redzed

It should be pretty obvious by now that SUVs and trucks provide the big profits that keep GM going. Just when it looked like the Trailblazer/Envoy/Ranier were making up lost ground in the bread-and-butter midsized market, Toyota has redefined the game.

Can an inline-6 powered Trailblazer compete with a V8 powered 4Runner - especially when the price gap is so narrow?

GM might be the best of the domestics in terms of reliability, but Toyotas are absolutely bulletproof mechanically. My local Toyota dealer has decent sales volume, but very little service traffic. Since there isn't another Toyota dealer in an 80 mile radius, and precious few "import" repair shops, I can only suppose that Toyotas hardly ever go wrong.



http://www.caranddriver.com/xp/Caran...st_4runner.xml

I suppose that limited production capacity will ultimately minimize the damage that the 4Runner, or any other Japaneses vehicle, does to domestic SUV sales. It is impossible to find a Sequoia on a dealer's lot anywhere in the North East - they disappear as soon as they come in. The same goes for the relatively old Honda Oddessy.

It is only a matter of time before Toyota seriously takes on the profitable Corvette and Mustang markets. I wouldn't laugh at the upcoming Supra and IS430.

SNEAKY NEIL

Well, that is a lot of conjecture. Sales of the Vehicles you mentioned are not as high as you think they are. A 5.3 V8 IS available in the Trailblazer and it's cousins. As far as sales, the 4-Runner won't even be close to the top sellers. Also, I don't think the Corvette has anything to worry about.

RiceEating5.0

Not according to Consumer Reports and J.D power . Ford seemed to have faired better in their long term durability studies.

Any specs on the new 4runner? i've always liked their previous v6's models better then either the explorer/blazer/grand cherokee.

RiceEating5.0

Now that i look at the specs, the 4runner has got nothing on the TB's I6 in terms of power. Who'd have thought that their 6's would be more powerful then their 8's?

INTENSS

To the question you pose of "Can an inline 6 trailblazer compete with a V8 Toyota?" - I say YES. The Inline 6 in the Trailblazer makes more horsepower and comes up just short in torque. However, the inline 6 will get better mileage than the Toyota V8.

Quality across the board is up - I won't put Toyota on a pedestal above anyone else expecially since they produced the Echo - what a piece of crap. Even the car mags (who usually lvoe imports) had fun bashing it. The Trailblazer is a brand new SUV, brand new engine...very refined. And it's selling very well.

As for the Sequoia - that is one ugly beast (IMO). I dont know why anyone with any kind of taste would buy that thing. Oh well...guess there are many that are....

Again...I agree with Sneaky Neil - the Corvette has nothing to worry about with Toyota, for now.

-Rich

Z28Wilson

It looks to me like this truck is a lot like the others from Toyota. I'm sure it's solid and all, but at least in this area of the country the Big Three are FIRMLY entrenched in the truck market. I honestly don't see it taking any more Explorer/GM-trio sales than it does now. Just reading the article, nothing really jumps out at me as being overly special or unique about it....

redzed

Neither of the 2003 4Runner's engines can match the Trailblazer for horsepower, but both have torque rating that are superior (V6 to I6), or equal (V8 to V8). Toyota has also made stability control standard, something that isn't available on Trailblazer at all. (Who would have thought that Toyota would lead in active safety?)

To be honest, I'm not saying the 4Runner is superior to the Trailblazer or any other GM SUV.

For instance, the Sequoia is uglier and slower than the Tahoe, hands down. It's just that Toyota enjoy a better reputation and incomparable reliability.

Detroit is being saved, at the moment, by the lack of Japanese brand production capacity for trucks, SUVs and minivans. (Toyota projects 120,000 4Runner sales in the next year, a mere fraction of total GM midsized SUV production.) GM, Ford and Daimler-Chrysler had better sit up and take notice, because the Japanese automakers are making better, less idiosyncratic products - and they're building more factories too. The last 4Runner had become a joke, but this one is dead serious.

Yeah, Toyota isn't threatning the Corvette, the world's best selling sports car, at least not yet.

CamaroJim

that 4runner is FUGLY!

DaxsZ28

I didn't know you could get a 5.3 V8 in a Trailblazer. As for the 4Runner, it doesn't look like anything special. I didn't read the article, but I did notice the V8 headline. If you could get a V8 in a Trailblazer, that would rock!

SNEAKY NEIL

You can get a 5.3 V8 in the Trailblazer. For right now it is only available in the extended version. This is also true for the Envoy but in the up-comming Buick Ranier, you can get the 5.3 in the standard version.

redzed

The 5.3l V8 is only available in the Trailblazer EXT model. Unfortunately, the 7-passenger EXT is far heavier than the basic model, so performance is actually worse. If you want a V8 AND a shortwheelbased GM midsized SUV, you'll have to wait for the Buick Ranier. Silly, isn't it?

Sixer-Bird

What about tow ratings? Thats the more important aspect. The Trailblazer still tows more. 5000lbs for both V6 and V8 4Runners (2wd and 4wd) while the Trailblazer can tow anywhere from 4900lbs (I6 with base 3.42:1 gear ratio) to 7200lbs (V8 w/ 3.73:1)

Or you can see it for yourself

The V8 Trailblazer has 5lbs/ft of torque over the V8 4Runner.

So anyway, I don't see the 4Runner as the benchmark of midsize SUVs.

Z28x

the toyota 4runner V6 puts out more HP than the V8 LOL HAHAHA!! 245 V6 to 235 V8