Wes...how do you like your Trailblazer SS?

[tliss]

Wes,

I'm inches away from talking the wife itto one of these. How's yours? Reliable? Fun to drive? Safe? Just wondering what you think.

Thanks,
Tom

[99WhiteBeast]

He's alive- dang Tom long time no posty. I'm sure your fatherly duties are keeping you busy:tu:

[WA 2 FST]

Wes,

I'm inches away from talking the wife itto one of these. How's yours? Reliable? Fun to drive? Safe? Just wondering what you think.

Thanks,
Tom

Tom,

Funny you posted this today. Today was a day when I actually got a chance to drive it for a bit. I mean, I do drive it some, but not often (to church and back, or times when the family is going out together, etc) where I can put it through its paces. I took it up to Eldorado Chevrolet for an oil change, so I was alone. On the way back I took it through some back roads through Fairview. Honestly, this thing makes my L feel "heavy". Turn-in is that impressive. It is a bit "twitchy" at the limit, but yes it is very fun to drive.

I have a CAI and a tune which helps (haven't dyno'd it, but every test from this particular vendor shows ~25-30rwhp gains with just the tune and CAI...and I know the guy personally, so I believe him). But even stock its a fun truck. My wife is not a "car person", yet after driving it just two days she comes home after being out driving it and says, "that thing is a LOT of fun to drive." I nearly fell over backwards in my office chair.

Reliable? Well ours just has 3900 miles on it. So far, so good. The only thing I have had an issue with was the rear end "clunking" when cold. This started at ~1000 miles. Turns out a number of '06 owners report this out on the forums, and the consensus is that GM forgot to add the friction modifier/rear-end additive at the factory. So instead of taking it in, I drained the fluid myself (GM has a drain and fill plug... makes it nice and easy) and put in some Mobil 1 syn. diff fluid and some GM-spec diff additive. Noise gone.

Safe? Has side-curtain airbags, and given that it handles and brakes 100x better than the Expedition we had, I would say those things alone make it safe in comparison. Driving it you do not feel like you're in an SUV. It handles the road that well, and feels very stable at all speeds. At 80mph there is virtually no wind noise in the cabin, and power delivery is so smooth you just don't realize you're accelerating as fast as you are... or that you're maintaining a decent rate of speed. It's strange b/c in a vehicle like that you don't _think_ it should be doing the things it does performance-wise. Passing people at a brisk clip on the highway does not require a downshift.

Gas mileage was also a nice improvement for us. We're seeing 35-50% better gas mileage (13.5-15 city, 18-19 highway...but I drive 78-80mph on the highway, if I slow down it goes up) in this vehicle compared to the Expedition, so even having to use 93 octane, we're saving a little bit of $$ on gas.

Go drive one and see what you think.

[tliss]

Wes,

Thanks for the info. We are prolly going to check it out tonight. There are a few dealerships around that have an 07 or two now, so it's a matter of finding the best deal. Found one red tag for $30K, but I want to pit the dealerships against eachother and see if they will match to gain the business if my wife gets serious. We were going for a Tahoe, but our trade won't get us where we want to be on payments. This thing will be where it's at for us. This will be a family vehicle, so safety is of concern obviously with the baby. I also want something that can be relied on...we are still going to have the other SUV, but that will probably be demoted to daily sh!tmobile duty, though the gas mileage on it sux.

Steve-o,

I'm still around and watching. I'm having a little fun in the "Romo is my man" thread and I am watching what is happening every now and again. Fatherhood is treating me very well, but it is amazing how little time I have for myself nowadays. I think my free time consists of the drive to and from work every day. The baby girl is awesome and life is really cool right now. Of course, with her around I have to neglect some of my old passions...I think I started up the truck for the first time in a couple of months last week so I could move it out of the garage to access my attic opening :( . I think I've only put 1000 miles on it since the last oil change, which was in February or March. Suffice it to say I am keeping busy morning to night. The wife is being a real trooper because she takes the night shift during the week since I have to work, but I get it on the weekends. All in all I wouldn't trade it for the world.

Tom

[TP Derrick D]

He's alive- dang Tom long time no posty. I'm sure your fatherly duties are keeping you busy:tu:

+1 for me also Tom, you gonna make TFC in Oky?

[tliss]

+1 for me also Tom, you gonna make TFC in Oky?

Nope...this weekend is jam packed. It's the last weekend before the wife and duaghter head across Texas for Christmas...I'll follow next Friday. We need to polish off some things before they head out and the weekend is really the only chance we have. I'm definitely out for this...if it were next weekend it might work, but obviously it is not. I need to get out sometime...I miss you bastages!

Tom

[TXBLU]

I can't resist...:evil

Go drive a Jeep Grand Cherokee SRT8!!!

If you can't find a dealer that will let you drive theirs, give me a call and come drive mine!knana

I absolutely love this thing. I even found a killer fab shop (Minette Enterprizes) to weld up a nice custom trailer hitch receiver that doesn't look like the crap Daimler Chrysler sells.

Peace!!!:burnout:

[tliss]

We went, we saw, the wife no likey....so plug gets pulled again. Oh well.

Wife didn't like the SRT-8 at all and my patiency with DC is done. Two Jeeps in th driveway with nothing but problems. Never buying another DC product unless it comes with a million mile warranty! DC blows...:mad:

Tom