It took only a few miles in our test Blazer to appreciate its two biggest dynamic improvements.The first is ride quality. Where the previous Blazer was harsh and choppy, the new one is smooth and supple, soaking up nasty pavement in a manner we?d associate more with a sedan than a sport/utility vehicle. This makes plenty of sense because most 4-door sport/utility vehicles are employed primarily as station wagons. The second positive trait was the new Blazer?s quiet interior. GM has done an excellent job here. Wind noise is down and there?s lots more sound-deadening material packed around the passenger cabin. GM has improved the steering of its new compact sport/utes. The previous edition had poor self-centering characteristics. If you turned the wheel slightly and released your grip, the vehicle wouldn?t track back to straight ahead. The new Blazer?s revised variable-assist power steering cures this problem. Handling is improved, although here the gain is smaller. High weight and ground clearance keep the new Blazer from being nimble, but it?s better than most sport/utes. Weight is also the enemy of engine performance, but our Blazer?s V6 gave a good account of itself. Its abundant torque gets it from 0 mph to 60 mph in about 10 seconds, and it?s one of the very few sport/utilize engines that delivers acceptable performance at its maximum towing capacity. |
