Compare the2021 Chevrolet TrailblazerVS 2020 Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross

In the past twenty years hundreds of infants and young children have died after being left in vehicles, usually by accident. When turning the vehicle off, drivers of the Trailblazer are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Trailblazer and the Eclipse Cross have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

There are almost 9 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Mitsubishi dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Trailblazer’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2019 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Mitsubishi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet 6th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 36 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mitsubishi is ranked 30th, below the industry average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2019 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Mitsubishi vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet fourth in reliability, above the industry average. With 43 more problems per 100 vehicles, Mitsubishi is ranked 20th.

The Trailblazer’s optional 1.3 turbo 3-cylinder produces 3 more horsepower (155 vs. 152) than the Eclipse Cross’ 1.5 turbo 4-cylinder.

On the EPA test cycle the Trailblazer gets better fuel mileage than the Eclipse Cross:

In heavy traffic or at stoplights the Trailblazer’s engine automatically turns off when the vehicle is stopped, saving fuel and reducing pollution. The engine is automatically restarted when the driver gets ready to move again. (Start/Stop isn’t accounted in present EPA fuel mileage tests.) The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer an automatic engine start/stop system.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Chevrolet Trailblazer higher (7 out of 10) than the Mitsubishi Eclipse Cross (5). This means the Trailblazer produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Eclipse Cross every 15,000 miles.

The Trailblazer L’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 65 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Eclipse Cross ES’ standard 70 series tires.

The Trailblazer has a standard easy tire fill system. When inflating the tires, the vehicle’s integrated tire pressure sensors keep track of the pressure as the tires fill and tell the driver when the tires are inflated to the proper pressure. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The front grille of the Trailblazer uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Trailblazer has .5 inches more front headroom, 1.1 inches more rear headroom and 4.1 inches more rear legroom than the Eclipse Cross.

The Trailblazer has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Eclipse Cross with its rear seat up (25.3 vs. 22.6 cubic feet). The Trailblazer has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Eclipse Cross with its rear seat folded (54.4 vs. 48.9 cubic feet).

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier when your hands are full, the Trailblazer LT/ACTIV/RS’ power liftgate can be opened just by kicking your foot under the back bumper, leaving your hands completely free. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a power or hands-free opening liftgate.

The Trailblazer LT/ACTIV/RS has a standard remote vehicle starting system, so the vehicle can be started from inside the driver's house. This allows the driver to comfortably warm up the engine before going out to the vehicle. The climate system will also automatically heat or cool the interior, with the optional automatic climate control feature. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

The Trailblazer’s power parking brake sets with one touch and releases with one touch. The Eclipse Cross has a lever-type parking brake that has to be strenuously raised to engage properly. It has to be lifted up more and a button depressed to release it.

The Trailblazer’s front and rear power windows all lower with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Eclipse Cross’ passenger windows don’t open automatically.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Trailblazer’s available exterior PIN entry system. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Mitsubishi Connect can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To improve rear visibility by keeping the rear window clear, the Trailblazer has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the Eclipse Cross only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

The Trailblazer has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The Eclipse Cross has an automatic headlight on/off feature standard only on the SE/SEL.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Chevrolet Trailblazer ACTIV/RS offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Trailblazer LT/ACTIV/RS offers an optional 115-volt a/c outlet on the center console, allowing you to recharge a laptop or run small household appliances without special adapters that can break or get misplaced. The Eclipse Cross doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.