An extended-wheelbase model called the TrailBlazer EXT offers tree rows, seating up to seven people. It comes standard, but a V8 is available as an option. The EXT needs the V8 due to its heavier weight. Due to its much longer length, the EXT lacks the handling and stability that make the standard TrailBlazer great. Equipped with the V8, a Trailblazer EXT 2WD model can tow up to 7,100 pounds.

New options for 2004 include adjustable pedals, XM satellite radio, and navigation radio.

Overall, TrailBlazer looks sturdy and neat, with confident lines that express utility. The pillars and window lines are graceful, while big fender flares are visually bold. At the rear is a convenient step in the center of the bumper. The stacked round taillights look lumpy and googly eyed.

The track (the distance between the left and right tires) is the widest in the class, 2.2 inches wider than the Explorer in front and nearly an inch wider in rear. The seven-seat TrailBlazer EXT is 16 inches longer in wheelbase than the standard five-seat TrailBlazer.

TrailBlazer's six-cylinder engine is smooth and quiet, and the faster it goes, the smoother it seems to get. It's an inline-6, a design that is inherently smoother and more powerful than a V6. Because the engine is so quiet and smooth at idle, a feature was added that prevents the starter from grinding if the key is turned when the engine is already running.

Called the Vortec 4200, the 4.2-liter inline-6 features dual overhead camshafts, four valves per cylinder, and variable phasing of the exhaust cam. It's rated at 275 horsepower and 275 pounds-feet of torque. (Torque is that force that thrusts you off the line and up steep hills.) Ninety percent of the peak 275 pounds-feet of torque is available at 1600 rpm, and it's still there at 5600 rpm. The engine is still striding, not screaming, when the full-throttle upshift comes at 6000 rpm. That torque gave us confident power when attempting passes on steep uphill two-lanes. It offers strong acceleration without having forcing the transmission to downshift. The four-speed automatic transmission is programmed well and makes a good companion for the engine. The smooth-shifting transmission is the proven Hydra-Matic 4L60-E, used in GM applications from Corvettes to Cadillac Escalades.

Towing was a high priority with the TrailBlazer. Six-cylinder models are rated at 6300 pounds with 2WD, 6100 with 4WD. The six-cylinder engine is designed to run cool (thanks in part to a big seven-quart oil pan) and efficient.

Big ventilated disc brakes provide stopping power, and four-wheel ABS is standard. Under hard braking, the nose didn't dive, keeping the TrailBlazer remarkably level and stable.

We found the ride excellent, very smooth: in a word, carlike, without being too soft. The TrailBlazer was designed to roll (lean) exactly five degrees in the corners, and then stop leaning. It features a wide track and low engine position, which drops the center of gravity. A vehicle with a low center of gravity is generally less likely to roll over than a vehicle with a high center of gravity.

The chassis and suspension are highly developed, featuring a list of sports car stuff: rack-and-pinion steering, beefy four-wheel vented disc brakes with twin-piston calipers in front, independent front suspension with short/long control arms, solid rear axle using five-link location with Bilstein gas-charged shock absorbers and coil springs, thick antiroll bars front and rear. It was the first truck for the TrailBlazer's chief designer, Ted Robertson, who brought a resume to the assignment that includes the '90s Camaro/Firebird. GM wanted his soul as well as his experience in their midsize SUVs, and they got it. His approach was to put some 'sport' in Sport Utility. The chassis rails are shaped by hydroforming, a process pioneered in the C5 Corvette; it makes the rails stronger and lighter. No less than eight crossmembers contribute to a claimed 260 percent increase in torsional rigidity, and there are 12 tuned body mounts made of urethane.

Leaving the highway for the dirt, we found the TrailBlazer impressively stable on washboard surfaces. It bottomed on dips, however, signaling that the optional skid plates are necessary for off-road driving. When equipped with the 17-inch BFG Rugged Trail radials and skid plates, the TrailBlazer easily chugged along at 5 mph through soft sand in Auto4WD. TrailBlazer has a very tight turning circle of 36.4 feet, because the suspension and engine design allow for large steering angles.

The TrailBlazer's Autotrac system, standard on 4WD models, offers four settings: 2WD, Auto4WD, 4HI and 4LO. Switching in and out of 4WD can be done on the fly with a flip of the switch, although the transmission must be in neutral to engage or disengage 4LO. In Auto4WD, power is shifted to all four wheels as conditions require. The TrailBlazer can be even be tow.

The seats come in cloth fabric or rich-feeling leather. Seat adjustments are manual in LS. Eight-way power operation with memory (including outside mirror adjustment) and seat heaters are available on fully optioned LT models. Chevrolet says the TrailBlazer's front bucket seats are designed to accommodate heights ranging from 4 feet 10 inches to 6 feet 2 inches. New for 2004 are optional adjustable pedals ($150), allowing shorter drivers to move the brake and accelerator pedals up to three inches closer for better positioning and comfort without having to move to close to the airbag-equipped steering wheel. It's a great feature and is popular among women.

Standard-wheelbase TrailBlazers seat five passengers, while TrailBlazer EXTs seat seven. The main advantage of the EXT is that third row. Second-row space is nearly identical between TrailBlazer and TrailBlazer EXT. Both offer more room in the second row than the Ford Explorer. (TrailBlazer provides 37.0 inches of leg room and 58.2 inches of hip room, versus the Ford's 35.9 and 54.2 inches.)

The Explorer, however, offers a bit more third-row room than the TrailBlazer EXT. (Head, hip, and leg room in the Explorer's third row measure 39.0, 45.3, and 34.8 inches, respectively. The corresponding numbers for the TrailBlazer EXT are 38.5, 45.9, and 31.2.) TrailBlazer EXT is 2.6 inches wider than Explorer, which accounts for the additional hip room. But clearly, the Explorer's independent rear suspension, and resulting low floor, allowed Ford to pack more leg and head room into a significantly shorter wheelbase.

A monochrome instrument panel is new for 2004. The instrumentation is complete and clean. A big tachometer is on the left, speedometer in center, and on the right are smaller gauges for water, battery, gas and oil. The optional four-spoke, leather-wrapped steering wheel has eight buttons, for climate, sound, cruise control and a driver information center in eight languages. Heating and air conditioning can be controlled separately by the driver and front-seat passenger. EXT models add separate climate controls for rear-seat passengers as well. Interior lights abound, including reading lights.

The center console includes an open storage bin, an enclosed compartment and two cupholders forward of the gear lever (plus two more for the rear passengers). There are pockets in the front doors and behind the front seats, though none in the rear doors. Standard behind the rear seat is a small hidden compartment under the floor, while optional features include a cargo net, scrolling tonneau cover and power outlet. An overhead console standard on the LT includes a sunglasses holder, plus Travelnote digital recorder.

Available sound systems include radio/CD, radio/CD/cassette, six-disc in-dash CD, or six-speaker 275-watt Bose system. We found the Bose system offered outstanding sound quality and adjustment versatility. All the systems include RDS (Radio Data Systems) technology, allowing the listener to search for stations by type, display information including song and artist information, and provide traffic and weather updates. Also available is a rear-seat DVD entertainment system ($1295), with a seven-inch flip-down screen and wireless headphones. For 2004, TrailBlazer offers XM Satellite Radio and Navigation Radio. XM Satellite Radio ($325) is available on all TrailBlazers in the continental U.S., and provides 100 coast-to-coast, digital-quality channels of original music, news, sports and talk. The basic subscription costs $10 a month. Navigation Radio available on the LT (.

TrailBlazer sports a nice design and a well-executed interior, though the seats could use some improvement.