Compare the2023 Chevrolet TrailblazerVS 2022 BMW X1

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Chassis
Passenger Space
Towing
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front seat shoulder belts of the Chevrolet Trailblazer are height-adjustable to accommodate a wide variety of driver and passenger heights. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages passengers to buckle up. The BMW X1 doesn’t offer 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 Trailblazer are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The X1 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests front crash prevention systems. With a score of 6 points, IIHS rates the Automatic Emergency Braking in the Trailblazer as “Superior.” The X1 scores only 4 points and is rated only “Advanced.”

The Trailblazer’s optional blind spot warning system uses sensors to alert the driver to objects in the vehicle’s blind spots where the side view mirrors don’t reveal them. The X1 doesn’t offer a system to reveal objects in the driver’s blind spots.

To help make backing out of a parking space safer, the Trailblazer’s optional rear cross-path warning system uses sensors in the rear bumper to alert the driver to vehicles approaching from the side, helping the driver avoid collisions. The X1 doesn’t offer a cross-path warning system.

Both the Trailblazer and the X1 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, front wheel drive, 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 and available rear parking sensors.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Chevrolet Trailblazer is safer than the BMW X1:

	Trailblazer	X1
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	185	328
Neck Injury Risk	24%	32%
Neck Stress	190 lbs.	360 lbs.
Neck Compression	15 lbs.	60 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	83/261 lbs.	257/329 lbs.

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

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Trailblazer its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 81 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The X1 last would have qualified as only a standard “Top Safety Pick” for 2019.

Warranty

Chevrolet’s powertrain warranty covers the Trailblazer 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X1. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the X1 ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

There are over 8 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are BMW dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Trailblazer’s warranty.

Reliability

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 Trailblazer’s reliability 58 points higher than the X1.

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 BMW vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet above average in initial quality. With 15 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW 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 BMW 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, BMW is rated lower.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Trailblazer gets better mileage than the X1:

			MPG
Trailblazer
	FWD	1.3 turbo 3-cyl.	29 city/33 hwy
		1.2 turbo 3-cyl.	29 city/31 hwy
	AWD	1.3 turbo 3-cyl.	26 city/30 hwy
X1
	FWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	24 city/33 hwy
	AWD	2.0 turbo 4-cyl.	23 city/31 hwy

Transmission

A nine-speed automatic is standard on the Chevrolet Trailblazer 1.3 turbo 3-cylinder AWD, for better acceleration and lower engine speed on the highway. Only an eight-speed automatic is available for the X1.

The Trailblazer has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The X1 doesn’t offer a CVT.

Brakes and Stopping

The Trailblazer stops shorter than the X1:

	Trailblazer	X1
60 to 0 MPH	121 feet	122 feet	Motor Trend
60 to 0 MPH (Wet)	135 feet	142 feet	Consumer Reports

Tires and Wheels

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 X1 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

For better maneuverability, the Trailblazer’s turning circle is .6 feet tighter than the X1’s (36.8 feet vs. 37.4 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Trailblazer has a greater minimum ground clearance than the X1 (8 vs. 7.2 inches), allowing the Trailblazer to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Chassis

The Chevrolet Trailblazer may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 400 to 500 pounds less than the BMW X1.

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 X1 doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Trailblazer AWD uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The X1 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

Passenger Space

The Trailblazer has .5 inches more front legroom and 2.4 inches more rear legroom than the X1.

Towing

The Trailblazer has a 1000 lbs. towing capacity. The X1 has no towing capacity.

Ergonomics

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 X1 doesn’t offer a remote starting system.

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 X1 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its BMW Assist 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 X1 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Consumer Reports rated the Trailblazer’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the X1’s headlights, which were rated “Good.”

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Trailblazer’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the X1’s headlights are rated “Acceptable.”

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 X1 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Trailblazer owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Trailblazer will cost $150 to $1045 less than the X1 over a five-year period.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Chevrolet Trailblazer will be $10514 to $14437 less than for the BMW X1.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends the Chevrolet Trailblazer, based on reliability, safety and performance. The BMW X1 isn't recommended.

The Chevrolet Trailblazer outsold the BMW X1 by over five to one during the 2021 model year.

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