http://www.thecarconnection.com/Vehi...81.A10139.html

If there's one thing the TrailBlazer wasn't crying out for it was more power. A new interior, maybe… but not more power!



To my mind, the 300-hp, 5300 Vortec V-8 offers about as much performance as the TrailBlazer really needs for the daily school run, but that didn't stop Chevrolet from slotting the Corvette's LS2 V-8 into its engine bay and beefing up the looks and suspension to match. The resulting vehicle is called the TrailBlazer SS, although confusingly, it's sold as a package on LS or LT short-wheelbase models with 2WD or 4WD, rather than being a model it its own right. Go figure.



So what, exactly, does the SS package get you for an additional five grand or so? Well, obviously there's the 6.0-liter, pushrod Corvette V-8, restricted to 391 hp and 395 lb-ft of torque in the SS due to space constraints in the TrailBlazer's engine bay and the fact there's only room for a single tailpipe. Even so, Chevrolet has specially tuned the exhaust system (complete with single storm-drain-sized tailpipe) to make all the right noises under acceleration while keeping its distinctive V-8 rumble impressively mute at highway speeds.



Sadly, that fine engine is saddled with an awful transmission - an ancient four-speed automatic that offers no manual shifting and the electronic sophistication of a lightbulb. Kickdown is reasonably quick but it's anything but smooth and because it has been programmed to be as economical as possible, it's far to eager to jump back into top gear again making it impossible to enjoy the SS on any kind of a challenging road.



That said, when it comes to straight-line butt-haulin', the TrailBlazer is tough to beat. For maximum performance you simply stomp on the gas pedal and wait for the horizon to come to you - 0-60 mph takes around than six seconds in the RWD model we drove and the quarter-mile is dispatched somewhere in the 14s - not bad for a 4552-lb SUV.



If you lean on the brakes before building up revs, the TrailBlazer will break the rear wheels loose or cause the rather crude stability control system to slap you across the face if you forget to turn it off (or at least as "off" as GM's lawyers will let you) but the chassis really isn't set up for heroic powerslides or delicate drifts. The standard 20-inch wheels are wrapped in some impressively large and sticky Goodyear Eagle tires, which seem to contribute more to the TrailBlazer's ride and handling than you might expect.



All blinged up



In addition to the bling-bling wheels, the SS also gets special bumpers, mesh grilles, turn signals in the mirrors, and some special badging, which doesn't sound like a lot but it has the same effect as slipping off the dowdy glasses and letting down the school-mistress bun. The TrailBlazer SS oozes just the right amount of understated aggression to be handsome without being overwrought and cartoon-ish like the Grand Cherokee SRT-8. The SS also gets a slightly lower suspension with Bilstein shock absorbers, thicker front stabilizer bars, a quicker steering rack, a limited slip rear differential, bigger brakes with Corvette brake pads (steady now), self-leveling rear air suspension, and a Torsen center differential on 4WD models. The "sports" suspension is definitely firmer but not so stiff it'll rattle your teeth out. Indeed, the SS feels to me like every TrailBlazer should, offering a reasonable amount of information about the road surface beneath with none of the usual float or wallow.



Unfortunately, while the suspension modifications do wonders for the TrailBlazer's overall ride and handling, they don't go far enough to actually make the SS a sporty drive. There's still a fair bit of roll in corners and too much unwanted body movements when braking, accelerating, or stumbling across mid-corner bumps. The tires grip well, though, and do an admirable job of keep the SS on line through the twisty stuff, while they also contribute significantly to the SS's impressive highway refinement. The brakes, too, feel strong and are more than capable of reining in the SS from big speeds, which is reassuring given how rapidly it can accelerate.



The steering is probably the biggest difference between the SS and standard TrailBlazer. It's quick without being go-kartish and makes the TrailBlazer SS feel smaller and more agile than the regular TrailBlazer. What a shame, then, you have to steer with the same massive tiller you find in every Chevy truck, and I'm not even going to get started on the dashboard. All I'll say is that I can't remember the last time I saw sliders on a vehicle's HVAC controls and why can't Chevy please, please, please find some other plastic to make their interiors out of? That said, it is an extremely spacious machine and the extra bolstering on the SS emblazoned front seats holds you in place much better than the stock chairs. As with just about every other modification Chevrolet has made to the TrailBlazer SS, the seats are about as good as the stock items should be in the first place but, once again, fall short of actually being sporty in the traditional sense of the word.



The Chevrolet TrailBlazer SS is, overall, a very likeable and enjoyable machine to tool around in provided you get it out of your head it's any kind of a performance machine. It steers, rides, grips, and goes with the kind of poise and involvement you would expect from a modern SUV, though you'd do well to forget that there's a Corvette engine under the hood and treat it like a rapid family conveyance rather than some kind of bargain Porsche Cayenne chaser.



