thinking of getting a Trailblazer.....

[rubberman]

I used to have a 98 Blazer 4 door 4x4 but the wife insisted we trade it in for a Pontiac Montana when we had a baby. I really want to get another SUV. I like the TBs and Envoys. But the Envoys are so much more expensive for whatever reason. Im trying to talk her into the EXT version cause of the extra room and 3rd row of seats. Im not worried about all the options, just as long as it has a cd player, power windows.

any advice?

[DamonZ28]

Don't know if you're a lease candidate, but GM has very sweet lease deals right now on their trucks. You can lease the Trailblazer for less than a minivan. It would be worth checking out, and comparing prices.

[rubberman]

i know at one time a local chevy dealership had 04's for $199/mo for 60mos.

[rubberman]

wouldnt it be better to purchase/lease a brand new Trailblazer than buy a used one? Hell 2002 4x4 Trailblazers in my area run around $20-23k with 40k mikes. I can buy a new one for that.

[Mr. Northface]

I was in the same boat your in. I also had a 1998 before my 2003 EXT & I can tell you that I am much happier with my 2003 over the 98.

You say you have kids huh?

2nd row seats in the EXT recline back enough to make the babies seat somewhat reclined as well.

2nd row seats flip & fold forward making entry/exit into 3rd row rather easy. No hopping up over the seats like what they have in a Tahoe.
2nd & 3rd row seating is rather spacious, though the 2nd row IMO could use a few more inches of legroom. It is fine for everyone that I have had back there, but I like alot of room to stretch....

Back to the baby thing......my sister in law has the smaller version of the TrailBlazer (TB) & the reason why I didn't go for that size was this;
stroller, diaper bag, purse & whatever else had taken up the entire amount of room that she had in her smaller version.
My wife didn't like that & so I had to get the EXT which I am very happy for. I rarely use the 3rd row of seats & therefore I keep them folded & use that space for the stroller & whatever else. I use the cargo divider in the upright position to keep the diaperbag & whatever else I need to grab quickly towards the back back cargo area. The bag hooks on it help hold the plastic bags you get from Babies R Us without fear of falling over...as long as you have them hooked right.

2nd row baby seat again.......I have my baby seat on the passenger side & that way I can turn around & watch him if needed or hand things to him when he drops things & do whatever. He has plenty of room to kick his feet & I have the passenger front seat almost fully back which give your wife tons of leg room & the little on has alot as well. Even if you have to move your wifes seat forward so the little one isn't kicking the back of it, she will still have tons of leg room.

I never have run out of room with all of my wifes things or the babies which says alot....I can't believe all the crap she brings along even on a short trip!

If ever the little one needs a diaper change...that's where the mini-van would be a welcome addition! I have to fold & flip the drivers side rear seat & have the 3rd row drivers side seat folded flat & that's where I do it. No it isn't the most comfortable for you, but hey....it works!

I didn't want the DVD player...only because I use the moonroof & I wanted to buy a removeable DVD unit anyway. But the rear /heat/air/radio controls will be nice for when he gets older.
Funny thing about that rear heat/air unit......you have a knob you can adjust the fan speed up next to the driver. Having it set to 1, 2 or 3 & whatever heat or air setting you have it set at up front, it never really produces much heat or cool air back there for some reason. BUT, what I have found is that when you have the knob up next to the driver set to the rear for the rear occupants to adjust there own settings on the center council unit, it then puts out decent heat & pretty cool air. Weird why it does that, but it works better for the rear people to just dial in what they want for themselves.

See what the current rebates are. If you have a GM Card, great! Do ALOT of searching to find out what the invoice prices are....especially the unit you want with the options you want. That way, you'll have some good firepower to start with.
I was able to get over $9000 off of mine because of a really nice Rebate at the time & for bonus GM Card points they offered me, plus what I was able to get off of the window & finally Memorial Day Sale savings!

Do your searching & do your homework. If your planning to buy one outright, check the competition. They may have something else that you would like as well.......


I opted for the V8. I always wanted one & now that I have it, I love it. No, it isn't all that quick & that's why I did a few things to make her go alittle quicker, but I have heard that the inline 6 somewhat struggles to get the EXT up to speed. Now whether that is true or not, I don't know...it's just what I have read in magazines. Mileage isn't too different between the 2....only like 1 mile to the gallon differnt around town & the highway shouldn't be more than 1 again...maybe 2 at the most less in the V8. Plus I pull a big heavy motorcycle trailer at times & I need the extra grunt of the V8's torque to get her moving. $1500 for the V8 is alot IMO, but I have been happy with it & you get more $$$ back on trade ins with the V8.

