Pilot EX vs Chevy Trailblazer EXT

[kblehman]

When my wife and I decided to look into buying a mid-size SUV my first instinct was a Chevy Trailblazer. We already have a Venture minivan and it's been a great vehicle, plus I really like the looks of the Trailblazer.

Coincidentally, our local Chevy dealer also sells Hondas so that gave us a great opportunity to make a serious side-by-side comparison between a Trailblazer(TB) and a Pilot.

The very first thing we noticed was that the Pilot has 3rd row seating, but only the extended TB does. The second thing we noticed was that the second row seat in the TB has a little, itty bitty middle seat, which is a real problem because we have 3 kids (16,14 & 11) who must all sit in that seat when we go on vacations. We also noticed more hip & shoulder room in the Pilot.

Then, to my utter amazement, I learned that the MSRP for a comparably equipped Trailblazer EXT is actually more than the Pilot. That's bad. I also learned, in researching used ones, that the residual value of a TB drops like a rock. That's also bad.

Don't get me wrong. The Trailblazer is a very nice SUV. The many reviews I read had very good things to say about it. Unfortunately, the positive aspects of those reviews did not apply to the EXT model--and the reviewers said so. Plus, that skinny little middle seat in the second row was a big drawback for us.

It all boiled down to what I was getting for the money. After searching for used Pilots and used TB's, it was clear to me that the Pilot held its value much better; low mileage 2003 models were selling for only $2000 less than a new 2004, while TBs were selling for $6-8K less than that.

When my salesman parked a Pilot and a TB next to each other and let my wife and I compare them straight up, they were neck and neck. The higher towing capacity of the TB slightly offset the lower price of the Pilot, but the Pilot had more interior room and that standard third row seat. It was going to be a tough decision.

But then they allowed us to drive the TB-EXT and then jump right into a Pilot and take that for a lengthy drive. This is where the rubber really hit the road. And where the Pilot won, hands down.

There's absolutely no comparison in handling, braking, acceleration, and overall "feel" between a Pilot and a TB-EXT. Compared to the TB-EXT, which is about 18" longer, the Pilot--which has a 4" wider wheelbase--handles like a sports car. And since my wife will be driving it 98% of the time, it was a no-brainer.

Now I know why the Pilot is first in its class and garners all of those great auto reviews and customer satisfaction ratings.

Like I said, it boiled down to the value of what I was getting for my money. No offense to GM or Chevy, but after driving the two comparably equipped SUVs, the Honda won out. Handles better, costs less, and has a higher dependability rating. Duh!

Using carsdirect.com to help me get a better price, I purchased a Pilot EX on April 2, 2004. (On April 4 we went on a spring break vacation to Gatlinburg, TN and the Pilot performed flawlessly.) I've ordered the towing kit and look forward to writing a review for everyone once I tow my 2700-lb camper with it.

That's my amateur review of my 3-weeks of research, comparisons and test drives of a Chevy Trailblazer EXT and a Honda Pilot EX. Hope it was helpful.

[74PILOTMOM]

Excellent! I never drove a TB but, I've read many reviews about it's sloppy and vague handling, harsh truck ride, inferior interior plastics, poor and fit and finish, smaller interior dimensions(wtf?), noisy engine, clumsy transmission, the list goes on and on.
Hearing it from a test drivers point of view really validates my choice. We also thought about a TB or Tahoe for a second, until we saw the price. If I planned to tow big trailers, I might have looked for a minute. The Pilot is just more for the money, period. When you drive it, you just know you're in a whole other genre of quality and design.
If you're on the fence, go actually drive a Pilot...you'll see why we all love ours so much.
Thanks for that review,kblehman
Brought back memories of my "fall in love with the pilot" test drive.
Before I drove it, I thought, hmm. It's so, well, square.
Now I see her classic handsome lines and sculpted panels, plus I see great residual value.
I can still get $$$ for my little Civic with 177K on it, I'd have to pay someone to take a little domestic car with those miles.

[stickman]

plus the Pilot's gas mileage is a little better w/ city and highway versus the trailblazer.

and i think the overall fit and finish is better too.

glad u enjoy your pilot cuz we sure do

[August West]

I looked at the GMC Envoy, before choosing the Pilot. We needed the third row of seats, so I trest drove the EXT version. It is longer and narrower than the Pilot. It felt like I was driving a Dachshund.

[Stevie B]

Originally posted by August West
I looked at the GMC Envoy, before choosing the Pilot. We needed the third row of seats, so I trest drove the EXT version. It is longer and narrower than the Pilot. It felt like I was driving a Dachshund.

Ditto!! We looked at the Envoy XL too. I was offended by the price they were asking and the fact that it was a GM product. I'll buy American as soon as they make a car that looks/runs like a Honda when it's ten years old.

[kblehman]

August West said:
I looked at the GMC Envoy, before choosing the Pilot. We needed the third row of seats, so I trest drove the EXT version. It is longer and narrower than the Pilot. It felt like I was driving a Dachshund.
----------------------------------------------------------------

LOL, that's a great analogy.

In all fairness, I also drove a regular length Trailblazer and it handled pretty good. Not as good as the Pilot, but not as tipsy and rolly-polly as the TB-EXT. But the braking on the TB's was very mushy. Plus, I felt sqeezed in inside a Trailblazer. How can an SUV that looks so much bigger than a Pilot have less room??? Even in the front seats it feels that way. And that middle seat in the second row is so skinny, only Olive Oyl would fit into it.

