Compare the2023 Porsche MacanVS 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Transmission
Brakes and Stopping
Tires and Wheels
Suspension and Handling
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 Porsche Macan 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 Macan has a standard Multi-collision Brake, which automatically applies the brakes in the event of a crash to help prevent secondary collisions and prevent further injuries. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer a post collision braking system: in the event of a collision that triggers the airbags, more collisions are possible without the protection of airbags that may have already deployed.

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

The Macan offers an optional Surround View to allow the driver to see objects all around the vehicle on a screen. The Trailblazer only offers a rear monitor and rear parking sensors that beep or flash a light. That doesn’t help with obstacles to the front or sides.

Both the Macan and the Trailblazer have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front and rear side-impact airbags, driver and front passenger knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available crash mitigating brakes and blind spot warning systems.

The Porsche Macan weighs 862 to 1386 pounds more than the Chevrolet Trailblazer. The NHTSA advises that heavier vehicles are much safer in collisions than their significantly lighter counterparts.

Warranty

The Macan comes with a full 4-year/50,000-mile basic warranty, which covers the entire truck and includes 24-hour roadside assistance. The Trailblazer’s 3-year/36,000-mile basic warranty expires 1 year or 14,000 miles sooner.

The Macan’s corrosion warranty is 6 years and unlimited miles longer than the Trailblazer’s (12/unlimited vs. 6/100,000).

Reliability

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

The battery on the Macan is in the trunk, which protects it from hot underhood temperatures that can degrade battery life. By keeping the Macan’s battery 20 to 30 degrees cooler, its life is increased by years. The Trailblazer’s battery is in the hot engine compartment.

J.D. Power and Associates’ 2022 survey of the owners of three-year-old vehicles provides the long-term dependability statistics that show that Porsche vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Porsche above average in long-term dependability. With 30 more problems per 100 vehicles in the first three years of ownership, Chevrolet is rated lower.

Engine

The Macan has more powerful engines than the Trailblazer:

	Horsepower	Torque
Macan 2.0 turbo 4-cylinder	261 HP	295 lbs.-ft.
Macan S 2.9 turbo V6	375 HP	383 lbs.-ft.
Macan GTS 2.9 turbo V6	434 HP	405 lbs.-ft.
Trailblazer 1.2 turbo 3-cylinder	137 HP	162 lbs.-ft.
Trailblazer 1.3 turbo 3-cylinder	155 HP	174 lbs.-ft.

Fuel Economy and Range

The Macan has 3.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the Trailblazer (17.1 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

Transmission

The Macan offers a standard sequential manual gearbox (SMG). With no clutch pedal to worry about and a fully automatic mode, an SMG is more internally efficient than a CVT but just as easy to drive. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer an SMG or a conventional manual transmission.

The Macan’s optional launch control uses engine electronics to hold engine RPM’s precisely in order to provide the most stable and rapid acceleration possible, using all of the available traction. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer launch control.

Brakes and Stopping

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

	Macan	Macan GTS	Trailblazer
Front Rotors	13.6 inches	15.4 inches	11.81 inches
Rear Rotors	13 inches	14 inches	10.39 inches

The Macan’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Trailblazer are solid, not vented.

Tires and Wheels

For better traction, the Macan has larger standard tires than the Trailblazer (F:235/55R19 & R:255/50R19 vs. 225/60R17). The Macan’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the Trailblazer (F:265/40R21 & R:295/35R21 vs. 225/60R17).

The Macan’s standard 235/55R19 front and 255/50R19 rear tires provide better handling because they have a lower 55 series front and 50 series rear profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the Trailblazer LS/LT/ACTIV’s standard 60 series tires. The Macan’s optional 265/40R21 front and 295/35R21 rear tires have a lower 40 series front and 35 series rear profile than the Trailblazer’s optional 55 series tires.

For better ride, handling and brake cooling the Macan has standard 19-inch wheels. Smaller 17-inch wheels are standard on the Trailblazer LS/LT/ACTIV. The Macan’s optional 21-inch wheels are larger than the 18-inch wheels optional on the Trailblazer.

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Porsche Macan 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 Macan has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Macan flat and controlled during cornering. The Trailblazer’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

The Macan offers an optional driver-adjustable suspension system. It allows the driver to choose between an extra-supple ride, reducing fatigue on long trips, or a sport setting, which allows maximum control for tricky roads or off-road. The Trailblazer’s suspension doesn’t offer adjustable shock absorbers.

