligned in his TikTok. “Under the hood of every Trailblazer is a turbocharged three-cylinder engine. There must be some shame in a three-banger since Chevy has gone to great lengths to scrub all mentions of the phrase ‘three-cylinder’ from its press and marketing materials,” the outlet stated.
In fact, it appears that the brand may indeed believe folks will feel some type of way knowing it’s got a three-cylinder engine. That’s because, as the outlet puts it, this detail’s been omitted from the car’s sticker description. Following this, Car and Driver called the engine “slow.” Going so far as to state that merging onto a highway would be problematic due to its lack of oomph. “The 50-to-70-mph merge onto a freeway is a 7.0-second affair, plenty of time to gesture to your fellow motorists to please let you in.”
What’s more is that the the 1.3 liter engine that Thomas shows off in his video is the “upgraded” model, too. Meaning that if you opt for the base model one, you’ll be left with a 1.2 liter engine. And consequently, even more slugging acceleration times.
Wards 100, however, praised the engine. Stating that, at least on paper, the amount of power it can produce is surprising.
TikTokers are divided
One person stated that they couldn’t seem to understand the hatred directed towards GM’s way for the Trailblazer. They stated, “It’s literally an entry level car, bro.”
“Well, it might have all the plastic cause it’s a lower trim,” another penned.
But there were other folks who didn’t mince words when speaking about the vehicle. This included another TikTok user who claims to own the car. Their review was not kind. “Mine never gets out of service,” they wrote. “I don’t even have 30,000 on it. Worst purchase I’ve made.”
“My father just bought one of these and I love it. I don’t like that it can’t tow, but since I got a Blazer, that ain’t an issue,” someone else wrote.
Another said that GM was using the Trailblazer name as a bait and switch tactic to sell a bad car. While the two vehicles are similar in name, they differ quite a bit in terms of power and acceleration. “Not a Trailblazer just using the name for sales that’s like a crappy juke.”
@carsrme Three cylinder SUV?? #chevytrucks #gm #newcar #carbuying ♬ original sound – Thomas
The Daily Dot reached out to Chevrolet via email and Thomas via TikTok comment for further information.
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