re: Would You Drive This? 1987 Chevrolet K5 Blazer

ETA: Got one almost like this with leather interior as a graduation gift in 1998. Drove through college. Damn sure wish I had kept it.

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this is my takeaway. who the frick just spent 90k on this

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Have you been watching classic truck prices lately? In particular, the 1980s squared designs like the Land Cruiser, 4Runner, Bronco, Blazer, Jimmy, Suburban, and Grand Wagoneer?

They've gone from dirt cheap to insane in a matter of 10 years. It's starting to happen to the 1990s era trucks too.

I suspect this is part of the reason Ford has slapped the Bronco name on tiny 3 cylinder crossover.

Yes indeed... Looks like the winning bid was 88k...

Only thing I would do is put bigger tires on it, and level it off...

I had a '95... Still miss that truck...

Looked just like this..

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I still can’t believe they used the Blazer name for that abomination. What a joke.

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It's a great vehicle from what I hear.....but it's definitely no Blazer and should have been branded as something else. They also brought the Trailblazer name back for their 135 horsepower all wheel drive Kia Soul competitor:



Since the modern unit body Blazer, Cherokee, Renegade, Bronco, Trailblazer, and Pathfinder are hot sellers, I expect car companies to continue using old brand names from popular truck based SUVs for their crossovers.

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with 4,000 original miles

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I guess it is an indicator that the market is hitting peak levels when these low mile cars are getting let out of collections. BAT has a '03 Alpina Roadster with 32 miles on it for auction right now.

https://bringatrailer.com/listing/2003-bmw-z8-alpina-8/

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I hear the latest Chevrolet Blazer is a fantastic crossover for soccer mom's like you.

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It shouldn't be called "Blazer". But they clearly nailed the styling that I think Lexus was going for (but failed) with their RX crossover. They had trouble keeping the Blazer in inventory before the pandemic.

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I’m good. Got a Z71 Tahoe

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Those are awesome. Even the the worst Tahoe Z71 body style was really cool.

BTW the prices on the 2021 models are insane, but they have a lot of more modern off road hardware like an adjustable height suspension, e-LSD diff instead of the old G80, hill descent and crawl control, etc.

I had an 84 and I miss it dearly, stupid sale at the time, it was an absolute beast

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It is sad that these are now "requirements" for my daily vehicle, but I don't feel like I need all that in a fun truck like this. Not having all that is part of the charm of it. Plus its all steel body/bumpers so who cares if you back into something!

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I think there's demand for a vehicle like this. Government regulatory requirements around fuel efficiency and safety pretty much make them impossible to sell now.

Suzuki makes a very simple little off roader called the Jimny. It's wildly popular in every market where it is sold, but we can't get it in either the US or Canada. It might be a little small for American taste, but it's also dirt cheap and as simple as you can make a modern vehicle. Would be an awesome little four wheeler.



Same story with the 70 series Land Cruiser, which will be the only Toyota truck/SUV not on the new TNGA platform in a year or two. The latest 300 series Land Cruiser alogn with the next gen Prado, 4Runner, Tundra, Hilux, and Tacoma will all be on the same platform within 18 months. They will feature small turbocharged engines, expensive materials, and the latest safety gear. One of the reasons the 70 series is so popular in 3rd world markets even today is because it's cheap to keep running - while most western cars change designs and get more expensive every 5-6 years.



Or the classic Land Rover Defender, which wasn't imported to the US after 1996. It's simple and rugged, but they never really had the cash to get this one right. It always had rust problems and some questionable build quality, although it was bulletproof compared to the Range Rover products. It ultimately failed against the 70 series Land Cruiser because it was too expensive to purchase, too expensive to operate, and became more of a fad product for rich people than a real workhorse.



I think the era of squarish, simple vehicles is coming to an end even overseas. Newer ones like the Bronco and Wrangler are basically just expensive toys. An effort to reintroduce a square body "just the basics" Blazer or Ram Charger would be watered down instantly by boomers that want a fancy attention whore vehicle with all the modern conveniences.