Compare the2025 Subaru CrosstrekVS 2025 Chevrolet Trailblazer

Safety
Warranty
Reliability
Engine
Fuel Economy and Range
Brakes and Stopping
Suspension and Handling
Passenger Space
Cargo Capacity
Towing
Servicing Ease
Ergonomics
Recommendations

Safety

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The Crosstrek has standard Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats, which use a specially designed seat to protect the driver and front passenger from whiplash. During a rear-end collision, the Whiplash-Reducing Front Seats system allows the backrest to travel backwards to cushion the occupants and the headrests move forward to prevent neck and spine injuries. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer a whiplash protection system.

Over 200 people are killed each year when backed over by motor vehicles. The Crosstrek Limited/Wilderness has standard Reverse Automatic Braking that use rear sensors to monitor for objects to the rear and automatically apply the brakes to prevent a collision. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer backup collision prevention brakes.

To provide maximum traction and stability on all roads, All-Wheel Drive is standard on the Crosstrek. But it costs extra on the Trailblazer.

The Crosstrek offers available parking sensors to help warn the driver about vehicles, pedestrians or other obstacles behind or in front of their vehicle. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer a front parking aid.

The Crosstrek’s driver alert monitor detects an inattentive driver then sounds a warning and suggests a break. According to the NHTSA, drivers who fall asleep cause about 100,000 crashes and 1500 deaths a year. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer a driver alert monitor.

Both the Crosstrek and the Trailblazer have standard driver and passenger frontal airbags, front side-impact airbags, driver knee airbags, side-impact head airbags, front seatbelt pretensioners, height adjustable front shoulder belts, four-wheel antilock brakes, traction control, electronic stability systems to prevent skidding, crash mitigating brakes, daytime running lights, lane departure warning systems, rearview cameras, available blind spot warning systems and rear cross-path warning.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does 35 MPH front crash tests on new vehicles. In this test, results indicate that the Subaru Crosstrek is safer than the Chevrolet Trailblazer:

	Crosstrek	Trailblazer
	Driver
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Neck Injury Risk	22.4%	24%
	Passenger
STARS	5 Stars	4 Stars
HIC	170	401
Neck Injury Risk	28.8%	29%
Neck Compression	51 lbs.	82 lbs.
Leg Forces (l/r)	291/273 lbs.	409/383 lbs.

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

The National Highway Traffic Safety Administration does side impact tests on new vehicles. In this test, which crashes the vehicle into a flat barrier at 38.5 MPH and into a post at 20 MPH, results indicate that the Subaru Crosstrek is safer than the Chevrolet Trailblazer:

	Crosstrek	Trailblazer
	Front Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
Chest Movement	.5 inches	1.1 inches
Abdominal Force	148 lbs.	199 lbs.
Hip Force	297 lbs.	459 lbs.
	Rear Seat
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	116	185
	Into Pole
STARS	5 Stars	5 Stars
HIC	254	337

New test not comparable to pre-2011 test results. More stars = Better. Lower test results = Better.

Instrumented handling tests conducted by the National Highway Traffic Safety Administration and analysis of its dimensions indicate that the Crosstrek is 1.5% to 2.1% less likely to roll over than the Trailblazer.

Warranty

The Crosstrek’s corrosion warranty is unlimited miles longer than the Trailblazer’s (unlimited vs. 100,000 miles).

Reliability

A hardened steel chain, with no maintenance needs, drives the camshafts in the Crosstrek’s engine. A rubber cam drive belt that needs periodic replacement drives the Trailblazer’s camshafts. If the Trailblazer’s belt breaks, the engine could be severely damaged when the pistons hit the opened valves.

From surveys of all its subscribers, Consumer Reports’ March 2025 Auto Issue reports that Subaru vehicles are more reliable than Chevrolet vehicles. Consumer Reports ranks Subaru first in overall reliability. Chevrolet is ranked 16th.

Engine

The Crosstrek’s standard 2.0 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 15 more horsepower (152 vs. 137) than the Trailblazer’s standard 1.2 turbo 3-cylinder. The Crosstrek Premium/Sport/Limited/Wilderness’ standard 2.5 DOHC 4-cylinder produces 27 more horsepower (182 vs. 155) and 4 lbs.-ft. more torque (178 vs. 174) than the Trailblazer’s optional 1.3 turbo 3-cylinder.

As tested in Motor Trend the Subaru Crosstrek is faster than the Chevrolet Trailblazer 1.3 turbo 3-cylinder:

	Crosstrek 2.0	Crosstrek Premium/Sport/Limited/Wilderness	Trailblazer
Zero to 60 MPH	9.1 sec	7.9 sec	9.3 sec
Speed in 1/4 Mile	84.8 MPH	88.6 MPH	80.5 MPH

The flat cylinder configuration of the boxer engine in the Crosstrek lowers its center of gravity, enhancing handling stability without compromising ground clearance. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer a boxer engine configuration.

Fuel Economy and Range

On the EPA test cycle the Crosstrek gets better mileage than the Trailblazer:

			MPG
Crosstrek
	AWD	Sport/Limited 2.5 DOHC flat-4	27 city/33 hwy
		2.0 DOHC flat-4	27 city/34 hwy
Trailblazer
	AWD	1.3 turbo 3-cyl.	26 city/29 hwy

The Crosstrek has 3.4 gallons more fuel capacity than the Trailblazer (16.6 vs. 13.2 gallons), for longer range between fill-ups.

