Compare the2023 Chevrolet BlazerVS 2023 BMW X3

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

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear (child comfort guides) seat shoulder belts of the Chevrolet Blazer 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 X3 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 Blazer are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The X3 doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

Both the Blazer and the X3 have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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 Chevrolet Blazer is safer than the BMW X3:

	Blazer	X3
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Stress	178 lbs.	202 lbs.
Neck Compression	25 lbs.	64 lbs.

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 BMW X3:

	Blazer	X3
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Spine Acceleration	45 G’s	45 G’s
Hip Force	673 lbs.	794 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Max Damage Depth	13 inches	13 inches
HIC	265	281
Spine Acceleration	39 G’s	43 G’s

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 Blazer is 1.6% to 2.5% less likely to roll over than the X3.

Warranty

Chevrolet’s powertrain warranty covers the Blazer 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than BMW covers the X3. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the X3 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 Blazer’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 Blazer’s reliability 28 points higher than the X3.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 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 third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 18 more problems per 100 vehicles, BMW is ranked 9th.

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.

Engine

The Blazer’s optional 3.6 DOHC V6 produces 60 more horsepower (308 vs. 248) and 12 lbs.-ft. more torque (270 vs. 258) than the X3 s/xDrive30i’s standard 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder.

As tested in Consumer Reports the Chevrolet Blazer V6 is faster than the X3 s/xDrive30i 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder:

	Blazer	X3
Zero to 30 MPH	2.7 sec	3.1 sec
Zero to 60 MPH	6.4 sec	7.7 sec
45 to 65 MPH Passing	3.1 sec	5 sec
Quarter Mile	15 sec	16 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	96 MPH	92 MPH

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Blazer 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder 4x4 gets better fuel mileage than the X3 M40i (22 city/27 hwy vs. 21 city/26 hwy).

An engine control system that can shut down some of the engine’s cylinders helps improve the Blazer’s fuel efficiency. The X3 doesn’t offer a system that can shut down part of the engine.

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 X3 requires premium, which can cost 20 to 55 cents more per gallon.

The Blazer FWD’s standard fuel tank has 2.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the X3 (19.4 vs. 17.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Blazer AWD’s standard fuel tank has 4.5 gallons more fuel capacity than the X3 (21.7 vs. 17.2 gallons).

The Blazer has a standard cap-less fueling system. The fuel filler is automatically opened when the fuel nozzle is inserted and automatically closed when it’s removed. This eliminates the need to unscrew and replace the cap and it reduces fuel evaporation, which causes pollution. The X3 doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

Environmental Friendliness

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 BMW X3 (5 to 7). This means the Blazer produces up to 8 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the X3 every 15,000 miles.

Transmission

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 X3.

Brakes and Stopping

The Blazer stops much shorter than the X3:

	Blazer	X3
60 to 0 MPH	117 feet	127 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Blazer RS/Premier’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the X3 (265/45R21 vs. 245/45R20).

The Chevrolet Blazer’s wheels have 6 lugs for longer wheel bearing life, less chance of rotor warping and greater strength. The BMW X3 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 X3 doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

Suspension and Handling

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Blazer is 2.9 inches wider in the front and 2.2 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the X3.

The Blazer RS 4x4 handles at .83 G’s, while the X3 xDrive30i pulls only .81 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Blazer RS 4x4 executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the X3 xDrive30i (27.1 seconds @ .65 average G’s vs. 27.6 seconds @ .63 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Blazer’s turning circle is .7 feet tighter than the X3’s (38.7 feet vs. 39.4 feet).

Chassis

The Blazer uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The X3 doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

As tested by Car and Driver, the interior of the Blazer RS 4x4 is quieter than the X3 M40i xDrive:

	Blazer	X3
At idle	38 dB	40 dB
Full-Throttle	74 dB	80 dB
70 MPH Cruising	66 dB	69 dB

Passenger Space

The Blazer has 6.4 cubic feet more passenger volume than the X3 (107.8 vs. 101.4).

The Blazer has .7 inches more front legroom, 1.5 inches more front shoulder room, 3.2 inches more rear legroom and 2.6 inches more rear shoulder room than the X3.

Cargo Capacity

The Blazer has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the X3 with its rear seat up (30.5 vs. 28.7 cubic feet). The Blazer has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the X3 with its rear seat folded (64.2 vs. 62.7 cubic feet).

Towing

Maximum trailer towing in the BMW X3 is limited to 4400 pounds. The Blazer offers up to a 4500 lbs. towing capacity.

The Blazer can be flat towed on all four wheels (dinghy towed), allowing recreational vehicle owners to bring it with them on the road. When they reach their destination, the Blazer can be unhitched and driven around locally. The X3 can’t be towed flat on the ground.

Standard Trailer Sway Control on the Blazer uses the StabiliTrak® sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The X3 doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Ergonomics

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 X3 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 X3 does not have an oil pressure 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 X3 doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its BMW Assist eCall 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 Blazer has a standard rear fixed intermittent wiper with a full on position. The rear wiper standard on the X3 only has an intermittent setting, so in a hard rain visibility isn’t as good.

Consumer Reports rated the Blazer’s headlight performance “Very Good,” a higher rating than the X3’s headlights, which were rated “Fair.”

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 X3 doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

Economic Advantages

Insurance will cost less for the Blazer owner. The Complete Car Cost Guide estimates that insurance for the Blazer will cost $60 to $3445 less than the X3 over a five-year period.

According to The Car Book by Jack Gillis, the Blazer is less expensive to operate than the X3 because it costs $36 less to do the manufacturer’s suggested maintenance for 50,000 miles. Typical repairs cost much less on the Blazer than the X3, including $408 less for a water pump, $579 less for a muffler, $363 less for a starter, $242 less for fuel injection, $82 less for a fuel pump, $339 less for front struts and $405 less for a power steering pump.

IntelliChoice estimates that five-year ownership costs (depreciation, financing, insurance, fuel, fees, repairs and maintenance) for the Chevrolet Blazer will be $9891 to $13239 less than for the BMW X3.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Chevrolet Blazer and the BMW X3, based on reliability, safety and performance.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Blazer second among midsize suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The X3 isn’t in the top three in its category.

The Chevrolet Blazer outsold the BMW X3 by 58% during 2020.