Compare the2023 GMC TerrainVS 2023 Chevrolet Blazer

When descending a steep, off-road slope, the Terrain’s standard Hill Descent Control allows you to creep down safely. The Blazer doesn’t offer Hill Descent Control.

Both the Terrain and the Blazer have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact 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, 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 GMC Terrain is safer than the Chevrolet Blazer:

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, results indicate that the GMC Terrain is safer than the Chevrolet Blazer:

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

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

On the EPA test cycle the Terrain gets better mileage than the Blazer:

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

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the GMC Terrain higher (7 out of 10) than the Chevrolet Blazer (6 to 7). This means the Terrain produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the Blazer every 15,000 miles.

For better maneuverability, the Terrain w/17” wheels’ turning circle is 1.3 feet tighter than the Blazer’s (37.4 feet vs. 38.7 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Terrain SLT/AT4/Denali has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Blazer RS/Premier (7.9 vs. 7.6 inches), allowing the Terrain to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

The GMC Terrain may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 500 to 650 pounds less than the Chevrolet Blazer.

The Terrain is 9.5 inches shorter than the Blazer, making the Terrain easier to handle, maneuver and park in tight spaces.

The Terrain has .2 inches more front headroom and .1 inches more rear legroom than the Blazer.

The Terrain (except SLE) offers an available heads-up display that projects speed, tachometer and navigation instruction readouts in front of the driver’s line of sight, allowing drivers to view information without diverting their eyes from the road. The Blazer doesn’t offer a heads-up display.

The Terrain Denali’s optional Automatic Parking Assist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Blazer doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Insurance will cost less for the Terrain owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Terrain will cost $380 less than the Blazer over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Terrain is less expensive to operate than the Blazer because typical repairs cost much less on the Terrain than the Blazer, including $18 less for front struts, $349 less for a timing belt/chain and $388 less for a power steering pump.