Wow... after reading thooks' post I'm wondering if he got a Monday morning car or something. Our TrailBlazer (non EXT) isn't excessively loud at all. The motor's a little noisy at startup, but once it runs for about a minute it quiets right down. It's a marked improvement over the old 4.3 V6. Our routinely gets mid-20's on the highway, and that's usually no cruise and me trying to get somewhere as quickly as possible. The worst I did was 19, but that was pulling a fully-loaded trailer in somewhat hilly conditions.
As for handling, I believe that for a full-ish size SUV it handles well. Again, drive an S10 Blazer for comparison - it's absolute rubbish. It also feels more confident in the corners than any Explorer or Durango I've driven.
I still can't believe I'm posting this, normally I love hating the General, but that TrailBlazer really has been good for us over the last 4 years.
As for handling, I believe that for a full-ish size SUV it handles well. Again, drive an S10 Blazer for comparison - it's absolute rubbish. It also feels more confident in the corners than any Explorer or Durango I've driven.
I still can't believe I'm posting this, normally I love hating the General, but that TrailBlazer really has been good for us over the last 4 years.