Car & Driver: SRT-8 VS Trailblazer SS

[GPPowers]

The March Car and Driver has a comparison of the SRT-8 and the Trailblazer SS.

The SS wins?????

The SRT-8 dominates every performance category including a near full second margin in the 1/4 mile (13.2-WK vs 14.1-SS)

But Car and Driver chose the Trailblazer because the Jeep didn't have as big a backseat, cargo space and towing capacity.

When I read the actual results scorecard it reads a little fishy. Like GM paid off C&D for the number one spot.

The Chevy wins by two points.
Check out some of these fishy scores
..............................Chevy.............Je ep
Gotta-have-it factor......20.................17....3 point difference???
Fun to drive.................18.................19....Onl y 1 point - SRT dominates
1/4 mile accel...............16.................20....This looks right
towing capacity..............5..................2....3 points again?
cargo space.................10...................7....an other 3 points
total.........................226................. 224...just enough funny numbers for GM to win

It just seems like anywhere the SS had an edge the margin was little larger than it should be, larger enough to get 2 more total points and win the comparo.

Is it just me or does this drive anyone else crazy?
Do you think manufaturers influence the outcome of car magazine comparisons?

[buffman]

I agree on the Tow Rating. I mean with the power the SRT8 has it should be able to tow some serious ****. Instead they put a center exit exhaust on it, and it now requires some goofy hitch

[5point9Limited]

Originally Posted by buffman

I agree on the Tow Rating. I mean with the power the SRT8 has it should be able to tow some serious ****. Instead they put a center exit exhaust on it, and it now requires some goofy hitch

me tew

[Atl XJ]

Sounds about right to me. :hah:

[JerodR1]

Notice the 13.2.... Times are getting lower :hah:

[adam728]

Leave it to Car and Driver to test a pair of performance marketed vehicles and then give the win to utility instead of performance.

That's like Car and Driver's TV show where they had a truck shootout. I watched it because the 2005 Tacoma my mom got was in it. It killed everything in the off road test, out towed and hauled everything, and was the only truck they could fit a 4 wheeler in the back of with the gate closed, but it finished next to last. The Honda Ridgeline won because it had all the features that todays truck buyers are looking for. Yea, like zero ground clearance, no low range, independant front and rear suspension, an all that junk. That's why for every 1 Ridgeline I see on the road I see about 10-15 new style Tacomas.

[SolarYellow]

What is the sense in getting worked up over the opinion of a magazine? It is no different than you having an opinion. When I am dropping good coin on a vehicle, the only opinion that matters is mine and the opinions of any magazine are irrelevant!

[MChat]

Nothing unusual here. Both Car and Driver and Motortrend give the win to whichever manufacturer "contributes" toward their bills more. It's the only explanation for some of the past winners as well. (See "Cheap Speed", a PERFORMANCE car article where the best performing car ranked 3rd)

[rayjj]

Originally Posted by SolarYellow

What is the sense in getting worked up over the opinion of a magazine? It is no different than you having an opinion. When I am dropping good coin on a vehicle, the only opinion that matters is mine and the opinions of any magazine are irrelevant!

I agree, let the idiots that take an opinion seriously and go and get the SS, that way there will be more of them to beat on the streets with the STR8s.

[TheyCallMeSteel]

They always pull that stupid ****. It just happened in the mid-range sedan show down. One auto wins through the real tests and then loses with the "gotta have it" factor.

Honestly, how do you need to have the SS when the SRT-8 is all the talk?


13.2? Wow, still waiting for real world numbers.

[Justin-a-GTOSE]

I bet nobody here complained when Ford paid C&D to put the new Mustang GT above the GTO in a comparison test when the GTO clearly trumped it in the performance tests.

[JedA]

Originally Posted by Big Red

I bet nobody here complained when Ford paid C&D to put the new Mustang GT above the GTO in a comparison test when the GTO clearly trumped it in the performance tests.

That is because the GTO is ugly, and the Mustang is not. In this case they are both ugly, so that does not matter as much, although I think I agree with the magazine.

[Atl XJ]

Originally Posted by jjabell2000

That is because the GTO is ugly, and the Mustang is not. In this case they are both ugly, so that does not matter as much, although I think I agree with the magazine.

I think you got that backwards. The new Rustang is the ugly one.

Btw, looks is only one category.

[UntameD]

well, that's it for me. im selling the zj and getting a trailblazer ss :fkcar:

[JedA]

Originally Posted by Atl XJ

I think you got that backwards. The new Rustang is the ugly one.

Btw, looks is only one category.

In my real opinion

Hit or miss on the new mustang. It really depends on the car.

The GTO isn't ugly, it is too plain. I wouldn't hesitate to drive one.

The SRT-8 is ugly. I wouldn't hesitate to drive one.

I can't make up my mind on the Trailblazer SS. There is one on the lot here that I looked at the other day. I don't know if I like it, and my wife can't make up her mind if it is too ghetto, or too minivan looking (because it sits soo low). I would hesitate, then drive it anyway.

[JedA]

And too stay on topic, the SRT-8 lost because it can't tow as much, and I will agree that that is a major flaw.

[limited90xj]

right now chevy needs all the positive publicity it can get, more power to them. We all know which one we'd probably get so.....

[saleen4971]

who teh crap buys a 425hp jeep w/ 20's and street suspension for towing?

if you do, then you should die

[02Overland]

Just looked at a new TB SS 4x4 at the auto show. Black w/ black leather. It stickered at $ 38k. You could get it for prob $5-8K off that so its a pretty good grab at low $30's for a 400hp suv. Whats the srt-8 $ 47K? and they are going for sticker price. So theres a 15K price diff, just up to you if the Jeep is worth it.

[robertk232]

Originally Posted by 02Overland

Just looked at a new TB SS 4x4 at the auto show. Black w/ black leather. It stickered at $ 38k. You could get it for prob $5-8K off that so its a pretty good grab at low $30's for a 400hp suv. Whats the srt-8 $ 47K? and they are going for sticker price. So theres a 15K price diff, just up to you if the Jeep is worth it.

Base price srt8 is 39k, loaded is around 46k i think.