Lookin' at new 2004 Trailblazer EXT LS

Hi,

I am lookin' at a new 2004 (dealer leftover) Trailblazer EXT LS.

Here is what I am worried about:

(A) I have had many Honda & Acura built automobiles in the last 20 + years or so. I have been VERY SATISFIED. Basically I am NOT USED TO HAVING ANY PROBLEMS with my vehicles at all. My last car the 2000 Acura TL has 73K miles on it ; IT HAS NEVER BEEN TO THE DEALER FOR "ANYTHING!!!!!!!!!". I change the oil on my own, I had to swap out brake pads at 60K miles ; change a set of (4) tires at 62K miles...THAT'S IT !! There are NO rattles, NO sweaks, car is smooth as silk !! Hell, at this rate I could get another 20 years out of it !!

(B) I am thinkin' of switchin' for the first time to a Chevrolet (or for that matter American Iron !!); having given the JAPS a lot of biz + need a little more room & also, the 4x4 should help in the New England winter ; which can be brutal.

(C) I do notice a lot of people complaining about the Trailblazer. I test drove one and it looked good + the the dealer is takin' a LOT OF $$$ of sticker price + giving me a decent trade in value <very DESPERATE to sell ... Unlike Honda / Acura dealers in the Boston area, who think they are GODS !!>

(D) Can someone tell me if I am goin' the right way?? Hope some of you have had good experiences with your Trailblazer....any of you with 100K miles with little problems??? please post !!

Thanks in advance.

Vinnie
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I also am a satisfied Honda owner. I bought my TB LTZ a year ago and already have 38k on it and so far there have been "0" mechanical problems. Had to take it back to the dealer for the gasket around the license plate holder and rear bulbs seem to burn out quickly but other than that it has been great. I love the gas mileage. 18 around town and 22 on the hiway. The only thing I do not like is the driver seat. It is as hard as a park bench. Mine is an 03 so maybe they changed them for 04. I hope so. Mine has the 17" wheels so tire choices are limited.

Thanks for your response. I am still fairly skeptical ; as I looked on

www.carreview.com

and people are BITCHIN' up a STORM about the Trailblazer. There are few like yourself that seem to like it. I like the looks and the size looks pretty good ; 22 mpg is fairly good <my Acura TL is approx 25 ~ 26 mpg but have to use Super unleaded gas....so should be a wash.....but I'd get a bigger SUV & hopefully better in the winter time with 4x4>.

However, people have HAD TONS OF PROBLEMS w/ the Trailblazer, as indicated by the responses on carreview.com, which totally surprised me....it almost seems like the trouble people were havin' in the 80's & 90's when a lot of them switched to the JAPS...

Just for kicks, I checked out Lexus RX300, Acura TL and even the Honda Accord. Shockingly most people just raved and raved about the 2004 Accord, more so than the Lexus and the TL....

I am considering hangin' on to the TL for another 4 + years or so....the car just runs perfect....why get rid of it...pay 5% sales tax + 2.5% excise tax on the new SUV + they'll both be worth the same in 4 years !!!....the 8+ year old TL & the 4+ year Trailblazer....

This is not firm, but looks more like it !!

V.M
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Vinnie

I also am 100% satisfied with my TB. My girlfriend's parents also have one and they are completely satisfied with their's. Most of the reviews I have found online have been favorable. I did read carreviews.com and the ones that were posted the latest were pretty bad, but if you keep reading past the first ten or so, there are some favorable ones. Its the same with everything else...if you have a negative experience, you are more prone to tell everyone.

I've had no issues with mine (except for something I actually broke...not manf. defect).

Also, the Acura (MDX) is about 8-10k more.

Most people won't have 100k miles yet since the TB just came out in 2002.

Also, I'm not sure they are "desperate" to sell. American companies have always given cash-back/rebates, where as foreign companies typically don't. It's a marketing tactic...pure and simple. Believe me...most American dealers think their brands are "GODS" too.

I have to agree with Baskerj on this one. You are more prone to tell a bad experience about a car than a good one. So, unless it is a request for an opinion such as yours, you often don't hear about all the happy owners. I love my Trailblazer 100%. I am also a big fan of Hondas/Acuras, but it is hard to compare your Acura TL to a Chevy Trailblazer EXT. They are so different - appealing to very different tastes. I haven't had problems with my TB. I love it and plan on driving it for a long time.

Vinnie, I have a 2005 tb and am very happy with it. I have had no problems. Before I bought it, I read the forum including carreview. I think I reall all 133 posts. You will notice most problems are with 2002, and 2003. GM has had problem with first year bugs. I think most of things have been addressed, I am especially hopeful of that with my 2005 being the 4th production year. That said, I love my trailblazer. It has a nice ride, quiet, just the right size and even the 2005s are heavily discounted.

I have a 2004, and I can say they have not got the bugs out of them yet. I think this vehicle is a crapshoot, you either end up with a good one or a lemon. If I had it to do all over again, well first I would never have traded in my Suburban but if I had to get another vehicle I would spend the few extra dollars and upgrade to the Suburban again, well worth the extra money for the reliability!
Amy

I own a '04TB with 7000miles in 2.5 months. No problems. If you read some of those reviews you will find it's a dealer issue not a vehical issue. These are trucks, not cars. If you need the truck capabilities this might be for you.

I purchased a new 2004 LT a month ago. I know I haven't had it long but I really like and love the I6 vortec engine. also I really like the suspension. I had a grand Cherokee limited and I like the TB much better.

I just had to reply to the post of it being a dealer issue and not a vehicle issue. Since my husband was a new car manager for a chevy dealership for several years, I can say that he was telling me time and time again of the Trailblazers that they were buying back from customers because of the constant problems the customers were having with them. Again I therefore in my opinion say its a roll of the dice with them. You either get a good one or you get one of the manyyy lemons they have produced.
Amy