2022 Blazer review - rental

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Nov 14, 2008
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Currently driving this 2022 Blazer Premier with the 3.6 and have to say I'm impressed with it. Has 19k on it, I normally wouldn't select a vehicle with this many miles, but the other options were pretty boring - Altima, Camry, Malibu, etc. This is surprisingly clean for having 19k on it, usually rentals are trashed by this point. IMO, National does a better job of maintaining their fleet than the other companies.

Anyways, the Blazer is close in size to a Grand Cherokee, this is a great option for people like me that like a larger 2 row SUV, and I would consider this a real SUV, it isn't a Rav4/CR-V/Equinox type vehicle.

Pros -
  • Super comfortable. The ride is great and there is plenty of suspension travel. The seats are supportive, have a ton of padding and both front seats are power and easy to find a comfortable position
  • Powertrain is great. The 3.6 is fast off the line, has a ton of power and the transmission shifts fast and always seems to be in the right gear
  • Brakes and steering are also great - a lot of feedback and they give the driver a lot of confidence. I like hopping in an unfamiliar vehicle and feeling like I know where all four corners are immediately
  • Infotainment - I love GM's infotainment, it's easy to use and intuitive. Sirius was active, wireless Android Auto worked flawlessly
  • Interior - It was a nice place to spend time. The dash was wrapped in a nice leatherette, a lot of nice accent lighting, storage and quality materials
Cons -
  • ??? Tough to find any. This is a really nice SUV.
Oddly enough, this is the only rental I've ever had with a dealer sticker on the back. Usually these are delivered directly from the factory to the rental agency at the airport, but I guess since this originated in WV that wasn't possible.

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Whoa, a rental with floor mats? Every rental I've ever had they take them out. Feels so wrong to have your shoes touching bare carpet.
 
Thanks for the review! I agree with your comments on National. They do seem to generally have a nicer and newer fleet. I think the blazer is pretty different from the grand...I'd say the grand is more of a real SUV given its towing and off-road ability (low range).
 
Why does it have a dealer sticker on the lift gate if it's a rental from National?

Great write up.

It seems the days of low/mid grade models built specifically to pump out to the rental co's are long gone.
 
I was in Virginia for work two years ago (this week actually) and National upgraded me to a 2021 Blazer with 4k on it. It was a middle of the road 2LT package with the V6 and AWD. I liked it a lot. A lot of people knock it for not being true to the Blazer heritage, but I would’ve traded my CR-V for that thing in a heartbeat.
 
Currently driving this 2022 Blazer Premier with the 3.6 and have to say I'm impressed with it. Has 19k on it, I normally wouldn't select a vehicle with this many miles, but the other options were pretty boring - Altima, Camry, Malibu, etc. This is surprisingly clean for having 19k on it, usually rentals are trashed by this point. IMO, National does a better job of maintaining their fleet than the other companies.

Anyways, the Blazer is close in size to a Grand Cherokee, this is a great option for people like me that like a larger 2 row SUV, and I would consider this a real SUV, it isn't a Rav4/CR-V/Equinox type vehicle.

Pros -
  • Super comfortable. The ride is great and there is plenty of suspension travel. The seats are supportive, have a ton of padding and both front seats are power and easy to find a comfortable position
  • Powertrain is great. The 3.6 is fast off the line, has a ton of power and the transmission shifts fast and always seems to be in the right gear
  • Brakes and steering are also great - a lot of feedback and they give the driver a lot of confidence. I like hopping in an unfamiliar vehicle and feeling like I know where all four corners are immediately
  • Infotainment - I love GM's infotainment, it's easy to use and intuitive. Sirius was active, wireless Android Auto worked flawlessly
  • Interior - It was a nice place to spend time. The dash was wrapped in a nice leatherette, a lot of nice accent lighting, storage and quality materials
Cons -
  • ??? Tough to find any. This is a really nice SUV.
Oddly enough, this is the only rental I've ever had with a dealer sticker on the back. Usually these are delivered directly from the factory to the rental agency at the airport, but I guess since this originated in WV that wasn't possible.

U47AH8B.jpg


CLhWeNs.jpg


px7dWmy.jpg


3PNmAI6.jpg
Renting one now - like it over past rentals - and have rented pretty much everything this size - certainly agree with all you posted - it’s handling bumpy and wet roads with the Conti’s and good suspension keeping it well planted …
 
The RS with the 3.6L/9 speed auto & AWD is a nice combination from what I've read.
 
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