2020 Chevy Blazer 3LT Drivers’ Notes | The chic family crossover

The 2020 Chevrolet Blazer enters its second year of resurrection with a new engine option. It’s a 2.0-liter turbocharged four-cylinder, and it just so happens to be under the hood of our 3LT tester. This new mill produces 230 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque, slotting below the 308-hp V6 and above the naturally aspirated 2.5-liter four-cylinder. The turbo is mated to a nine-speed automatic transmission, and comes as the standard motor for 2LT and 3LT trims. When paired with all-wheel drive, it’s the most efficient Blazer engine choice, coming in at 23 mpg combined versus the V6’s 21 mpg combined rating. The EPA ratings are exactly the same as the front-drive-only 2.5-liter four-cylinder, too (21/27/23). With front-wheel drive, the 2.0-liter-turbo-equipped Blazer posts 24 mpg combined.

Besides the engine, changes for 2020 are minimal. We appreciate the ability to now turn off the start-stop system, although it wasn’t a particularly jarring experience before. We’re driving the 3LT, which comes with a number of niceties as standard equipment. All the seats are covered in perforated leather, and the front seats are heated. It also comes with a smattering of safety systems: rear cross traffic alert, blind-spot monitoring and rear park assist. However, it didn’t have adaptive cruise control or lane-keeping assist. Finally, the 3LT comes with a power liftgate. This trim starts at $40,195, but for our car came with a single option: the $41,595 Sound and Technology package that includes the rear camera mirror, a 4.2-inch digital screen in the instrument cluster, navigation and additional power/USB outlets.

Editor-in-Chief Greg Migliore: I think the Blazer is one of the better-looking crossovers in this segment. This is not the boxy Blazer of old — rather it’s a stylish, vaguely Camaro-like family hauler inline with contemporary tastes.

I prefer the linear characteristics of the available 308-hp V6, but the 3LT tester’s 2.0-liter four-cylinder is pretty enjoyable. It has a lot of low-end torque (258 lb-ft at 1,500 rpm) and a peppier dynamic than you usually get in a mainstream grocery-getter. I found the nine-speed transmission works well with both powerplants. The chassis is borderline taut, more so than other crossovers of this size, which I like, and the Blazer is among the best handlers in its class. I’m not sure everyone is looking for that, but props to Chevy for trying to create an identity. 

That neatly sums up my take on the Blazer: It has an identity. The design might sway some swing buyers. It’s interesting, which speaks to how Chevy and its take on crossovers have evolved.

Senior Editor, Green, John Beltz Snyder: When the Blazer first launched I hated it. I hated the way it looked inside and out. I hated that it was unnecessary. And I hated that it debased the Blazer name. Over time, especially after seeing it in more colors out in the wild, I got used to its looks. I wasn’t big on this one’s white-leaning Silver Ice Metallic paint, and I still am not impressed with the interior (especially those stupid temperature controls).

Temperature controls in the Chevy Blazer are novel, but not great. @therealautoblog pic.twitter.com/WLkOVMkl6O

— John Snyder (@jbeltzsnyder) March 3, 2020

Driving it isn’t terrible, though. I like the turbo motor. It feels lively and entertaining around town, but I found the transmission to get easily confused. It had the the tendency to hunt for the right gear on a highway entrance. It looks wide going down the road, and it feels wide in the way it mitigates body roll in the corners. The steering doesn’t offer much in the way of feel or feedback, which is a bit of a disappointment, because a responsive rack would be a nice complement to the adroit handling. Braking requires more effort than I prefer at city speeds.

So, while this time in the Blazer helped to salve my previous distaste for it, I wasn’t sad at all to hand the keys off to someone else.

Road Test Editor Zac Palmer: Much of the luster wears off the Blazer when it’s not decked out in searing-red paint and sporty RS trim styling. I think it looks much more like a normal, boring crossover without the large black wheels and RS badges all over the place. The styling is more interesting than something as simple as the Honda Passport, but in 3LT trim and silver paint, I don’t think the Blazer is a design standout in this now bustling class of mid-size crossovers.

Our tester’s price is finally within reason, though. The Blazer RS we tested last year was $50,765, which is a tough sell for a not-that-big and not-that-luxurious Chevy crossover. At $41,595, I think the Blazer makes a little more sense. It’s up there with the Ford Edge as one of the better driving vehicles in this segment, but I could be tempted to go for the Edge ST that’s just a few thousand dollars more than this particular Blazer.

Chevy’s infotainment works well, and is easy-to-use for the most part. Its Apple CarPlay functionality had a few hiccups here and there, as it would sit in a perpetual CarPlay bootup state unless I pressed the physical home button and then selected the CarPlay icon on the homescreen. I like the simple gauges and instrument cluster center screen Chevy uses on the Blazer, too. Everything is easily read at a glance, but it’s still modern and high-tech.

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