Future TrailBlazer SS?

I'm going to be getting rid of my Camaro in the next while, along with my Blazer.

When the 5th Gen comes out I plan on getting one of those to replace my current Fbody.

In the meantime........I'm thinking a TrailblazerSS would make a great family vehilce and provide some much needed fun.

Does anybody here have any experience with these trucks?
The only thing I don't like about it is that it pretty much has the same tranny as my current Blazer.......which is not such a good thing.

I am thinking that GM may be putting the newer 6speed auto, and that is something worth holding out for.

What are your thoughts?

I have a friend who has this truck and I have riden in it. Suffice it to say, it is nice in every way. The Jeep is faster and I like the interior and exterior better, but the price is pretty high for it.

I'd much rather have the GC SRT8. The TB needs an overall REAL bad - especially on the inside. Not to say the GC is great either, but it's better IMO.

Other than being a "little" thirsty at the pump we absolutely love ours. 6 months old, not a problem to report and it tows a trailer like that's what it was born for. :)

I just took advantage of the 0% financing and got myself one this past weekend. From all the research I did before hand, I figured it would be an impressive vehicle, but it's better than I thought it would be. It handles better than any other SUV I've been in and the acceleration and engine/exhausts sounds are perfect. I almost don't miss driving my camaro (still have it) when I'm driving the TB, and it's a lot more fun in less than perfect weather (AWD = no worries about traction). I wasn't sure about it until I test drove one, and after I did, there was no doubt in my mind. If you can live with a decent, functional interior, you should definitely consider one. Go for a test drive and see how you like it.

Josh

I'd much rather have the GC SRT8. The TB needs an overall REAL bad - especially on the inside. Not to say the GC is great either, but it's better IMO.

Better in what way? Interior aesthetics?

The TBSS actually has utility and can tow....

Better in what way? Interior aesthetics?

The TBSS actually has utility and can tow....

Interior aesthetics, yep. Perceived quality, creature comforts, ride quality/road noise, on road performance - maybe off road performance too.

The SRT-8 will still tow close to 2 tons. That's not mind-blowing but it's certainly enough for the average suburbanite and his bass boat and two jet skis.:)

Interior aesthetics, yep. Perceived quality, creature comforts, ride quality/road noise, on road performance - maybe off road performance too.

The SRT-8 will still tow close to 2 tons. That's not mind-blowing but it's certainly enough for the average suburbanite and his bass boat and two jet skis.:)

Bass boat?? Puuleeez....suburbanites are towing these nowadays...http://www.wakeforum.de/files/thumbs/t_z_mastercraft_xstar_rearvie.jpg

Close to two tons is pitiful, IMO. Your average 20+ ft. boat weighs 3000lbs and up DRY. Kinda pointless owning a truck that doesn't actually perform like a truck, don't ya think? ;)

Interior aesthetics, yep. Perceived quality, creature comforts, ride quality/road noise, on road performance - maybe off road performance too.

The SRT-8 will still tow close to 2 tons. That's not mind-blowing but it's certainly enough for the average suburbanite and his bass boat and two jet skis.:)

YEAH, but where will you put the tow hitch? On the Grand Cherokee SRT8 the space in the rear bumper cutout which is occupied by a hitch for every-other GC has twin exhaust pipes on the SRT. I.E. no where to put your hitch.:confused:

Besides, I just looked at a a GCSRT8 that came to $51,000 with the $5,000 'market adjustment" at a John Elway dealer in Denver. A Trailblazer SS AWD at a John Elway dealer in Denver came out to $34,000, loaded with Nav, with their standard discount.

Prove to me that... "Interior aesthetics, yep. Perceived quality, creature comforts, ride quality/road noise, on road performance - maybe off road performance too." add up a $17,000 difference.

Also, if you think that that ANYONE would take either of these vehicles off road your an asshat.

