Compared: 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer vs. 2023 Honda HR-V

Chevrolet | Honda

Article QuickTakes:

• Trailblazer is slightly less expensive than the HR-V
• Similar standard features found in the Trailblazer and HR-V
• Trailblazer's three-cylinder engine earns it better fuel economy

Subcompact crossovers such as the Chevrolet Trailblazer and the recently redesigned Honda HR-V are the do-everything new vehicles for buyers with a sub-$30,000 budget. With generous cargo space, available all-wheel drive, and reasonable pricing, crossovers continue to gain in popularity over sedans and hatchbacks.

Here's how the Trailblazer and the HR-V compare on pricing, features, and fuel economy.

Chevrolet

Trailblazer Is Slightly Less Expensive Than the HR-V

The 2023 Chevrolet Trailblazer's most affordable model is the front-wheel-drive LS trim, which starts around $24,000. As with all Trailblazers, the LS features a three-cylinder, turbocharged engine, which provides 137 horsepower from its 1.2 liters of displacement. Three other editions are also available, with a 155-hp 1.3-liter version of the three-cylinder engine becoming optional starting with the next-step-up LT trim. This same engine is standard with both the Activ and the range-topping RS trims, which share a nearly $28,000 starting price. All-wheel drive is optional on every model (and adds the 1.3-liter engine by default on lower trims). A nine-speed automatic is the only transmission available.

Honda

The 2023 Honda HR-V features only a trio of trim levels and is more expensive than the Trailblazer. The entry-level HR-V LX is priced around $25,000, followed by the Sport ($27,000), and the EX-L ($29,000). In both front-wheel-drive and all-wheel-drive form, the HR-V is powered by a 2.0-liter, four-cylinder engine that produces 158 horsepower and is managed by an automatic continuously variable transmission.

Chevrolet

Similar Standard Features Found in the Trailblazer and HR-V

Both the Trailblazer and the HR-V are intended as inexpensive, basic transportation, which makes their feature set quite similar. The Chevrolet's most intriguing party trick is intended to improve its already practical 54 cu-ft of total cargo space. In addition to a fold-flat second row, the front passenger seat folds forward to make it easier to accommodate oversize cargo.

Honda

The redesigned Honda leaves behind its multi-position Magic Seat from the year before, which leaves it with a more standard interior configuration when it's time to haul larger gear. The EX-L trim does deliver a 9.0-inch infotainment touchscreen, however, which is an inch larger than the most screen space you can get in any version of the Trailblazer. The HR-V is also now available with a low-speed adaptive Traffic Jam Assist system that will automatically keep the vehicle in its lane at speeds of 45 mph or less.

Chevrolet

Trailblazer's Three-Cylinder Engine Earns It Better Fuel Economy

When comparing the Trailblazer's pair of three-cylinder engine options, you might be surprised to discover that the larger and more powerful 1.3-liter marginally outperforms the 1.2-liter in fuel economy (31 mpg to 30 mpg). This is true only for front-wheel-drive models, however, as all-wheel drive drops that rating to 28 mpg.

Honda

The HR-V isn't quite as frugal as the Trailblazer, showing 28 mpg for front-wheel-drive editions, and 27 mpg for all-wheel-drive versions.

All vehicle pricing includes MSRP plus destination charges (set at the time of publication) and will be rounded to the nearest thousand.