The 2022 Chevy Trailblazer is over $2,000 more expensive than the 2021 model year. The SUV is still affordable, but its significant price bump puts it in competition with more expensive rivals. Is the Trailblazer’s price bump justified?

The 2022 Chevy Trailblazer got a huge price bump

The 2022 Chevy Trailblazer starts at $22,795. The 2021 model started at just $20,195. What does the new model offer to justify this huge price bump?

According to Cars.com, the Trailblazer actually didn’t change much since last year. The Trailblazer is more expensive because Chevy dropped its base model trim. Despite being a higher trim level, the LS offers very few differences from the former L trim, and that’s a problem for consumers.

The 2022 Chevy Trailblazer makes 137 horsepower using an ECOTEC 1.2-liter turbocharged engine. It gets 29 miles per gallon in the city and 33 miles per gallon on the highway. The compact SUV has decent gas mileage, but its engine hardly produces enough torque or horsepower to keep most drivers entertained.

The 2022 Chevy Trailblazer is still too basic to be appealing

The 2022 Chevy Trailblazer just doesn’t offer enough to be appealing. When the Trailblazer was more affordable, it was appealing for its price. Now that the compact SUV is closer to the cost of competitors, it isn’t nearly as good of a choice as its rivals.

The Trailblazer features a small 7-inch touchscreen infotainment system. Its cabin lacks refinement compared to other compact SUV models.

The Trailblazer comes with basic safety features like forward collision alert, automatic emergency braking, front pedestrian braking, lane-keep assist, and lane departure warning.

The Chevy Trailblazer can’t compete with popular compact SUVs

The 2022 Chevy Trailblazer only has 25.3 cubic feet of cargo space behind its second row. The RAV4 has a whopping 37.5 cubic feet of cargo space behind its second row. The Honda CR-V has 37.6 cubic feet of cargo space behind its second row.

The Toyota RAV4 and Honda CR-V both make more horsepower than the underpowered Chevy Trailblazer. There are safer alternatives on the market like the Mazda CX-5. The Trailblazer’s greatest appeal was its welcoming entry-level price, but now, since the compact SUV is more expensive, there just isn’t much that gives it an edge.

If Chevrolet wants the Trailblazer to be competitive, they will either have to offer a more powerful standard engine or add better standard tech. Most consumers will pass on the Trailblazer for more refined, comfortable models. Ultimately, the Trailblazer’s LS trim isn’t a big enough difference from the former L trim to intrigue consumers. Chevy has a lot of work to do if it wants the Trailblazer to compete with the leaders of the compact SUV vehicle class.