The Crosstrek has a standard locking fuel door. The fuel filler door is not lockable on the Trailblazer. A locking fuel door helps prevent fuel theft and vandalism, such as sugar in the tank.

Brakes and Stopping

For better stopping power the Crosstrek’s brake rotors are larger than those on the Trailblazer:

	Crosstrek	Trailblazer
Front Rotors	12.4 inches	11.81 inches
Rear Rotors	11.2 inches	10.39 inches

The Crosstrek’s standard front and rear disc brakes are vented to help dissipate heat for shorter stops with less fading. The rear discs on the Trailblazer are solid, not vented.

The Crosstrek stops shorter than the Trailblazer:

	Crosstrek	Trailblazer
60 to 0 MPH	128 feet	133 feet	Consumer Reports

Suspension and Handling

For superior ride and handling, the Subaru Crosstrek has fully independent front and rear suspensions. An independent suspension allows the wheels to follow the road at the best angle for gripping the pavement, without compromising ride comfort. The Chevrolet Trailblazer has a rear torsion beam axle, with a semi-independent rear suspension.

The Crosstrek has standard front and rear stabilizer bars, which help keep the Crosstrek flat and controlled during cornering. The Trailblazer’s suspension doesn’t offer a rear stabilizer bar.

For a smoother ride and more stable handling, the Crosstrek Wilderness’ wheelbase is 1 inch longer than on the Trailblazer (104.9 inches vs. 103.9 inches). The Crosstrek’s wheelbase is 1.2 inches longer than on the Trailblazer (105.1 inches vs. 103.9 inches).

The Crosstrek handles at .81 G’s, while the Trailblazer RS AWD pulls only .80 G’s of cornering force in a Motor Trend skidpad test.

The Crosstrek Limited executes Motor Trend’s “Figure Eight” maneuver 1 seconds quicker than the Trailblazer RS AWD (27.3 seconds @ .61 average G’s vs. 28.3 seconds @ .57 average G’s).

For better maneuverability, the Crosstrek Wilderness’ turning circle is 3.5 feet tighter than the Trailblazer RS’ (34.8 feet vs. 38.3 feet).

For greater off-road capability the Crosstrek has a greater minimum ground clearance than the Trailblazer (8.7 vs. 8 inches), allowing the Crosstrek to travel over rougher terrain without being stopped or damaged. The Crosstrek Wilderness’ minimum ground clearance is 1.3 inches higher than on the Trailblazer (9.3 vs. 8 inches).

Passenger Space

The Crosstrek has 2.3 cubic feet more passenger volume than the Trailblazer (100.5 vs. 98.2).

The Crosstrek has 2 inches more front legroom, 2.8 inches more front hip room, 1.4 inches more front shoulder room, 4.8 inches more rear hip room and 1.5 inches more rear shoulder room than the Trailblazer.

Cargo Capacity

The Crosstrek has a larger cargo volume with its rear seat folded than the Trailblazer with its rear seat folded (54.7 vs. 54.4 cubic feet).

The Crosstrek’s cargo area is larger than the Trailblazer’s in almost every dimension:

	Crosstrek	Trailblazer
Length to seat (2nd/1st)	32.1”/63.9”	32”/64.5”
Max Width	53”	54”
Min Width	43”	41”
Height	29.3”	28.2”

A standard locking glovebox (which can’t be accessed with the valet key) keeps your small valuables safer in the Crosstrek. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer locking storage for small valuables.

Towing

The Crosstrek’s standard towing capacity is much higher than the Trailblazer’s (1500 vs. 1000 pounds). Maximum trailer towing in the Chevrolet Trailblazer is only 1000 pounds. The Crosstrek offers up to a 3500 lbs. towing capacity.

Servicing Ease

The engine in the Crosstrek is mounted longitudinally (North-South), instead of sideways, as in the Trailblazer. This makes it easier to service and maintain, because the accessory belts are in front.

J.D. Power and Associates surveys of service recipients show that Subaru service is better than Chevrolet. J.D. Power ranks Subaru third in service department satisfaction. With a 21% lower rating, Chevrolet is ranked 13th.

Ergonomics

The Crosstrek’s front power windows open or close with one touch of the switches, making it more convenient at drive-up windows and toll booths, or when talking with someone outside of the car. The Trailblazer’s front passenger window doesn’t close automatically.

To help drivers see further while navigating curves, the Crosstrek has standard adaptive headlights to illuminate around corners automatically by reading vehicle speed and steering wheel angle. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer cornering lights.

The Crosstrek’s optional rear and side view mirrors have an automatic dimming feature. These mirrors can be set to automatically darken quickly when headlights shine on them, keeping following vehicles from blinding or distracting the driver. The Trailblazer offers an automatic rear view mirror, but its side mirrors don’t dim.

The Crosstrek’s standard dual zone air conditioning allows the driver and front passenger to choose two completely different temperatures so people with different temperature preferences won’t have to compromise. This makes both the driver and front passenger as comfortable as possible. The Trailblazer doesn’t offer dual zone air conditioning.

Compared to the Chevrolet Trailblazer, the Subaru Crosstrek eliminates the need for separate garage door openers and associated risks of losing, breaking, or having dead batteries with its optional integrated Homelink® universal remote controlled from the rear view mirror.

Recommendations

Both are recommended, but Consumer Reports® chose the Subaru Crosstrek as its “Top Pick,” the highest scoring vehicle in its category, based on reliability, safety and performance.

The Subaru Crosstrek outsold the Chevrolet Trailblazer by 76% during 2024.

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