YEAH, but where will you put the tow hitch? On the Grand Cherokee SRT8 the space in the rear bumper cutout which is occupied by a hitch for every-other GC has twin exhaust pipes on the SRT. I.E. no where to put your hitch.:confused:

Besides, I just looked at a a GCSRT8 that came to $51,000 with the $5,000 'market adjustment" at a John Elway dealer in Denver. A Trailblazer SS AWD at a John Elway dealer in Denver came out to $34,000, loaded with Nav, with their standard discount.

Prove to me that... "Interior aesthetics, yep. Perceived quality, creature comforts, ride quality/road noise, on road performance - maybe off road performance too." add up a $17,000 difference.

Also, if you think that that ANYONE would take either of these vehicles off road your an asshat.

You can get a SRT-8 for 37k right now with the Jeep employee discount to all.

there was a dude with a vector tune, stall converter, and a K&N filter running 12.7s with his TBSS.

the GCSRT-8 may be initially faster but at least you can mod an LSx.

Does anybody here have any experience with these trucks?


I tested one for Autoblog and loved it enough to consider selling my Impala. Yes, the interior is kinda crappy, but as long as the LS2 is under the hood, they could have done the interior with milk crates and wood paneling and I still would have wet myself with joy.

Not only is the engine wonderful, but the TBSS AWD is downright shocking in its ability to put that power down to the road.

My biggest problem with it was the fuel economy - I managed right around 15 MPG with gentle highway driving, and I managed to average 10.x MPG on one tank by, er, exploring its capabilities.

According to car and driver, the TBSS is just as capable off road as its normal counter part. Not true for the GC srt8, it is strictly an on road vehicule.

My biggest problem with it was the fuel economy - I managed right around 15 MPG with gentle highway driving,

While I'm challenged to match your 15 .... 14 is the norm, I still get 12+ with the trailer, which is really why I wanted this truck in the first place. To be able to pull out and pass on a two lane with the trailer almost as well as most others without a trailer is priceless.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v469/Hugger1LE/misc/HuggerHauler.jpg

TB SS > GC SRT8.

SRT8 is faster but that's all it's got over the TB for me.

Faster, better ride, nicer interior, more creature comforts... pretty much the only place it loses out is that it only tows 3500 or so pounds to the TB's 6000 pounds. But I suppose if that's a deterrent then you same guys would still give the nod to the Toyota Tacoma over the Colorado considering the difference in max towing capacities is similar? And that's assuming the Tacoma's interior is cheaper, has fewer creature comforts, and rides worse, too... which we all know is most definitely not the case at the moment.

It seems people magically care about towing when comparing the smaller BOF SUVs, but when talking about trucks I hear "if you care about towing you shouldn't be getting a small truck anyway - that's what the full sizers are for". So why in this thread aren't people saying "The GC is as good or better at everything that really matters, except price - if you care about towing, get a Tahoe"?

and it is odd how someone who seemed to care about towing when discussing tacoma vs. colorado now does not care as much. hmmmm.

some people are biased towards gm (me being one) just like you are biased towards toyota. the difference is that not everyone has to derail threads due to their bias. better ride, nicer interior, more creature comforts is your opinion, but others may not agree, and even if they do agree...may not be willing to pay the extra cash in order to receive those items.

Faster, better ride, nicer interior, more creature comforts... pretty much the only place it loses out is that it only tows 3500 or so pounds to the TB's 6000 pounds. But I suppose if that's a deterrent then you same guys would still give the nod to the Toyota Tacoma over the Colorado considering the difference in max towing capacities is similar? And that's assuming the Tacoma's interior is cheaper, has fewer creature comforts, and rides worse, too... which we all know is most definitely not the case at the moment.

It seems people magically care about towing when comparing the smaller BOF SUVs, but when talking about trucks I hear "if you care about towing you shouldn't be getting a small truck anyway - that's what the full sizers are for". So why in this thread aren't people saying "The GC is as good or better at everything that really matters, except price - if you care about towing, get a Tahoe"?

Everything I've read says the TBSS has a better ride and has more interior room and makes a better everyday SUV then the GC SRT-8 which is more of an all out performance SUV with a harsher ride but slightly better handling and faster.

