Photo : GM

We know. You have Camaro dreams but face a reality of parenthood, where cars with two doors and sporty rooflines can be a detriment to loading up the kids. Chevy came to the rescue by blowing the Camaro’s exterior up like a balloon and into the 2019 Blazer, but it’ll cost you: This thing apparently tops out at $49,000.


Blazer, huh? I’d say someone was blazed when they came up with that price tag.

This is according to a report from Cars Direct, which basically said the new Blazer’s $29,995 entry price is no more than a facade for what’s really in store: a pricey crossover that looks like a sports car in a market already saturated with, but unable to satiate the need for, crossovers.


Chevy’s only officially announced the $29,995 base MSRP so far, but Cars Direct summed that base price up as “likely intended mainly for advertising purposes” and said the rest of the Blazer lineup will be “considerably more expensive than competitors.”

Maybe that’s just the price a person has to pay when they want the look of a sports car and the functionality (read: unnecessary extra space and ride height) of a crossover. Blown-up sports cars are fairly uncharted territory, after all.

Here are some price comparisons on the Blazer versus other, less expensive crossovers, via Cars Direct:

Above the entry-level Blazer L, the 1LT trim will start at $33,495 including destination, making it $1,700 more expensive than a 2018 Murano S ($31,795) and $2,505 pricier than a 2019 Edge SE ($30,990). The L and 1LT both come with a 4-cylinder naturally-aspirated engine producing 193 hp and 188 lb-ft of torque. In contrast, all Muranos come with a 260 hp V6 and most versions of the Edge come with a 4-cylinder turbo making 250 hp. Stepping up to the Blazer 2LT gets you access to a 3.6-liter V6 making 305 hp and 269 lb-ft of torque, but brings the MSRP to $34,495.


The trend doesn’t change for the higher trims, according to Cars Direct, with the Blazer still carrying the higher price tag versus similar competitors:

For something sportier, the new Blazer RS starts at $41,795, a little over $1,500 cheaper than the new 335-hp Ford Edge ST ($43,350). At least on paper. That’s because the ST is only offered with all-wheel drive. An RS with all-wheel drive starts at $44,695, meaning it’s over $1,300 more expensive. [...] Blazer Premier starts at $43,895, making it more expensive than both the 2018 Murano Platinum ($43,225) and aforementioned Edge ST ($43,350). Even at that point, you have to add a package to get a collision system that has the ability to apply the brakes if a crash is imminent.


Cars Direct also listed out how much more expensive the Blazer’s options run compared to options on vehicles like Ford’s “Edge ST” performance crossover and the Murano. All-wheel drive on the Blazer, according to Cars Direct, will be a $2,700 option compared to $1,600 on the Murano and $1,995 on the Edge. The pricing differences are similar on safety and driver-assistance features, too.

But if Camaro looks and crossover functionality (read: too exhausted to take all of these papers from work inside of the house, therefore need extra seats to pile them on) are your thing, then perhaps the Blazer is for you regardless of price.


After all, thousands of dollars in optional features still comes out cheaper than buying a crossover and a Camaro to satisfy your heart’s desire to look cool.