CHEVROLET BLAZER 4.3 V6 LS Mid 5dr 4WD Auto (1998)

Fun at the time, but I shudder to think of running such a low MPG car now

I drove a Chevrolet Blazer for about four years in the early 'noughties', when if I recall petrol cost about 80p a litre or thereabouts. It was punishing enough driving the Blazer then, because on a good day it managed under 20 miles a gallon. For that reason alone I couldn't really recommend it as such, or at least would have to give a big warning to anyone considering one.

The Blazer's an extremely comfy drive though, so if you have deep pockets and want to cruise in style then you could do a lot worse. It's a fantastic driving position, very commanding, always nice and warm, and in the worst weather it just sails through without a care.

I do remember though I had an intermittent problem with stalling, which seemed more like the car was just confusing itself than me doing anything wrong. I didn't bother getting it fixed because I knew from other more minor repairs that Chevrolet parts are scarce at the best of times. Another nagging issue was that the engine warning light just stayed on most of the time, even though I was reassured by the garage that it was all fine really.

The space inside the Chevrolet Blazer is fairly generous, and the boot is really nice and big. We had roof bars on ours, and it also towed our little boat with great ease (although this brought the fuel efficiency down to pathetic levels!).

Thinking back, the interior could have been higher quality maybe. It did start to flake off in places. I sold it after the four years because I was concerned about rising fuel prices and the cost of any major repairs if it needed any. I'd just advise anyone to check the service history and maybe get an LPG conversion if you can.