Test Drive Chevrolet Blazer 5 Doors 1997 - 2005 SUV

America of Russia presented a steamer

At a retail price of 22 thousand dollars, Elaz-Blazer can well be considered a gift to many Russian consumers, and not just the so-called new Russian, famous for their love for great all-day.

By the way, Blazer has certain limitations as a sacrifice. First, leading it - only the rear wheels (the newly driven version that appears recently is much more expensive). Secondly, it refers to low jeeps and on overall height, and in the height of the floor. True, with a decrease in the passability, it allows you to improve the handling and smoothness of the stroke, as well as the convenience of entering output. As for the strength of the body and the chassis, the blazer is a typical oscillator. As a result, it turns out a good compromise between the passing and a common passenger car - because the permeability in extreme conditions is not needed.
In editorial tests, the cheapest version of the car ($ 21950) without ABS, airbags, receiver and even power windows, participated in the editorial tests.
Recall: American Blazer debuted in 1994, Brazilian (he same Elabuga) appeared later. At the same time, the Brazilians tried to combat the appearance of the car to a more European way, while maintaining the door and window openings, the roof, but by changing almost all the outdoor body panels. At first glance, it turned out quite well, but a picky inspection discovers the inconsistency of the amorphous-rounded front of the more stringent lines of the rest of the body. The design of the Blazer produced in the United States, although more American, at the same time is more complete.
In the finishing of the interior of Brazilian interventions did not find. The design of the front panel is traditionally for American pickups and jeeps.
With the first acquaintance, the quality of manufacture caused conflicting impressions. On the one hand, the gaps between the outer body panels are great and not always uniform, besides, with a thorough inspection, small irregularities of the paint coating are revealed. On the other hand, more importantly - the interior decoration is well adjusted and fixed. On the cobblestone, the car has not published a single outside sound. Please and small efforts when closing doors.
Opening the door, pleasantly surprised by a rather low floor, easily climb into a chair, not forgetting, however, while transferring left left from the packing threshold. It was upset, however, the fact that in general a good chair to fit under it is possible only a relatively long-beam driver. The rest states that the steering wheel is still close to the body - does not save and adjust the steering column moving it up and down. And the steering wheel itself would be good if it were not for his bone hardness.
Visibility, readability of devices - without comments. The visibility is good in all respects, especially pleased with large exterior mirrors. But the absence of the drive of their adjustment - grieved. However, it is, as well as the absence of a central locking, electric windows, airbags, compensated for a relatively low price of an Elabuga blazer.
The convenience of the transmission control at the Blazer deserves a high marks. Clear shifts and short moves of the lever inspired pleasant memories of a classic vase box. The clutch also liked.
Of course, 106 hp - It is not enough. Short programs do not solve problems, the liveliness still lacks. Elasticity is also insufficient: overclocking on the fifth gear on the plain Blazer reluctantly starts with 50-55 km / h. In general, with these positions, he is more suitable for the role of sullenly workers than the temperamental car for entertainment.
It is a pity that nevertheless did not cost without a disadvantage, a reactive effect on the steering wheel is very weak. Of course, it is not bad to have a lightweight steering wheel, if we talk about parking and even unhurried ride, but in the limit turns, the lack of communication with controlled wheels will have to be not all likely. Otherwise, the blazer is able to cause sympathies of even, predictable behavior, small carriages of the body and good responsiveness to the steering steering.
It is impossible not to note one tangible disadvantage that you have to consider with a sharp braking: the front wheels are blocked early even on a dry asphalt coating. On the slippery road, this effect is aggravated and can deliver a lot of trouble. At the same time, despite the absence of ABS, the blazer retains stability with extreme braking, not seeking an increase to the side even on the road with an uneven clutch coefficient.
Lovers quickly ride the ball asphalt Blazer of pleasure will not deliver: on such, ordinary roads for Russia, it is noticeably shakes him. But large irregularities blazer perfectly exhausted without swing and breakdowns. When we put a car on the flight, it became clear why: the energy-intensive polyurethane compression buffers work already from half the suspension stroke.
The classic rear-wheel drive blazer limits its permeability. Nevertheless, the car behaved perfectly on a dirt road with deep rinsing from kamaz, on sand and when forceing the stream. His lower points is the rear axle with the stripes of the spring and the elements of the frame, and the engine pallet and the gearbox are securely hidden behind powerful crossings. So even non-accurate riding on Ughabam blazer is not terrible. It remains to wish only the best protection of the engine compartment from dirt. Note that in particularly difficult places the wheels were almost not bouted, and the engine is not glu. The secret is in the large overall gear number of transmissions.
And finally, we asked the subject to the backup question: what about the so-called diagonal hanging in the test ditch? They drove at different angles and went out in most cases without external assistance. If the leading wheel was still rotated, it was enough for one person to stand on the rear bumper and the clutch with the road was restored.
So it is better: such a defective jeep or all-wheel drive universal? There is no definite answer to this question. Our Blazer will most likely win off the road, in winter it is still preferable to four-wheel drive.
And a few more comments about the subject. Acoustic comfort is broken in it only when trying to unscrew the engine for intensive overclocking. At the same time, as well as at speeds above 115 km / h, the motor tone becomes a breakdown, as if claiming a lack of power. At the same time, with a calm ride with the number of revolutions up to 3500 per minute, the engine can be called quiet. Surprisingly low-noise tires with a fairly large pattern of tread. Nonwork and aerodynamic noise.
Blazer, as already mentioned, refers to low middle jeeps. In addition, among them he is also the narrowest. Despite this, the threesome are tightly, but not closely. The trunk is spacious, but not too comfortable due to very high floor.
We were somewhat surprised, without finding the air recirculation regimen in the cabin, although other comments on the microclimate did not occur. Of the unpleasant trifles, we note uncomfortable flywheels of the rear windows and the speakers emitting the sound right into the base of the hip.

The appearance of the Brazilian-Russian Blazer is somewhat different from the appearance of its North American progenitor.

For this sacrifice, the blazer is too integrated.

Georgia - I do not want! Places in the trunk more than enough.

Little car engine.

Car salon is typically american.

pros
- Capacity
- handling
- Energy intensity suspension
- price

Minuses:
- Dynamics of overclocking
- engine noise when overclocking
- Early blocking front wheels when braking

Summary
In general, I liked the car: firmly shot down, spacious, with unexpectedly good handling and at the same time endowed with the ability to swallow the flaws of Russian roads. But for such a heavy car asks a greater engine. Not without sin and braking dynamics: fairly early blocking front, in the absence of ABS, complicates winter operation. However, all this is compensated by the retail price of the blazer, making it accessible to a fairly wide range of consumers.
Sergey Radovsky, Dmitry Lazo,
Vladimir Yakovlev
Photo by Vladimir Knyazev

A source: Journal "Behind the wheel"