
2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer RS in Oasis Blue with Mosaic Black roof
2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer RS AWD
Class: Subcompact Crossover
Miles pushed: 187
Gas used: 7.0 gallons
CG Report Card | |
---|---|
Room and Consolation | B+ |
Energy and Efficiency | C+ |
Match and End | B- |
Gas Financial system | A |
Worth | B |
Report-card grades are derived from a consensus of test-driver evaluations. All grades are versus different automobiles in the identical class. Worth grade is for particular trim stage evaluated, and will not mirror Shopper Information’s impressions of your entire mannequin lineup. | |
Huge & Tall Consolation | |
Huge Man | B+ |
Tall Man | A- |
Huge & Tall consolation rankings are for entrance seats solely. “Huge” score primarily based on male tester weighing roughly 350 kilos, “Tall” score primarily based on 6’6″-tall male tester. | |
Drivetrain | |
Engine Specs | 155-hp 1.3-liter |
Engine Kind | Turbo 3-cylinder |
Transmission | 9-speed computerized |
Drive Wheels | AWD |
Actual-world gasoline financial system: 26.7 mpg
Driving combine: 45% metropolis, 55% freeway
EPA-estimated gasoline financial system: 26/30/28 (mpg metropolis/freeway/mixed)
Gas sort: Common gasoline
Base value: $26,900 (not together with $995 vacation spot cost)
Choices on check automobile: Know-how Bundle ($1720), Comfort Bundle ($620), Driver Confidence Bundle ($345)
Value as examined: $30,580
Fast Hits
The nice: Advantageous passenger and cargo room inside tidy exterior dimensions; good choice of accessible security and comfort/know-how options
The nice: Distinctive look options; respectable experience and dealing with
The not so good: Some so-so cabin supplies; a bit noisy in freeway driving
Extra Trailblazer value and availability data
CG Says:
The Chevrolet Trailblazer RS would be the official automobile of the facility of constructive pondering. It seems like probably the most sporting model of Chevy’s all-new subcompact crossover SUV so, the constructive thinker may purpose, it should actually be sportier than the remaining.

Trailblazer RS fashions get sporty look touches similar to blacked-out exterior trim, a singular mesh grille sample, and twin exhaust shops with chrome suggestions. Eye-catching Oasis Blue paint is one other RS unique.
There’s a slight little bit of fact to that in case you are evaluating a front-wheel-drive RS to an FWD Trailblazer L, LS, or LT. The RS will get a normal 155-horsepower 1.3-liter turbocharged 3-cylinder engine rather than the 137-horse 1.2-liter turbo three used within the L-series fashions. However change the driveline to all-wheel drive and that little benefit disappears as a result of each AWD Trailblazer—LS, LT, RS, and ACTIV (a gentle off-roader)—will get the 1.3 engine and 9-speed computerized transmission.
With that in thoughts, the all-wheel RS that Shopper Information examined behaved very very like the AWD LT that it sampled earlier. The 1.3 is not any paragon of smoothness or quiet, however it’s type of peppy from a standing begin and advantages from the 9-speed trans (which replaces the FWD fashions’ repeatedly variable transmission) in constructing as much as freeway speeds. Selectable “Sport” mode adjustments shift factors and companies steering up. Journey and dealing with are good for a comparatively cheap crossover, although some highway noise intrudes in freeway driving. Examined gasoline financial system ranged from the mid 20s mpg to virtually 30 mpg.
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The RS’s sporty inside touches embody crimson trim parts and accent stitching, distinctive gauge graphics, and a leather-wrapped flat-bottomed steering wheel. The $1720 Know-how Bundle provides options similar to Chevy’s Infotainment 3 Plus touchscreen system, Bose 7-speaker audio, wi-fi Apple CarPlay/Android Auto connectivity, and wi-fi charging.
At $27,895—with supply—to begin, the RS and ACTIV all-wheelers share the highest rung of the Trailblazer value ladder. (Subtract $1500 for entrance drive.) That’s a soar of $1300 over an AWD LT. Within the case of the RS, that buys the next further customary gear:
- dual-outlet exhaust
- 18-inch alloy wheels
- diamond-pattern grille
- black decrease fasciae, entrance and rear
- black bowtie, badging, and roof rails
- contrast-color roof (both Mosaic Black Metallic or Scarlet Purple Metallic relying on physique coloration)
- LED taillights
- leather-wrapped flat-bottom steering wheel and shifter knob
- cloth-and-leatherette seat upholstery
- rear middle armrest
Take a look at Drive: 2021 Chevrolet Trailblazer LT

The Trailblazer affords respectable area for adults in each the entrance and rear seats, thanks partly to its tall-ish physique top.
Regardless of which of the seven model-specific exterior coloration mixtures a 2021 RS is available in—ours was Mosaic Black over an attention-grabbing, almost-aqua Oasis Blue—the inside shall be Jet Black with crimson cabin particulars like stitching, vent bezels, and console and shift-lever highlights. The “mixed-media” seats and the purposes of leather-based barely elevate the luxe stage in an inside that’s brief on enticing soft-touch surfaces. You’ll need to shell out for possibility packages to get issues like computerized single-zone air-con and an 8-inch touchscreen for the handy Chevrolet Infotainment 3 system to exchange the usual guide air conditioner and 7-inch display. (CG’s check RS had three possibility teams that introduced its remaining value to $30,580.) Just like the LT, it has customary LED fog lamps, heated energy mirrors, distant beginning, keyless entry, 10-way power-adjustable driver’s seat, heated entrance seats, forward-collision alert, computerized emergency braking (together with for pedestrians), lane-keeping help, computerized headlight high-beam management, and teen-driver monitoring.
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RS fashions don’t get an unique engine; they’re powered by the identical 155-hp 1.3-liter turbocharged 4-cylinder as different all-wheel-drive Trailblazers. RSes do get upsized wheels–18-inch alloys, versus the 16s and 17s on different Trailblazers.
Trailblazers present good leg- and headroom for 4 adults. There’s 25.3 cubic ft of flat-floored cargo area behind the 60/40-split second-row seats that fold virtually flat for extra room, and all however the L have a entrance passenger seat that retracts to make manner for lengthy objects. In-cabin cupboard space is considerably restricted—although the RS’s customary rear armrest does elevate the cup-holder rely by two. Controls are conveniently positioned.
One of the best ways to understand the RS in comparison with different Trailblazers is for its seems. Contemplating it a step up in efficiency would require some constructive—higher but, wishful—pondering.
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The RS and the light-off-road-themed ACTIV fashions are the topline fashions of the new-for-2021 Trailblazer lineup, and so they’re priced the identical in both front-wheel-drive or AWD kind. The RS amps up the sporty type of this likeable subcompact SUV, however the enhancements it brings are virtually totally beauty.
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