Neither is the current Explorer. Or the current Pathfinder, they were both RWD based BOF SUVs that are now FWD based unibody crossovers today. Times change, that sort of vehicle is not what consumers want anymore, they want car based crossovers. My first car was a 95 Explorer Limited that was an awesome truck, but it rode terrible, it was loud, clunky to drive. A modern family doesn't want that anymore, they want a spacious, carlike crossover. If Chevy had made this new Blazer a BOF 2 door SUV thats what would have been crazy...because nobody would have bought it.

Driving an F150 is different from liking old 80s K5 Blazers lol

He can buy an old Bronco, but since he didn't he's not the sort of person we're talking about.

 

Agreed that, in most cases (there are a few exceptions) body-on-frame SUV's drive with less refinement than crossovers....no argument there. It also led to a major problem with the truck-based Explorer (and Mercury Mountaineer cousin), where customers complained about the stiff ride. Ford, instead of redesigning the suspension (which dated back to the 1964 Twin-I-Beam suspension on the trucks), took the cheap, easy way out by simply dropping the recommended tire PSIs in the Firestone Wilderness tires to give a softer ride. Firestone protested, and said that the (newly) recommended 26 PSI was simply not enough for safety, particularly on hot, sun-baked roads, at higher speeds, with loaded vehicles. The rest, of course is history....I'm sure you remember what happened.

 

There's plenty that GM makes that does not impress me. To start with, even in the Buick line, I'm not a terribly big fan of the Encore, even though it is well-built and reliable.

True. And it was a body on frame vehicle.

Agreed we're probably spending too much time on it (me included). No matter what any of us think, it's not going to change anything.....the new Blazer is the new Blazer, period. We either buy it or we don't. Like some others, I think it will indeed sell, but not to traditionalists.

 

Don't pretend thats what you were talking about. You didnt realize that GM made 4 door Blazers in the past...

 

Not pretending anything. We were discussing Blazers vs. Trail Blazers. With the four doors came a name change....and, of course, its Ascender, Rainier, Bravada, and Envoy variants. And the Envoy, of course, introduced another new feature...the partially cut-away/roll-away roof that allowed tall items such as refrigerators to be carried. I may be wrong, but I don't remember any of the others having that feature.

 

NO! The 4 Door Blazer existed before the Trail Blazer trim or the name change to Trail Blazer....the name change to Trail Blazer came 10 years after the first 4 door Blazer.

Read what I posted above.

 

You are correct. I remember the when GM brought out the Trailblazer trim (above Blazer) along with the Envoy (above GMC Jimmy). Then there was an new gen of models in 2002ish, I think GM dropped the Blazer name all together and just went Trailblazer. Same with GM and just went Envoy.

 

 

I am all for GM bringing back the Blazer name. I don't think anyone buying it would really care if it denotes K5, S10 or neither. Blazer is one of the rare GM names that has value. I am sure Trailblazer naming will return as well.

 

While in my mind, just saying "Blazer" is the K5, you are clearly not following this thread when you post that. The S-10 Blazer was not the "S-10 TrailBlazer". This was way before the Ascender, Rainier, Bravada and Envoy were even a thing. GMC's version was the S-15 Jimmy (because the GMC Jimmy was the same as the Chevy Blazer).

https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Chevrolet_S-10_Blazer

 

I am aware of that. There is no such thing as an S-10 Trailblazer...it was a different platform.


While we can talk all night about Blazers, Trailblazers, and different platforms, the main question boils down to the one at hand....a crossover with four doors, and if it will sell. While I myself am not impressed with the basic concept, the short answer is clearly yes.......enough other people are that it will have no problem going out the door at all.

 

 

 

Back to the topic at hand, anybody know if GMC will introduce a new Jimmy or Envoy version of this upcoming Blazer? I didn't see it mentioned in the OP article. I'd lean towards predicting a yes, but not not necessarily putting money on it.