Miscellany: 2026 Chevy Trailblazer LT review - Fond of sand dunes and salty air

For our summer vacation, we toured Massachusetts...everywhere from the charming fishing port of Gloucester, to the hustle and bustle of post-World Cup Boston, to the winding roads of Cape Cod. While some places were accessible via public transit, we needed a car to realistically get anywhere outside the Boston metro area.  As such, we got a Chevy Trailblazer, a Korean-made subcompact crossover that took over the nameplate from the old Trailblazer SUV:

Our 2026 model had the "LT" trim, which adds several big features, like keyless open and a better stereo system. Unchanged from the base model is the buzzy 1.2L ECOTEC engine, which squeezes 137 hp and 162 lb-ft of torque out of three turbocharged cylinders.  The engine (paired with an unremarkable CVT) had just enough pep to deal with everyday New England traffic, but it's certainly not going to throw you back in your seat, and long-term reliability may be...questionable.

Suspension-wise, I found the Trailblazer's ride to be a little noisy and harsh - the car had a tendency to crash over bumps and uneven pavement, which were pretty common on Boston streets.  On the plus side, the car handled well in the surprisingly hilly Massachusetts terrain, even when rain intruded on the last day of our vacation.

In terms of interior space, the Trailblazer fit four adults comfortably, along with their personal items and carry-on bags, though rear storage is reduced by the included spare tire (still a welcome feature in this day and age):

The car was pretty easy to drive, too - the dashboard layout is simple, and there are still physical controls for things like audio volume and climate. The wireless Apple CarPlay implementation was just okay - I didn't experience the full-on crashes of my last rental car, but Google Maps navigation was a little laggy, especially when negotiating the twisty intersections around the Boston area.

All in all, while I would never buy it, I was happy with the Trailblazer as a rental (my friends even liked the Cacti Green paint), and it'll always remind me of old Cape Cod: