Compare the2024 Chevrolet TrailblazerVS 2023 Fiat 500X

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 Trailblazer are reminded to check the back seat if they opened the rear door before starting out. The 500X doesn’t offer a back seat reminder.

The Chevrolet Trailblazer has standard driver and front passenger side knee airbags mounted low on the dashboard. These airbags helps prevent the driver and front passenger from sliding under their seatbelts or the main frontal airbags; this keeps them better positioned during a collision for maximum protection. Knee airbags also help keep the legs from striking the dashboard, preventing knee and leg injuries in the case of a serious frontal collision. The 500X doesn’t offer a front passenger side knee airbag.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety tests front crash prevention systems. With a score of 6 points, IIHS rates the Automatic Emergency Braking in the Trailblazer as “Superior.” The 500X scores only 4 points and is rated only “Advanced.”

The Trailblazer’s standard lane departure warning system alerts a temporarily inattentive driver when the vehicle begins to leave its lane and gently nudges the vehicle back towards its lane. A lane departure warning system costs extra on the 500X and is only available on 500X Sport.

Both the Trailblazer and the 500X 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, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems, rear parking sensors and rear cross-path warning.

For its top level performance in IIHS driver and passenger-side small overlap frontal, moderate overlap frontal, side impact, roof strength and head restraint tests, its standard vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system, its standard vehicle-to-pedestrian front crash prevention system, and its standard headlight’s “Good” rating, the Insurance Institute for Highway Safety grants the Trailblazer its highest rating: “Top Safety Pick Plus” for 2022, a rating granted to only 128 vehicles tested by the IIHS. The 500X last would have qualified as only a standard “Top Safety Pick” in 2017.

Chevrolet’s powertrain warranty covers the Trailblazer 1 year and 10,000 miles longer than Fiat covers the 500X. Any repair needed on the engine, transmission, axles, joints or driveshafts is fully covered for 5 years or 60,000 miles. Coverage on the 500X ends after only 4 years or 50,000 miles.

The Trailblazer’s corrosion warranty is 1 year longer than the 500X’s (6 vs. 5 years).

There are over 8 times as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Fiat dealers, which makes it much easier should you ever need service under the Trailblazer’s warranty.

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 Trailblazer’s reliability 51 points higher than the 500X.

On the EPA test cycle the Trailblazer gets better mileage than the 500X:

To lower fuel costs and make buying fuel easier, the Chevrolet Trailblazer uses regular unleaded gasoline. The 500X requires premium for maximum efficiency, which can cost on average about 82.8 cents more per gallon.

In its Green Vehicle Guide, the U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) rates the Chevrolet Trailblazer higher (7 out of 10) than the Fiat 500X (6). This means the Trailblazer produces up to 1.1 pounds less smog-producing pollutants than the 500X every 15,000 miles.

The Trailblazer has a standard continuously variable transmission (CVT). With no “steps” between gears, it can keep the engine at the most efficient speed for fuel economy, or keep it at its peak horsepower indefinitely for maximum acceleration. The 500X doesn’t offer a CVT.

The Trailblazer stops shorter than the 500X:

For better traction, the Trailblazer has larger standard tires than the 500X (225/60R17 vs. 215/60R17). The Trailblazer RS’ tires are larger than the largest tires available on the 500X (245/45R19 vs. 225/55R18).

The Trailblazer 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 500X doesn’t offer vehicle monitored tire inflation.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Trailblazer’s wheelbase is 2.7 inches longer than on the 500X (103.9 inches vs. 101.2 inches).

The Trailblazer RS AWD handles at .80 G’s, while the 500X pulls only .76 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Trailblazer RS AWD executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver quicker than the 500X (28.3 seconds @ .57 average G’s vs. 28.7 seconds @ .59 average G’s).

The Chevrolet Trailblazer may be more efficient, handle and accelerate better because it weighs up to about 300 pounds less than the Fiat 500X.

The front grille of the Trailblazer uses electronically controlled shutters to close off airflow and reduce drag when less engine cooling is needed. This helps improve highway fuel economy. The 500X doesn’t offer active grille shutters.

The Trailblazer AWD uses computer-generated active noise cancellation to help remove annoying noise and vibration from the passenger compartment, especially at low frequencies. The 500X doesn’t offer active noise cancellation.

The Trailblazer has 6.5 cubic feet more passenger volume than the 500X (98.2 vs. 91.7).

The Trailblazer has .9 inches more front headroom, 1.1 inches more front shoulder room, .6 inches more rear headroom, 4.6 inches more rear legroom and 1 inch more rear shoulder room than the 500X.

The front step up height for the Trailblazer is 2.4 inches lower than the 500X (17” vs. 19.4”). The Trailblazer’s rear step up height is 2.2 inches lower than the 500X’s (17.4” vs. 19.6”).

The Trailblazer has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat up than the 500X with its rear seat up (25.3 vs. 14.1 cubic feet). The Trailblazer has a much larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the 500X with its rear seat folded (54.4 vs. 39.8 cubic feet).

The Trailblazer’s cargo area is larger than the 500X’s in almost every dimension:

To make loading and unloading groceries and cargo easier, especially for short adults, the Trailblazer LT/ACTIV/RS offers an optional power liftgate, which opens and closes automatically by pressing a button, or on the Trailblazer ACTIV/RS, by just kicking your foot under the back bumper, completely leaving your hands free. The 500X doesn’t offer a power liftgate.

The Trailblazer AWD 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 Trailblazer can be unhitched and driven around locally. The 500X 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 Trailblazer’s available exterior PIN entry system. The 500X doesn’t offer an exterior PIN entry system, and its extra cost Uconnect Access can’t unlock the doors if the vehicle doesn’t have cell phone reception or the driver can’t contact the service.

The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety (IIHS) conducts detailed tests on headlights for their range both straight ahead and in curves and to be certain they don’t exceed acceptable amounts of glare to oncoming drivers. The Trailblazer’s headlights were rated “Good” to “Acceptable” by the IIHS, while the 500X’s headlights are rated “Poor.”

The Trailblazer has a standard automatic headlight on/off feature. When the ignition is on, the headlights automatically turn on at dusk and off after dawn. The 500X only offers an automatic headlight on/off feature as an extra cost option.

On extremely cold winter days, the Trailblazer’s optional (except LS) heated steering wheel provides comfort, allowing the driver to steer safely and comfortably before the vehicle heater warms up. The 500X doesn’t offer a heated steering wheel.

The Trailblazer offers an optional 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 500X doesn’t offer a rear seat center armrest.

For greater rear passenger comfort, the Trailblazer has standard rear heat vents to keep rear occupants more comfortable. The 500X doesn’t offer rear vents.

To quickly and conveniently keep personal devices charged without cables tangling and wearing out, the Chevrolet Trailblazer LT/ACTIV/RS offers an optional wireless phone charging system (Qi) in the center console. The 500X doesn’t offer wireless personal charging.

The Trailblazer LT/ACTIV/RS 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 500X doesn’t offer a house-current electrical outlet.

The Trailblazer is available in both front-wheel drive and four-wheel drive configurations. The 500X doesn’t offer a two-wheel drive configuration.

Consumer Reports® recommends the Chevrolet Trailblazer, based on reliability, safety and performance. The Fiat 500X isn't recommended.

J.D. Power and Associates rated the Trailblazer second among small suvs in owner reported satisfaction. This includes how well the vehicle performs and satisfies its owner’s expectations. The 500X isn’t in the top three.

The Chevrolet Trailblazer outsold the Fiat 500X by almost 70 to one during 2022.