Plus I believe it's been mentioned time and time again that GM was the one who decided to limit the towing due to the fact that it was their belief that people who tow over 4000lbs step up to the larger version and I think it's been said enough that people would be happier with a bump up for towing capacity on the Colorado/Canyon duo. Although I think most people HERE would be thinking about towing cars on trailers and picture either full sized truck or mid-sized+ suv so they'd be more likely to picture a TBSS/GC SRT8 towing a car and trailer then a compact truck. Plus we're not just talking about capacity but lacking a place to put a hitch. But then again this is not about the Tacoma and the Colorado is it ;)?

Chris

So far the only thing I've heard about GM artificially limiting the Colorado's tow limit has been heresay. Unsubstantiated fact much like the whole "Caddy is the best selling brand over 42k+ dollars, which is what the government defines as a true luxury" turned out to be a bunch of heresay and full of several large holes.:shrug:

And don't tell me "well lots of people on the Colorado forums have towed 6000 pounds without any problems" because tow limits are not brick walls. They are recommended stopping points to avoid excessive wear and potentially unsafe specifications in the event of an emergency manuever.

and it is odd how someone who seemed to care about towing when discussing tacoma vs. colorado now does not care as much. hmmmm.

Actually I still don't care much either way. I only focus on towing because so many other people here act like it's all that matters in a truck just like acceleration #s are all that matters in a car.

So far the only thing I've heard about GM artificially limiting the Colorado's tow limit has been heresay. Unsubstantiated fact much like the whole "Caddy is the best selling brand over 42k+ dollars, which is what the government defines as a true luxury" turned out to be a bunch of heresay and full of several large holes.:shrug:

And don't tell me "well lots of people on the Colorado forums have towed 6000 pounds without any problems" because tow limits are not brick walls. They are recommended stopping points to avoid excessive wear and potentially unsafe specifications in the event of an emergency manuever.


It's been stated plenty of times when it first came out. It was in a few different articles that GM limited it. I wouldn't call it 'artificially' as they did limit it for a better riding suspension.

The Caddy thing was stated as a fact by Scott. It was a particular statistic that GM decided to use and we all know that you have problems with that statistic anyway as your post about how you didn't believe it was true denegrated into you complaining that the statistic was not a true mark of a good selling luxury brand (which wouldn't change the statistic even if you don't like the use of it). So we had Scott say "yes it's a fact that was confirmed as otherwise we would get sued" vs. nothing to unsubstantiate the fact.

BUT OF COURSE THAT HAS NOTHING TO DO WITH WHAT WE'RE TALKING ABOUT! Can you never stay on a single track?

GC SRT-8 vs TBSS
went to
Colorado vs. Tacoma
and now
Caddy facts

Now all we have to do is wait for the obligatory comment you're going to make about the Ridgeline :p .


Actually I still don't care much either way. I only focus on towing because so many other people here act like it's all that matters in a truck just like acceleration #s are all that matters in a car.

Actually I've seen plenty of people mention other things then just acceleration numbers. Go check out any of the Camaro weight posts or the equipment that people want in it. I think you'll find a lot more then just acceleration numbers matter to people.

In fact I'm pretty sure looks are what people complain here mostly about especially with cars like the Malibu.

And towing is not the only thing in the truck. The TBSS has been said in the comparison articles to have a better ride, better off road use (albeit not really great for off road) and more room and be a better everyday driving vehicle. That doesn't equate to just towing numbers.

Chris

So far the only thing I've heard about GM artificially limiting the Colorado's tow limit has been heresay.

it is not heresay, get some facts before posting. Here is a chat with the Colorado's Brand Manager.

http://www.pickuptruck.com/html/2004/chevrolet/colorado/roadtest/mikew.html

when asked about towing he states

"When you look at reasons for purchase within this segment, tow rating is way, way down the list. They’re looking for a good value, exterior styling and they want a dependable vehicle. The whole power story and towing capacity issue doesn’t resonate nearly as strong as you think it would. They’re towing smaller things like jet skis. The fact that this is their primary vehicle for getting around makes the ride comfort aspect very important."

The focus was on ride comfort as opposed to power and towing.