[74PILOTMOM]

I know, Honda ingeniuity is the best! My Jeep Grand Cherokee owning friend wanted to check out my Pilot one night after work, and when I opened passenger door she said. "WOW. OH MY GOD, It's HUGE inside!" Then I popped the rear gate and she was immediately making plans for her giant dog fitting in a Pilot...maybe another JGC-to-Pilot convert.
Everyone's amazed at the interior size, It's reminds me of that Emilio Estevez movie with the tiny mobile home that was a mansion inside.

[tracy]

Originally posted by kblehman
The second thing we noticed was that the second row seat in the TB has a little, itty bitty middle seat,

So itty bitty, in fact, that for a long time GM told owners not to put a carseat or booster seat in that spot (in the TB or its clones and cousins). The seatbelt anchors were too close together and they didn't feel it was possible to install a seat there correctly. They've recently changed their minds, and they allow you to put a seat there as long as the base fits between the anchors. VERY few do. So that center seat is practically useless. Thanks, GM for making the safest spot in the vehicle almost unusable!

My dad bought an Envoy because he didn't like the Pilot's looks. But now he says his next car is going to be a CR-V... he says it's more fun to drive.

[August West]

Originally posted by kblehman
Plus, I felt sqeezed in inside a Trailblazer. How can an SUV that looks so much bigger than a Pilot have less room??? Even in the front seats it feels that way.. [/B]

I'm not sure of the specifications, but I suspect the Pilot is several inches wider than the Trailblazer, and that makes a huge difference in hip/shoulder room.

[EDR]

When we were shopping for an SUV, it never even occured to us to look at anything other than a Pilot.
At the time, the Highlander did not have 3rd row seating, even as an option. The extra seats were very important.
We didn't try any American cars, because almost always, their quality is rock bottom.
We did drive a Volvo station wagon and the XC90. The wagon we were considering, until we realized that the middle row has almost no legroom, and the third row is a cosltly option. We only drove the XC90 because this would be the only time we could justify driving one, just to see what it would be like. It is worth noting that on the floor model, one of the third row seats were broken. Shows you how "good" quality they are.

BTW, did you get a new or a used Pilot?
And you better post pictures of it, because

Thanks,
EDR

[mdesmaraisva]

We were down to the TB and the Pilot after looking at nearly everything else out there. The main reason the TB stayed in to the end was all the money back, but that destroys the residual value.

Honda is by far a better product. We are planning our first real trip with it next weekend!

[kblehman]

[QUOTE]
Originally posted by tracy:
So itty bitty, in fact, that for a long time GM told owners not to put a carseat or booster seat in that spot (in the TB or its clones and cousins). The seatbelt anchors were too close together and they didn't feel it was possible to install a seat there correctly. They've recently changed their minds, and they allow you to put a seat there as long as the base fits between the anchors. VERY few do. So that center seat is practically useless. Thanks, GM for making the safest spot in the vehicle almost unusable!
=========================

Thank you, Tracy--I wasn't aware of that. What it proves is that Chevy knew full well that seat couldn't seat three people.

And that was disappointing to my wife and I because we have a Chevy Venture minivan; we bought it because it was one of the few minivans with full modular seating in the 2nd & 3rd rows, which allows us to create any combination of seating we want to. It's a feature we love about the Venture. Why Chevy didn't use their own technology to make the TB more family friendly--at least for families with more than 2 kids--is a mystery to me. I mean, could a lead designer look at that second row seat and truthfully say it seats 3? No way.

Perhaps that's why GM is still chasing their competitors.

[kblehman]

Originally posted by tracy

My dad bought an Envoy because he didn't like the Pilot's looks. But now he says his next car is going to be a CR-V... he says it's more fun to drive.

===========================

A mea culpa here. I have to admit that I like the looks of the Trailblazer. A lot. When I first looked at the Pilot I thought it was very plain and unappealing. I still think it's very basic looking, but I also believe that over many years the look of the Pilot will still look good because the styling is not as trendy, whereas the Envoy and TB may begin to look like a design of the past.

SUVs with exaggerated fender flares, two-tone paint jobs, and unique lines will (IMO) begin to look dated after 5 years, but the Pilot's understated design will still look good. Besides, I'm more intrested in how my SUV will hold its value and also how dependable it's been when its 5 years old.

[kblehman]

Originally posted by mdesmaraisva

Honda is by far a better product. We are planning our first real trip with it next weekend!

mdesmariasva,
How was your trip in your Pilot?
Where did you go?
How did the Pilot handle for you? (as if we didn't already know)

[kblehman]

Originally posted by EDR


BTW, did you get a new or a used Pilot?
And you better post pictures of it, because

We bought a new 2004 Pilot.
Truthfully, I had no intention of buying a new one, but all the 2003's I looked at that had low mileage were selling for only $1500-2500 less than a new one, so I figured I may as well buy new.

As for the pics, there are so many pics in here of white Pilots I figured I wouldn't bore everyone with more.

How about I post pics of my Pilot hitched up to my Coleman pop-up camper after I get the hitch and coolers installed? That way everyone can see how a Pilot looks towing an RV. Will that do?