Compare the2022 Hyundai KonaVS 2022 Chevrolet Trailblazer

The Kona’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

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

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Hyundai Kona is safer than the Chevrolet Trailblazer:

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Kona is 3.8% to 4.9% less likely to roll over than the Trailblazer.

The Kona comes with a full 5-year/60,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Trailblazer’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 2 years or 24,000 miles sooner.

Hyundai’s powertrain warranty covers the Kona 5 years and 40,000 miles longer than Chevrolet covers the Trailblazer. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 10 years or 100,000 miles. Coverage on the Trailblazer ends after only 5 years or 60,000 miles.

The Kona’s corrosion warranty is 1 year and unlimited miles longer than the Trailblazer’s (7/unlimited vs. 6/100,000).

Hyundai pays for scheduled maintenance on the Kona for 3 years and 36,000 miles. Hyundai will pay for oil changes, lubrication and any other required maintenance. Chevrolet only pays for the first scheduled maintenance visit on the Trailblazer.

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Kona’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Trailblazer’s camshafts. If the Trailblazer’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

A reliable vehicle saves its owner time, money and trouble. Nobody wants to be stranded or have to be without a vehicle while it’s being repaired. Consumer Reports rates the Kona’s reliability 51 points higher than the Trailblazer.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are better in initial quality than Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai 8th in initial quality, above the industry average. With 2 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chevrolet is ranked 10th.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Hyundai 7th in reliability, above the industry average. With 14 more problems per 100 vehicles, Chevrolet is ranked 12th.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Hyundai vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Hyundai 11 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

The Kona’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 10 more horsepower (147 vs. 137) than the Trailblazer’s standard 1.2 turbo 3-cylinder. The Kona N Line/Limited’s standard 1.6 turbo 4-cylinder produces 40 more horsepower (195 vs. 155) and 21 lbs.-ft. more torque (195 vs. 174) than the Trailblazer’s optional 1.3 turbo 3-cylinder.

The Kona offers an available sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is more internally efficient than a CVT but just as easy to drive. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

For better stopping power the Kona AWD/1.6T’s front brake rotors are larger than those on the Trailblazer:

The Kona stops shorter than the Trailblazer:

For better traction, the Kona N Line/Limited’s tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Trailblazer (235/45R18 vs. 225/60R17).

The Kona SE’s standard tires provide better handling because they have a lower 60 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Trailblazer L’s standard 65 series tires. The Kona N Line/Limited’s tires have a lower 45 series profile than the Trailblazer RS’ 55 series tires.

For superior ride and handling, the Kona AWD has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Chevrolet Trailblazer has a solid rear axle, with a non-independent rear suspension.

The Kona AWD has front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Kona AWD flat and controlled during cornering. The Trailblazer’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Kona has variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

The Kona handles at .85 G’s, while the Trailblazer RS AWD pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Kona executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1.4 seconds quicker than the Trailblazer RS AWD (26.9 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Kona’s turning circle is 2 feet tighter than the Trailblazer’s (34.8 feet vs. 36.8 feet).

The Kona is 7.9 inches shorter than the Trailblazer L/LS/LT, making the Kona easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Kona has .6 inches more front legroom, 1 inch more front hip room, .1 inches more front shoulder room, 6.5 inches more rear hip room and .7 inches more rear shoulder room than the Trailblazer.

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Kona easier. The Kona’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 27.5 inches, while the Trailblazer’s liftover is 30.8 inches.

The Kona’s optional front power windows both open or close with one touch of the switches. The Trailblazer’s front passenger window doesn’t close automatically.

The Kona Limited’s standard wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically according to the amount of rainfall on the windshield. The Trailblazer’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Kona has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Trailblazer L/LS doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The Kona (except SE/SEL)’s available GPS navigation system has a real-time traffic update feature that plots alternative routes to automatically bypass traffic problems. (Service not available in all areas.) The Trailblazer’s available navigation system doesn’t offer real-time traffic updates.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Hyundai Kona, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Chevrolet Trailblazer isn't recommended.

The Kona was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Five/10Best Trucks” in 2019. The Trailblazer has never been a Car and Driver “Top Five/10Best Truck” pick.

The Hyundai Kona outsold the Chevrolet Trailblazer by 3202 units during the 2021 model year.