Compare the2023 Subaru ForesterVS 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Economic Advantages
Recommendations

Safety

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For enhanced safety, the front and rear seat shoulder belts of the Subaru Forester have pretensioners to tighten the seatbelts and eliminate dangerous slack in the event of a collision and force limiters to limit the pressure the belts will exert on the passengers. The Chevrolet Trailblazer doesn’t offer pretensioners for its rear seat belts.

The Forester has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Forester (except Base/Premium) offers optional Reverse Automatic Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Forester. But it costs extra on the Trailblazer.

The Forester offers optional parking sensors to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or in front of their vehicle. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

The Forester Touring’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 Forester and the Trailblazer have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, 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 blind spot warning systems 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 Subaru Forester is safer than the Chevrolet Trailblazer:

	Forester	Trailblazer
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	23%	24%
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	293	401
Leg Forces (l/r)	105/93 lbs.	409/383 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 Subaru Forester is safer than the Chevrolet Trailblazer:

	Forester	Trailblazer
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	66	91
Chest Movement	.6 inches	1.1 inches
Abdominal Force	122 lbs.	199 lbs.
Hip Force	389 lbs.	459 lbs.
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	121	337

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

For its performance in IIHS driver-side and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, updated side impact, headlight, and daytime pedestrian crash prevention testing, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Forester the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2023, a rating granted to only 53 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The Trailblazer has not been fully tested, yet.

Warranty

The Forester’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Trailblazer’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Forester’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.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ January 2023 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru 13 places higher in reliability than Chevrolet.

Engine

The Forester’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 45 more horsepower (182 vs. 137) and 14 lbs.-ft. more torque (176 vs. 162) than the Trailblazer’s standard 1.2 turbo 3-cylinder. The Forester’s 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 27 more horsepower (182 vs. 155) and 2 lbs.-ft. more torque (176 vs. 174) than the Trailblazer’s optional 1.3 turbo 3-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Subaru Forester is faster than the Chevrolet Trailblazer 1.3 turbo 3-cylinder:

	Forester	Trailblazer
Zero to 60 MPH	8.3 sec	9.3 sec
Quarter Mile	16.5 sec	17 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	86.2 MPH	80.5 MPH

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Forester lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Forester gets better fuel mileage than the Trailblazer 1.3 turbo 3-cylinder 9-speed Auto AWD (26 city/33 hwy vs. 26 city/30 hwy).

The Forester has 3.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Trailblazer (16.6 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Forester’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Trailblazer:

	Forester	Trailblazer
Front Rotors	12.4 inches	11.81 inches
Rear Rotors	11.2 inches	10.39 inches

The Forester stops shorter than the Trailblazer:

	Forester	Trailblazer
60 to 0 MPH	117 feet	121 feet	Motor Trend

Tires and Wheels

The Forester Wilderness has a standard full size spare tire so a flat doesn’t interrupt your trip. A full size spare isn’t available on the Trailblazer; it requires you to depend on a temporary spare, which limits mileage and speed before replacement.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Subaru Forester 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 rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

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

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Forester’s wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the Trailblazer (105.1 inches vs. 103.9 inches).

The Forester’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (57.3% to 42.7%) than the Trailblazer’s (60% to 40%). This gives the Forester more stable handling and braking.

The Forester Limited handles at .82 G’s, while the Trailblazer RS AWD pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Forester Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the Trailblazer RS AWD (27.3 seconds @ .63 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Forester’s turning circle is 1.4 feet tighter than the Trailblazer’s (35.4 feet vs. 36.8 feet).

Passenger Space

The Forester has 1.2 inches more front headroom, 2.4 inches more front legroom, 1.8 inches more front hip room, 2.7 inches more front shoulder room, 1.2 inches more rear headroom, 7.9 inches more rear hip room and 3.4 inches more rear shoulder room than the Trailblazer.

For enhanced passenger comfort on long trips the Forester Premium/Sport/Wilderness/Limited/Touring’s rear seats recline. The Trailblazer’s rear seats don’t recline.

The front step up height for the Forester is 1.5 inches lower than the Trailblazer (15.5” vs. 17”). The Forester’s rear step up height is .1 inches lower than the Trailblazer’s (17.25” vs. 17.4”).

Cargo Capacity

The Forester has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the Trailblazer with its rear seat up (28.9 vs. 25.3 cubic feet). The Forester has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Trailblazer with its rear seat folded (74.2 vs. 54.4 cubic feet).

A low lift-over cargo hatch design makes loading and unloading the Forester easier. The Forester’s cargo hatch lift-over height is 28.4 inches, while the Trailblazer’s liftover is 30.8 inches.

The Forester’s cargo area is larger than the Trailblazer’s in almost every dimension:

	Forester	Trailblazer
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	35.7”/73.1”	32”/64.5”
Max Width	51.5”	54”
Min Width	43.3”	41”
Height	34.8”	28.2”

A control in the cargo area automatically lowers the Forester Wilderness/Limited/Touring’s rear seats, to make changing between passengers and cargo easier. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer automatic folding seats.

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Forester. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The Forester’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Trailblazer’s (1500 vs. 1000 pounds).

Standard Trailer Stability Assist on the Forester uses the Vehicle Dynamics Control sensors to detect trailer sway, then uses individual brakes to counteract any swaying and help keep the tow vehicle and trailer steady. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer electronic trailer sway control.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Forester is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Trailblazer. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

Ergonomics

When five different drivers share the Forester Touring, the memory system makes it convenient for each of them. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat position, outside mirror angle and climate settings. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Forester Touring’s standard easy entry system 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 Trailblazer doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Forester Premium/Sport/Wilderness/Limited/Touring’s front power windows both open or close with one touch of the switches. The Trailblazer’s front passenger window doesn’t close automatically.

The Forester’s LED headlights produce a whiter, brighter light (up to 3x) using five times less power than the Trailblazer’s standard halogen headlights. LED lights also light instantly and last over twenty times longer than halogen.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Forester has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer cornering lights.

When the Forester Touring is put in reverse, the passenger rearview mirror tilts from its original position. This gives the driver a better view of the curb during parallel parking maneuvers. Shifting out of reverse puts the mirror into its original position. The Trailblazer’s mirror doesn’t automatically adjust for backing.

The Forester’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Trailblazer offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

Both the Forester and the Trailblazer offer available heated front seats. The Forester Touring also has standard heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Trailblazer.

The Forester Wilderness/Limited/Touring’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Both the Forester and the Trailblazer offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Forester has standard rear air conditioning vents to keep rear occupants cool in summer or warm in winter. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer rear air conditioning vents, only heat vents.

The Forester (except Base/Premium/Sport)’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.

Economic Advantages

The Forester will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Forester will retain 54.16% to 57.43% of its original price after five years, while the Trailblazer only retains 46.25% to 46.73%.

Recommendations

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Subaru Forester as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Subaru Forester outsold the Chevrolet Trailblazer by 87% during 2022.

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