Looks good, I believe good speaker system (LS model)
Good amount of power.

Breaks are loose, you have to slam them to stop the thing at a stop sign.
Lots of rattles after 50k. Too much body roll, wears the tires.
Too much plastic in interior. Could use more leather and rubber as in overseas models. Bumpy ride after 50k.

If the Blazer was cheaper than its foriegn counterparts then it would be a good value. If GM is going to use cheaper materials then they should make the vehicles cheaper. I believe that they have made changes for the better since 1997 but if you were going to buy a used '97 I definately would not recomend it. I took that '93 Toyota truck through the trenches and jumped it and hit things and it still runs like new, I don't think it's ever had an alignment done to it. I think the Japs just make a better vehicle.

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'93 Toyota T100 pickup

4x4 in low snow

High snow piles

I guess i'm just stuck om them even though they always need to be fixed, huess it just keeps me busy. The 97 blew a tranny and service light won't go out after replaced. This one had O2 sensor(minor) but $80. All new ball joints (expected after 120,000 miles) but seems to run decent.

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1997 Blazer, 1988 Jimmy

Let's start with the important stuff. Great turning radius, good strong power, average gas mileage, strong body and frame. The minor stuff, nice interior, great view of vehicale from inside.

None...........except the cost of repairs. But hey you want a toy you pay for it.

I love this truck and I mean truck. Most suv's handle like an oversized station wagoon. I purchased mine used and have all the extra features that came with it and then some. v6 vortech and tow package, beefed up tranny with aftermarket cooler, leather interior, heavy duty suspension, running boards, safari rack, every visor known to man, and electric motor fan instead of belt driven. all and all my mine gets around 385 hp on a bad day. I can't stand people who say blazers are junk and cost to much for upkeep. It's not a yuppie car its an offroad machine. If you can't stand the cost then don't buy one. Its the safest thing I've been in I was rearended about 6 months ago in a 6 car accident mine was the only one able to drive away. Not so for the lady in fonrt of me. It does have a low clearance but the frame is set higher than most vehicales. Maybe the only reason my accident wasn't worse. All aand all its a great truck and hope to drive it for years to come.

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Bronco II

The size is just right for a married couple without kids. The power is commendable from the 4.3L V6. Gas mileage hovers around 20mpg (when running right - see below). I just saw a 2001 Ford Explorer and it has been downsized and rounded --- kinda simulates my 6 year old Blazer!

The GM service in the Fort Worth area is HORRIBLE. I have had rough idling problems, and lack of power on and off for three years. After finding out about the EGR recal on the intenet (the dealer wasn't going to tell me), things were looking up. Recently, I had a rough idling problem (to the point where there wasn't enough vacuum to run the power brakes). The dealer installed a $900 injector rack that seemed to fix the problem ... for a week. Now I have the same problem, but intermittently. The dealer has not been able to reproduce.
These vehicles have a history of ABS issues also, but I've been lucky.

The vehicle is a nice size, and if you trade every 2 to 3 years, I would recommend it. The problems seem to start after the 4th or 5th year and GM doesn't seem to have a clue how to maintain what they sell.

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I've driven Explorers, Jeeps, and most recently Durangos. From my experience most have their own idiosyncracies, but none have as inept a service department as my local Chevrolet dealers.

drove like a car,looks,great for fishing trips,good pickup while passing on highway.comfortable,handled snowy,icy roads well

gas mileage,sqeaking in rear,ab breaks gone at 75000 miles.egr valve at 88000,rr gaskets. blown engine hauling boat to canada.

good for 1st year.no problems.very happy.had oilchanges every 2500-3000 miles. took to canada fishing first year, no problems.handled logging roads great.20 mpg overall.very happy! this year,intake gaskets,covers, r/r gaskets,over 400bucks,then the egr valve replaced. dis. cap. made it 130 miles from home when the engine went to hell. 2500-3000 for a new engine, lost half value in less than 2 years. i am pissed off!! will fix it though,its still cheaper than buying another newer one.or should i sell it as is and start over? i will never buy another blazer again

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test drove explorers,cherokee,blazer didnt feel like you were driving a truck.

THIS BABY HAS THE POWER TO MUCH POWER FOR JUST A GIRL. GOOD ON FUEL, ROOMY, EASY TO WORK ON

THE NOISY BACK WINDOW BUT NOTHING THAT A LITTLE BLACK TAPE CANT FIX.

THIS VECHILE STILL RUNS GREAT CONSIDERING THE TYPE OF MILES IT FIRST HAD ITS LIKE THE ENERGIZER BUNNY. 129,000 MILES AND WITH EVERY OIL CHANGE IT WILL KEEP ON GOING NOW IT HAS 153,000 MILES ON IT. LETS JUST SAY THIS WHILE OTHER CHEAT LITTLE CARS ARE STUCK ON THE SIDE OF THE ROAD BECAUSE OF TROUBLE IN THEIR ENGINES, MY IS STILL GOING AND GOING.

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FORD EXPLORER

Looks.

Reliability, gas mileage, cheap hardware.