If you're thinking about a 5300 V-8 TrailBlazer then I would very strongly recommend you spend the extra $3000 on an LS-based SS because it really is a considerably better vehicle for not a lot of extra cash. Compared to the $40k, 415-hp Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT-8, the $31,180, 391-hp TrailBlazer SS seems like something of a steal but if ever there was a time to heed the old saying "You pays for what you gets," this is it.





2006 Chevrolet TrailBlazer SS

Base Price: $31,180
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Engine: 6.0-liter V-8, 391 hp/395 lb-ft

Transmission: Four-speed automatic, rear- or four-wheel drive

Length X width X height: 191.8 x 74.6 x 67.8 in

Wheelbase: 113.0 in

Curb weight: 4552 lb

Fuel economy (EPA city/hwy): 15/19 mpg

Safety equipment: Dual front airbags; anti-lock brakes, stability control

Major standard equipment: Dual-zone climate control, sport seats, sport suspension; styling kit; 20-inch wheels

Warranty: Three years/36,000 miles

 

I've seen a blue and a black one on the street so far...gorgeous sound, sweet look...I really like them a lot. Its funny they bag the handling, when other reviewers seem to like the handling a lot...go figure...

 

:blah:

So the transmission has the "electronic sophistication of a light bulb"? And the stability control is "crude"? Methinks not.

Fire away at the tranny for only having 4 gears in an age where 5 is commonplace and 6 is getting there. But I don't know where he gets off saying the electronic controls themselves are so lame. As for stability control, GM's system has been considered among the best for a long time. When reviewing a Corvette, I've seen it written that only Ferrari makes as good a system as the Corvette's. Sure, the TB might be calibrated a little differently, but I really doubt "crude" is the right word. I haven't driven a final production SS, just a powertrain mule (in a Buick Rainier body), but I don't recall thinking anything was crude (though I admittedly wasn't probing the stability control).

I swear, I think reviewers unconsciously let their disdain for the dash appearance cloud their entire impression/attitude toward the vehicle, before and during the drive.

He kept saying that the SS is basically what the normal Trailblazer should be, and that it drives about how you'd expect a normal, modern SUV to drive. Really? So if I get into a stock Explorer, Pilot, Murano, Durango, 4Runner, etc., it is going to feel as buttoned down and athletic as the TB SS? I don't think so. The weird thing as that he actually liked the truck overall, but keeps claiming that it isn't a performance machine. Well, OK, you could say the same for the Ford Lightning, Ram SRT10, etc. Compared to a true sports machine like a Vette, they are horrid. But compared to their more normal counterparts (TB, GC, F150, Ram, etc.), they are quite sporting and performance oriented. Perhaps he needs to ride around the 'Ring with Heinricy driving to show him an SS vs. a normal SUV (or even a normal family sedan).

 

I actually think it was a decent review. I see the reasons to not be happy with the transmission and how it can really take away from how good the TBSS can and should be. Its an awesome vehicle that minor improvements will make it the best performance utility value on the planet. As a Trailblazer driver I know and see all the gripes they speak of in the article and is mainly what we all gripe about. I disagree with some of the comments but the review was fair. Trailblazer SS is a homerun in which I think GM can get a bit more air under the ball and knock it clean out of the park. All TB needs is a refresh and an interior that it deserves.

 

I found the TBSS' 4L60E (oops, excuse me - 4L70E) to behave just like every other transmission of that type that I've experienced; that is, it behaved just fine. Some engines have a problem bridging the wide gap between 1st and 2nd, but the LS2 is not one of those

Now, the trans is reluctant to downshift, but by the time the converter unlocks, the TBSS is already blowing past 99% of the cars on the road. Earlier downshifts might feel nice, but I suspect they'd make it more of a gas hog than it already is.

The AWD test sample that I had didn't make much use of the Stabilitrak system, but when it did engage, it did so with an appropriate amount of authority. Trust me, by the time the driver has upset this vehicle to the point where control has been lost, corrections need to be swift and severe. If anyone objects to it, the system can be deactivated by holding the button on the shifter for about five seconds. Frankly, the AWD system is so good that the stability control is a bit redundant. Maybe the system is more obnoxious on a 2WD TBSS.

If there's any complaint to be had about the powertrain, it's the torque management that occurs in the lower half of the rev range.

 

Thanks Charlie. The mystery is solved. I'm sure you're all sick of the story by now but after ordering a Vibe for my wife to replace her "Envoy", I bought a TB/SS for myself. My wife found it drove "smaller than the Envoy" and preferred it to the Vibe. Cancelled the Vibe order and gave my wife the TB/SS (I'll still get to use it to tow the Camaro).

Our '02 Envoy, while a perfectly adequate appliance, was by far the new vehicle I was most unhappy with. The TB/SS makes me smile everytime I drive it and almost rivals the Camaro SS convertible as my all time favorite.