CHEVROLET BLAZER

LOOKS . Buffed
PERFORMANCE . Purty fair
HANDLING . Roadworthy
AMBIANCE . Country
COMFORT . Mighty Posh
QUALITY . Mighty 'Merican
STEREO . Mountain High
FUN TO DRIVE . Yup
GADGET FACTOR . Swiss Army
HEADS TURNED . City Slickers
EMOTION . Pushy
CACHET . Super Stud

SPECIFICATIONS


Sticker . $26,113.
Power . 195 horsepower
0 to 60 . 8 to 9 sec.
Test Mileage . 17.3 mpg
Seating . 4 + 1
Trunk . 36.4 - 74.1 cubic feet
Parking . Tall in the Saddle


HIGH TAILER

The new Blazer is a beaut and a brute, built to make molehills out of mountains with a minimum of noise, fuss and bother. They don't make em' like they used to and thank god for that, in regard to 4wd sport utility vehicles. This is one civilized barbarian. The Blazer sports class leading power and great new styling, particularly for the snappy 2 door fastback. Around town the ride is smooth and easy. A strong V6 and slick shifting automatic provide excellent motivational character.

The new body is soft and very clean, no false macho or superfluous ornamentation. Step up to a commanding view of the road and settle in to a very roomy and comfortable cabin. The dash is well instrumented and functional, but not particularly attractive and far too plastic to convey a first class impression. Back seat was short on leg room and general comfort when compared to the competition. Hauling capacity was huge, if not quite as large as some others, and readily accessed via a flip up widow and fold-down tailgate. 4wd comes on via a hefty floor lever, but you can pony up a few more bucks for a push- button set-up. Either way the off-road part of the equation works very well and the Blazer is fully at home in any terrain. Perfect emergency vehicle.

Chevy is serious about covering every aspect of this market and offers more options than other makes which enables you to really suit your fancy in regard to trim, suspension and equipment. You can thus order up a Blazer very suited to your personal tastes and duty cycle.

To wrap it up - Strong points - looks, ride, power and option list. Weak points - interior fit and finish, roominess. The Blazer is well done and well worth a close look if a compact 4x4 is in your future.

REXX TAYLOR