When you think of a vehicle that drives fast, you usually think of one that isn’t safe. But that’s not necessarily the case. Is it possible to be fast and safe? The answer is yes as the new Chevy Blazer, the SUV they built to compete with the Bronco, shows you. 

Consumer Reports lists the best SUV ratings according to their market segments. The Blazer can be found in the midsize sport utility vehicle section along with its competitors. Let’s see what they had to say about how well the Blazer performed. 

An overview of the 2021 Chevy Blazer

Consumer Reports gave the Chevy Blazer an overall score of 67, but it scored 83 points out of 100 for the road test. The areas where they thought the Blazer did well were the braking distances and a responsive transmission. 

They found it fell short in a few different areas. The fuel economy rating didn’t hold up well to others on the list. The Blazer gets 27 mpg on the highway, but only 13 mpg on city streets, which gives it a combined 19 mpg. It comes with a choice of a 3.6-liter V6 or a 2.5-liter four-cylinder engine. 

The cargo area received an average score of three out of five for having a fairly decent amount of space to store items in. As far as roominess, they liked that there was enough space to make riding in the back seats comfortable with little complaints.  

Braking is an area that the Chevrolet Blazer excelled in. They had no issues with the brake pedals themselves, and the stopping distances were short. This was for both dry and wet surfaces. 

How well does it stand up to competition?

The Chevy Blazer’s competitors include the Honda Passport. This SUV received an overall score of 64, which is just a few points under the Blazer. Even the road test score is fairly close, with a 79 out of a possible 100.

Fuel economy ratings for the Passport are just a little bit better than the Blazer. When traveling on the highway, it can get 28 mpg, but in the city, it can get 14 mpg. The overall rating combined is 21 mpg. 

Trunk space is pretty much the same, but the Honda Passport fell short with braking distances and emergency handling, which the Blazer excelled at. Acceleration times are spot-on for both. Each pulls a 6.4 second time for a 0-to-60 mph run. 

How safe is the Chevy Blazer to drive?

With the NHTSA crash test, the Blazer received a five-star rating overall. When it came to IIHS’s score, it did really well. They gave it Good scores for all areas except one. They got an Acceptable on the driver’s injuries on the right leg/foot, according to IIHS’s website. 

The standard safety features on midlevel trim include a forward-collision warning system, lane departure warning, and lane-keeping assist. You will also receive city-speed automatic emergency braking with pedestrian detection bundled with the forward collision warning. 

You can opt for a couple of available features as well. Blind-spot warning, as well as the rear cross-traffic alert, are available to you on all models except the base version. You can also get an OnStar Safety & Security paid subscription. The first month, however, is free with the purchase of your Blazer. 

The Chevy Blazer has one of the fastest acceleration times in the midsize SUV category. But don’t equate speed with unsafe. The Blazer shows that it can be one of the safest vehicles too.