Envoys as far as I know are only around $1500 more the the TB's....but again, you get some of tha back come trade in time.........


That's all I can think of right now....if you have any specific questions or anything else you need, just ask....that's what I am here for

[DamonZ28]

Originally Posted by Mr. Northface

2nd row baby seat again.......I have my baby seat on the passenger side & that way I can turn around & watch him if needed or hand things to him when he drops things & do whatever.

Funny thing about that rear heat/air unit......you have a knob you can adjust the fan speed up next to the driver. Having it set to 1, 2 or 3 & whatever heat or air setting you have it set at up front, it never really produces much heat or cool air back there for some reason.

It's a proven fact, also, that the baby is safest on the passenger side. There are less crashes into the passenger side than the driver side.

According to the manual, the knob next to the driver is for use with the air conditioning only, not heat. If you don't have the air con on, it will only circulate the air.

[balboasdelight]

> It's a proven fact, also, that the baby is safest on the passenger side.

I believe the safest position is in the center of the rear seat, although it's splitting statistical hairs, at least as compared to having the kid in a properly secured car seat at all.

When my kids were in car seats, I found a cheap convex "bus driver mirror" that suction-cup'ed onto the windshield was invaluable for keeping tabs on them, while keeping the rear view mirror on the rear windshield, where it belongs. I need to get another -- with two rows of adolescent girls back there, I really do feel like a bus driver!

[rubberman]

the best thing is that its only gonna cost $10 more per month to insure. Thats from a `99 Montana to a `05 TB, not too bad. What is weird is that it costs more to insure a `04 TB than an `05 TB. I got Progressive Ins.

[DamonZ28]

Originally Posted by balboasdelight

I believe the safest position is in the center of the rear seat, although it's splitting statistical hairs, at least as compared to having the kid in a properly secured car seat at all.

Ah yes, you would be right about that. Some cars & trucks don't have seatbelts in the middle though.

[Mr. Northface]

My only problem with putting him in the middle is you can't fold down a seat then to get into the back. That and trying to squeeze 2 people on either side of the kids seat gets a bit crampy.

I noticed that about the insurance as well. I only pay something like $720 (give or take) a year for mine with mega mucho coverage from State Farm.

Well, here is hoping that whatever vehicle you choose, that it is a problem free vehicle for your family.

[The Black Pearl]

I finally bought a black 04 extended today and take delivery tomorrow. I purchased the extednded warranty to 72 months 140km extremely expensive. I opted to get a TB with 25,000km that was a demo not a rental unit a great savings from new. It took me 7 months to find the right one at the right price. I usually buy Nissan or Mazda, but I could not find any import with the towing ability or the price range I was comfortable with. The looks of this SUV and price are excellent but the quality will be determined in the coming years. Good luck with your purchase.

[The Black Pearl]

One thing a mini van may not have is the 4 wheel drive. I went skiing with the family today and it was nice to see the 4 wheel drive kick in when we were on a slippery road. I also noticed that the rear seat belts have additional adjustments for smaller children. It worked well keeping the shoulder belt in place for my son. I really like the TB even though its been only 2 days owning it. I guess I got the base extended model. I do not have the Driver Information Center and other options that are noted in the owners manual. I guess its just less to break on my TB. I think that the base model is well equipped. I really like the lights turning on automatically when I use the remote. My criteria for buying this TB was it had to be black, 4x4. the extended model and priced right. I did not consider any other options and I will not miss them. My 93 Maxima served me well and I hope this TB will too..

[rubberman]

i think they got 0% for 60mos financing again.

[rubberman]

Back to the Trailblazer again. A local dealership had an 05 LS model with a $235/mo lease. Thats for 60mos. I think right now it would be better to go with a new one since of the rabates and goof financing instead of a used one. The big problem is that i have neg. equity in the Montana which i need to figure out.

[rubberman]

well we went to go check out some TBs. They have the price tags in the windshield and none of them are in the price range advertised. Showed "was $xx,xxx" Now $27,000. so i dont know if they are adding the rebates or what. I did find an 2002 Ext LT 4x4 with 37,7xx miles for $16000.