Now PLEASE let this topic go back to its original intent.

So the suspension was softened for ride quality, thus making the physical towing capacity limitation significantly lower than the competition.

That's a design compromise. Not artificial limitations as others have said.

An artificial limitation would be like saying the LS1 in the f-body makes 305 ponies while it makes 350 ponies in the Vette. It's assigning an artificially lowered specification to make the higher end product look more appealing, which is what others have said in the past is the reason why the Colorado was assigned such a low towing capacity and thus why its "true" towing capacity was significantly higher than its actual rating, and therefore more in line with the competition.

And sure... we can get back on topic. Which is... towing capacity on the GC less so therefore it sucks. Right?;)

And sure... we can get back on topic. Which is... towing capacity on the GC less so therefore it sucks. Right?;)

No....just makes the TBSS a better Sport UTILITY Vehicle :p

So the suspension was softened for ride quality, thus making the physical towing capacity limitation significantly lower than the competition.

That's a design compromise. Not artificial limitations as others have said.

An artificial limitation would be like saying the LS1 in the f-body makes 305 ponies while it makes 350 ponies in the Vette. It's assigning an artificially lowered specification to make the higher end product look more appealing, which is what others have said in the past is the reason why the Colorado was assigned such a low towing capacity and thus why its "true" towing capacity was significantly higher than its actual rating, and therefore more in line with the competition.

And sure... we can get back on topic. Which is... towing capacity on the GC less so therefore it sucks. Right?;)

Geez do you have a one track mind?
THE RATING WAS NOT ARTIFICIAL. IT WAS DUE TO THE SUSPENSION.
Noone claimed it was fake or artificial. The point was that it wasn't the engine as you asked if the engine hp increase would increase the towing capacity and the answer was "not unless the did suspension upgrades as the engine was not the limiting factor" and yes in the other post I tossed in a few real world to point out that the engine had enough power to be able to tow more as your question on the power increase. Obviously if the truck can pull more weight up the hill the engine has enough power for the extra weight. Anything about reliability beyond the 4000lbs would have nothing to do with power. Noone said it was an "artificial" limitation.

Nice way to skip over. Let's see if you get it a third time.
Some people prefer a TBSS b/c
1. superior ride quality
2. cheaper
3. can tow more then 3500lbs
4. has a location for a hitch
5. better offroad utility (although really not great for that)
6. better gas mileage
7. larger interior room

All those add up to better everyday usability.
Some people will prefer it for those reasons over a GC SRT-8, some would prefer the all out handling or extra power.

Chris

And sure... we can get back on topic. Which is... towing capacity on the GC less so therefore it sucks. Right?;)

Nope, for me, if towing were a concern I would buy a full-size truck. If these two vehicles were the same price while comparably equipped, I would almost certainly choose the GC for the extra power. Keep in mind I have driven neither, but my in-laws have a TB which I find more than adequate for what it is (that includes the interior). I am guessing that Jeep wanted to have the fastest SUV available, and I believe they accomplished that, so I am glad they did what they did. I think the GC is very cool, even if not what I am looking for...right now!

Am I the only person who has sat and rode in both of these cars in the last 2 months? :think:

Cause otherwise you guys need to go and get some seat time in both.

Am I the only person who has sat and rode in both of these cars in the last 2 months? :think:

Cause otherwise you guys need to go and get some seat time in both.

I've driven a regular hemi GC (06) but only sat in the SRT8. I have driven a TB SS and hated it. It felt clunky. Like it was trying to compromise for sucking by using brute strength.:D

I've driven a regular hemi GC (06) but only sat in the SRT8. I have driven a TB SS and hated it. It felt clunky. Like it was trying to compromise for sucking by using brute strength.:D


:lol: Nice...

I haven't driven either of them but riding in the SRT8 wasn't comfortable at all. Personally I probably wouldn't buy either of them but if I had to choose the SS rode better and was more comfortable to me.

You and I have wildly different ideas on better on those issues though. ;)

:lol: Nice...