The Macan has a standard automatic front and rear load leveling suspension to keep ride height level with a heavy load or when towing. The Macan’s height leveling suspension allows the driver to raise ride height for better off-road clearance and then lower it again for easier entering and exiting and better on-road handling. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer a load leveling suspension.

The Macan has vehicle speed sensitive variable-assist power steering, for low-effort parking, better control at highway speeds and during hard cornering, and a better feel of the road. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer variable-assist power steering.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Macan’s wheelbase is 6.6 inches longer than on the Trailblazer (110.5 inches vs. 103.9 inches).

The Macan’s front to rear weight distribution is more even (55.7% to 44.3%) than the Trailblazer’s (60% to 40%). This gives the Macan more stable handling and braking.

For greater off-road capability the Macan has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Trailblazer (8.9 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Macan to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged.

Cargo Capacity

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

Towing

The Macan’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Trailblazer’s (4409 vs. 1000 pounds).

Standard Trailer Stability Management on the Macan uses the Porsche Stability Management 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 Macan uses gas struts to support the hood for easier service access. The Trailblazer uses a prop rod to support its heavy hood. It takes two hands to open the hood and set the prop rod, the prop rod gets in the way during maintenance and service, and the prop rod could be knocked out, causing the heavy hood to fall on the person maintaining or servicing the car.

The engine in the Macan 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.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Porsche service is better than Chevrolet. J.D. Power ranks Porsche third in service department satisfaction. With a 27% lower rating, Chevrolet is ranked 16th.

Ergonomics

When three different drivers share the Macan, the optional memory system makes it convenient for all three. Each setting activates different, customized memories for the driver’s seat (memory seat optional for the front passenger), outside mirror angle, climate settings and radio stations. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer a memory system.

The Macan’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 Trailblazer doesn’t offer an easy entry system.

The Macan’s front and rear power windows all open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Trailblazer’s passenger windows don’t close automatically.

The Macan’s rain-sensitive wipers adjust their speed and turn on and off automatically based on the amount of rainfall on the windshield. This allows the driver to concentrate on driving without constantly adjusting the wipers. The Trailblazer’s manually variable intermittent wipers have to be constantly adjusted.

The Macan’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 avoid possible obstacles, the Macan has standard cornering lights to illuminate around corners when the turn signals are activated. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer cornering lights. The Macan also has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle.

Manual rear side window sunshades are available in the Macan to help block heat and glare for the rear passengers. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer rear side window sunshades.

The Macan’s standard outside mirrors include heating elements to clear off the mirrors for better visibility. Chevrolet only offers heated mirrors on the Trailblazer LT/ACTIV/RS.

When the Macan with available tilt-down mirrors 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 Macan’s standard 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.

The Macan has standard heated front seats. Heated front seats are only available on the Trailblazer LT/ACTIV/RS. The Macan also offers optional heated rear seats to keep those passengers extremely comfortable in the winter. Heated rear seats aren’t available in the Trailblazer.

Optional air-conditioned seats in the Macan keep the driver and front passenger comfortable and take the sting out of hot seats in Summer. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer air-conditioned seats.

The Macan has a standard center folding armrest for the rear passengers. A center armrest helps make rear passengers more comfortable and it can provide a boundary between children. The Trailblazer LS doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

The Macan’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 Macan and the Trailblazer offer rear vents. For greater rear passenger comfort, the Macan 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 Macan’s standard 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.

The Macan’s optional Self Steering ParkAssist can parallel park or back into a parking spot by itself, with the driver only controlling speed with the brake pedal. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer an automated parking system.

Economic Advantages

The Macan will cost the buyer less in the long run because of its superior resale value. The IntelliChoice estimates that the Macan will retain 56.76% to 58.19% of its original price after five years, while the Trailblazer only retains 46.25% to 46.73%.

Recommendations

Consumer Reports® recommends both the Porsche Macan and the Chevrolet Trailblazer, based on reliability, safety and performance.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Macan third among compact premium suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The Trailblazer isn’t in the top three.

The Macan was chosen as one of Car and Driver’s “Top Five/10Best Trucks” for 3 of the last 4 years. The Trailblazer has never been a Car and Driver “Top Five/10Best Truck” pick.

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