Looking at buying my wife a Trailblazer, probably 05 or newer. I am going back and forth on the V6 or V8. I know the V8 has the (DOD) but it doesn't get that much worse mileage than the V6, plus you get the added hp and tq.
Any suggestions???
Thanks,
Craig
Well, first thing you need to know is that no TrailBlazer has a V6 engine. The base TrailBlazer powertrain is an inline six. I should add that, as inline sixes go, it's a pretty good one, too. It has a DOHC head and makes 285hp whereas the 5.3L V8 only makes 15 more. Admittedly, in mid-range torque, the V8 excels.
The EPA mileage figures for both engines bear little relation to what the truck will get in real life. Her fuel mileage in the real world depends
greatly on what your wife will do with the vehicle and how she drives it.
If the duty cycle will be primarily light loads, driven primarily around town by someone who's an easy driver, the I-6 is clearly the best choice. Once gas goes to 5 bucks a gallon you will welcome that six cylinder.
On the other hand, if the loads will be heavy or you guys may tow a boat, tow some ATVs or a utility trailer, or she'll drive a lot at highway speeds over medium or long distances and/or the wife is a "lead foot", the V8 is the choice to make.
That said, you should consider carefully whether you need a truck-based SUV, at all.
Many people who want a sports-utility vehicle can actually get by with what the market calls a "crossover" but what really is a car-based, all-wheel-drive, station wagon with high ground clearance.
Crossovers are almost always a little smaller, are always lighter, are easier to drive and, virtually all of them get better mileage than truck-based SUVs and some of them get significantly better mileage than truck-based SUVs. Chevy's cross over is called "Equinox".
If you don't need 4WD or AWD and high ground clearance (and few people do unless they live in places that see below freezing winter temperatures or drive off road a lot) but want an SUV that gets great gas mileage and you can live with something smaller, look at the Chevy HHR. It carries four and has a cargo area behind the rear seat that holds more than one would think. When ordered with the 170hp engine and the sport suspension, it makes an excellent combination of small size, great mileage and modest hauling ability. In fact, I bought my wife an HHR.
Don't get caught up in the idea that full-sized or mid-sized SUVs are inherantly safer than smaller crossovers or compact SUVs. In some cases they are, but in other situations they may not offer any significant safety advantage over a smaller vehicle unless they are also ordered with stability enhancement.
Lastly, don't buy into the urban myth that full-sized or mid-sized truck based SUVs are safer because the driver sits up higher. That, for the most part, is not proven by accident statistics.