DO NOT BUY A BLAZER. If I could rate it a Zero Star I would. I bought this vehicle with 100,000 miles on it in February,2001. Needless to say after a little over 3 months (half of which was spent in the shop probably) I traded it for a Honda. To start, rear windshield crapped out soon after purchase(estimated repair: $300.00). Soon thereafter, I broke the handle on the side of my driver's seat, just trying to recline it. ( I never fixed the handle, estimated $250.00) Soon thereafter, A/C compressor went out (esimated repair: $1000.00). If that wasn't enough, there were engine problems still to add. These blazers have a major problem of leaking coolant into the engine, that's why you hear of so many bearing replacements. Anyways... That cost me $550.00 to repair the coolant leak (replaced: intake manifold gasket, two freeze plugs). But that only solved the leak, it didnt solve the damage the coolant had already done to the engine. So, 9 days after I got it out of the shop, me and my buddies are broke down 50 miles outside of town. This was the last straw, after 3-4 weeks in the shop, $1300 in repairs were done. This was with a backyard mechanic I knew too. The Chevy dealership told me it was $1900.00 in repairs. Replaced: ALL Bearing, 2 pistons, and oil pump. After this was done, I was driving it to get an estimate of trade-in value, it died quickly and restarted w/o losing any speed about 3 times, I thought it was going to break down again.... but I bought something else before the end of the day.

In summary, I feel sorry for whoever buys that Blazer. I've never heard of anybody have a hasslefree experience with Chevy. I should've listened to peopel when they told me BUY FOREIGN. Some Chevy's may have better performance, I don't know, but I know the BLAZER IS CRAP. Period. Dont buy this unless you have a lot of money to spend on repairs.

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Drove a 87 Jeep Commanche for 3 years and replaced the alternator once. Only repair I ever did to it... $150 in 3 years opposed to the $1800 I spent on the Blazer in 3 months. Drove an 88 accord before that, was wrecked at 230,000 miles, car was still running strong at the time.

4.3 liter has excellent power.I just retired an 88 S-10 with well over 200,000 miles on it because of front end problems, but the 4.3 had no signs of quit in it. Great engine! Rides like a car, very quiet, with no rattles at all. Purchased with 55,000 miles on it and two previous owners.

Fuel economy,location of controls for stereo(shifter handle is a little bit in the way),lack of locks on inner storage areas. Small jump from 1st to 2nd gear when on the gas hard. Rear window gets dirty REAL quick.

Although I may be a wee bit biased, I recommend the blazer, if not for it's own obvious attributes, then based on negative reports I've personally heard from owners of jeeps and explorers. It is a clean looking, well mannered vehicle , and if it gives even a hint of the longevity of the 88 s-10, then I will still be driving it 5 to 7 years from now. If fuel economy is a concern, then the blazer likely will not impress; go buy a tracker or any other small SUV. But the trade-off is worth it. You get power, dependability, and because of a well developed power-train, peace of mind. Over time, small quirks will reveal themselves, but is that not the case with all vehicles, both domestic and foreign?

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Compared to the 88 s-10 I just traded, it rides better,is quieter,has more power(TPI vs TBI),and looks great. Hope it lasts as long as the 88 did.

2.5 4cyl engine has very good torque/horse power ratio, drive train still in excellent operational cond., body is a solid steel compare to Japanese trucks, over 13 yrs. use very reliable and very low maintenance.

for a 2 door version only two seater at the back, paint is always a problem overtime it fades faster than Japanese trucks

Do you remeber those Toyota truck comercials on TV, "My Toyota truck with 250k mi on it and I still love it" Maybe after rebuilding the engine and the tranny. By the way I had a '90 Toy V6 King cab bought it brand new like my Blazer. My toy after 120K mi had a blown HDgasket-it's on recall and differential bearing problems-worth over $800 work, despite of religious maintenance. My 4 banger Blazer is not like a rock IT'S IS A ROCK after putting 220K mi w/ everything still original. very minimal leaks, and FRT rotors will be initially replaced on the next brake job. I recently came back from 1 Tahoe and 2 Bigbear ski trips from Orange County and this rock is still hauling. Reliability & dependability depends on schedule maintenenace of your own car. I change the oil of my 3 vehicles every 2500 mi and everything else every year.

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None

Excellent power, 4 wheel drive works great, Pretty good rear passenger room

Has had EGR Problems

Compared to the Isuzu Rodeo, it's a dream. The Rodeo had an underpowered and whiny engine. The blazer is not without it's faults, however it has been the best sport utility I have owned. The EGR did go bad, but the engine has 142,000 miles on it and other than the EGR the only things that have had to be replaced are things that should be (ex. 0-2 sensor, tail-light, etc.) The 4.3L Vortec engine, stock, puts out 190 hp. With a K&N filter it cranks out 205. Not bad at all for a compact SUV. As a matter of fact...didn't it take the compact SUV market until 97 or 98 to put out a 205+ hp engine (Isuzu)?? Throw on a glass-pak and it sounds mild but tough. With a vehicle that has over 140,000 miles on it expect a few problems, but if I had to pick another SUV it would be another GM, and probably another Blazer. Those of you who think it is underpowered...try driving an Isuzu, or a Nissan. Or just get a V8 and enjoy the 15 MPG you'll get!

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Isuzu Rodeo