I haven't driven either of them but riding in the SRT8 wasn't comfortable at all. Personally I probably wouldn't buy either of them but if I had to choose the SS rode better and was more comfortable to me.

You and I have wildly different ideas on better on those issues though. ;)

Yeah, to me a stiff ride isn't a bad ride so long as it's a controlled ride. I don't mind feeling a bump in the road so long as it's one solid 'thump' that is largely isolated to the chassis and doesn't make its way into throwing the cabin itself into shudders and fits.

It's for this reason that I can't stand the ride of most grandpa type BOF cars (town car, maurauder, older caddies, etc) as, while they do absorb the bump - it takes what seems like an eternity for the chassis to finally settle down. Kinda like jumping on a water bed while somebody is sleeping on it. It may not produce any sharp painful motions from the bed, but the bed will still be sloshing around for quite some time.

With that said I don't feel that the TB SS is exactly 'boat like' and the SRT8 isn't exactly perfection in terms of isolation and control, but I think the GC does a better job of the two based on my seat time in the regular GC. Maybe the SRT8's suspension is just way too stiff for the chassis to 'deal with' properly - in that case I could be wrong. But yeah, I guess I'm just saying a stiff ride doesn't by default mean a bad ride. I'd describe a bad ride as either 'wandering' or 'jarring'. Two bad qualities typically on opposite ends of the scale, but both bad.

For IE I would say that the ride quality of a Corvette is light years better than an f-body. They're probably equally stiff, but to me the f-body's stiffness isn't well dealt with and ends up being much more 'jarring' to the cabin and its occupants.

While I'm challenged to match your 15 .... 14 is the norm, I still get 12+ with the trailer, which is really why I wanted this truck in the first place. To be able to pull out and pass on a two lane with the trailer almost as well as most others without a trailer is priceless.

http://img.photobucket.com/albums/v469/Hugger1LE/misc/HuggerHauler.jpg

beautiful pic

This may sway some opinions, DCX is offering employee pricing on SRT8s, but not 10s. So you may be able to get a GCSRT8 for a great price, and have the fastest SUV as well. I got my Magnum SRT8 for 3% below factory invoice. Only downside so far is 16 mpg.

This may sway some opinions, DCX is offering employee pricing on SRT8s, but not 10s. So you may be able to get a GCSRT8 for a great price, and have the fastest SUV as well. I got my Magnum SRT8 for 3% below factory invoice. Only downside so far is 16 mpg.

IDK if the SRT8 is the fastest SUV out there; how fast is the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S with its 520 HP?

IDK if the SRT8 is the fastest SUV out there; how fast is the Porsche Cayenne Turbo S with its 520 HP?

Absolutely faster than the SRT8 but at more than twice the price it better be.:D

While I'm challenged to match your 15 .... 14 is the norm, I still get 12+ with the trailer, which is really why I wanted this truck in the first place.

Sounds much like my K2500, which also has 4.10s. It struggles to get 14 MPG empty, but yet manages about 12.5 MPG with 7000 lbs or so behind it. Low gears may suck when unladen, but they sure are nice when towing or hauling.

I chose the TB SS over the GC SRT8.

1. I didnt want AWD. Im in Texas (Houston) dont need it. Its beter on gas as well.

2. I can get a LS SS with cloth. I have 4 dogs to lug around. While leather might be easyer to wipe clean. It doesnt last long with a 160 pound plus dog err... moose

3. More room inside. For the dogs, small furniture, and fun.

4. I tow a Camaro. Its a better truck to tow with. I would rather have a true truck than a unibody car/truck thing.

5. Better aftermarket. If i wanted to I could build a 500 CID, FI, LSX based motor for it. I wont go that far but H/C, bolt ons and a blower for sure. Not to mention BMR makes suspention for better (road) handling.

6. To me it is the better looking truck.

Yes out of the box the Jeep is a little faster. (Some RWD TBSS's have gone 13.50s or better) With just a few simple mods you can kill a SRT-8. They also seem to be much more limited in the tune than the Jeep. I dont think the aftermarket will ever catch the LSX for the hemi. It was the better selection for me.