2022 Chevrolet Blazer RS AWD Review

As far as revered SUV names go, few, if any, match the Blazer in Chevrolet’s truck pantheon. When it returned in 2019 after a hiatus, it was slapped on a midsize crossover SUV, rather than a true body-on-frame vehicle. And it was far more metrosexual than rugged.

Yet the formula worked.

Consider its sales versus that of another revered SUV: the 2022 Ford Bronco. During the final six months of 2021, Ford sold 24,819 Broncos, while Chevrolet sold 23,243 Blazers. Considering the Chevy Blazer is two years old, and doesn’t play the nostalgia card like Ford’s Bronco, that’s an impressive number. So this is one formula that’s working despite those who grumble that the Blazer appears to be missing a Y-Chromosome. 

Overview: A Week With The 2022 Chevrolet Blazer RS AWD

For 2022, the $28,800 Blazer LT, along with the 1LT and their 193-horsepower 2.5-liter 4-cylinder engine are no longer offered. The far pricier $37,295 2LT is the entry-level 2022 Blazer. Power comes from a turbocharged 4-cylinder engine or a normally aspirated V-6.

Front-wheel and all-wheel drive is offered with either engine. An optional trailering package is available on V-6 models, which increases trailering capacity to 4,500 pounds from 1,500 pounds.

It’s standard on 4-cylinder models with all-wheel drive and is optional with front-wheel drive, increasing towing capacity to 3,500 pounds. Chevrolet supplied a 2022 Blazer RS with all-wheel drive for our weeklong sojourn.

Exterior

The Blazer is not some trail-pounding rascal. It’s a dude, a city slicker, a truck that’s rarely gotten dirt under its fingernails. You could tell from the $395 radically enticing Nitro Yellow Metallic paint and its $550 black roof cost, optional on all models except the Premier.

That said, stylists did an impressive job of creating something else: a crossover utility vehicle that’s interesting to look at, something that can’t often be said of many competitors. Its visual vocabulary is engagingly sporty without appearing puerile.

And while Chevy would like you to think of the Camaro when you look at the Blazer, given its meager sales last year, that’s not much of help marketing wise. Better to just think of it as a Blazer, or in the case of our test vehicle, a Blazer assaulted by a highlighter. 

Interior

Thankfully, despite the Camaro-inspired design motifs used throughout the Blazer’s interior, it’s most odious feature — the lack of outward visibility — is noticeably absent. Its modestly sporty ambience incorporates the rotating air-conditioning vent bezels for adjusting the automatic climate control temperature that are still an innovative design.

Yet considering this vehicle’s price, some of the trim feels far too cheap given this vehicle’s price. The downscale interior quality offsets the Blazer’s upscale comfort and convenience features, such as heated and ventilated front seats, heated rear seats and ambient lighting.

The seats are comfortable, if incredibly flat, and lack the side bolstering you might expect of a sportier crossover. Head and leg room are good, and cargo capacity is sufficient. Assembly quality was average.

Powertrain

A turbocharged DOHC 2.0-liter 4-cylinder is standard on 2LT, 3LT and Premier models, and produces a respectable 228 horsepower and 258 pound-feet of torque. The engine to opt for is the DOHC 3.6-liter V-6 with 308 hp and 270 lb-ft of torque. It’s optional on 3LT and Premier trims and standard on the RS. A 9-speed automatic is standard. Tire sizes range from 18 to 21 inches depending on model. 

If you’re looking for fuel economy, the 2.0-liter is your best bet, as it returns 24 mpg with front-wheel drive and 25 mpg with all-wheel drive. In contrast, the 3.6-liter returns 22 mpg with front-wheel drive, 21 mpg with all-wheel drive, although that isn’t bad given its performance proclivities. All engines run on 87 octane gasoline.

Safety and Technology

The National Highway Safety Administration bestows five stars overall for overall, front  and side crash safety, and four stars for rollover protection. The Insurance Institute for Highway Safety rates it “Good” in all safety categories, and its vehicle-to-vehicle front crash prevention system as “Superior.” Its vehicle-to-protection system is rated “Advanced.”

The Blazer’s standard driver-assistance systems includes automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, lane-keeping assist with lane-departure warning, following distance indicator, forward-collision warning, and automatic high beams.

The Blazer features Android Auto and Apple CarPlay compatibility, a 4G LTE Wi-Fi hotspot, and four USB ports. A wireless charger is available on RS and Premier models as part of an option package. The Blazer’s 8-inch touchscreen is small in today’s market, but it works well enough and responds promptly.

Driving Impressions

While the 2022 Chevrolet Blazer shares its architecture with the Cadillac XT5 and GMC Acadia, it proves to be a most engaging crossover or SUV. Assured and responsive, it proves to be more engaging than the gooey handling characteristic of this class. The Blazer remains poised while cornering, with minimal body lean. The steering is accurate and alert, if a bit light.

Credit the RS’s sportier steering and suspension tuning, which along with the V-6’s strong, smooth power, satisfies in a way few turbocharged fours can. The transmission shifts discreetly, if not always quickly.

A fast-reacting manual mode helps, but its Lilliputian toggle switch on the shifter is positively useless. Only some brain-dead GM beancounter finds this to be a satisfactory solution. The RS’s suspension does thump over the worst road abrasions, but overall ride comfort is good.

2022 Chevrolet Blazer RS AWD specifications

Wrap Up

The Blazer remains a classic modern American, boasting flamboyant style, smooth power delivery and respectable road manners. It’s not cheap; unfortunately elements of its interior are, which undercuts an otherwise well-engineered and designed package. For most buyers such tidbits won’t matter; this vehicle rocks. For others, they’ll look at the price and the interior and wonder why this midsize Chevrolet costs so much.

2022 Chevrolet Blazer RS AWD ­— Frequently Asked Questions