2023 Chevrolet Blazer RS – Review by Stu Wright

When I took my first retail vehicle sales job in 1976, it was for GMC and the dealership issued me a new silver “Jimmy” with the white removable hardtop. Soon after that, our family took the Jimmy to Lake McConaughy in Nebraska. There we were to meet my big brother and his family, and the rendezvous took place at night – he and I had CB radios installed in our vehicles and I distinctly remember my CB speaker crackling “Breaker! Breaker!, I think I have spotted a Blazer”. He was a Chevy parts manager and in the darkness mistook my Jimmy as a Chevrolet. I loved hearing my Jimmy called a Blazer and I have always admired the name used when they rolled out the venerable SUV in 1969.

Recently I was offered the opportunity to test a new generation (since 2020) Radiant red Chevy Blazer. It was provided to me courtesy of Yoder Chevrolet in Ft. Lupton, Colorado. The 2023 Blazer RS is a mid-size SUV with terrific styling. The RS trim level is tied for the top-of-the-line in the Blazer lineup (with the Premier), and it comes with a host of advanced features, including a 3.6-liter V6 engine that delivers 308 horsepower and 270 lb.-ft. of torque. The engine is paired with a nine-speed automatic transmission, and all-wheel drive was included on my tester.

Inside, the Blazer RS features a spacious and comfortable cabin with room for five passengers. Features of my driver included an 10.25” touchscreen infotainment system, a rearview, surround, and mirror integrated rear camera, navigation, and Apple CarPlay/Android Auto integration. Also included was a panoramic sunroof, a premium eight speaker Bose audio system, heated and ventilated front seats, heated outboard rear seats, and a wireless charging pad.

The 2023 Blazer RS comes with a suite of advanced driver assistance features, including forward collision warning, automatic emergency braking, lane departure warning, lane keeping assist, and adaptive cruise control. The Blazer RS earned a five-star overall safety rating from the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration (NHTSA).  The list price for the 2023 Chevrolet Blazer RS I drove was $51,365.00, and the automobile was built in Ramos Arise, CZ, Mexico. Fuel economy ratings are 26 MPG highway, 19 city and 21 combined, and a 19.4 gallon tank gas tank allows for 504 miles of cruising range. My observed mileage came in at 23.9 mpg.

The Chevy Blazer is slotted between the Equinox and the Traverse in the lineup, and is sixteen feet long. Weight is 4,310 lbs, and the unit has an opulent feel out on the road. Fit and finish inside the cabin is great, and luggage space behind the back seat is 31 cubic feet.

The leather seati
ng was attractive and Chevy adds red stitching all over the inside to give a distinctive look – the dashboard is flashy like a Camaro (on purpose) with cool round air conditioning vents in it. Do you see what I did there?  I earlier referred to the styling of the Blazer as terrific – I want to ramp that up to “gorgeous”, because in its class it really stands out. Additionally, ride, acceleration, and guidance were all on target.

The name of this Chevrolet is great, too – a word that is fun to say, like “bumblebee”, “tectonic”, or “duck”. But as fun as the word is, the Chevrolet that is named as such is equally enjoyable.