Compare the2023 Chevrolet BlazerVS 2021 Volvo V60

For enhanced safety, the front shoulder belts of the Chevrolet Blazer are height-adjustable, and the rear seat shoulder belts have child comfort guides to move the belt to properly fit children. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages children to buckle up. The Volvo V60 has only front height-adjustable seat belts.

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 Blazer are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The V60 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Blazer and the V60 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, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors 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 Chevrolet Blazer is safer than the Volvo V60:

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

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Chevrolet Blazer is safer than the Volvo V60:

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

Chevrolet’s powertrain warranty covers the Blazer 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Volvo covers the V60. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the V60 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 10 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Volvo dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Blazer’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Blazer second among midsize suvs in their 2021 Initial Quality Study. The V60 isn’t in the top three in its category.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2021 Initial Quality Study of new car owners surveyed provide the statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are better in initial quality than Volvo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in initial quality. With 59 more problems per 100 vehicles, Volvo is rated below average.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in long-term dependability. With 21 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Volvo is rated below average.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2021 Auto Issue reports that Chevrolet vehicles are more reliable than Volvo vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Chevrolet 1 place higher in reliability than Volvo.

The Blazer’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 58 more horsepower (308 vs. 250) and 12 lbs.-ft. more torque (270 vs. 258) than the V60 T5’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Chevrolet Blazer V6 is faster than the V60 T5 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Blazer’s fuel efficiency. The V60 doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

Both the Blazer and the V60 have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Blazers have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. A disable switch costs extra on the V60.

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Chevrolet Blazer uses regular unleaded gasoline (premium recommended with the 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder engine for maximum performance). The V60 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Blazer FWD’s standard fuel tank has 3.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the V60 (19.4 vs. 15.9 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Blazer AWD’s standard fuel tank has 5.8 gallons more fuel capacity than the V60 (21.7 vs. 15.9 gallons).

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Chevrolet Blazer higher (6 to 7 out of 10) than the Volvo V60 (5 to 7). This means the Blazer produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the V60 every 15,000 miles.

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Chevrolet Blazer, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the V60.

The Blazer stops much shorter than the V60:

For better traction, the Blazer RS/Premier’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the V60 (265/45R21 vs. 235/45R18).

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Blazer RS/Premier offers optional 21-inch wheels. The V60’s largest wheels are only 19-inches.

The Chevrolet Blazer’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The Volvo V60 only has 5 wheel lugs per wheel.

The Blazer 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 V60 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

The front and rear suspension of the Blazer uses coil springs for better ride, handling and control than the V60, which uses transverse leafs springs in the rear. Coil springs compress more progressively and offer more suspension travel for a smoother ride with less bottoming out.

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Blazer is 3.4 inches wider in the front and 3.2 inches wider in the rear than on the V60.

For greater off-road capability the Blazer LT has a 2.1 inches greater minimum ground clearance than the V60 (7.5 vs. 5.4 inches), allowing the Blazer to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Blazer RS/Premier’s minimum ground clearance is 2.2 inches higher than on the V60 (7.6 vs. 5.4 inches).

The front grille of the Blazer uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The V60 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Blazer uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The V60 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Blazer has 13.8 cubic feet more passenger volume than the V60 (107.8 vs. 94).

The Blazer has 1.4 inches more front headroom, .3 inches more front hip room, 3 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom, 4.4 inches more rear legroom, .8 inches more rear hip room and 4.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the V60.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Blazer’s rear seats recline. The V60’s rear seats don’t recline.

The Blazer has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the V60 with its rear seat up (30.5 vs. 23.2 cubic feet). The Blazer has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the V60 with its rear seat folded (64.2 vs. 50.9 cubic feet).

Pulling a handle automatically lowers the Blazer’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The V60 doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

Maximum trailer towing in the Volvo V60 is limited to 2000 pounds. The Blazer offers up to a 4500 lbs. towing capacity.

The Blazer RS/Premier’s optional easy entry system raises the steering wheel and glides the driver’s seat back when the door is unlocked or the ignition is switched off, making it easier for the driver to get in and out. The V60 doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Blazer’s instruments include an oil pressure gauge and a temperature gauge - which could save your engine! Often ‘idiot lights’ don’t warn you until damage has been done. The V60 has neither an oil pressure gauge nor a temperature gauge.

In case you lock your keys in your vehicle, or don’t have them with you, you can let yourself in using the Blazer LT/RS/Premier’s available exterior PIN entry system. The V60 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its Volvo On Call can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

To shield the driver and front passenger’s vision over a larger portion of the windshield and side windows, the Blazer has standard extendable sun visors. The V60 doesn’t offer extendable visors.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Chevrolet Blazer offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The V60 doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Blazer 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 V60 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Insurance will cost less for the Blazer owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Blazer will cost $160 less than the V60 over a five-year period.

The Blazer will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Blazer will retain 45.48% to 48.85% of its original price after five years, while the V60 only retains 42.19% to 43.68%.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Blazer is less expensive to operate than the V60 because typical repairs cost much less on the Blazer than the V60, including $22 less for a water pump, $76 less for a starter, $99 less for fuel injection, $345 less for a fuel pump and $47 less for front struts.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Chevrolet Blazer will be $10575 to $23049 less than for the Volvo V60.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Chevrolet Blazer, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Chevrolet Blazer outsold the Volvo 60 Series by almost five to one during the 2021 model year.