Ok guys, new here and don`t yet have a Blazer. Here in the uk we do have RHD Chevy Blazers and have been looking at a few lately. Currently have a 1996 Jeep Grand Cherokee 4.0l Limitedand like it, HOWEVER, thinking of selling/swapping the Jeep for a Blazer. Should I? Without just saying Jeeps are crap why are Blazers better? Do they have good reliability records etc? Come on tell me why they`re better!


EDIT: Fixed IMG tags to img tags and added clickable thumbnail.

 

Ditch it!! Get the Blazer!! Oh.. and Welcome to the forum

 

Suppose i've come to the wrong place for un-biased views haven't i?
Anyway still browsing the forum and cant see any pics in the photo gallery? What am i doing wrong? Just get the red crosses!

 

Its not you... its the forum, months ago it was affected by a virus... you can still see the pics, just keep clicking on the red 'x' until it shows up. There was talk of it being fixed, but it seems that is all it is right now... talk. If it bothers you... check here

 

Being as you are in the UK, I'd go with whichever vehicle has the best parts support. There are common problems with the Blazers. A quick search around the site will show the most common ones. I'm not up on Jeeps so I can't say whether to keep it or get aBlazer. I can say the 4.3 is a more powerful engine as quite a few Jeep guys over here like to swap them into their Jeeps mainly due to the low end torque our motors have.

 

That Jeep is spectacularly clean! Depending on your needs (family hauler, off-roading, towing, etc.) I would stick with the Jeep. Do you own the Jeep? Do you off-road much? How many miles on the Jeep?

Also, check out the related threads below. Some good info to answer your questions.

 

As AJBert says - check availability of parts. Here in New Zealand Blazer parts (& service) is a major issue as there are no Chevy dealers/agents. We have the Holden.
Jeep have dealerships here so parts etc. is not an issue - other than pricey!

My previous 4x4 was the Grand Cherokee (1999). I loved it.Maybe because it had the 4.8ltr V8. Performed superbly on the sand dunes & mud alike.
When I liquidated my business it had to go. (registered to the business)
Ihave had my Blazerfor just on ayear & love it!
So,I'm biased in favour of the Jeep. BUT THEN I'm also biased in favour of the Blazer.

Blazer? Jeep? Blazer? Jeep? Blazerrrrrrr

 

Well i'm still no better off? Parts arent too much of a problem. About as many Chevrolet dealers as there are Jeep dealers-they recently took over "Daewoo" so have all there dealerships. Believe it or not its cheaper for me to buy regular service parts etc from Rockauto in the U.S. and have them ship over here. Actually quicker too! Jeep is used to pull a large caravan and take me and the kids camping/canoeing up in the lakes here. Need a good pulling engine with the occasional semi-off road to get to a good camping spot and need a heavy vehicle for the caravan weight. Won't need it lifted or anything like that. Interesting you say Jeep owners over there swap the 4.3 chevy engine into the Jeeps. Is it a lot more powerful? Jeep 4.0lhas 196BHP and must say i think for the weight of the Jeep it can shift! My Jeep has 108000 miles on the clock and still going strong. Are the Chevy engines good for high mileage?

 

Compare torque between the two engines and you'll see why the 4.3 is pretty good for offroad. HP is close to your Jeep at 190HP. Reliability wise they are pretty good, also. Biggest problem would probably be the intake gasket failing. Most are good for over 200,000 miles. I currently have just over 173,000 miles on mine and it is still running just fine. Not sure what kind of gas milage you get with the Jeep. Blazers get anywhere from the high teens to the low 20s, depending on 2/4 door, 2/4wd, gearing, etc. Towing wise, the Blazer is capable but I wouldn't say optimal. Again, depending on year and make up, towing capacity varies. That will be something you want to research before making a decision.

Hope some of this is helping you out. If you have more specific questions, ask away.