Compare the2023 Chevrolet BlazerVS 2023 Lexus RX

For enhanced safety, the front shoulder belts of the Chevrolet Blazer are height-adjustable, and the rear seat shoulder belts have child comfort guides to move the belt to properly fit children. A better fit can prevent injuries and the increased comfort also encourages children to buckle up. The Lexus RX has only front height-adjustable seat belts.

Both the Blazer and the RX have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, 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 all wheel drive, blind spot warning systems, around view monitors and rear cross-path warning.

For its top level performance in all IIHS frontal, side, rear impact and roof-crush tests, and its standard front crash prevention system, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Blazer the rating of “Top Safety Pick” for 2017, a rating granted to only 233 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The RX has not been fully tested, yet.

There are almost 12 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Lexus dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Blazer’s warranty.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Blazer second among midsize suvs in their 2022 Initial Quality Study. The RX isn’t in the top three in its category.

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 Lexus vehicles. J.D. Power ranks Chevrolet third in initial quality, above the industry average. With 10 more problems per 100 vehicles, Lexus is ranked 6th.

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

Both the Blazer and the RX have a standard automatic start/stop engine feature to stop unnecessary fuel waste and pollution at stoplights and heavy traffic. All Blazers have a standard disable switch for the system, so a driver can keep the engine from shutting off when the vehicle stops temporarily. The RX 350h/500h doesn’t offer a way to disable start/stop.

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 RX 350 requires premium, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

The Blazer FWD’s standard fuel tank has 2.2 gallons more fuel capacity than the RX 350h/500h’s standard fuel tank (19.4 vs. 17.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups. The Blazer AWD’s standard fuel tank has 3.9 gallons more fuel capacity than the RX 350’s standard fuel tank (21.7 vs. 17.8 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 RX doesn’t offer a cap-less fueling system.

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 RX.

For better traction, the Blazer RS/Premier’s optional tires are larger than the largest tires available on the RX (265/45R21 vs. 235/60R19).

The Blazer RS/Premier’s optional tires provide better handling because they have a lower 45 series profile (height to width ratio) that provides a stiffer sidewall than the RX’s optional 50 series tires.

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

For better handling and stability, the track (width between the wheels) on the Blazer is 1.5 inches wider in the front and .6 inches wider in the rear than the average track on the RX.

The Chevrolet Blazer may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs about 250 to 450 pounds less than the Lexus RX.

The front grille of the Blazer uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The RX doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

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

The Blazer has .3 inches more front headroom, 1 inch more front shoulder room, 2.2 inches more rear legroom and 2.1 inches more rear shoulder room than the RX.

The Blazer has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the RX with its rear seat up (30.5 vs. 29.6 cubic feet). The Blazer has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the RX with its rear seat folded (64.2 vs. 46.2 cubic feet).

The Blazer’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the RX’s (1500 vs. 0 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Lexus RX is only 3500 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 RX can’t be towed flat on the ground.

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 RX doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Chevrolet Blazer, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Lexus RX isn't recommended.